My first .223 match handloads

[cqbdude]

So there I was laid out with a flu starting last Thursday.
I have not been sick with a flu for quite awhile and it drove me nuts.

I was not able to leave the house all day Thursday, but I called the doctor to get some good drugs and I sounded so bad, they asked me to come in at round 4pm.
That gave me a change to pickup my mail and packages from Midway that happens to have some reloading stuff I needed to finally start handloading some match .223 .

After taking some antibiotic and sleeping all day Friday, I got so bored that I started to make some ammo for my SPR.

I finally got out of the house on Sunday and went to try them out at the local range.


Here they are before my AR digested them.


Here are the result @100 yards.

BTW, I loaded this on my Dillon 550b.

77gr SMK BTHP
24.4gr Varget
PMC once fired brass
CCI 450 primers

[BAGunner]

Well done!

[Sheldon]

Not bad work for a sick guy!! Get better.....my son's been sick twice in the last 3 weeks too.

[milotrain]

I hear good things about AA2460. Ball powder, John Holliger likes it, and it's $128 for 8# at powdervalley.

[cqbdude]

Well done!

Not bad work for a sick guy!! Get better.....my son's been sick twice in the last 3 weeks too.

I hear good things about AA2460. Ball powder, John Holliger likes it, and it's $128 for 8# at powdervalley.

Thank You all...I'm really hooked now..

I now have 3 sets of 10 rounds with 24.4gr, 25.0gr and 25.3gr. ready to test.

Imagine if I have a rcbs powder dispenser/measure and a hand priming tool and Lapua brass.....buwwaahahaaaaaa..

[grant22]

My sorta match is identical to yours except for the amount of powder. Give the low end a try (22.5 - 23 gr) and you might be surprised.

Nice results, but I think you can do better with a lil less powder. Get well!

[milotrain]

Also try Nosler pills. They are very cheap and I know a couple of Masters who shoot them and swear by them. The 77s especially.

[frt96]

My best groups have come with 65 grain sierra gamekings over 22.8grains of AA2230.
Don't know why but my Keltec su-16ca and my savage love them. I shot my best groups ever out of both guns with this load.

[chickenfried]

for not being a wuss and shooting just 3 rounds.

[milotrain]

I like five round groups or eight round test groups. Something about shooting an even group seems to make sense to me, seems like it would have a lower chance of a statistical anomaly but I know that's not true.

[JAGACIDA]

I wrote down your formula, Get well!

[cqbdude]

My sorta match is identical to yours except for the amount of powder. Give the low end a try (22.5 - 23 gr) and you might be surprised.

Nice results, but I think you can do better with a lil less powder. Get well!

I did not think of using less powder, but I will definitely try it next time..
Thank You..

Also try Nosler pills. They are very cheap and I know a couple of Masters who shoot them and swear by them. The 77s especially.

I will look into the noslers...I like the SMK's but they are pricey..

My best groups have come with 65 grain sierra gamekings over 22.8grains of AA2230.
Don't know why but my Keltec su-16ca and my savage love them. I shot my best groups ever out of both guns with this load.

I dont have any AA2230's yet, but I have heard great things about them.
I will keep an eye out for this powder next time I'm at the show..

for not being a wuss and shooting just 3 rounds.

Thanks...I need to keep my 5 round groups closer together..LOL

I wrote down your formula, Get well!

Thank You, I'm felling much better..

So much better that I already have some brass ready for when I find the magic combination.

[cqbdude]

I was able to shoot my other test loads this weekend.

The results were pretty similar for 25gr, 25.3gr and my original 24.4gr.

There were really no dramatic differences between the 3 loads.

I did notice that the 25.3gr had some issues fitting in my magazine.

So I think I'm going to try grant22's suggestion of going lower in my powder charge. I will try 23gr and 23.5gr of Varget for my next outing.

Not sure if you guys will be interested in pictures of my groupings so I did not post them.

Let me know if you want to see them..