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Posted: 3/17/2014 6:06:57 PM EDT
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So last night an interesting thing happened. Over the weekend I got a new lee 50th anniversary kit. I wasn't really confident in the lee scale so I went to my friends house to use his scale so I could set up the powder thrower. Using 2230 and a 52gr hp bullet he looked in his 47th edition of the lyman book said 24.9 to 28.7 grains of powder. These being plinking rounds I said how about 26? So we played around with the thrower and got it dialed in. Loaded 100 rounds. Perfect right? So I went home and decided to try a few rounds myself here. Tested the scale and it was right on 26 grains. Loaded 2 and then my o.a.l started to move. So just to check I went to my 49th edition lyman book and much to my surprise it says 22.9 to 25.5 max. WTF? So I called my buddy just to check that he was reading his book right and he was. I'm very confused at this point. So we check accurate's website and it says 22.1 to 24.6. So basically I have 3 different resources saying 3 different things. So I decide to pull the to be safe. It was late at this point so I said let's just do it tomorrow. This morning my buddy emails accurate and this is what he gets back.
My friend.......My lyman's 47th edition lists your charge for a 223 load behind a 52 grn JHPBT at 24.9 to 28.7; but your web page has it at 22.4 to 24.9. when was this change made and why??? Accurate response......Dan, Every company loads to different specs. Also different testing methods and equipment is used. Some use test barrels and others use actual pistols and rifles others may use a combination or use computer programs. Also every chamber is different, rifling's are different. The data from use and Lyman are both safe to use. It is your choice on which data you would like to use. Upon calling them the csr says that everybody tests their powder differently and whichever book and measurement I want to use is fine.  How can that be? I'm looking to some of you with way more reloading experience than me to clarify this. Sorry for the long description but I wanted to make sure you had as muchinfo as possible. Any help or insight is appreciated.
ETA I have not pulled any of the bullets yet. I was going to wait and see what people here said before I made a decision |
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General rules to follow.
Gather as much data as you can,at least 4-5 sources, as you have found out different manuals will have different data. Always, always check the powder manufactures FREE online data, always. If there are any changes in the powder or data they will have the most recent updated version. When in doubt, through out the highest and start with the lowest "Start" data published and work up. Now for a little info on 2230. 2230 has changed over the years and is now the same powder as Ramshot X-Terminator and data before 2007 does not apply any longer. This is why you always check the FREE online powder manufactures data, always. |
| I guess the confusing part for me was the fact that even though I told the csr from accurate that I had looked at the online info he said that going over the listed max load by almost 2 full grains was ok. I have always used my book and when in doubt cross checked some form of online list as well. When my book and accurate's website were about a tenth of a grain apart I took that as basically the two of them agreeing. It was the difference between the 47th and the 49th that threw me. Then the csr stating that I could just use whatever I wanted confused me even more. |
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I am pretty sure that I run *** with 55s and they are a moderate load. Like low 2700s out of a 16" . I would wait to pull them let me try to find my info
EDIT:***********8***8 NOPE I WAS WRONG my load is 23.5 with 55s they average 2800fps out of a 16". This is with the new 2230 not the 2230c or whatever it was. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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After Western powders bought AA they did new test data and came up with different load data. I have
talked to Scott at Western. That said, you will find different published load data. That said, we can test velocity but not pressures. I would not expect to find different load data with the same pressures that would be a little bizarre. To the OP, that is what I would be comparing in regards to load data. I load 2230 and I load 24.7 for 55 FMJ. |
Thanks for this info. I just started with the 2230 after I found that the 1608 I was using should really be going in my .300AAC subs.  23.0 grains of 2230 is all the small Dillon slide bar will hold on the XL650 press. I figured that tidbit might save someone some time.
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| I use 24.5 of 2230 on a hornady 55 fmj and that is my go to round. I load that by the thousands of rounds.. This is on 16 in barrel and I get repeatable results across multiple brands of brass and primers since the shortage has hit. But I buy 2230 exclusively so I buy it in 8 lb jugs. It meters like water and is progressive press friendly. Like I said it's my .223 go to powder |
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