Rifle powder and primers.

[U.S. Patriot]

I'll be reloading .223 in the near future, FMJ for my M4 to start out. What powders are you guys using? I looked at Hodgdon Varget, but it's around $30 per LB. I do not want use crap powder. Also, what about primers? I was going to go with CCI, as I have have been happy with their small pistol primers.

 

[shooter1054]

I'm not personally familiar with varget, but a buddy of mine uses it for his 223. He is very happy with it. I use the CCI primers for everything I load. Small pistol magnum, large pistol, LPmagnum, large rifle magnum. And soon large rifle too. I don't have any reason to switch.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Can a Mod please move this thread, I did not realize I posted it in the wrong area!

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I'm not personally familiar with varget, but a buddy of mine uses it for his 223. He is very happy with it. I use the CCI primers for everything I load. Small pistol magnum, large pistol, LPmagnum, large rifle magnum. And soon large rifle too. I don't have any reason to switch.

I have heard really good things about the Varget powder. I just did not know there was such a price difference between pistol and rifle powder.

 

[shooter1054]

Is that the price at Atterbury? I have a vague recolection of it being about the same price as pistol powder.

 

[sloughfoot]

For 223 and 55 FMJ, I have always preferred either WIN 748 or H335.

For the 62 and heavier bullets, I like both 4895's, Varget, RE15, VV135 and a few others.

For just general shooting, I use WSR and for match ammo I use Rem 7 1/2.

It looks like everybody has a different opinion. But of course, as always, I am the only one that is right.

BTW, far more important than your choice of powder and primers, be sure that you size those cases enough, but not too much and make sure there is no appreciable amount of media left in the cases.

Happy reloading.

 

[gunduffer]

Tula sells already made .223 cheap.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Wolf Small Rifle Magnum primers are what I've been using, the price is nice.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Varget can be bought much cheaper than that. I paid $118/8 lb last time I ordered powder.

 

[Bullfrog80]

Tula sells already made .223 cheap.

But not as cheap as loading and the quality isn't even close to my hand loads.

I really like h335 for 55g and 62g bullets. I use CCI primers for match or self defense ammo and wolf for plinking ammo. A lot of people won't try wolf but I have yet to have one fail after 1000s of rounds.

 

[sloughfoot]

I agree on the Wolf primers. I have heard nothing but good things about it. There were many cases on the shelf on commercial row at Camp Perry this year for the first time that I have noticed. I just haven't needed to buy primers for the last couple of years.

There is no reason to think that they won't work just fine. Excursion12 uses them in his match ammo, now that I think about it.

 

[Boiled Owl]

I took a vacation from reloading in 1993. When I returned 13 years later....wow, here's a bunch of new powders. Varget being one. Like it! Burns cleaner than H335 and very versatile for other calibers. I use it in .223, 22-250, 30-06.

Always used CCI primers until after the reloading vacation. Ordered a slug of Wolf back in 2007, not too many had tried them at the time. Turned out to be an excellent product at a reasonable price.

 

[42769vette]

use varget, assuming you will load 25ish gr thats 280 loads per pound. thats about 10 cents a round for the powder

 

[shibumiseeker]

I checked my Powder Valley catalogue this morning. Varget was $140/8lb and $19.75/ 1lb.

 

[red_zr24x4]

The most accurate powder I've used in my Savage 10fp .223 with 55g FMJ was AA2015, which my Lee manual lists for service rifle loads in .223,.308 .30-06.
I've also had good luck with BLC-2 and surplus WC844.
As far as primers go I've used mostly Win small rifle, but I've been buying surplus SRP, they are pulled from .30 carbine and seem to work great in the 10FP and the AR.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I checked my Powder Valley catalogue this morning. Varget was $140/8lb and $19.75/ 1lb.

The only place I have checked was the Outdoorsman in Greenwood. Their prices where high though. I'll check out the retailer, thanks.

 

[shibumiseeker]

The only place I have checked was the Outdoorsman in Greenwood. Their prices where high though. I'll check out the retailer, thanks.

Heck, I saw Varget at the 1500 for $25/lb and that was the higher priced guys. The one dealer who was selling most powders for $22/lb (out the door!) was out of Varget. That's what I paid for the pound of Lil'Gun I got for Jack.

 

[redneckmedic]

I checked my Powder Valley catalogue this morning. Varget was $140/8lb and $19.75/ 1lb.

Which makes the 1500 horse crap they were selling 8lbs for $180

 

[shibumiseeker]

Which makes the 1500 horse crap they were selling 8lbs for $180

To be fair, Powder Valley is usually the lowest prices on powder around and that price doesn't reflect shipping and hazmat.

Having said that, someone selling it for $180/8lbs (was that without tax???) is pretty ridiculous. Even during the great shortage I think I paid $160/8lbs at the most. Of course, a lot of scalpers got burned because they were buying up everything they could, then trying to mark it up way high. Then the powder supply situation evened out and they are now stuck with inventory they paid too much for while the supply situation has improved and the major dealers are dealing with a little bit of a surplus right now which is driving prices down.

I predicted this exact event and for the most part rode it out except for a few spot shortages in my personal inventory (like Varget which I discovered I liked a little late).

 

[Leo]

I have used multiple Kegs of Varget in .223, all the way frrom 52 grain MatchKings to 77 Grain. It just plain worked great. I use H4895 the same way. Varget and H4895 both work great in .308 also. Like Sloughfoot said, There are lots of good applicable powders today. As long as you don't try to get the cheaqpest thirdworld stuff out there, you will probably do OK Vitavoroy Oy Powders worked great but I couldn't justify twice the money for no better performance.

If you are a chronograph jocky, I was able to get Varget, 77 MatchKing and CCI primer loads to shoot at single digit Standard deviations. The 175 MatchKings in .308 were usually less than 15 fps standarg deviation. My testing said that CCI primers were just a little (very little) more consistant than Winchester primers. You cannot ask for better consistancy than that.

If ordering online, dont forget the $25 Hazmat plus shipping costs when you figure the actual cost. Good Luck