.223 H4198, 55 gn FMJ?

harbl_the_cat

harbl_the_cat

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I'm starting to load plinking .223 for my T97 (which I don't have yet... sigh).

The load I found in my Reloading guide says 19 gn as your start load, 21 gn as your do not exceed.

So far I've loaded 300 rounds with 19 gn with 55gn FMJ (Remington), but for comparisons sake, I'd like to kick it up a notch to 20.5gn.

Anyone have any experience with this powder or these loads?
 
I would go to a powder that will give a better fill ratio such as Varget, RL 15 or even Benchmark for the 223.

H4198 is a tad fast for the .223.
 
Sierra's manual lists 21.8 as the max load for 55 gr FMJ and IMR-4198. I'm not sure about H4198. These powders are different so proceed with caution. Start low and work your way up. As long as it is loaded to acceptable pressures, H4198 will go bang safely and work fine. I believe it is widely used by .222 shooters.

Personally, I would suggest H335 or Win 748 for .223 with 55 gr bullets.

I'd reserve Varget and RL15 for 69 grain and heavier bullets.

At the end of the day, each gun is a little different. Try it, if it works for you and shows no pressure signs, run with it.
 
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Are you in the Speer manual?

What is your OAL? Do your bullets have a canalure?, and are you crimping at the canalure?
Who's bullets are you using - not all 55 grain bullets are built the same.

Speer's manual gives the oal at 2.215" -which indicates a round loaded to the middle of the Canalure - in which case 21 grains will not fill the case, but will be fairly close. Speer's test rifle is a Ruger 77 Mk11 - In any rifle chambered in 5.56, it has been my experience published loads have been extremely mild, and I have usually worked up loads past their printed maximums. Exeptions to this would be Hornady and Sierra's specific loads with Colt AR-15s as the test rifles. I think I'd load 10 of each starting at 20 then 10 at 20.5 to 21.0, and so on and chrony them.

With 300 loaded with 19 grains, you may have produced a whole bunch of anemic rounds:(
 
4198 often produces excellent accuracy in 222, 223 rifles but I wouldn't waste a lot of time loading 55 fmj's with it--much easieer to use a ball powder--748, 335 or the bulk stuff from Higginson's for plinking loads.

44Bore
 
Hairball:
Do NOT load up too many rounds before you have a chance to see if the T97 will digest them. The last thing you want to do is to "pull" 1000 rounds of ammo that your T97 doesn't digest.

I am waiting for the T97 before I go into mass production (2000 rounds) of .223

Have have some 55gr and loaded up some 60gr last night. I hope customs releases our rifles SOON!
 
My Stag 16" loves BLC-2 25gr with a 55gr. Shoots dime size groups at 20 yds indoors.
Only a 50 yd range and my poor eyes have an easier tim seing the tiny holes at 20.
 
I use 26 grs. Varget for my 63 grain bullet, which will be perfect for the type 97(3150fps) 1:7 twist. And use 23.5 grs. Benchmark for the 69 grain bullets coming out the long barrel of my target rifle 1:9 twist (2900fps). Works great!!
 
"...loaded 300 rounds..." Stop loading. You have to work up a load, not just pick one. Don't go into a big panic though. Shoot the 300 and work up the load this way.
Beginning with the starting load given in your manual, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each keeping them separate until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, like I said, I just wanted to have some plinking ammo on hand in anticipation of getting my T97 - nothing fancy just yet, just to have something to go through the motions of live fire, mag changes, etc. (i.e. evil "tactical" shooting drills). Although Griffoneur has a good point; it may well turn into a day of practicing stoppage drills with undercharged rounds (or a really crappy evening of pulling 299 rounds :).

I guess I'll just have to resize and trim the rest of my brass, start loading .45ACP again, and wait patiently like a good little gunnut.
 
21.5 gr of IMR 4198 with a 55 gr rem bulk bullet is what my Sav 12 FV in 223 loves to eat !!!! 19.4 grs of the same powder for my buddies 222. 340 Sav with a 50 gr Speer TNT is what it likes to eat !!!

Bearcat
 
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