Ammunition & Hand Loading > Cartridge and Shotshell reloading

Reloading 5.56x45/.223 Rem

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mott555:
Thanks for the info. I think I'm going to go to Scheel's after work and see what they have.

For now I'll only be reloading .223 since I haven't even fired any of my 5.56 yet, but I wanted to make sure I understood any implications before starting.

I was looking at .224 bullets online and these Hornadys look like a good starting point for general-purpose ammo. 55 grain, and soft-point. I want soft-point so I can use them at indoor ranges. However they have a cannelure, does that raise any issues? I'd think my bullet seating die would have to crimp for that to work? Good or bad thing?

Somewhat orthogonal to this discussion, I happen to have an old Winchester bolt rifle chambered in .218 Bee which uses .224 bullets. If I ever managed to actually find brass or even factory ammo, I'll be reloading that too. Would be nice if I could get a good load for both guns using the same bullets.

mott555:
Here's a question about powder. I have most of a pound of IMR 4350 I'd bought for my 7mm Rem Mag but couldn't get load I liked with it (2 - 3 MOA depending on powder charge, not horrible, but not great). Neither my Nosler nor Hornady reloading manuals have .223 loads with IMR 4350. Would it be a bad idea to try it in a .223 load? I'd use the load for short-range plinking so stellar accuracy wouldn't be a requirement.

Otherwise it won't get used, but I'd be open to trading for a powder I can use.

mott555:
I just answered my own question by doing some Google searches. The consensus on IMR 4350 in .223 is basically don't do it unless you have a really long barrel or like cleaning your gun. Best to save it for something like a 7mm Rem Mag which is funny because neither I nor my buddies who reload that caliber have been able to get great accuracy with that powder.

I can always sit on it until I trade my Remington 770 for a real 700 and maybe I'll get lucky and end up with a gun that likes the stuff.

DR4NRA:

--- Quote from: mott555 on December 05, 2014, 10:16:24 AM ---Here's a question about powder. I have most of a pound of IMR 4350 I'd bought for my 7mm Rem Mag but couldn't get load I liked with it (2 - 3 MOA depending on powder charge, not horrible, but not great). Neither my Nosler nor Hornady reloading manuals have .223 loads with IMR 4350. Would it be a bad idea to try it in a .223 load? I'd use the load for short-range plinking so stellar accuracy wouldn't be a requirement.

Otherwise it won't get used, but I'd be open to trading for a powder I can use.

--- End quote ---

H335, Benchmark (my personal favorite), H322, IMR 8208XBR would be my first four choices for anything 223.

tstuart34:

Mott

Look at Hodgens website. If you put in a powder it will list all the caliber they tested. You can select a caliber and then it will give you load data for specific bullets that they have worked up. As always start low and work up.

I am a fan of H 335 also. It will be the closest thing you can get for milspec if I remember correct...

If you are in Lincoln DE Guns always has powder in stock. Right now they have Benchmark, Vagrant, and BLC2 which can all be used for 223.

Also stop into Guns Unlimited in Omaha and sign up for the email blast. A couple weeks ago they got a big shipment of powder pounds and 8lb jugs of H335.... they might even still have some...

Good luck.

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