Looking for a new powder for .223

[Remington788]

I've been using IMR 4198 for a while and I generally like it. I put it in my .223 Remington and also in my 30-30 (with cast lead bullets).

Problem is s that I just got a Lee Perfect Powder Measure and 4198, being an extruded/stick powder, does not meter well. I do not get consistent powder drops. I get x.3 grains then x.6, or x.8 but I want x.5.

I guess I am looking for a powder that would be suitable for .223 and would meter well. Any thoughts?

[2Late45]

Really depends on the bullet weight, but a lot of folks like H-335 for the lighter stuff. (52/55gr). Ram-shot is also popular. Lee measures work better with ball powders. You might have to try a smaller/finer grained powder. I went from IMR 4350, to H 4350 a in my .06 because it metered better in my Uniflow.

[dkf]

Ramshot TAC, meters very well. You can download their loading data here. http://www.ramshot.com/load-data/

[Remington788]

I'm sorry. I'm loading a Hornady 55 grain boat tail (bulk bullets).

[dkf]

I load 55-77gr bullets with TAC. The Ramshot link has data for both 55k psi .223 pressure and 62k psi 5.56 NATO. Just want to use military or BR4 primers with the higher pressure loads so you don't get pierced primers.

[glc]

CFE223 and H335 both meter very well from powder measures. I've used both for Hornady 55gr BTFMJ. I actually like Benchmark the best for that bullet, but I have to use an electronic dispenser (RCBS Chargemaster Lite) as it does not meter consistently out of measures.

[DucatiRon]

For metering purposes CFE 223 or the older version BLC-2. I load 50,000 or so 55grn fmj Hornady's a year and 2k 68 grain HPBT Hornady's a year with either powder.

[cephas]

H335 meters like water through my Dillon. If I ever get serious with a bullet over 60 grs I'm going to find something a tad slower.
My cast 30-30 gets 2400. Also meters well.

[frankski]

As others have said, H335 meters smoothly and is well suited for 55g and smaller bullets. W748 is also an excellent powder for this weight.

For 60g and above, I've found H4895 to be the most accurate for 60g Vmax. Varget is a good choice for 69g,

[daschnoz]

Just about any ball powder should meter well through a powder drop.
For 223:
- W748
- BL-C2
- Accurate 2230
- H335
- Ramshot TAC

Those are some just off the top of my head. If you're loading blasting ammo, pick the powder that costs the least per round to load (dollar per grain * powder charge). It may not be the cheapest per pound, but if you're using a smaller charge for the same performance, it may actually be the more economical powder.