Best All Around or Most Versatile 223 Load
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- This video is long overdue. Almost a year ago I completed the OCW ladder test to find what I believe to be the most accurate medium range loads for two rifles. The intent is to have a stock of one load that I could rely on for target or varmint.
The Rifles:
1. Howa 1500 Heavy Barrel 1/9 twist, Fred Choate Aluminum bedded stock, Zeiss Scope.
2. AR15, Wilson Arms Barrel 1/8twist Bull Barrel, CTS Aktive Recoil Buffer.
I was looking for a medium range 100-300 yard load that I could use in both rifles for varmint or target. Depending on the mood of the day, semi auto mood or bolt action mood, I could grab either and just head out. Some days I just get a kick out of working the bolt on a bolt action rifle, other days I prefer the spring rattling of a semi auto AR15.
All loads displayed in this video were safe in my rifles but may not be in yours. This data is not intended to replace the appropriate reloading manuals data and should not be used without verifying and double checking the loads between two different official published reference points - IE reloading manuals. If you elect to utilize any of this data it is at your own risk. These loads did work fine in the rifles indicated above.
Loads: 6 Rounds fired of each load. I waited 5 minutes between groups to allow the rifle barrels to cool.
Reloader 15 25.2gr COAL 2.252 - 60gr Vmax
ARComp 23.2gr COAL 2.250 - 60gr Vmax
H335 24gr COAL 2.248 - 60gr Vmax
It was so windy today my chronograph got blown over twice, so I did not get a chance to measure velocity. I decided to test that another day instead of breaking my chronograph. Though weather conditions weren't ideal, what fun is there to always shoot in the best weather conditions.
Which load would you chose for the purpose I have stated?
What's the matter with you? Most youtubers would take an hour and a half to get to the point! Thanks for not wasting my time, I wish more would get to the point like you.
Are you nuts? The 24gr H335@ 200 yards in the AR-15 is a winner. The group is barely larger than your 100yd groups.
I have been called worst 🤔
Just from what I see, you have it locked down better than any one I know of. Great job.
I am an old fuddy duddy. I use H4895 for just about everything. Old school...
I'm 23 and started using it for 30-06 a few years ago, also use it in 32 winchester special and 25-35WCF. Getting into reloading .223 and going to give it a shot. It's nice and versatile, works great for reduced power 30-06 loads. One powder for everything rifle, my kind of powder. If it ain't broke don't fix it!
Alot of great powders for 223, or 5.56. Just depends on the gun, bullet weight, and one's expectations. For 40 to 60gr. bullets h-335, h-322, win 748, blc2, tac, accurate 2230, and maybe best of all Hodgdon Benchmark. Good luck trying to find that one. Kinda like trying to catch the lochness monster.
Terry, Reloder 7 with 40 grainers has always done well on my old Rem 700 with a 1 in 12 twist. It's an old ADL sporter weight that I used for a walking groundhog rifle. With 10 shots I was usually able to keep MOA at 100 yards.
@@jasonbrown8944 If 7 works for ya then that's the one. Lots of great choices for 223.
Love H335 loaded at 25.0 and 25.3 grains. Very accurate out to 300 yards for me. Also love CFE 223 at 25.1, 25.5, and 26.5. The latter is pretty hot, but performs quite well.
After rechecking the Roofing on the targets I have to agree with you in that ar-comp did the best
I think you shot great, I dont like the hornadys for precision though. I thnk you would tighten the groups up useing sierra or bergers
For you and your rifles I’d say AR Comp. For me I’d go with H335. All I shoot is ARs. None of them have what you would call a quality barrel. I shoot all 5 shot groups and I have several loads that shoot very well.
Availability will take president over what you like.
At comp rules in your rifles! Great shooting great load for both rifles.
I've had great luck with H335 in multiple guns .
Great video. Good info..For 60 gr vmax. Good load with 26.5 gr r15 is my load favorite. I have good results with 26.5 gr IMR4320 with 60s and have a bolt same load with 65 gr Sierra spbt. 3268 fps in one rifle and 3347 fps in another. .036 in grp at a hundred yards. I do moly coat my bullets. One Savage I have does 1 1/2 inch groups at 300 yrds with 27.5 grains Varget/ rem 7 1/2, lc93 brass all prepped and weighed 1/4 grain withininch. Another load aa2460 at 26.5 gr 3190 fps. I use h335 for some 55gr but mostly 50s and 40gr . I have used about every powder for 223 made from fast to slow, what ever the rifle likes. Found where higher loading density seems best. Rule of thumb for me, slowest powder near 100% density, with decent velocity gives best groups. All barrels 26 inch.
Take them all out to 300. Or just ARComp and H335. That H335 group being at 200 yards vs. the rest being at 100 would be enough to pick that one for me.
Same here and i also wonder why it was shot at 200 and the others at 100
Yeah I agree seems not a trust test with the 335 at 200. Should e done all at 100 or 200. And I agree I think 335 would be tiny at 100. And the other open up a touch more.
I would select the most consistent group you and always adjust your scope a few mills to correct point of impact.
I run AR Comp in my 223 all day long. One of my other favorites is IMR 8208XBR for my 22-250 which also burns VERY accurate in my 223
Neither powder is effected by hot/cold temperature. Bullets: Hornady V Max 60gr. Barrel: 223 20inch 1/8 twist | Barrel: 22-250 24inch 1/12 twist
Both guns: Howa 1500 SA bolt rifles and @ 100yds = inside of a dime (5 shot groups) all day long.
EDIT: Love your channel. Liked & subbed! Thank you!
Thank you Larry for the info and subbing
H335….200 yard groups are about as tight as the other 100yard groups…looks to be about 1/2 moa
Yeah makes me cry because I can't find H335 now any where local with all these new powders that are out.
I’d say the AR comp load of those three look the best. Might want to look at Varget as well. My 1:9 CZ 527 loved the combination of about 26grs of varget under a 69gr SMK. I use the same load for my 1:8 AR.
Btw... I met you and your buddy at the range last weekend. I was shooting the blue benchrest rifle. I realized when I got home that I had watched your suppressed marlin video and the series on small revolvers (comparing the 640 and Kimber) which is why your voice sounded familiar. lol. Nice vids and I hope to run into you again at the range!
Same here Same gun
i love h335. was one of the very first powders i ever reloaded with. i always stayed on the lower end of the chart with 21.5 grains, a 55gr btfmj, and cci 450 primer. the groups was around .3 moa at 50 yards and .5 at 100. later i switched to ramshot powders with the same results. the reason of switching is how clean ramshot tac and exterminator shot. my rifle is a dmps lower and upper with a whiteoak 1/9 twist barrel. free floated hand guard
Imr 3031 62gr fmjbt been a good repeatable and consistent setup for me.
Thank you I think I will get some 3031 powder and try it as I have a a bit of a stash of 62gr I never could get to shoot. Was actually getting ready to sell them, thank you for stopping thru as I will try this first before selling.
@@Dayattherange Try a Magnet on those 62Gr, might have
in them. They are TERRIBLE!
Ramshot Tac is a powder I want to try after powder becomes more widely available again that stuff works pretty good from what I hear
Great shooting and excellent information!!
How fortunate that both your guns like the AR Comp powder - I have a Howa .223 that shoots sub MOA but think I'll see if I can track down some AR Comp powder for giggles 'n' grins.
Jimmbbbo let us know how it goes with the ARComp I do like the powder very easy to measure.
My cz shoots sub 3/4 inch with any bullet using varget or blc2.same with my ar with black hole barrel 100 yard s
I agree with your choice of load for your rifles, it looks like it works well in both of your rifles. Have you ever tried the 75 gr HPBT bullets? I am getting ready to test some of these using a 16" and a 20" 1x8 twist barrels using Data 2200, Varget, and some H4895. Everything I have read claims the 75 gr bullets out of the 1x8 twist are very accurate out to longer distance. I have also helped a few ground hogs take a dirt nap using open sights on a Ruger Mini 14 using standard 55 gr. surplus ammo. Back in the late 70's Hornady had a bullet numbered as a 2260 SX I believe. I loaded some of these for ground hogs, 1 shot 1 kill. SX stood for Super Explosive, I think , great varmint bullet. Thanks for your video.
Charlie in my 1/8 twist barrel I have shot single loaded 80gr SMK out to 500 yards very accurately. But my 1/9 twist Howa does not seem to like anything above 69gr. Though I have seen other 1/9twsit barrels be very accurate with 75gr pills.
Be careful with Varget to work up the loads and check the primers as you go, it is my go-to powder for .308 but in .223/5.56 I usually see pressure signs such as flattened primers and even cratering primers before getting to a max. charge even though velocities are low. I get good groups with it but for longer ranges you would want a little higher velocity, punching close holes at 100 yards not a problem.
69 bthp is the max weight for Reliable stabilization with a 1 in 9 twist and that might be iffy
At 200 yards that H335 looks good. Should shoot the other powders at 200 yards to make a fair judgment call.
50 rounds more of each load. If same result. They are all excellent loads.
Reshoot this drill again on a NON-windy day.
Well I don't know when you made this video bro but I finally found some powder in stock directly from Hodgdon and I got some 2230 coming the city part is I'm new to this platform so I didn't really have any powder like pre-pandemic you know I have plenty of 45acp powers because I shoot a lot of pistol rounds and I didn't having interest buying an AR platform rifle until recently when Joe Biden said I didn't need one I figured I needed a couple. LOL where I live in areas I hunt it's pretty much useless because even with the heaviest bullets lacks the punch that was saying thirty-ought-six for 3030 has behind the bullet lead to punch through brush and will cycling's and still carry enough energy to takedown Digger game but it would definitely be effective against two-legged assailants or targets whatever term is preferred. Anyway I didn't have any powder except for leverevolution as far as rifle power. Since it was my first rifle I figured I'd go with a complete upper and complete lower because I was not sure of what all parts are needed to build one, but now I'm learning pretty quickly. I got a ke arms KP 15 complete lower because it was a one piece poly injection molded lower with an A2 style stock, its insanely light, but mitigated the weak point where the reciever links up with tue adjustable stock, after watching two buddies break theres before I wanted to avoid that issue. For my upper I got a good deal on a 16" upper with a 15" M-Lok handguard from Bear Creek Arsenal in 5.56, it also came withthe BCG too. I was suprised to see how accurate it is for a budget complete upper.
I am going to be working loads with Hornady 55grain SP-BT w/Channelure ovsr some accurate 2230. For now though I have been using LVR in my 223 cases under the same bullets...I had found load data for heavier bullets but not for 55grain...it took me 3 days of internet searching and I ran across a forum where a few guys had pioneered a load using 55grain bullets with LVR during the Obama shortage. They started with 25.5g of LVR and the accuracy was so so, itnwas the same when duplicated the load but they had posted 26.0g fills the case and still gives just enough room to not be a compressed load. I worked my way up to that and its strong enough to cycle my BCG and its more accurate than M855 I can't wait for that 20 to 30 to get here so I can start playing around with it. I hope my information was helpful somebody call me if they're out of powder for their 223 / 556 started 25.5 of leverevolution if you got it I haven't pushed the envelope past 26.0 so I will say if anyone goes beyond that is doing so at their own risk. LVR does burn a bit dirtier in an AR but it'll function in a pimch
AR comp. I shoot the reloader 15 with a 60 grain V-Max 1 in 7 twist White Oak armament I think that's a Wilson Combat Barrel
No it is a wilson arms barrel wilsonarms.com/
H335
How come you did not mention the primers you were using?
Winchester Small Rifle Primer
@@Dayattherange I been happy with the CCI Primers in all of my Rifle & Pistol Loads since the early 70's Why change etc
Ar comp load man.
I would not use H335 to shoot at a possum! you asked.