The unfortunate reality of shooting autoloaders is that often you're limited by mag length as far as seating depth goes. Even with bolt guns that have box magazines it can be an issue, unless you single load/single fire.
Find's Treasure Forums
Welcome to Find's Treasure Forums, Guests!
You are viewing this forums as a guest which limits you to read only status.
Only registered members may post stories, questions, classifieds, reply to other posts, contact other members using built in messaging and use many other features found on these forums.
Why not register and join us today? It's free! (We don't share your email addresses with anyone.) We keep email addresses of our users to protect them and others from bad people posting things they shouldn't.
Click here to register!
Need Support Help?
Cannot log in?, click here to have new password emailed to you
Changed email? Forgot to update your account with new email address? Need assistance with something else?, click here to go to Find's Support Form and fill out the form.
Reloadable 223/5.56 brass
- Thread starter Ronstar
- Start date
autopilot42
Well-known member
Shoulder is the same . A slighter higher pressure for the 5.56 but I guess that would be chamber dependent. Not much difference. Enough to run in a problem who knows . Look at your cases and primer pockets that will let you know. If primer is flattened that is an issue. Doubt it will be.
autopilot42
Well-known member
Read some more articles so I will keep my ammo separate for the 223 and 5.56. Plinking guns anyways
A Wylde chamber cures all.
FWIW, I don't worry about it in my bolt guns, because I've never seen one that couldn't handle the difference in pressures. My autoloaders are all 5.56, so even there the difference in pressure isn't a problem.
Ronstar
Well-known member
To start I-will trim cases separately (5.56 and 223). If I find a difference in pressure or accuracy then will leave them alone and separated. If no difference then I may trim all to the same length. I should run downstairs and check the average OAL on both groups but I will wait until it gets a bit warmer here (currently -3 as I text).
Another thing that you might want to do is weigh them. If there is a difference in the case construction due to the need for one to handle higher pressure, then it would show up on the scales. If you find a notable difference, then you might want to investigate case capacity differences between the two.
I've heard rumors of these sorts of differences, but I've never bothered to verify it one way or the other because I don't mix my brass. I pay more attention to what my chronograph, pressure signs, and group sizes tell me.
Picketwire
Well-known member
A few years back I bought a few cans of Hogdon H322 powder at a going out of business sale. I had a Winchester model 70 varmint .223 and one of the first AR-15s with the triangle hand guard. I was working up a load for both with this powder. I had 5 rounds of each load for each gun ranging from minimum to max according to my Hogdon manual, 50 rounds total, all identical as far as length overall, primers, brass and bullets. I went from min to max with the AR with no flattened primers. With the model 70, primers started to flatten with the middle load or third one and blew out a primer the load before max or 4th out of 5. I only shot one round there and loaded the rest in the AR with no visible signs of pressure. This to me says that there is a considerable difference in 5.56 and .223 chambers. My AR might have had a max size chamber the the model 70 a minimum one but still...
Powder burn rate and barrel length also play a role in overall pressures achieved. Also, an autoloader starts to bleed off pressure as soon as the bullet passes the gas port, and very soon after that the chamber is opening to eject. That is why effectively suppressing an auto gun that doesn't have a delayed blow-back action is difficult, because there is always noise at the ejection port from escaping gasses (<- pressure being bled-off).
It would be interesting to know what the velocity differences between the two guns firing the same loads were.
autopilot42
Well-known member
12 thousands does not mean much
Picketwire
Well-known member
A couple of really good websites with pertinent information on reloading, pressure, brass capacity, etc. are Accurate Shooter and Varmint Al's. Flattened primers are not always an accurate way to tell pressure.
It does if the neck of the brass is .012 into the throat of the chamber.
autopilot42
Well-known member
The only thing I don't doe is turn necks you need a custom chamber . Just shooting stock
Depending on the dies you use, the size of the expander is sometimes an option. So are outside sizing collets. Neck tension is another one of the significant variables, as is shoulder bump. Setting up your dies properly for your chamber and chosen projectiles is a really good idea.
For all practical purposes, you don't need to get real carried away. I tend to chase precision, and even I don't get as involved as I could, but I do have a micrometer seating die with different seaters and sort my cases by weight after trimming to length.
What I'm trying to say, is that it all depends on exactly what you're trying to do based on your expectations. If you're satisfied with MOA groups, then you don't need to get as involved as you would if you're chasing sub half-minute groups.
Ronstar
Well-known member
My 26” bull barrel M70 .22-250 shoots 1/2” moa with two loads. Everything else I keep is 3/4”ish.
223/5.56 is basically new to me for reloading so taking it a step at a time. I will load cases differently and work up sub moa loads for both. This little Ruger is not a target rifle nor is it a tiny varmint sniper, its an ATV rifle, a quick grab farm rifle, and camp gun. I know enough not to shoot 5.56 in a 223 but 223 ok in a 5.56. I want to stay away from intermixing rounds simply so I dont get a flyer when I really need to hit accurately. Just me but I do appreciate all the responses!!!
223/5.56 is basically new to me for reloading so taking it a step at a time. I will load cases differently and work up sub moa loads for both. This little Ruger is not a target rifle nor is it a tiny varmint sniper, its an ATV rifle, a quick grab farm rifle, and camp gun. I know enough not to shoot 5.56 in a 223 but 223 ok in a 5.56. I want to stay away from intermixing rounds simply so I dont get a flyer when I really need to hit accurately. Just me but I do appreciate all the responses!!!
Just out of curiosity, how are you weighing your charges, Ron? Beam scale and trickler, electronic scale and trickler, or an all electronic dispenser?
I used an Ohaus beam scale and trickler for decades, but a few years ago I scored a deal on an RCBS ChargeMaster electronic dispenser, and I never looked back.
I used an Ohaus beam scale and trickler for decades, but a few years ago I scored a deal on an RCBS ChargeMaster electronic dispenser, and I never looked back.
Ronstar
Well-known member
I have an old RCBS beam scale and a powder drop dispenser. I set the powder drop to about 3-4 grs under target weight, dispense to 50-100 cases and with a modified ‘06 case I and tap to level the balance beam. A bit archaic but powder charges are consistent. This is for rifle rounds as I find extruded powders sometimes cut granules and or throw light or heavy. Pistol rounds usually throw pretty much dead on.
As long as I prep cases consistently, keep necks and case weights consistent I get virtually all my keeper loads from .338 to .22 under and inch for three rounds.
As long as I prep cases consistently, keep necks and case weights consistent I get virtually all my keeper loads from .338 to .22 under and inch for three rounds.
You might want to look into some of Hogdon's newer SC (Short-Cut) extruded powders. They tend to meter much better than the old DuPont IMR powders.
Ronstar
Well-known member
I would but I’ve got powder stored up havent even got to yet. Both Surplus 4831 and IMR4831, IMR 4350, 4064, and 3031. RL 19, 22, and 25, CFE223 (which Im trying for this project), H380 and other pistol powders. I pretty much exclusively use CCI primers as a rule and hunting rifles I stick with Federal, Remington, and Winchester cases. I throw caution to the wind with bullets and use those that prove to be accurate and perform well in larger game.
Been married to the same gal for 46 yrs so yup, stick with what works!!
Been married to the same gal for 46 yrs so yup, stick with what works!!
You sound a lot like me. I just bought more powder a few weeks ago, and when I got it home and looked at my stock I thought, "I might not have to buy any more the rest of my life."
Primers are a different story. I have a few thousand, but they might well not be enough. As scarce and pricey as they are right now, I'm not looking forward to buying any more until I have to, or I happen upon a deal I can't resist.
Picketwire
Well-known member
It's hard to even get percussion caps for muzzleloaders.