Powder recommendations

[Soonerpesek]

69gn SMKs and 25.3gn of Varget is magic in either bolt gun or AR for me

20 shot at 100 yards with a Savage Model 12 is still sub MOA

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I think @Varminterror is right. If it doesn’t like Varget something else is wrong.

Great group…………
But you missed the quarter……

 

[Catpop]

CFE 223 does a great job for me.

 

[2ndtimer]

In the winter of 1998/1999, I was handed a "magic load" of 27.3grn of Varget under 55grn ball as a practice load for Service Rifle. I switched around 2002 to use the same load under 50grn Vmax's as a proving load for rifles I was putting together. In the time until now, I've shot that load in over 400 barrels, and have handed it to dozens of other shooters as a proving load for new rifles - I can say with confidence, if this doesn't shoot sub-moa, then there's something wrong with the rifle.

So yeah, Varget works for lighter bullets in 223/5.56 too.

Yeah, works for lighter bullets, too, as long as you don’t mind giving up anywhere from 100 to 300 FPS velocity, depending on how much over published maximum loads listed you are willing to go and weight of the bullet…

 

[Dudedog]

I haven't tried everything that has listed loads for .223/5.56 but from what I have tried
Tac
8208XBR
BLC(2)
H335

 

[Pottimus]

H335, H332, and BL-C(2).

I have run anything in the books that I have. I know that I can run H4895 or IMR4064 from my .30 Cal. stash if needed. They just meter as bad as Varget.

 

[AJC1]

I ran a group of 55s with reloader 10x I found cheap.... that powder is now beyond my financial means.... next up is aa2015. I'm sure it will also do quite well... you have to test to see. Benchmark and h322 I expect would perform quite well, just get to testing and see what winning combinations work in your rifles...

 

[41 Mag]

Well for most of my rifles I have 3-5 different bullet weights depending on just what I have in mind of hunting or shooting. When I got into the 223 game I decided I only wanted maybe three bullet types and only a couple of the best weights for the 1-8 twist barrel I have. Of course I couldn't just stick with one rifle and ended up with a Contender with a 1-12 twist too. So I have bullets from 45 - 72grs now.

So when we started out I picked up 500 Starline cases and researched like here the most used or preferred powders. I had several on hand and picked up a couple of others just to try out. Of them all the TAC and SW Precision Rifle have done the best overall for my rifles. I picked up a big jug of each before the prices went crazy and figure they will last me for quite a while. I use the RMR 69gr bullets for 90% of the loads and they have shot really well. I do have some 64gr loads that I worked up for deer or hogs as well, and the SW PR does the best with them as well.

For just plinking or blasting ammo however, I really didn't find anything that just didn't shoot decent with the other powders, I found it had more to do with the primer, seating depth or the actual profile of the bullet in my rifles. I just wanted something that I could place a shot in an earhole if need be and not have to be worried if this shot would be the one outlier verses the one(s) inside an inch. Paper and cans don't run off, so I went for the tighter consistent groups.