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Posted: 2/26/2015 8:35:17 PM EDT
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Well, before recently I never shot enough to warrant reloading. Well, I built a retro m16a1, and now that 5.56 is going the way of 22lr with the neck bearding, I'm looking into this. My stash of m855 is decent, but I don't want to shoot it all up now, and my 55 gr stash is limited. So, I'm looking at getting into reloading just some 55 gr plinking loads to shoot out of my 1/8 twist 20" barreled a1.
I'm probably going to pick up a set of lee pacesetter dies, as I like their product, grab a case gauge, and some 55gr fmjbt bullets. Primers I can get locally along with powder, but I have no knowledge of what type of powder I need. I have heard good things on varget, and BLC2, and see in my books 4895 can be used, but that is my .308 powder, that's another ballgame isn't it? Help me out, give me some ideas on a powder for a 20" gun 
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WIN 748
IMR 8208XBR TAC These are all the powders I have used for 223. There are many more. 748 and TAC are ball powders, where 8208 is short extruded powder, but it still meters just as good. I would say buy whatever you can find really and whatever is the cheapest. Do you have a press and everything else already? |
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Quoted:
WIN 748 IMR 8208XBR TAC These are all the powders I have used for 223. There are many more. 748 and TAC are ball powders, where 8208 is short extruded powder, but it still meters just as good. I would say buy whatever you can find really and whatever is the cheapest. Do you have a press and everything else already? Yeah, already have a press, and load 9mm 308, 3006, 6.5 swede.... I might be able to buy some 748, from a buddy, but I guess I'll just have to see what I can get. |
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Quoted: Well, before recently I never shot enough to warrant reloading. Well, I built a retro m16a1, and now that 5.56 is going the way of 22lr with the neck bearding, I'm looking into this. My stash of m855 is decent, but I don't want to shoot it all up now, and my 55 gr stash is limited. So, I'm looking at getting into reloading just some 55 gr plinking loads to shoot out of my 1/8 twist 20" barreled a1. I'm probably going to pick up a set of lee pacesetter dies, as I like their product, grab a case gauge, and some 55gr fmjbt bullets. Primers I can get locally along with powder, but I have no knowledge of what type of powder I need. I have heard good things on varget, and BLC2, and see in my books 4895 can be used, but that is my .308 powder, that's another ballgame isn't it? Help me out, give me some ideas on a powder for a 20" gun Varget and IMR-4895 will work, but being the long extruded type both measure poorly. For plinking loads, not worth the time spent weighing them out IMHO. Re-15 and IMR-8208 XBR are short cut extruded that do measure almost as good as ball powder. So an option here if you can't find a ball powder. Any of the above powder can also be used in 308 BTW. |
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I suggest Ball powder as it measures very well from a powder measure. BLC2, CFE 223, A 2230, H-335, and Tac are just a few. Varget and IMR-4895 will work, but being the long extruded type both measure poorly. For plinking loads, not worth the time spent weighing them out IMHO. Re-15 and IMR-8208 XBR are short cut extruded that do measure almost as good as ball powder. So an option here if you can't find a ball powder. Any of the above powder can also be used in 308 BTW. Quoted:
Quoted:
Well, before recently I never shot enough to warrant reloading. Well, I built a retro m16a1, and now that 5.56 is going the way of 22lr with the neck bearding, I'm looking into this. My stash of m855 is decent, but I don't want to shoot it all up now, and my 55 gr stash is limited. So, I'm looking at getting into reloading just some 55 gr plinking loads to shoot out of my 1/8 twist 20" barreled a1. I'm probably going to pick up a set of lee pacesetter dies, as I like their product, grab a case gauge, and some 55gr fmjbt bullets. Primers I can get locally along with powder, but I have no knowledge of what type of powder I need. I have heard good things on varget, and BLC2, and see in my books 4895 can be used, but that is my .308 powder, that's another ballgame isn't it? Help me out, give me some ideas on a powder for a 20" gun Varget and IMR-4895 will work, but being the long extruded type both measure poorly. For plinking loads, not worth the time spent weighing them out IMHO. Re-15 and IMR-8208 XBR are short cut extruded that do measure almost as good as ball powder. So an option here if you can't find a ball powder. Any of the above powder can also be used in 308 BTW. Forgot to add, i have a charge master so measuring isnt too big a deal. I'm gonna see what i can get, but probably will get some 748 from my buddy, and see what else i can find. All else fails 4895 will fill in. |
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Quoted:
So, I'm looking at getting into reloading just some 55 gr plinking loads to shoot out of my 1/8 twist 20" barreled a1. ...what type of powder I need. Help me out, give me some ideas on a powder for a 20" gun For plinking loads I'd get whatever ball powder appropriate for 223 that is available. |
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in all honesty its a bad time to get into it
finding powder ive found is harder than finding .22 if it pops up online, you better be ready with an account created and credit card info saved on the site. you hesitate, think ill order it when I get home from work then its going to be gone. been that way for a few years now. A good example, it took me a little over a year to restock on titegroup. Varget is like a myth anymore. |
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Quoted: Forgot to add, i have a charge master so measuring isnt too big a deal. I'm gonna see what i can get, but probably will get some 748 from my buddy, and see what else i can find. All else fails 4895 will fill in. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Well, before recently I never shot enough to warrant reloading. Well, I built a retro m16a1, and now that 5.56 is going the way of 22lr with the neck bearding, I'm looking into this. My stash of m855 is decent, but I don't want to shoot it all up now, and my 55 gr stash is limited. So, I'm looking at getting into reloading just some 55 gr plinking loads to shoot out of my 1/8 twist 20" barreled a1. I'm probably going to pick up a set of lee pacesetter dies, as I like their product, grab a case gauge, and some 55gr fmjbt bullets. Primers I can get locally along with powder, but I have no knowledge of what type of powder I need. I have heard good things on varget, and BLC2, and see in my books 4895 can be used, but that is my .308 powder, that's another ballgame isn't it? Help me out, give me some ideas on a powder for a 20" gun Varget and IMR-4895 will work, but being the long extruded type both measure poorly. For plinking loads, not worth the time spent weighing them out IMHO. Re-15 and IMR-8208 XBR are short cut extruded that do measure almost as good as ball powder. So an option here if you can't find a ball powder. Any of the above powder can also be used in 308 BTW. Forgot to add, i have a charge master so measuring isnt too big a deal. I'm gonna see what i can get, but probably will get some 748 from my buddy, and see what else i can find. All else fails 4895 will fill in. Yes, W-748 is another good choice, as is AR Comp mentioned above. |
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Buy some cheaper steel case ammo as personally for plinking I wouldn't reload unless you are going to run 200+ rounds in batches/runs and again personally, I wouldn't trickle charge them. I'd use at the very least a turret press with a powder measure like a lee auto disk, which is cheap and effective for ball powders. The cost/rnd even with powder at $20/lb and primers at $25/per 1k, will be at least 15 cents or so not including brass, dies, trimmers etc... If you have all of it and want to do it for fun, then hell yeah it can be fun. But the cheap Russian steel ammo is pretty cheap to just plink with. For people having issues finding rifle powder, American reloading generally has WC844/WC846 which works fine for 223. Their usual pricing sux, but does include shipping/hazmat fees. Wait for a sale of at least 20% off and it's reasonably priced if you can buy 2-3+ jugs of it at a time. Otherwise, you are stuck with what's available locally. For plinking I prefer the Hornady 55fmj for now, or xtreme bullets 55 fmj depending on price. For now I can't tell a difference in accuracy, but I am still new at this and haven't graduated to the level of having a chronograph or moving beyond 50-100 yards for my practice. I just hit paper or steel and my groups sorta suck anyway b/c of me. |
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