# Firearms and Shooting > Reloading and Ballistics >  223 Powder

## Beetroot

Hello all,

I a, currently trying to get a load developed for my 223 using Benchmark 2 and Hornady 53gr Vmaxs.
I seem to get pretty good accuracy, but the velocity is not as fast as I would have thought, even between 26 and 26.6 grains of powder.

What powders do you guys use in your 223s, and are you getting velocity anywhere near what is quoted on ammo like the Hornady Super performance?

Cheers Sam

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## 7mmsaum

Suppressed Sako 75

Lapua Match brass

60g ballistic Tip

27g 2208

3200+ fps

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## kiwi39

> Hello all,
> 
> I a, currently trying to get a load developed for my 223 using Benchmark 2 and Hornady 53gr Vmaxs.
> I seem to get pretty good accuracy, but the velocity is not as fast as I would have thought, even between 26 and 26.6 grains of powder.
> 
> What powders do you guys use in your 223s, and are you getting velocity anywhere near what is quoted on ammo like the Hornady Super performance?
> 
> Cheers Sam


Did my VERY first load on Sunday for my 223. Have yet to fire it coz of the f**kng wind. 

Tikka T3 223 1:12 Suppressed
Hornady brass, once fired (in my chamber) , Neck sized

Hornady VMax 40gr
Reloader X10 

4 different loads starting at 23.1gr going up to 24.6gr (which is one load below max). These loads came out of the Hornady Reloading Manual. 

I've just bought some Barnes TSX FB 53gr's and am about to do some loads for those too. 

I'll let you know how it goes.

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## puku

I'm loading 2206h with 55 grain blitz kings. Don't know speed but it does shoot well

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

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## P38

2206H is the bees knees for .223

I currently run 55gr hornady vmax at 3100fps for minute of bugger all at a hundy.

Try t you'll like it.

Cheers
Pete

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## dogmatix

*Sako 75 1 in 8" twist I think its a 22" barrel*
ADI 2206H
Fed Match Primers
RP brass all primer pcoket and flash hole uniformed

Sierra 69gn Matchkings 24.3gn powder = slow 2714fps
Sierra 65 Gamekings 24.9gn powder = 2881fps  

*Schmeisser AR15 1 in 9" twist 16" barrel*
ADI 2206H
Fed Match Primers
RP brass all primer pcoket and flash hole uniformed

Sierra 69gn Matchkings 25.5gn powder = 2806fps
Sierra 65 Gamekings 25.2gn powder = 2873fps 
Remington 55gn pointed soft point 26gn powder =  2951fps

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## Proudkiwi

> Hello all,
> 
> I a, currently trying to get a load developed for my 223 using Benchmark 2 and Hornady 53gr Vmaxs.
> I seem to get pretty good accuracy, but the velocity is not as fast as I would have thought, even between 26 and 26.6 grains of powder.
> 
> What powders do you guys use in your 223s, and are you getting velocity anywhere near what is quoted on ammo like the Hornady Super performance?
> 
> Cheers Sam


What speed are you getting?

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## Beavis

Try H335 if you want to boost speed a little. I've got a bottle of it that I haven't even opened, but load data suggests it gets hot a bit faster. It's a canister grade equivalent of the stuff used in the M855 loading IIRC. 2206H is a great powder for .223 IMO. I run a compressed load under a 68gr Hornady match as my do it all type load.

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## kiwi39

> Try H335 if you want to boost speed a little. I've got a bottle of it that I haven't even opened, but load data suggests it gets hot a bit faster. It's a canister grade equivalent of the stuff used in the M855 loading IIRC. 2206H is a great powder for .223 IMO. I run a compressed load under a 68gr Hornady match as my do it all type load.


What twist rate do you have, @Beavis ?

1:8 I assume ... .?


Tim

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## Beavis

1:7 for that load. Haven't tried it in my 1:8. It isn't terribly consistent over the chrony but the results down range are decent.

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## kiwi39

> 1:7 for that load. Haven't tried it in my 1:8. It isn't terribly consistent over the chrony but the results down range are decent.


How many 223s have you got !!! ??? 


Tim

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## Beetroot

Do you all use a certain brand of reloading manual to get max load data and reloading info?
I'm thinking I should buy a manual.

Seems to be a fair bit of love for 2206H, but according to google 335 and N133 seem to get good speeds too.
Does anyone use N133?

PS, I've got a 24" barrel with a 1:8 twist, if that matters.

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## kiwi39

Up to you. Most manufacturers of both projectiles and powder have some load data online.

I bought the hornady manual , and inherited a couple of others.

I found it a good starting point ... I'm sure in the future it will be just as relevant

I'll post links to the websites I've found. 

I've also got a few PDFs that I'll email to you if you PM me your email address

Tim

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## Beavis

I've got like 2 and half or so. Nick Harvey's data is a little bit more liberal in my experience.

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## Nibblet

R15 1:9 twist, 18inch barrel
ADI 2206h, 26.8gr pushing the 55gr z-max at 3025

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## scoped

2206h 26.5gr, 18 inch barrel 1/12 twist with 55gr SGK, 3100fps

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## scaggly

> Try H335 if you want to boost speed a little. I've got a bottle of it that I haven't even opened, but load data suggests it gets hot a bit faster. It's a canister grade equivalent of the stuff used in the M855 loading IIRC. 2206H is a great powder for .223 IMO. I run a compressed load under a 68gr Hornady match as my do it all type load.


H335 is pretty good. Only thing to watch out for is the muzzle flash from a stiff load! Everytime I pull the trigger everything flashes orange in my scope.  And everyone close by checks their eyebrows are still there.

I've also found that the cheap murom primers give better results with h335 than the cci400 primers (which work better in 2206h loads).  Go figure.

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## Beetroot

Anyone here tried N133 powder, talking to Google, it appears to be what folks use for speed in 223.

A mate of mine has some 2206H, so I might pinch some of that.
But if that is still a bit slow I'll give H335 a whirl.

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## kiwi39

Good plan

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## Proudkiwi

What speed are you hoping to achieve and why?

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## Beavis

I guess if your shooting light bullets with a crappy BC you need all the pep you can get at your end.

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## Proudkiwi

> I guess if your shooting light bullets with a crappy BC you need all the pep you can get at your end.


Thats my point. He's shooting light bullets with an okay BC (for their size/weight) so I'm guessing its a varmint rifle. So maybe 400mtrs tops???

If that is the case, who cares how fast they are going. Anything over 2800 will be sweet as.

I'm still curious about what speed he's getting. I would have thought it would have been in the original post?

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## Beetroot

> Thats my point. He's shooting light bullets with an okay BC (for their size/weight) so I'm guessing its a varmint rifle. So maybe 400mtrs tops???
> 
> If that is the case, who cares how fast they are going. Anything over 2800 will be sweet as.
> 
> I'm still curious about what speed he's getting. I would have thought it would have been in the original post?


I cannot for the life of me find where I have it written, as it was using a mates crony, I'll ask him as I know he has it written down.
It was around 3000 I think, but I have heard of much faster with the 53gr bullets, and was hoping to get the most speed I could.
If I'm going to the trouble to reload I may as well try for the best velocity I can. But I'll try find out the exact number.

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## Proudkiwi

> I cannot for the life of me find where I have it written, as it was using a mates crony, I'll ask him as I know he has it written down.
> It was around 3000 I think, but I have heard of much faster with the 53gr bullets, and was hoping to get the most speed I could.
> If I'm going to the trouble to reload I may as well try for the best velocity I can. But I'll try find out the exact number.


I appreciate what you are saying but the truth is an extra 200 fps over what you are already getting will amount to zero real world advantage using the projectile you have chosen.

The key thing is to load for accuracy. Once you have an accuracy level you are happy with, chrony it and if it's a usable speed call it done. 3000fps is very usable.

Im assuming you ran into pressure signs when you hit 26.6 Of BM2 and that's why you didn't go any further?

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## TeRei

Run 26gr BM2 for 52/53 gr Sierra and 25gr BM2 for 55gr TSX out of Tikka T3 8 twist and Browning X Bolt 10 twist. 748 is also a super powder.It really shines for the triple deuce.

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## 6mm ackley

> Anyone here tried N133 powder, talking to Google, it appears to be what folks use for speed in 223.
> 
> A mate of mine has some 2206H, so I might pinch some of that.
> But if that is still a bit slow I'll give H335 a whirl.


HI Beetroot 
I a using N130 in my 222 23.1 g with a 52g match bullet getting 3347fps, this is with a match chamber and a 26 inch barrel.
Usual disclaimer safe load in my rifle etc :Thumbsup:

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## Beetroot

I finally found out what speed I was getting.
I went up too 26.2gr of BM2 which was ok accuracy, which was doing 3200fps.
But I got better accuracy with 24.5gr and that was at 3000fps.

I was hoping to get a load up too about 3200 or 3300, coz if I'm going to reload may as well try get the flattest shooting round I can get.
I finished at 26.2 as I was told this was the max load, but perhaps I'll go higher as I didn't get any pressure signs.

Failing that I'll run out of powder soon as a mate has started using it in his AR 15 (getting 3200 with 25.2gr funnily enough), so I could buy some BM1, which is ADI equivalent of N133, and then I don't have to go too Guncity, which is good.

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## Beetroot

I think I'm also going to start playing around with seating depth also

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## Uplandstalker

From 26gr of BM2 I could the 53gr Vmax at 3250fps from a 1:12 Rem700, this was before the modification to:

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...w-223-a-10707/

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