reloading 223 for 1-9 barrel

8/11/2019 Reloading 223 for 1-9 Barrel

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Brian PearceLoad DevelopmentIn the last issue of LoadData.com, we covered basic loading tips forthe AR-15/.223 Remington rifle

featuring a one-in-12-inch twist bar-rel. For those who did not catch thatpiece, let’s briefly touch on some im-portant handloading points, pointsthat also apply to handloading an AR-15 fitted with a one-in-9-inchtwist barrel. Cases should be sized (us-ing either a small-base or full-lengthsizing die) to allow cases/cartridgesto chamber easily. Overall cartridgelength should generally be limited to2.260 inches to allow cartridges tofunction correctly in the magazine.(If they exceed this length, they tendto hang up in the magazine or won’tfit at all and jeopardize the reliabil-ity of the rifle.) A cartridge’s “trip”from the magazine to the chamberis rather rough, so bullets should becrimped in place, even those withouta cannelure. Avoid mixing cases, andnever use military cases with data de-veloped for commercial cases, as dan-gerous pressures can result.

AR-15 rifles with a one-in-9-inch

I

twist will stabilize bullets weighingfrom 55 to 75 grains. This allows

them to be useful for varmint hunt-ing and competitive on 600-yard“match” targets. In this respect, thistwist is clearly the most versatile andbest all-around twist rate offered inan AR-15 and explains why it is themost common in use today.

In the accompanying table, datafor 55- to 60-grain bullets has beenomitted, as all loads presented forrifles featuring a one-in-12-inch twist

barrel in the last issue are also suit-able for rifles with the one-in-9-inch

The Hornady 75-grain HPBT seated

to an overall cartridge length

of 2.26 inches sits deeply in the

.223 case (right), using up someof the powder capacity.

The Sierra 65-grain spitzer boat-

tail and 69-grain MatchKing HPBT

gave excellent results in theAR-15 with a one-in-9-inch twist.


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Brian used Redding dies to assemble

.223 Remington loads. Note the Taper

Crimp die, a step that is suggested for all

ammo used in an AR-15 rifle. The Com-

petition Bullet Seating Die is especially

useful when experimenting with variousbullets with different seating depths.

twist. One item to be aware of is thatlightly constructed frangible 55-grain

“varmint” bullets can disintegrate inmidair due to the high revolutionsper minute (rpm) rate. Addition-ally, scientific tests have proven thatthese frangible bullets can actually bestressed in the throat/rifling whereinthe jacket and core begin to separatedue to high pressures (and not veloc-ity) while still in the barrel, whichcan cause the bullet to come apartshortly after leaving the muzzle. Ifthis is the case, using loads that are

5 to 10 percent below maximummight help prevent bullet break-up

and allow the AR-15 to be used suc-cessfully with varmint bullets.

Avoid substituting one bullet foranother of the same weight, butfrom a different manufacturer, espe-cially once a load has been developedthat is near maximum. For instance,it is common to develop a load witha given bullet, then switch to a bul-

let of the same weight from a differ-ent manufacturer. Differences in thegilded jacket, bullet profile, bearingsurface and other factors can resultin a significant change in pressure.This potential problem seems espe-cially pronounced when loading the.223 Remington with 65-grain andheavier bullets.

All loads in the

accompanying

table were held to

industry overall

cartridge length

of 2.26 inches.

A Wilson Cartridge Case Gage is

inexpensive and can help in adjustingthe sizing die for proper headspace.

Handloading the AR-15 .223 with 1-in-9 twist Part II

Many loads proved capable of sub MOA

accuracy from a sandbag rest.


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The list of suitable powders forhandloading the .223 Remington islengthy. Ball powders have become

especially popular, as most meteruniformly and allow the powderto be thrown from a measure withminimal charge variances. And theirperformance in terms of accuracyand velocity is impressive, with manymatch competitors turning in im-pressive scores. Examples used in mydata include Hodgdon H-335, H-380 and BL-C(2), Winchester 748and Accurate Arms AAC-2230.

In spite of Ball powders offeringgreat performance, extruded cylin-drical powders still have a dedicatedfollowing, and many winning matchcompetitors swear by them. Powdersin the accompanying table include Alliant Reloder 15, Hodgdon H-4895, Varget, Vihtavuori VV-N135and VV-N140. I was especially im-pressed with the performance offeredby VV-N135 and RL-15 in con- junction with 75-grain bullets. Bothpowders have been commonly used

Accompanying load data included

bullets weighing from 65 to 75

grains, which are ideal for rifles

featuring a one-in-9-inch twist.

NoslerCustom .223 cases were used

exclusively in developing loads. It is ofhigh quality and comes ready to load.


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by 600-yard match competitors overan extended period of time, and areproven.

In developing accurate loads for aspecific rifle (rather than loads de-signed to work in several rifles), itcan be beneficial to experiment withpowder charges, bullet seating depthand primers. The most accurateloads are not necessarily those thatare on the “maximum” pressure line,so it will be beneficial to try loads with “starting” powder charges andcarefully check them for accuracy(and pressure), increase the powdercharge in .5-grain increments, thentest each. Due to its relatively small

powder capacity, the .223 is sensitiveto small changes, and many rifles willdefinitely exhibit an “appetite” for agiven velocity and/or pressure range.

In experimenting with bullet seat-ing depth, often the best accuracycomes when the bullet is seated from.015 to .001 inch from the lands/grooves. The problem is that withmany different AR-15 manufactur-ers, throat lengths vary considerably.

When attempting to develop accurate

loads, Bench Rest primers are suggested.

Hornady has responded to the demand of

competitive AR-15 target shooters by of-

fering factory .223 ammo with a 75-grainBTHP at an advertised 2,790 fps.


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In some chambers, bullets seatedout within the above measurement

will not allow cartridges to functionin the magazine (due to excessivelength) and must be fed in a sin-gle-shot mode. Personally, I wouldrather not turn an AR-15 into a sin-gle shot. With correct load develop-ment (experimenting with bullets,primers and powder charges), it candeliver accuracy with bullets seatedto correct overall cartridge length toallow usage in magazines and retainthe rifle’s semiautomatic feature.

Primers are not all created equal.This is not to say that one is betterthan another, but rather certain pow-ders do demonstrate lower extremespreads and improved accuracy withone primer over another. The pointbeing, in developing “match” accurate

loads, it is beneficial to experiment with primers and consider spending a

few dollars more for Bench Rest ver-sions. To help keep all things equal,loads in the accompanying table wereignited with Remington 7½ SmallRifle Bench Rest primers. (Just forthe record, CCI BR-4 and FederalGold Medal 205M primers will alsogive excellent results.)

NoslerCustom .223 Remington brass was used exclusively in developingloads. This is high-quality brass andready to load right out of the box. It

is sized to industry standards. Flashholes are checked for uniformity anddeburred, and cases are trimmed foruniformity and chamfered insideand out. They are carefully packed in50-round boxes (to prevent damage while shipping).

•

Each of the bullets used in the ac-companying table showed MOAaccuracy with select loads fromthe AR-15 rifle. Examples includeSierra’s 65-grain spitzer boat-tail

and 69-grain MatchKing hollow-point boat-tail, Hornady’s 68- and75-grain hollowpoint boat-tails andNosler’s 69-grain hollowpoint boat-tail. I have long been impressed with

When powders are thrown (rather than weighed) from a powder

measure, spherical powders such as these shown, will probably

give more uniform results and lower extreme spreads.

These cylindrical powders (and extruded) are excellent choices for

handloading the .223 Remington in the AR-15, several of which have

been proven match winners. By the nature of their shape, best resultswill usually be obtained if charges are weighed rather than thrown.

the change or improvement in .223long-range performance when stoked with heavier (than 60-grain) bullets.In studying my notes from the bench,scrutinizing accuracy and velocity, Iam still impressed.

Barrels featuring a one-in-9-inchtwist will stabilize bullets weighing

from 55 to 75 grains, allowing them to

be used for a variety of applications.

Brian used a Mil-Spec AR-15 featuring

a 20-inch barrel with a one-in-9-inchtwist to develop the accompanying loads.

reloading 223 for 1-9 barrel

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