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Posted: 11/25/2010 7:00:22 PM EDT
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i have a stupid question with 4064
just started loading .223 with sieara 55gr spitzer bullet i did a lot of looking on the web for powder weight and i am using 25.7 grns and while loading i noticed that the powder was almost at the top of the shell so i checked the weight and it was right on 25.7 to about 25.5 i looked in the hogden load manual that came with my lee kit and i saw it is a compressed load . i guess my question is that should the loads be ok it just looked weard to me but i did not know so i thought i woul ask the experts about it i can post some pics later if i need to thank you |
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Quoted:
i have a stupid question with 4064 just started loading .223 with Sierra 55gr spitzer bullet i did a lot of looking on the web for powder weight and i am using 25.7 grns and while loading i noticed that the powder was almost at the top of the shell so i checked the weight and it was right on 25.7 to about 25.5 i looked in the Hodgdon load manual that came with my lee kit and i saw it is a compressed load . i guess my question is that should the loads be ok it just looked weard to me but i did not know so i thought i would ask the experts about it i can post some pics later if i need to thank you Couple of problems here, IMR-4064 (always use the exact name, term in the reloading world there are a couple of "4064's") I'm guessing you mean IMR-4064. First problem is you are not "working up" a load, but beginning near max. Second problem is IMR-4064 is a poor choice for use in 223. Reread the part in your reloading manual about "working up" a load. (begin loading with the "start" load and work up watching for pressure signs.) Start load is the lowest charge shown for a powder. Compressed loads are fine, I would suggest saving the IMR-4064 for 308 or some other suitable cartridge. (I got lousy accuracy with IMR-4064 in 223) Much better would be a "ball" powder like Tac, AA-2230, H-335, or BLC2. These measure through a powder measure like a dream. |
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thanks for the info but why is imr-4064 not a good choice for .223 i am not looking for super tight results i am mainley reloading for some bulk rounds for my ar.
i checked my hogden book and 25.7 was there starting load i did my notice that i had some trouble getting the powder to meater thru my powder thrower is that because it is a stick powder,so i take it that ball powder is better for the .223 thanks again |
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thanks for the info but why is imr-4064 not a good choice for .223 i am not looking for super tight results i am mainley reloading for some bulk rounds for my ar. IMR-4064's burning rate is too slow for 223, so it's less than ideal. It will work, just don't expect the best results, and it's a PITA to measure from a PM. i checked my hogden book and 25.7 was there starting load i did my notice that i had some trouble getting the powder to meater thru my powder thrower is that because it is a stick powder,so i take it that ball powder is better for the .223 thanks again I was looking in Lyman #49, so the listed start charges could be different. Different components used, so different results. Extruded powder like IMR-4064 is difficult but not impossible to measure accuracly, ball powder is much, much easier to measure, and will never need to be compresses to seat a bullet. |
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IM4064 has a slower burn rate than the other powders mentioned. Burn rate matters.
Accurate 2460 is also a fine powder for .223 for the 45gr to 62gr bullets. And Accurate 2520 for the above 62gr. bullets. The IMR & other "stick" powders tend to clog/log jam in the case neck as they dump from the powder charger. One trick that helps to increase reliable stick powder to continue in to the case is to tap press lever a time or two against its full stroke position to jar the powder charger which also jars the cartridge case & dislodges jammed powder. Never start load development close to the max charge. TOO risky. Those kind of pressures letting go in the chamber other than out the front of the barrel can ruin your whole day. And the rifle's too. |
| thanks for the info i only loaded 20 rounds that way i guess i chose the wrong powder i am going to go test a few rounds this sat if they seem to hot i am going to pull the rounds apart and lighten the powder charge i have a sieera load manual and that load is the was in the middle so that is what i went with and that was the load data in my hogden manual, i guess it is going to be a learning curve involved with this |
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IMR-4064 is very close to Varget and RE-15's burn rate. There is nothing wrong with using it in .223 provided you're willing to hand weigh every powder charge. Very good accuracy can be had with IMR-4064 when loading heavier bullets in .223.
Actually IMR-4064 is one of my favorite powders for accuarcy in .308, but I still have to hand weigh it. It's so much easier to just use another powder that doesn't require the tedium. When you discover loads that work very well without hand weaighing you tend to stick with them. |
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yea i saw that when the powder was in the case it was almost all the way to the case neck i could see using ball powder could free up a lot of space i was woundering about the space but i checked 5 or 6 cases and they were right on the grn weight
my dad used winchester 748 when he started reloading so i did not know if that might be a better choice than imr 4064 |
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