Does anyone see any problem with downloading the .223 to 1/2 charges?
I did it, I survived and the rifle as well. I remembered afterwards that I read somewhere about the danger of secondary ignition of unburned gases with some reduced loads.
What I did was take surplus ammo, pull the bullits, reduce the loads by half and seated a soft point over a wad of Dacron filler.
I did this years ago (younger and dumber) and would like to do it again for plinking and "pot meat"loads.
PLEASE BE KIND WHEN YOU THRASH ME!!!!!!!!

Terry8mm---I have downloaded 223 with 55grn. and 16.5grns of 2400 for about 2500fps wont cycle AR15 but is a mild safe load. what ur doing may be dangerous be carfull --have fun---Mag801
___________________________________________

If u can only master one thing trigger pull is most important -- just my 2 cents --Mag801

Not sure, but if you go to search and look for 223 and blue dot, you might find some posts by a guy who loaded 223s with blue dot for some 1800-2000 fps loads that were shooting MOA out of his contender. He sounded like he knew what he was doing! Sorry can't remember his name, time frame was 3-6 months ago though.

regards and good luck,
Graycg

Hi Terry

Seriously, don't shoot any more of your pulled loads. Detonation is unpredictable -- you can shoot dozens of loads with no problems, then on the next shot you have a ringed chamber and ruined rifle.

Here is what you want:

http://www.jamescalhoon.com/ click "informative articles"

then click on the links to read "To Bee, or 223, Is that the Question?"

and
"To Bee, or 223 Revisited"

Both provide great loads for reduced loads.

Sorry I can't post a direct url to the articles because of the way this site uses frames...

Also, for a REALLY reduced load in my .222 Rem, I use 1.0 to 1.5 grains of Red Dot with a .22 cal air rifle pellet inserted in the neck. No filler. Very quiet but still a squirrel and pigeon killer. Something like this should work in your .223 too...

jpb

I have a LUX .222 that appears to be a 22 rimfire action with cocking on closing and the bolt handle being the only locking mechanism.

I just bought it becuase it is so cheezy.
I want to shoot it, but the primers look awful as a result of the giant firing pin hole.

I am going to make some very reduced PRESSURE loads for this widow maker.

7.5 grains of #5 gives about 1800 fps, and very mild pressure.

One of the early writers about detonation was Ackley. He says that it occurs with slow burning powders, such as 4831 and 4350, and is most common in overbore designs. Brownell seems to support the detonation thing... If you look at his graphs of pressure vs. charge, the standard deviation of pressure takes a sudden jump below about 30,000 PSI. Again, that's with slow powders.

I don't know of any reports of pistol powder doing this, but that's not proof it doesn't happen. The Lyman manual does recommend a lot of pistol powder loads for milder cast bullet rounds.

I have 2 reduced .223 loads I use with a 55 grain bullet:
21.5 grains of Win. 748 [That 22 Hornet velocity].
5.6 grains of UNIQUE. [The velocity is about 1850].

JPB:

Does it take a guy all the way from Sweden, to tell us Americans about a great website from a company in Montana, that answers this question?

Truly an international world we live in.

My JPB is right on. Try the Calhoon website.

I have used the Blue Dot loads quite a bit in my 223s. From 4 grains of Blue Dot with a 55 grain FMJ to as high as 14 grains with the same bullet.
Velocity deviation is normally 15 to 20 fps in extreme circumstances.

Because of the expense, the accuracy etc, it is my Prime load for Prairie Dogs.

If you are getting premature detonation in reduced military loads, I would find out what powder it is. Faster powders won't do that. Slowest ones will.

You also did not say if you were using these in an AR 15 or a bolt action.

I have to get out and chronograph them, (rainy season has started,so not in a rush) but I have tested some loads in a bolt action with 75 grain Hornady HPs with 12.5 grains of blue dot.

The Blue Dot loads ( I settled on 12.5 grains) seem to give the same velocity with every thing from 40 grains to 60 grained bullets. 2600 fps in a Ruger VT and a Remington 700 VLS.
3 inches high at 100 yds, will be dead on at 200 yds. definitely minute of prairie dog.

If you shoot a lot of rounds in a short period of time, another thing Blue dot does is not heat up the barrel very much in ratio to anything else I have ever used. Another reason it is my prime prairie dog load.

good luck.

Terry: I'm another one who suggests Blue dot. I have 2 loads for my 223. The first is 10.0gr of Blue dot with a 52 gr. match bullet at 2300 or so. I haven't chrono'd the 12 gr. load with the same bullet, but it is about 1.5" higher at 100, and is the more accurate of the 2. Check Hogdon powder web page for reduces loads or youth loads. I think it was their 4895 that you can load down to 60% or so. This is only for use where that powder is listed for the caliber. Don't take my word for it, as I may be wrong on the powder designation, but check them out. Ken