I’m going to start reloading 223 since the ammo is so scarce now. I’ve been reloading 9mm and 38’s on a single stage RCBS press. Christmas just brought me a new Lee Classic Turret press. I yet to buy the dies for 223, (die opinion is another future question), but who has the green tip M855 type of bullets to reload? I have yet to find anything in the 62gr (mostly 60gr) variety. I’ve have been shooting the M193’s also, but I read that alot of people prefer the 62gr in the type of rifle I use (Colt LE6920) with the 1/7 twist. And what would be a good brand/price for bulk buying? I really don’t know what a good deal is considered on this type of bullet since I’ve never bought any. Thanks ahead time; I learn more on this forum than anywhere.
For starters, try the companies that sell reloading components. The cheapest to shoot are pulled bullets.
As a price guide, I bought three purchases of 5000 bullets/$315 shipped 2011 Spring when guns and ammo prices were normal. This was from a private individual that sold pulled bullets. I doubt you will find bullets that cheap for a while.
To help you, I pasted links with the pages that have their cheapest 55g bullets.
Often the first two will sell pulled bullets in bulk. I think all are sold out of cheap bulk bullets.
FYI. You want to purchase .224 caliber bullets for loading 5.56/.223 ammunition.
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Wideners. http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|281|1079|1085
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Powder Valley. http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/
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The old standby, MidwayUSA. They sell an inexpensive line of bullets called dogtown. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/939269531/midwayusa-dogtown-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-55-grain-soft-point
Have fun
RFA
You are not likely to find any bulk bullets right now. Placing a back order or requesting email notifications might be your best bet.
If need them now Top Brass has pulled 62gr in stock.
I never thought of using pulled bullets. And some of the prices doesn’t seem to kill the wallet either. Thanks for the suggestions and the websights. I am on a bunch of “backorder & email lists” like everyone else for the manufactured stuff. I’ll pick up some of the pulled bullets and see how they work out. I also want to get some more accurate bullets for some bench shooting. I don’t know if the run on bullets is ever going to calm down. Everytime I turn on the news, some other town is getting shot up. It’s a downright shame too; but I guess this be better left to another thread.
The TB pulldowns in question look like they were ratcheted out of cases with channelocks…:dirol:
Jeff Bartlett at GI Brass is a good one but he is out of everything.
Dan
LE6920, my addiction of choice. I’ve been thinking about reloading as an option and agree with your choice of the 62gr. HP’s. Time will tell if I head in that direction. I’m not presently reloading, but it’s starting to look like I may have to in the future…
All these are Great suggestions. These Midway bullets really have my attention. I wished they were boat tail, but I guess you can’t have everything. People in reviews were gloating about 1/2" groups. If that’s the case, I should get 1 1/2" with the iron sights. Hopefully there’s a few more sights where people are buying their bulk. I can almost imagine not everyone wants to give up their “fishing hole” with the scarcity of bullets now (wink).
Natchez just sent me a new 2013 flyer with sales on everything, but it’s all backorder with joining an email list (which I already did), and the website’s prices are different then the flyer. Wonder how they account for that if you order online? I have an order already BO’d at Cabella’s for the XM855’s and they’re saying 5-6wks. Natchez is cheaper, but with the shipping cost it would probably be a wash.
I know you are looking for something in the 62gr range, but I have a 1:7 twist 16" DDM4, and it shoots the 55 grain 223 from Montana Gold just fine. If you cant get the 62’s, grab some 55’s and see how they work out. Just a suggestion.
^^^+1
I found my 1/7 rifles really like the 68 or 69 gr BTHP bullets. Horandy 68s sell for about $16/100 (Grafs has them in stock) and Sierra and Nosler for about $19/100. But Nosler offers a 100 ct box at much greater discount. I just ordered 1,000 of the nosler 69 BTHP from hi-techammo.com for $154. That is pretty cheap for a premium bullet.
If you just want plinking/practice bullets then if you can’t find 55 or 62 FMJ, the next cheapest bullet I have found that is also pretty accurate is the Hornady 60 gr SP (soft point, not hollow point) that sells for $12-$13/100.
I have about 1000 XM193’s. Yeah, they shoot alright in my Colt. I have a friend that will shoot nothing but the 855’s. I was just wanting to try them out with my rifle. I’ve read that alot of people prefer them for the 1/7 twist rifles. I’m not that great of a shot with old-age eyesight, but the 193’s were grouping for me within 1 1/2" @ 25meters with the iron flip-up sights.
I just ran across these Hornady SP’s a couple days ago online. The reviews claimed they were getting around 1/2" groups. This sounds like what I’m looking for.
I just bought my Colt 6920 back in Aug when they were under $1100, and I don’t have a whole lot of shooting time with it. My justification with my wife was I was having a hard time hitting a target 500yds away with the 10/22 she gave me 15yrs ago. Not to mention that the cost of .22LR’s have skyrocketed in price! And the pesky Coyote that hangs around the pond 300yds from the house was inching his way up here. Not long after the Colt purchase I joined this forum. What a wealth of information, but also much desire to purchase $$$$ accessories. 2013 will bring me some new optics, but that’s about all I’m interested in. I like this rifle pretty much the way it is. And I love the weight of it!
Being new to rifle reloading, I need a little guidance as of which type powder would be the best bang for my buck to start out with. I have several reloading manuals I use for hand gun info (none hornady tho). I seen people like the Varget, Tac, and H335? Is one of these 3 just as good as the other, or is one preferable for say 1-300 yd plinking with the 55-60gr bullet?
HAPPY NEW YEAR M4CARBINE!! :dance3:
I’m not very adventuresome with my reloading. I tend to look for a power that is commonly available, has lots of load data, and then stick with it. So I can’t really say which is best, but I have used both H335 and BL-C(2) with good results.
I have only tested out H335, Varget, BLC2, and H4895 on 55, 60, 62, 65, 68, 69 , 75 and 77 gr bullets. Out of all of my testing I find that H335 gives the best accuracy loads for almost everything below 70 gr. Varget gives me the best accuracy for the 65 gr Sierra GameKing and the 75 and 77 BTHP. BLC2 is a close second in all categories.
I shot these with a 1/7 twist 20" FN chrome-lined bbl and best loads were 5 shot groups of 7/8" - 1 1/4" which is better than I expected with non-target grade bbl. You have to work up your own loads to see what your bbl is going to like the best as it will vary sligthly. But my SIL has a 1/9 twist 16" RRA and he gets similar results although our best loads vary by a few tenths of grains. For instance, his best load for 69 SMK is H335 at 23.8 gr and mine is 23.5 gr.
Overall I found in my rifle the 68 and 69 gr BTHP were the most consistently accurate bullets. I can get good accuracy with almost any powder behind these bullets, whereas other bullet weights seem to prefer one powder over the others.
I just just bought 1K 77g Sierra Matchkings from brownells for 200. I started using 22g of IMR 8208 XBR with the 77g round and at 100yd with a 4MOA red dot from my 14.5 inch BCM it is keeping all of them in a 6 inch circle. Good enough for me.