hi everyone,

This is my first post here so i thought i would introduce my self before i ask my first question, my name is john, i live in victoria, australia (south west coast), im 25 years old and i am a security guard.

Ok, now to the question

why are my bullets going so slow (stuipd question i know)

I am fairly new to relaoding and i am confused with the velocitys i am getting out of my handloads, i am loading for .223 (savage model 16 stainless steel 22") with a 40 GR V-MAX bullet using 23.3 grains of "ADI AR2207" with a "CCI" smal rifle primers in winchester brass and only getting a velocity of 3280 fps when the ADI load guide states with 22.5 grains of powder i should be getting 3560 fps (out of a 24" barrel)

I realise i am using 0.7 of a grain exra of powder (i workd up to this load very slowly) and getting half inch groups at 100 yards but yet i am realy confused why i am getting such slow velocity.

what could the problem be, dose the 22' barrel realy loose that muvh velocity, should i try other primers, being at sea leval, the temprager (i do live on the coast and do have a average of 18>21 celcious days when i chrongraphed those speeds)

ADI load page
http://www.adi-limited.com/handloaders-guide/rifle.asp


(also i am having the same problem when loading a 55grain FMJ for plinking i am using 26.5 grains of ADI 2206H (1 grain over safe max loadind in IMI military brass) and yet i am only getting 3160 fps when the ADI guide book says a 24" barrel should get around 3260 fps with only 25.5 grains of powder)

i am locked to those two powders as that is all my gun shop can get in at the moment and un able to order powder as no freight company will ship it and would like to see if i can resolve this issue (if there is one) before i start reloading for my .308

Hey John,

A couple few things. Your chrono could be off. And yes, you may be losing velocity in a shorter barrel. Some barrels are "faster" than others, some "slower". Different lots of the same powder can vary in burn rate. Primers may or may not affect velocity. Velocities shown in the manuals are obtained in the ballistics lab under controlled conditions. We handloaders for the most part do all our testing "in the field".
It's not at all unusual for velocities shown in the manual to differ from "real world" velocities.

Another point I always try to remember is shit happens.

Welcome to the forum.

The difference between the 22" and 24" barrel in a .223 is minimal and I wouldn't count that as a factor at all.

The 100'/sec of the 55 grain bullet is also a minimal difference and I'd just ignore it as a factor of life in the fast lane.....but the 300'/sec difference with the 40 grain bullet is troubling. I had the same trouble once using BL(C)-2 in the .22-250.....couldn't come close to the velocity Hodgdon said it should get.....

I changed powders to H-380 and H-414 and walla.....all was well.

I don't know what the equivalent powder is here in the states or I might be able to help out.....some times we just are using the wrong powder regardless of the data presented.

One thing a chronograph taught me is all firearms are diff. Even two rifles coming off the same assembly line will produce diff. vel. between the two & certainly diff. than what the powder/reloading companies get in their test firearm. It is what it is & there is no getting around it. Your chamber could be slightly oversize, rough bore, or combination of the two. You could try switching powders, lapping the bbl. , etc., it can help, but if it is a "slow" bbl. it is what it is.

Try AR2208 with your 55 gr bullets and see if things improve.
AR2208 is known as Varget here in the states and I and others have found it a good choice in the 223 with heavier bullets.

John,
I reload for 16 different guns and 15 of them are slower than the published loads in reloading manuals and powder manufacturer's websites, (and way slower than internet board loads).

I beg to differ on FPS per inch it will change from 40-75 FPS per inch in all my tests using a ohler 35 and a chrony MB and can be more with some powders vs others the primer change could add FPS I have seen an extra 25-40 FPS with a change in both directions.

I hardly ever Dup. what the book says and that really holds for the old books and every barrel is it's own animal.

with that accuracy you don't need to worry about FPS be happy the game or paper you shoot will never know the diff and your gun will last longer.

Hi John. First off, there is nothing wrong with ADI powders - good stuff! Something I have noticed is the substancial difference between ADI 3rd edition load data and ADI 4th edition.

ADI list Varget figures in their load data. I would have thought AR2208 would be the first choice for both 223 and 308. Sometimes lighter bullets (maybe with less drag too) will not get pressures up all the way. Even so, your accuracy would suggest mission accomplished.

Good shooting to you!

thanks alot guys, at least i know there isnt anyhting major wrong, i once did almost 4000 fps out of the .223 with the 40 gran v-max's but that was with a accidental over charge of 2 grains over the max.. (i wont be doing that again) .. even the .223 reloads my be on the slow side i have a butt load of powder for them so i may as well stick to it...

with the .308 what powder do you reconmend, i will be using 165 grain Horandy SST projectiles and Highland once shot brass.

once again if you know of a "ADI" powder that would be great if not i will just look up powder equivalents on the ADI site

http://www.adi-limited.com/handloaders-guide/equivalents.asp