Need a good load for new AR

[skyjerk]

Just picked up an Armalite M15 A4 .223

My first .223 so I have no components yet for reloading for this.

Any thoughts on best bullet weight for a 16" chrome lined barrel with 1:9 RH twist?

[Normlizer]

i been getting good results with 55gr fmjbt with 22.8-23gr of h335 with cci400 primer. But like any load use at your own risk. With pmc brass

[IronButt]

I'm just getting ready to start reloading for my new AR myself. Mine is a 1:9 twist also & I'm going to try 69gr Sierra Matchking bullets first with Varget powder.

I've read several articles that say 69gr is about the upper limit for 1:9 twist barrels. I'd like to use the heaviest bullet that will shoot accurately out of my rifle, so I'll start at 69 & work my way down, if I have to.

I have close to 1000 rounds cleaned. I just have to find the time to decap & prime some so I can work up a few test loads.

[Normlizer]

Varget is a very good powder. It doesn't meter well i noticed but is very good. I was getting really good results with varget and 62gr fmjbt sc (ss109) bullets.

[Fr0sty]

What are you trying to load for? Best accuracy or most destructive terminal performance? I am assuming with the type of AR that you are using, your not trying to pull < .100" groups. With that in mind, I would load some pulled 55gr projectiles or maybe 62gr. Roll some some surplus powder and use Lakecity brass with Wolf primers. My goal would be to load these rounds at the lowest cost possible. I would set every measurement to book recommendation and only FL size the brass, and I would apply a good crimp to my loads. This is not the same type of loading I do for the AR that I load for. I built it for accuracy, so my load data and setups are all bias. So read below with that in mind. I did give you 2 nice projectiles that do very well against game, the Vmax and the Gameking.



When using 60gr+ Projectiles I have had great results with the following powders. I put down different options so if you can't find Varget you have some other choices. These are not in any type of order. If you are looking for more details as far as which one performed better than another PM me. I will say that all of these powders have done their job very well

Varget
Accurate 2520
IMR 4895
BLC-(2)
H322
RE-15


Projectiles:

Hornady Vmax 60gr
Sierra Gamekings 65gr
Hornady 68gr Match

[K31]

My match load for my 9 twist uppers...

52gr SMK
25gr H335
Win case
CCI-BR4

This load shoots sub moa at 100 yards in 3 different AR's I have.


My general blasting load is...

55gr horn fmj
25gr H335
LC case
CCI 400

[K31]

I never had much luck with bullets over 62gr in 9 twist bbl's. I would save the 69gr slugs for a 7 or 8 twist bbl.

[max384]

Just picked up an Armalite M15 A4 .223

My first .223 so I have no components yet for reloading for this.

Any thoughts on best bullet weight for a 16" chrome lined barrel with 1:9 RH twist?

As others have said, it depends on what you want to do with your AR. I don't do precision shooting with my AR, so I load for cost. The 55 gr projectiles are the cheapest I've seen for .223. I've found that both varget and IMR-4198 work very well. Again, I'm not doing precision shooting, but both of those powders gave me good groups. I found I needed closer to the max load on varget to get the tightest groups. In the end I decided on 4198 because the differences between loads with that and varget were pretty negligable for what I do and I need less 4198 to achieve the same results.

My recipe is 55 gr FMJBT over 20.0 gr IMR-4198 using wolf primers and mixed military range brass (decrimped, of course).

Assuming $22 per pound of powder, $70 per thousand projectiles, and $28 per case of primers, that comes out to 16.1 cents per round, or about $160 per thousand rounds.

If you're loading for supreme accuracy and precision, ignore what I said and listen to the other guys who load for that.

Good luck!

[scoutjoe]

My recipe is 55 gr FMJBT over 20.0 gr IMR-4198 using wolf primers and mixed military range brass (decrimped, of course).

Assuming $22 per pound of powder, $70 per thousand projectiles, and $28 per case of primers, that comes out to 16.1 cents per round, or about $160 per thousand rounds.

If you're loading for supreme accuracy and precision, ignore what I said and listen to the other guys who load for that.

Good luck!

55 FMJBT over IMR-4198 using Remington Small Rifle with a mix of brass (mostly Lake City but some commercial mixed in). Preforms well enough and around here the 4198 seems more available.

I'm loading for volume myself also, but this load is as accurate as I am so... its working out

[tdt91]

As others have said, it depends on what you want to do with your AR. I don't do precision shooting with my AR, so I load for cost. The 55 gr projectiles are the cheapest I've seen for .223. I've found that both varget and IMR-4198 work very well. Again, I'm not doing precision shooting, but both of those powders gave me good groups. I found I needed closer to the max load on varget to get the tightest groups. In the end I decided on 4198 because the differences between loads with that and varget were pretty negligable for what I do and I need less 4198 to achieve the same results.

My recipe is 55 gr FMJBT over 20.0 gr IMR-4198 using wolf primers and mixed military range brass (decrimped, of course).

Assuming $22 per pound of powder, $70 per thousand projectiles, and $28 per case of primers, that comes out to 16.1 cents per round, or about $160 per thousand rounds.

If you're loading for supreme accuracy and precision, ignore what I said and listen to the other guys who load for that.

Good luck!

wow, I wish those component prices were still good