Short barrel .223 loads

[orygun]

Anyone have experience reloading for a short barrel AR? What bullet and powder did you use?

I've got an AR with an 11.5" barrel and I wouldn't mind learning from others before I spend a bunch of time making loads that don't work well.

 

[nextgenar]

I would like to know this too, especially if anyone has worked with heavy bullets, like 75 grains. I have a 7 1/2" AR arriving soon.

 

[ageingstudent]

The shortest I've loaded for is 18", but I would think faster like 4198 maybe down to 4895 area on the burn chart to start? 11.5" isn't a lot of barrel length to work with is it?

 

[415DET]

It would depend on the twist rate of your barrel. I have an 11" Colt with a 1/7 twist that shoots everything from 52s to 77s. It is hard to beat 25 grains of H335 under anything from a 52-55 bullet with a 1/9 twist. A 1/8 or 1/7 twist will handle 77s with ease.

 

[orygun]

Nope, it's not. (barrel length) One I have a little left that's pretty fast is RL7. I'll probably give that a try.

 

[kmk1012]

In my 8.5" IMR4198 and BLC2 works great with 62gr pills. The 4198 absolutely will not work in my 18" barrel though. The BLC2 works in both.

 

[Who The F R U]

We run 62 grain M856 projo's - 28.5g of wc844 in our 10.5's +11.5's Its a hot load = barrel cooker.
They will run fine @ 24.5g down to 23.5g of the 844.

 

[nextgenar]

It would depend on the twist rate of your barrel. I have an 11" Colt with a 1/7 twist that shoots everything from 52s to 77s. It is hard to beat 25 grains of H335 under anything from a 52-55 bullet with a 1/9 twist. A 1/8 or 1/7 twist will handle 77s with ease.

That sounds like just the ticket, I have a 1:7 twist barrel. Was considering using the 75-77 grain bullets.

 

[orygun]

It would depend on the twist rate of your barrel. I have an 11" Colt with a 1/7 twist that shoots everything from 52s to 77s. It is hard to beat 25 grains of H335 under anything from a 52-55 bullet with a 1/9 twist. A 1/8 or 1/7 twist will handle 77s with ease.

That sounds like just the ticket, I have a 1:7 twist barrel. Was considering using the 75-77 grain bullets.

I do/am, too. Has anyone chronoed their loads? I'm considering using this for close range deer hunting.

 

[415DET]

I do not chronograph my loads, I load for accuracy on paper. I have gotten decent accuracy out to 200 with my colt 11" commando, but it would not be my first choice for any application out past 100-150 yards.

I would imagine that a good 60ish grain soft point or bonded bullet would work for hunting. Most bullet manufacturers do not recommend using their BTHPs 77s or 75s or 69s for hunting aplications.

 

[Dyjital]

Wow.

That's going to be a rough one. Having 7-11" of rifling to build up enough velocity with a rifle burn rate powder.

Time to cross reference burn rate charts and velocity spreads per powder on charge weights. (That's what I would do).

 

[orygun]

Wow.

That's going to be a rough one. Having 7-11" of rifling to build up enough velocity with a rifle burn rate powder.

Time to cross reference burn rate charts and velocity spreads per powder on charge weights. (That's what I would do).

That's what I have been doing. It's going to take a fast powder to get it to happen, if I can make it happen at all.
The last time I did something like this it was a "short" 16" barrel for a 7mm-08. 16" may not be that short, until you compare it to a 22" tube. That 6" made a huge difference in powder choice, just like the 5-6" I'm dealing with now compared to a carbine length barrel.
Which is why I'm hoping to use someone else's experience.

 

[DizzyJ]

Wow.

That's going to be a rough one. Having 7-11" of rifling to build up enough velocity with a rifle burn rate powder.

Time to cross reference burn rate charts and velocity spreads per powder on charge weights. (That's what I would do).

Definitely. You'll want a powder that burns on the fader spectrum.