A co-worker of my wifes wants me to load a 1500fps .223 with 68gr bullet. I don't have a chrony and no real way to verify the velocity, but the guy keeps bugging me about it so I thought maybe some of you guys can help me here. Mainly powder type and amount. By the way, he will be running them through a suppressor if that makes a difference.

Blue Dot powder. 8 to 10 grains. small rifle or small pistol primer.

Should also be very accurate if you have the one in 8 twist for it.

If using in an AR the recoil is too light to recycle the bolt.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

SEAFIRE- Does this work for bullets such as Nosler BT or just soft cast type bullets? I am looking to shoot 55 grainers out of my vs 223. Thanks for the info.

35;

It works just fine with Nos BTs and other jacketed bullets.

I don't shoot cast bullets, except in my 45 Long Colt, my 444 and 45 ACP, and 30/30.

Check out my report in reloading on the Blue Dot and 223 loads. I have tested it with a batch of bullet weights and from loads ranging from 7 grains to 14 grains in most.

I have also done a lot of testing for other calibers.

Send me and email if you can't locate it and I will email you a copy of my range report.

Cheers and Good shooting
seafire

I have not used Blue dot in 223 ( that will change soon ).
Very impressed with Blue dot in 300WSM.

Velocity spread was low and accuracy was great.
Barrel heat and muzzle blast were greatly reduced.
Position of the powder in the case had minimal effect on velocity.

Tip: be sure your loading practices will not allow a double charge. It will fit just fine, and the bullet will still seat. This would be very unpleasant.

If you are unsure of how to accomplish this, ask and you will probably get fifteen different answers, most of them right.

Travis F.

Perforator,

For suppressed use, the only reason to use light charges is to keep the ammo subsonic - 1100 fps or less (roughly), not 1500.

From a suppressed rifle, his 1500fps load will make nearly as much noise downrange as firing a regular ball round.

They ARE fun, though!

Redial

You are of course correct Redial and I told him the same thing. He will be using them in full-auto mode and I think its more for control of the weapon than low sound volume. I don't think it will cycle his rifle at that level, but he said he thinks it will.

Focusing on the FUN side, is he?

FWIW, I had good luck in 223 Class III stuff by using a medium-weight bullet (55-60gr) with fast powders at moderate velocity. This is without a suppressor attached. Best was 322 powder for me. That proved much more controllable than loads of slower powders that created much more muzzle blast, like most ball loads. BTW, I don't think the 1500fps loads will cycle an AR either.

Either way, it's still fun.

Cheers!

I can almost predict what is going to happen. He will have to hand cycle about 10 of these rounds, then I'll hear, (Can you load me 500 rounds of regular ammo so I can really shoot this thing?)and of course I'll be happy to fufill that request as long as I get invited to rock-and-roll with some of the ammo.