223 5.56 and leverevolution

[N555]

Because why not?
I bought a keg last year one of the few types of smokeless available at retail price and in stock. Good thing the new and wantabe reloaders that bought everything didn't know that leverevolution was a suitable 223/5.65 powder. I didn't know for sure, I had my suspensions and would have been more surprised if leverevolution wasn't a really good 223/5.56 powder. Looks like leverevolution burns pretty close to cfe223, but not a direct replacement as W760 is for H414.
I knew I would only need about 4 or 5 pounds max to load 30-30 over about the next 10 years so I'm trying it out in M855 rounds and 69gr to use the rest of it.
When I start loading up 223 here any day now I'll need at least 10lb of powder and I don't have 10lb of any one rifle powder.

I loaded up 2 shot with and rmr 69gr HPBT, 25gr of leverevolution powder, cci 41 primer, Remington case. 2.215'' coal, which may be a bit short. And it made 2,751 and 2,735fps. Out of a 20'' 1/7 twist barrel.
I did not recover the cases. Not that I expected to see anything of concern.
Also did a milk jug penetration test, did not recover the bullet, but founds bits of it. The bullet failed to penetrate 2 milk jugs which is perfect. Appears that the bullet yawed, started to break apart going through the first milk jug then went to pieces in the second milk jug.

 

[N555]

69gr rmr HPBT and 27gr of leverevolution flattened primers and made a few ejector shear marks. 27gr is definitely over the max. There was plenty of bullet jump to the lands so playing with coal probably wouldn't help.
The best group was with 26gr which is probably about max load. The best group was 5/8'' inch tall and 1/2 wide, that's hole edge to hole edge. What's that, about .4''?
Not bad for A2 sights at 25yd with an LMT M203 hanging off the bottom. I have seen people with expensive free float barrels chasing 1/2 moa.

 

[Buck13]

5/8" group at 25 yards, if that's what you're saying, is over 1.5 MOA.

 

[N555]

I shot one loaded with 26gr of LR over the chronograph in a pmc case primed with cci41 and it made 2,950. Pretty much a full power load. No high pressure signs.
2,950fps with a ballistic coefficient of around .35 should shoot pretty flat.
I dub thee mk269.

 

[2ndtimer]

Sounds similar to my results with LVR and RMR 69 gr bullets. Out of my 24” 1 in 8” twist Stag Model 6 25.0 gr put 5 shots into 1.39” at 100 yards average velocity of 2843 FPS. 25.9 gr pushed it to 2951FPS and grouped 1.56”. The real surprise to me was that it grouped 5 of the Hornady 55 gr FMJ into 1.22” with 26.8 gr at 3119 FPS. 27.8 gr grouped at 1.11” at 3229 FPS. I have had better accuracy with Shooters World Precision Rifle with the RMR 69 gr bullet, but nice to know LVR can be used in a pinch. Probably just save it for my son’s 30-30 Win.

 

[N555]

I was casually on the look out for cfe223, if it was available and I wasn't going to get gouged. But now I think I'll just use leverevolution. Will leverevolution replace w748, probably not. I'll have to do a head to head, best w748 loads vs best leverevolution loads.
I reloaded the lupula match brass I load developed with the other day. I wet pin tumbled them for a bit to get the soot off them, FL sized and deprimed, degreased, wet pin tumbled again, trimmed and primed. The primers went in nice and snug in all the cases, so those 7 I loaded up with 27gr of leverevolution that were too hot didn't run the brass. I doubt the brass would take more than 3 shots at that level of heat.

 

[N555]

The mini14 does not like these. I think the cases were ejected into a time warp and the rifle recoiled hard, shot about 4moa which is better than any just about any off the shelf ammo I have tried. I shot 1 group because I didn't the want to break anything.

 

[AJC1]

The mini14 does not like these. I think the cases were ejected into a time warp and the rifle recoiled hard, shot about 4moa which is better than any just about any off the shelf ammo I have tried. I shot 1 group because I didn't the want to break anything.

I'm curious if because it's based on other types of actions if the window for burn rate matters. Never considered it just always used tac.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I like Varget in 223.

 

[Demi-human]

I'm curious if because it's based on other types of actions if the window for burn rate matters. Never considered it just always used tac.

With a longer pressure impulse, I imagine it would be quite violent in a semi auto, especially a non-adjustable one.

I think the cases were ejected into a time warp and the rifle recoiled hard,

And it was!

I wonder if I could even get enough in the case to beat my CFE223 loads. I’ll have to try it, I like slow powders and light-speed bullets.

 

[N555]

Yeah a carbine length gas system on a 18 inch barrel is not a great match.

 

[ParallelCode]

The mini14 does not like these. I think the cases were ejected into a time warp and the rifle recoiled hard, shot about 4moa which is better than any just about any off the shelf ammo I have tried. I shot 1 group because I didn't the want to break anything.

The older 180-series minis seem to rain brass down on people several benches away.

 

[N555]

Now I have the adjustable mini14 gas block.