.223/5.56 Specific Reloading Advice Needed

[xounlistedxox]

Thank for all of the advice guys I really appreciate it. There is a ton of good info in this post that many people that are getting into reloading .223 can use

[popeye4]

[bohoki]

nothing is more important than makeing sure none of your brass is longer than 1.760, 1.750 is the proper trim length

which is why i think it is not much of an improvement to load 223 on a progressive being that you have to size then trim

i don't crimp but my lee sizer seems to make my mouths nice and snug for the bullet to seat nice and tight

and my cartridges all pass the push pin test

i also during trim clean the mouth with a bore brush so clean brass hugs the copper of the bullet

[hill billy]

My lee seater has enough crimp in it that I can beat the cartridge bullet first on the table four or five times and it will still be the same length. I've not yet seen the need for the factory crimp die.

[xounlistedxox]

How about prepping brass that has a primer crimp? What is the easiest/most cost effective way to prep it to reload? I have an RL550B press and am not going to upgrade my press to a 650 or better just to make it easier, so what are some other options?

[hill billy]

Dillon super swage 600 for primer crimps, hands down.

[freakshow10mm]

I use a Hornady reamer to cut the crimp out. I had a Dillon but sold it.

For the .223 ball powders will work well and meter very consistently. BLC2, W748 will work fine. IMR4895 is very good in .223 as well. Short grain extruded like Varget works wonders.

For lubing, I get a gallon ziplock bag, dump some brass in and put a 2 second squirt of Hornady One Shot then close the bag and shake it. Never had a stuck case.

I don't clean pockets and hardly trim brass for personal ammo.

OAL is set between 2.2-2.6 inches depending on bullet. I sit the SMKs longer than the FMJ.

After it's loaded I tumble the rounds in the tumbler with corncob and Nu Finish to remove the lube and polish the rounds so they shine like new money.

[xounlistedxox]

I wound up trying a brass deburring tool to get rid of the primer crimp and it worked perfectly fine. It's a little tedious and not much fun but it works and I already had the tool, so it didn't cost any extra $

[bruceflinch]

Re: 223/556. The shoulders have different angles. The dies & brass for .223 is different for 5.56.

The 4094 powder is a good one for .223.

I like the Hornady One Shot case lube, too.

[freakshow10mm]

Different throats, not shoulder angle.

What is 4094? Never heard of it.