Hello,
I am working on .223Rem in 1-12".
So far I got down to two powders with promising results.
One is Varget and Benchmark.
I use Hornady 52 BTHP MAT bullets in Win cases with Federal 205M primer.

Do you have good experience with both or what else can you recommend?
My friend shoots 22-250 with H4895 and loves it.
Anyone tried that powder in .223Rem?

Please advice.

Peter

I use IMR 4895 in my 223 savage 27 grs with a serria 45 gr bullet.Haven't tried the H 4895 so I don't know if it is better or not.Have shot some 1/2 groups @ 200 yds with the IMR.I think I was getting around 3600 fps but not sure.

My favorite is 28 grains of 748 under a 40 grain V-MAX. This combo is capable of 1/2 inch groups in my Ruger #1-V with a 1 in 12 twist.
Pete

My 223 VLS shot the Varget only so-so. I have settled on IMR4895, which it has a very visible liking for.

I suspect you'll be pretty well limited to a top end of 55gr. bullets. All of my 22 centerfires are 1 in 14" twist but I don't think there's much difference between it and a 1 in 12" at the upper end. You might get away with some 60gr bullets. You'll have to try them to find out for sure.
Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Both Benchmark and H4895 are great in the 223. With Sierra 53 gr Match I use 25.5 gr of benchmark (3000fps)for 1/2" groups out of a 16" TC. With 50 gr PLHP Rem I use 26 gr of H4895 (3050fps) for groups of 5/8". Experiment with primers but generally I use Rem 7 1/2's with the 223.

I don't think there is any "best" powder for a 223. They seem to shoot just about any powder I have ever used in them well.

They do a little more picky when weights of bullets exceed 69 grains, ( with the proper twist rate).

I can vouch for the accuracy of Benchmark in the 223, with bullet weights of 40, 45 and 50 grains. For 40 grains, I used 28 grains, for 45 I used 27.5 and for 50 grain bullets I used 27 grains.

Varget and H 4895 seem to be the same powder to me. I think Varget is H 4895 with an additive in it to make it less temperature sensitive. My speculation is that Hodgdon didn't want to can H 4895 since a lot of people have used it forever.
So they throw in another additive and call it a new powder.
As long as people keep buying it, keep selling it.

As others have mentioned I have used W 748 in the 223 and that is a great powder also.

The up side is that there are not really any bad choices you can make with bullets lighter than 55 grains. Velocity may vary and one may be "target" wise more accurate than another, but they all are minute of prairie dog in my experience.

Food for thought though, one cool powder I found for the 223, is H 380. What I liked about it, is that it's composition makes it great for loading into small mouthed cases. Another cool thing is that with 28 grains of it, comparing the difference in velocity with bullets from 40 grains to 80 grains, there is only about 100 fps differece with 40 to the 80 grains.

So if you have one 223, and want to shoot a lot of different bullets in it, with 28 grains of H 380, your point of impact is not going to change much, if any at all! I really like that kind of flexibility!

50 grains of IMR 4064 does the same thing at 2500 fps in a 338/06, with bullet weights from 200 to 250.

My prairie dog, high volume load tho is 12.5 grains of Blue Dot powder. Velocity is 2600 fps. I loaded some up with 14.5 grains of Blue Dot and the velocity jumped up to 3300 fps. However the barrel heated up quicker, and the max point blank range only extended about 25 yrds.

That must have to do with the lack of aerodynamics and bullet weights in 22 caliber bullets. three more clicks up on the scope adjustment compensated for the velocity difference between 2600 fps and 2800 fps.

12.5 grains of Blue Dot allows a lot of shooting without the barrel heating up much at all. It is pretty amazing. Since it does not heat up much, it cools down real quick also. Some nice bennies, out in the shooting fields.

Good luck with the project.

Cheers,
Seafire

I load at the range, and make groups all with the same case sometimes.

I second that part about a pain to get IRM4895 to go in.
I do not use an expander ball, and there is no wax on the inside of the neck, but sticks stick to the outside.

And my funnel is too big.

It all makes .223 a pain to load with IMR4895, but I am getting such accuracy with it and 55 gr Vmax, that I don't want to quit. I am getting long brass life with 27 gr [all that will fit], which is one grain more than IMR's max load of 26 gr IMR4895, 55 gr, 51,100 psi, 3120 fps, 24" barrel.

H335 is another great powder in the .223. Meters extremely accurately in my RCBS thrower, doesn't bridge like the stick powders do, so it always falls into the case easily, and gives good velocities.
I use about 27 grains with the 40 grain BT's I use and the accuracy is pretty impressive.

I've used Varget, H4895, and Benchmark in my 1-12" m700 LV SF. With 55 gr. bullets, they all worked pretty well. I'd think Benchmark would be most ideal of the 3 for 40-55 gr. loads, h4895 and Varget would be good with 55 gr. or 60 gr.

My Remington 700 PSS like 23.3 grains of IMR 4198 under the 40 gr. Vmax I light it all off with Federal GM205M primers. This load produces lots of 1/4" groups if I do my part. Velocity averages around 3500 fps.

Here's a pic of the rifle.

Rich

Try aa2015 on the 40grainers and aa2460 on the 50s.

27 grs. of 748 (ww primer & 53 Sierra Match bullets)is very hard to beat in my varmint rifles. 1/2" targets and powder feeds very consistant. 55 gr. Nosler ballist tips work great for hunting also.

Here is my second reloadin sesion for .223Rem.
It is getting better everytime, but far from what I
wanna see.


and here is some of the group I got using my good friend benchrest gun in 6mmPPC

I sure like H335 in my 223. It meters great and my rifle shoots 53 and 55 grain bullets well with it. I have tried Varget in it with 69 grain bullets with good success, but it is not as easy to load and the cases are inconveniently full.

Good luck