Thread: working out some 223 loads

Recently picked up a 223 from a fellow forum member (still on the dealer to dealer) it's a 1-12 twist, so 55gn spbt Hornady's will be the food of choice
Now I've owned plenty before, but not for years, so I don't have any 223 powders in stock, well, ones that have data available

I do, however, have a full tin of leverevolution, which on paper would be good, but as above, zero data for 55gn

so, I started looking at equivalent charts and found that cfe223 and Leverevolution are extremely close
only one powder al 2000MR separates them
with lever evolution being the slightly slower of the 3

i have found data for both others with 55gn bullets
with cfe 223 Hodgen manual says 27.4gn max
with 2000mr the Speer manual says 29gn compressed (flat base bullet)

so, I went to Gordon's reloading tool

ive run the 3 powders in there, and it's modeling pretty much the same across the board for all 3 powders 28.0gn
max all within 500psi (nothing) on pressure and all +- 3100fps 20" barrel

so, experience tells me to start with 25.5 of leverevolution and work up from there

Now I'm 99.9 % sure I'm on the right track, but like all things, when it's an educated guess, I like to check myself before I wreck myself
What are your thoughts

I couldn’t find bugger all online either, some heavier projectile stuff, some gas gun stuff and one vid on YouTube where it shot terrible. Few guys running 62gr in the 26 - 27 gr range. Wouldn’t it be far too slow for 55gr?

Do you have any 2208?

I’ve got some BM2 I’d sell if you could get it picked up from Welly.

Hello Darryn. I've tried it in 223s behind "heavier projectiles" only I'm afraid. In the S&L behind 77 TMKs I started at 24.5. LVR (2776 fps) and got to 3005 fps with 26.3gn - that's shifting from a 21" barrel. I settled at 26.0 for 2950 fps but got more consistent results with 2206H at 2895. In a previous rifle I used 26.5 behind Sierrra 65s but my notes don't show velocity

Long story short I found CFE223 was better all round in 223s

What other powders have you got?

Please be cautious.from all I've read on those funky powders,they great where they are great but go from ok to wicked pressure spikes really fast. Your big enough n old enough to make up your own mind but please take extra care.

book load with 2208 is 27.5
fuck just deleted the entire post
thats 30min wasted

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Please be cautious.from all I've read on those funky powders,they great where they are great but go from ok to wicked pressure spikes really fast. Your big enough n old enough to make up your own mind but please take extra care.

always carefull bud

Originally Posted by Pommy

What other powders have you got?

not much that is even close 2 working in 223
yep got 2208 but would rather not for reasons above

a small amount of cfe223
and plenty of leverevolution

Your ignoring 2208 to no advantage:

I load it in 55 grain, 63 grain and 70 grain loads and I get excellent accuracy and speed. You have to compress it.

With a 20' barrel I am loading 28.5 grains of 2208 underneath a 55 grain Hornady for 3200 fps and half inch groups

There is nothing special about compressed loads (Other than you have to check the bullet stays put.)

For myself I dont put too much faith in modeling software: generally your first chrono test will show you're not getting anything as predicted.

ok let's retype this bloody post


Here's the modeled
speeds pressures and case full for powders mentioned with hornady 55gn spbt #2266 coal 2.2598
2208 27gn (51632psi) 3093fps 104% (compressed) (book 27.5)
2000MR 28gn (43719psi) 2988fps 102% (book 29)
cfe223 28gn (45616psi) 3022fps 99% (book 27.4)
leverevolution 28gn (45987psi) 3123fps 93%

2208 is way higher pressure 7000 psi ish but zero extra speed its right in that 3000-3100 range

Originally Posted by John Duxbury

Your ignoring 2208 to no advantage:

I load it in 55 grain, 63 grain and 70 grain loads and I get excellent accuracy and speed. You have to compress it.

With a 20' barrel I am loading 28.5 grains of 2208 underneath a 55 grain Hornady for 3200 fps and half inch groups

There is nothing special about compressed loads (Other than you have to check the bullet stays put.)

For myself I dont put too much faith in modeling software: generally your first chrono test will show you're not getting anything as predicted.

That's a full gn over max book charge, which is already compressed (unless your brass is higher capacity?
I have no issues going above max, but I don't like compressing powder

personally, i have found it to be very accurate within 20fps of the modeled
But only as accurate as the info you feed it

ill try some 2208 though

Dont know if this will help.

I'm loading:
Sierra Super Roo 55 gn SP - BC .250 #1365
AR2208 - 25.5gr. Mild but very accurate. In my 1:9 twist

To be clear
1. I am fully aware that there is better options available hence why there’s no data available
2.i will circle back and try some 2208 or another good 223 option if this doesn’t work out

However this post was more to check myself on the lever revolution data i have come up with myself
To see if anyone came up with a genuine fuck up with my numbers (i reckon they are good but dosnt hurt to check )

If the numbers are what GRT calculated it could be quite a handy load if it’s not I’ll try something more popular
As long as I don’t blow myself up in the process hahaha

I can give this a go virtually free i have primers and lever rev left over from other projects
So it’s just the projetiles and at $34 per 100 they won’t break the bank

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

ok let's retype this bloody post


Here's the modeled
speeds pressures and case full for powders mentioned with hornady 55gn spbt #2266 coal 2.2598
2208 27gn (51632psi) 3093fps 104% (compressed) (book 27.5)
2000MR 28gn (43719psi) 2988fps 102% (book 29)
cfe223 28gn (45616psi) 3022fps 99% (book 27.4)
leverevolution 28gn (45987psi) 3123fps 93%

2208 is way higher pressure 7000 psi ish but zero extra speed its right in that 3000-3100 range

I should clarify that everything above is considered (to me a calculated maximum)
I will start alot lower

Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

book load with 2208 is 27.5
fuck just deleted the entire post
thats 30min wasted

If I am writing anything on any internet forum that is going to be longer than a few paragraphs I always write it in word or notepad then copy/paste it across

I have fallen foul of the Internets Glitches too many times