CANADA AMMO D4198/223 Chronograph Results

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Firehoser

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Here are the chronograph results in fps for my AR. Fired 5 rounds of each load and took an average. 19 gr to 21.5 gr in .5 gr increments. Used Chinese casings with Tula primers, CamPro 55gr FMJBT with factory crimp die and 15 inch 5.56 chrome barrel, 1-9 twist and carbine length gas tube. Other rifles may vary by barrel length and twist. Stayed close to baseline loads for this sampling.

Baseline
IMR 4198 spec: Min 18.8 gn 2885 FPS Max 20.4 gn 3122 FPS
Hodgson 4198 spec: Min 19 gn 2841 FPS Max 21 gn 3150 FPS

Results:
19 gr 2511 fps
19.5 gr 2590 fps
20 gr 2632 fps
20.5 gr 2717 fps
21 gr 2741 fps
21.5 gr 2764 fps

No issues with primers or casings. Did shoot dirty with unspent powder and carbon in the bolt area. Should improve as I increase loads.

FYI:
I ran 30 rounds @ 21 gr D4198 through my AR and had tight groups at 100 yd. 15 inch 5.56 chrome barrel, 1-9 twist and carbine length gas tube. 55gr CamPro FMJBT and mixed casings. Federal and Tula primer mix. Cycled well and no FTF issues. There were no split/bulging cases or primer problems.

I will post results with hotter loads next time I go to the range but from the results above expect to max out at 23-24 gr.

Update: Went to the range and fired from 22 gr to 24 gr of D4198 in .5 grain increments. I used Chinese cases with Tula primers and 55 gr CamPro FMJBT. 5 rounds of each and took average. Chronograph was 4 yards out front to avoid muzzle flash. Velocity will drop slightly from the muzzle to the chronograph.

Important Note:
I also fired some Remington UMC 223 55gr to compare. Remington spec 3240 fps...chronagraph @ 2785. That is 365 fps slower because of my rifle.

Results:
22 gr 2821 fps
22.5 gr 2932 fps (hot load)
23 gr 2968 fps (hot load)
23.5 gr 3057 fps (blown primers) (hot load)
24 gr 3128 fps (blown primers) (hot load)
Rem UMC 2785 fps


After checking the cases and primers there was some serious primer damage at 23.5 and 24 gr. 24 gr was the maximum fill that the cases allowed. Any more and the bullet would compress the powder. The rounds shot a little cleaner than before with less non spent powder and there were no FTL or FTF issues. No cracked or distorted casings.

Conclusion:

For my rifle I would not exceed 22 gr of D4198. Any load over 22 gr I would consider hot. 21.5 gr is close to par with the Remington UMC factory round. Based on the firing results 20 gn of D4198 is a minimum load for my rifle.24 grains fills my casing to the top of the shoulder and just short of the bullet compressing the powder. All loads cycled with no issues. No casing or extreme primer issues except with loads over 23gn. There was visible primer spalling from the firing pin over 22 gr. Federal primers may fair better. Every rifle could be different depending on barrel length and twist. Powder batch may also play a part. Factoring in the whopping 365 fps difference in the Remington factory ammo stats it appears to come close to IMR 4198 but closer to Hodgson 4198. Again every rifle is different.Needless to say the less 10 percent and work up rule was not necessary in my case.
 
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Did you do any direct comparisons with the same charge and bullet weight for D4198, H4198 and IMR4198? It would be interesting to see how their burn rates compare in your 223?

If I'm interpreting your results correctly, D4198 is significantly slower than both H4198 and IMR4198.
 
I would like to compare Andy but the only other powder I have in stock is CF223 and H335. Both are ball powder. I am hand loading a new batch from 22gr to 24.5 gr for testing. I will post those results next week. IMR tests with a 22 inch barrel and 1/12 twist. More testing is needed and I will compare some factory rounds to see how they compare to factory specs.
 
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Andy said:
Did you do any direct comparisons with the same charge and bullet weight for D4198, H4198 and IMR4198? It would be interesting to see how their burn rates compare in your 223?

If I'm interpreting your results correctly, D4198 is significantly slower than both H4198 and IMR4198.
Click to expand...

After my second trip and taking into consideration and factoring in the whopping 365 fps difference in the Remington factory ammo stats it appears to come close to IMR 4198 but closer to Hodgson 4198. Again every rifle is different.
 
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Good thread! Just what I was looking for. I got 10 lbs of this stuff on Black Friday! I'll run some tests with my M&P Sport II and post them up here. Hard to beat the price along with CamPro's when you plan on practicing keeping quick mag dumps on target! Not using Varget and Sierra for that! LOL!
 
My results with 22gr d4198 with 55gr campro shot an avg of 3005fps in my 18.5" kel-tec.
Unfortunately the accuracy was lackluster (2" at 50yds.
It shot great in my norc 14.5" (2" at 100yds) with a Sig Romeo 5 reddot. Unfortunately I didn't compensate for bore offset and clipped my chrony so I couldn't get velocity from that combo.
The ejection in the Norc was super consistent all landing 4ft away in a nice tidy pile. The kel-tec was flinging them 15ft in a 5ft wide zone. Also my sks loads had erratic but reliable ejection, this powder seems to work great in DI guns and not so hot in piston guns. Accuracy in the sks was good with the 123gr steel pulldowns and poor with SSTs
 
Your survey of a range of powder charges was very well done.

If I had done it, I would have fired the factory ammo first, so I would know when my handloads got up to the same speed. Once I exceed factory speed, I know I am getting very high in pressure - regardless of how the brass and primers look.

The other thing I do with a new powder (and most of the powders I use are non-cannister powders - so I have to calibrate them) is load them down in 0.5 gr increments, to find out where they stop cycling the action.

If I tested, say, 20 to 25 gr and found that the 20 gr was most accurate and the mild recoil was an advantage in CQB (short range shooting) I would probably load up a bunch of 20 gr rounds as my CQB ammo.

But If I did the full range of testing (up and down) and found that at 19.5 the action sometimes did not cycle, then I would know 20 gr is too close to the lower limit, and I would load 21 gr.

Every rifle is different, and a load that works well in one rifle may be too hot, too weak or inaccurate in another. I find this especially true of the AR-15. Some are over gassed compared to others. Such rifles need a faster powder or milder loads. I have ammo made for two of my over gassed rifles (Norinco and 858) that will not cycle the action in 3 other AR-15s.
 
Ganderite said:
Your survey of a range of powder charges was very well done.

If I had done it, I would have fired the factory ammo first, so I would know when my handloads got up to the same speed. Once I exceed factory speed, I know I am getting very high in pressure - regardless of how the brass and primers look.

The other thing I do with a new powder (and most of the powders I use are non-cannister powders - so I have to calibrate them) is load them down in 0.5 gr increments, to find out where they stop cycling the action.

If I tested, say, 20 to 25 gr and found that the 20 gr was most accurate and the mild recoil was an advantage in CQB (short range shooting) I would probably load up a bunch of 20 gr rounds as my CQB ammo.

But If I did the full range of testing (up and down) and found that at 19.5 the action sometimes did not cycle, then I would know 20 gr is too close to the lower limit, and I would load 21 gr.

Every rifle is different, and a load that works well in one rifle may be too hot, too weak or inaccurate in another. I find this especially true of the AR-15. Some are over gassed compared to others. Such rifles need a faster powder or milder loads. I have ammo made for two of my over gassed rifles (Norinco and 858) that will not cycle the action in 3 other AR-15s.
Click to expand...

Excellent post!
 
Those baseline velocities seem to be from Hodgdon with a 24 inch (bolt action likely) with a 1:12 twist.

You're loosing velocity on all three counts (barrel length, action type, and twist).

As an aside, I was recently reading a book where the Author states that IMR 4198 was frequently used by the factories in high selling cartridges like the 32 Special and 300 Savage. I'd speculate that while slower, the loads used significantly less powder and without a chronograph it is unlikely the average user would know the difference.
 
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