The Down Range Forum

Member Section => Reloading => Topic started by: mardigrasjoe on July 26, 2014, 09:44:19 AM

Title: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: mardigrasjoe on July 26, 2014, 09:44:19 AM

 Hello everyone,I am new to this site.I am a range officer and a hunter education instructor in Louisiana.
I have a colt A3 Hbar with a 24'' ss barrel.I would like to know how many gr's  can I use with IMR 4064
powder,Hornady 55gr FMJBT with a canneure.If someone has worked  with this load please let me know.
Our range is 100 yds at this time.

Title: Re: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: Solus on July 26, 2014, 12:27:03 PM

Quote from: mardigrasjoe on July 26, 2014, 09:44:19 AM

Hello everyone,I am new to this site.I am a range officer and a hunter education instructor in Louisiana.
I have a colt A3 Hbar with a 24'' ss barrel.I would like to know how many gr's  can I use with IMR 4064
powder,Hornady 55gr FMJBT with a canneure.If someone has worked  with this load please let me know.
Our range is 100 yds at this time.

Joe,  be aware, if you are not already, that you need to approach any load given to you with caution...especially one not from a loading manual.

Good loading manuals will caution you to work up to max loads in increments...and they tell you which is the max load they found.  Someone from here might not have the range of knowledge to say how close to max load they are...takes a pressure barrel for that.

So, even if a load works fine in another rifle of the exact make and style as  yours, max load may be reach in yours before theirs...each rifle is different.

Sorry if I lectured you on stuff you already are aware of and practice, but better to be sure.

Take care

Title: Re: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: robert69 on July 29, 2014, 11:11:05 AM

The Sierra book, edition 5, lists their 55 grain with the following loads for IMR 4064.
This is for the Sierra bullet, so start LOW.
24.8 for 2700
25.3 for 2800
25.8 (MAX) for 2900
BUT, IMR 4064 is a bit slow, and a pain to measure because of the long grains of powder.
Be careful with any slow powder in a semi.  If your port pressures are TOO high, you WILL
see head swipe on the brass.
A better choice for powder if you can find it would be TAC or Viht N135, or AA-2230, or varget.
You cannot have TOO MANY reloading manuals.  They are all reference books.
COL of 2.250"

Title: Re: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: mardigrasjoe on July 29, 2014, 11:47:22 AM

I have the speer #14 manual it list speer 55gr FMJ-BT 24.5 gr's for 2843 to start. I know I need
to get different powder, but it is hard to find in my area. South Louisiana Lake Pontchartrain.

Title: Re: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: alfsauve on July 29, 2014, 04:13:33 PM

(http://media2.arabia.msn.com/medialib/2012/09/11/cute_baby.jpg)

Powder!   You have Powder?

Title: Re: 223 rem or 5.56 loads
Post by: kmitch200 on July 31, 2014, 09:44:45 PM

Don't get excited Alf.........it's just rifle powder.

If it was pistol powder he found, he'd have to prepare to repel boarders!!