I recently worked down my stash of H335 to the last 4 pounds. Now I am looking around to refill my powder supply and have found H335, Tac, and CFE223 locally. Should I buy any of these powders over the others? Is there any other powder I should consider? My favorite aspect of H335 is how it measures on my progressive and that I can use it from 55gr all the way up to 77’s.
What powder do you guys use for bulk loading 556 in the 62 - 77 range?
TAC It’s a bit slower than H335. Better for bullets 62 grains and up than H335. But can be used for 55 grainers as well. Accurate has load data for both 223 and 5.56 pressures with TAC. Meters as well as H335 since both are ball powders.
I use H322 and like it so far
There is no best, buy the powder you can find that will produce the loads you need. I use CFE223 for 77gr loads and it shoots just fine. I’d snap that up in a hot second.
That’s obviously my pic. XBR a second maybe. H335 is my least favorite. It’s ball powder and very flashy. I only use it for night shooting comedy/thrills. TAC is my only other ball powder and only used for really heavy stuff over 77 gr that requires a slower powder.
With H322 or XBR I could theoretically load anything from 50-77 grains with good results, and both meter good in my Dillon.
Out of those three, TAC. I use it with everything from 55-77 grain loads and it performs well across the board. Practically speaking, it meters very well in progressives and is available at the moment while being relatively cheap.
Yeah, I just reviewed your posting history and rebuilt your entire setup, process, and loads (minor tweaks for lot difference)… im not even joking.
Thanks for all the info!
TAC has also worked well for me with 77gr, but its the only 2 powders Ive used and see no reason to change. Im getting 2625 with 77 and 2725 with 69s out of a 14.5".
TAC was my go to for a 55 gr FMJ load for a long time. But years back a guy doing a study for barrel finishes posted a finding about mixing Slow powder with light bullets and the resulting advanced port erosion. I’ve just gone away from ball powder almost completely for now… regardless of burn rate.
My Forster competition seating die took a crap on me. I’m back to the stock Dillon seating die for a minute. I guess probably near a hundred thousand rounds on a die with moving parts is a little much.
Thanks for weighing in gentlemen.
@Markm: I didn’t know H335 was so flashy. All my guns have proper flash hiders so the limited desert shooting I do at night I didn’t notice much. If I switch to a different powder and get a lower flash signature that is a benefit.
@BobinNC thanks for pointing out that a slower powder would be better, because I dont reload 55gr ever. Seems I will get a couple of bonuses from changing powders.
Im gonna add H322 and XBR to my shopping list of Tac and CFE223. I did a little research and it said that H322 measures very well. I own a lyman charge master I just dont want to load 556 that way. Right now I only have another 500 62’s to load up and then 1.5k of 77gr SMK’s and then I will have loaded all my 224 pills. Since I recently discovered RMR in the future I might not buy 62’s and 77’s, and instead just buy RMR 69’s or 75’s because they are cheap enough. I like to buy 5k worth of bullets and powder at a time.
8208 XBR is an exceptional powder for heavier bullet weights and my go-to for 77 and 80 grain bullets. If you can find any, stock up.
I did a test years back with an 11.5 barrel that had the A2 flash hider. I shot W748 against H335, and it was night and day so to speak. The 748 load was actually hotter velocity wise, but gave no flash. H335 was super flash.
Another TAC vote here as I shoot mostly heavy bullets and it meters so easy on the dillon 550. I have used cfe223 but found it more finicky in load development and extremely dirty for carbon fouling.
I like AR Comp, CFE223 and Varget.
I’ve used all 3 out to 600 with 77 SMK.
Also the AR Comp performed very well with 62 FMJBT.
All of 77 SMK are under 1 MOA if I do my part.
20” Heavy Wilson Combat barrel.
1 in 8 twist
All was in 2,700 FPS range.
AR Comp only varied in 7 FPS in 10 rounds on chronograph.
Others were in 20 FPS range.
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It falls in that high “ullage” category referenced in the Primer/bullet movement study by the Army Research Lab.
This. TAC is also great in .308. XBR is also a great powder for covering 50-77gr as has already been posted, and meters very well for a stick powder.
This and, or 8208XR.
Added benefit of both powders being temperature stable and meter well!
I will be the weird one and suggest N540. Only powder that I have ever used where my measured velocities agreed with published data. Rifle used was 20" Colt A4. N540 from this rifle produced best precision with increasing velocity. 69gr Nosler was the projectile.
I’ve never tried the Vitavouri line. I was afraid I’d like it too much.
Truth. I used n320 for 9mm range load.
Crazy consistent, burned clean enough the glass on optic never got “smoked” like a lot of powders.
Fortunately it became unavailable for months and I moved on. Twice the amount of my current powder for same price.
Very good stuff though.
QUOTE=Krazykarl;3057985]I will be the weird one and suggest N540. Only powder that I have ever used where my measured velocities agreed with published data. Rifle used was 20" Colt A4. N540 from this rifle produced best precision with increasing velocity. 69gr Nosler was the projectile.[/QUOTE]
Some manufacturers publish data gleaned from test barrels and universal receivers. Hornady used to (and may still) list the specific firearm used to gather velocity