Thread: X-TREME 223 55gr FMJ. Anyone tried these?

Originally Posted by Greenie

What does it mean by "seconds"?

Belmont's retail/normal ammo is about $43 per 50 but they also have "seconds" which have minor scratches and tiny dings for way less. I just got some to try v their std retail ammo. So its cheaper than Barnaul/Tula steel and much of it looks re-loadable.

So I have,

20 x 69gr ADI Sierra matchking as my control/benchmark. (lre-loadable as its boxer primed)
20 x 62 grain barnaul FMJ
20 x 55gr tula FMJ
50 x 62 gr Speer Belmont (re-loadable as its boxer primed)
200 x 55gr FMJ Belmont seconds. [(looks re-loadable as its boxer primed)

I also have 150 new x 223 ADI cases so Im looking for some projectiles to try as well, but I aint buying 1000!

Originally Posted by Simon

When you get the cases give them a good tumble to clean them up, decap them, swag them, trim them then load them.
Use a case gauge to ensure they are sized correctly.
Good luck

Hi Simon..What dies are you using for decapping these? Are they real stiff or ok? I was hoping to put Lee die into the Hornady LNL AP press I have coming as I've read they do ok with Mil brass...any suggestions? I'll grab a Dillon 600 for swaging.

Hi Greenie.
I just use a standard Dillon 223 FL resizing die. Give them a light dusting with Dillon case lube then run them through.
Never had any issued. I have about 5k of brass on the go at the moment.
After resizing, I swag them using a Dillon 600 swagger (need to only do this once). This needs to be set up to the brass you are process as the web thickness of varies in thickness between different brands of brass.
I trim if needed then load, running them back through the FL resizing die again. Not ideal, but in my circumstance I am more likely to loose the case before its gets a chance to crack.
You can get a decapping die (does not resize, only pops out the primer) but for bulk 223 I think its an overkill.
Get yourself a stainless case gauge to check the case after resizing and the finished round.
Nothing worse than loading heaps of rounds to then find out the shoulder needs bumping back further. Ask me how I know this.

Cheers for that, gingo's 5000! now ya talkin :-)

Simon, have you tried the RG brass with H335 and the Extreme 55gr FMJ's yet? and I'm also wondering about case length you might have used.

Hi Greenie.
I have not had a chance to try H335 (still playing with CFE223) but I would imagine about 24.6 grains of H335 would do the trick. Start about 10% lower and work up.
I would loaded these too 56.6mm OAL.
Cases are trimmed if they protrude from my case gauge else they are loaded as is.
I have a couple of hundred loaded up ready to go but this time of year is not good, free time wise, to get out and have a blatt.

That charge will probably be anemic. H335=win 748, I've run it at 28grs with 55gr loads and federal brass no problem. Nick Harvey lists 28 gr as the max charge for 55gr in his book.

RG brass has a smaller capacity then FC brass. This cranks the pressure up a bit so it pays to take this into account.
For a 55gn projectile, max charge is 25.3 grains on the Hodgdon site. This is conservative, but in the right ball park.

Beavis, what powder would you recommend for these projectiles? I had a look around and some say they don't like going too fast and that 25gr of 335 was all they could stand before starting to spread out too much?

Cheers, noob here just trying to get some decent cheaper ammo.

You're probably right. I was referring to 55gr in general. Most of the book max loads for 55gr .223 are on the pussy end of the spectrum. Especially when fired from a NATO chamber.

I grabbed a couple containers of CFE223 for this stuff...will grab some ADI AR2206H when I can get some too.

Good info btw Simon

I ran another couple of hundred X-tream 55 grainers through my Windom Weaponry AR15 over the weekend with very good results. They actually shot better than the 55 grain Hornady which is my accuracy load normally.
Shooting prone in a paddock, I was getting 1" 5 shot groups regularly at 100m.

I am liking what you're saying..I have 1000 rounds of this stuff sitting here, so you have made my day.

Merry friggin Christmas!

Hi Greenie.
Make sure you do work your loads up with the RG brass as the capacity of this brass does make a big difference to pressures.
How much you ask.

Today I shot some 55g X-treme's from some FC brass with 26.5 g of CFE 223 powder. Velocity was 2850 fps from a 14.5" barrel.
I shot some 55g Hornady's that I loaded some time back in RG brass with a load of 26g of CFE 223 powder. From a 14.5" barrel they were going 3050 fps. This is a HOT load.
Even though it was 0.5g less powder, velocity was 200fps faster and pressure was a lot higher.
Primers had a little flow around the hit so they were warm.
With a muzzle brake on my 14.5" upper, it was very loud and the muzzle blast was impressive.

Hey there Simon, Off topic, but do you think the RG brass will have enough room to power a 77gr HPBT Sierra/Nosler with enough velocity to something like a Black hills MK262 or will I need another case?

Cheers