Hi all, what are your favorite powders for .223 Rem? I usually go thru the archives, but things change over time. Care to share your favorite powder.

748 by a mile!
Pete

Agree with PJ. I use WW748 almost exclusively.
Peter.

Blue Dot...

Not exclusively, but a whole lot of it..

especially in my high volume shooting and varminting...

accurate, effective and a pound goes a long way...

My .223 is the AI version. VihtaVuori N133 gives me the best accuracy and speed for 50, 52 and 55 grain bullets. I don't shoot heavier with my 1 in 12" twist Hart barrel.

I like 748 for the lighter weight bullets up through 60 grain but for weights beyond that I really like TAC followed by Varget or RL15.

RL-7 for higher velocity loads and great accuracy.

A lot of powders work well in the .223. My personal choice is the powder that was origially developed for the caliber, WC 844, commercially known as H-335. I'd be just about as happy with either of the 4895s. But there are probably only a dozen or so other powders that work just as well for full-power loads.

For reduced loads, Blue Dot is the cat's whiskers. It will propel a 50 grain bullet at 2800-2900 fps with amazing consistency and accuracy. Such a load is easy on the ears, the shoulder, and the pocketbook, but hard on appropriate targets like ground squirrels and prairie dogs. I've had my Blue Dot loads shoot under a half-minute of angle at 200 yards from a sporter barrel, using just a 7x scope.

Like others the 748 works well in my autos...but the H335 does better in bolt gun with 52/55 grain bullet in 1-12twist.....H322,VV133 and IMR 4198 have done well in some guns-loads but the W748 and H335 seems to work in almost all 223 50-55 grain loading for slow twist barrels.....good luck and good shootng-loading!!

748
h-335
varget
h-benchmark all under hornady awesome 50 grain v-max
regards

since todays range action was with the .223 I'll list it here. The rifle was the Savage 12vbss-s with the resently factory repaired or replaced ACCUTRIGGER. All at 50 yds.

73 gr. HPBT Berger, 25gr. 2520, 2960 fps. avg., 3 shot .2" group.

52gr. FBHP, Berger, 10gr. Johny's Blue Dot., 2244fps. avg., ( HARD TO BELIEVE )--8 shot .2" group.

52gr. FBHP, Berger, 19.1 gr. RL7. 2962fps. avg.-- 8 shot .300" group.

This rifle and POS trigger seems to say " show me a powder that doesn't work." Case in point; Some FMJs pushed by Turk reclaimed powder, today, was better than MOA. roger

55 g Vnightmare,27.2 g WC 846, LC brass, CCI450
Under 1/2 minute and cheeep.

12.5 g blue dot, 40g vmax, lc brass, Fed primer
Under 1/2 minute Niiiice

these two have the same POI@ 100 yds in my rifle.

3031 @ 55gr hp.

Win 748 26.5 gns Black Hills Match or Nosler cases Remington 7 1/2 primers Nosler 55gn spitzer solid base in a Savage Tactical Bolt Action. 1/2 MOA

Without a doubt H322 is my favorite and only 223 powder.

For 55 gr and lighter bullets, Ramshot Xterminator.

H 335 H 322 BLC-2 IMR 4198 Either of those 4895 .
Mine loves BLC-2 go figure .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Win 748, Blc2, and WC 846 have an interesting relationship. At one time I have used all of them...I can just by WC 846 for less than half the price.

I only use two powders for the 223 anymore. WW748 for 55gr bullets and Benchmark for 40gr bullets.

"Best Powder" really depends on what bullets you are trying to shoot.
For my Match AR, which shoots Sierra 77 & 80gr HPBTM exclusively, RE15 is the best. Varget or 4895 would probably be just as good, but RE15 worked great from the start so I haven't experimented.

Anything 69gr and lighter, I think 748 is a good choice.

Varget for 55 grainers

RL-15 for 75 grainers

ZM

benchmark for 50 grainers.

Other than specialized Blue Dot loads courtesy of Seafire/B17G, H335 gets the nod for anything between 40 and 64 grains.

BL-(C)-2 for 40-55 grain bullets.

I like for the 40-50gr bullets Benchmark
and 55gr H335

quote:

Originally posted by zace:
Win 748, Blc2, and WC 846 have an interesting relationship. At one time I have used all of them...I can just by WC 846 for less than half the price.

That special relationship being that they are all the same specification powder from the St. Marks, Florida plant. Not that lots don't vary as with any powder, but they will vary no more between the three designations than lots within a single designation. Like Zace, my preference among them is the one that I can shoot the cheapest.

Thanks all for your replies. I recently traded in my M77/22H for a Tikka T3 in .223. I'll keep my 22 Hornet dies, and load up some of the 40 grainers in .223. I have not loaded for 223 Rem so was curious what the fav where. My Tikka has a 1 in 8" twist barrel, should I go with a slower powder for the 40 grainers? Do 40 grain projectiles stablize well enough with a 1 in 8" barrel? Maybe that should be another thread. Thanx