Ref: .223 Reloading

androyd123

Well-Known Member
Hi Everyone,

I am planning on reloading some .223 ammo for the first time. I have bought some LEE dies and my mate is gonna lend me his single arm press.

I have some Norma brass which have been shot once and I wish to start by reloading these. I have never done this before but understand it can be a bit of a mine field by the variety of lots of different bullet heads, primers and powder.

I basically am not looking to get the "world's finest bullet", however I would like a good all round bullet that will take down a fox with ease at range.

A few things maybe to help you guys help me are:

• Rifle - Blaser R93 Luxus
• Ammunition I used - Norma 2.6 gram Vmax Hornady/ 40 Grain Vmax Hornady



So Please if someone could help with regards how much powder, bullet heads etc to make a decent bullet the advice and help would be much appreciated.



Kind Regards



Androyd123
 
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The first and most important thing you need to buy is a reloading manual. Speer is a good one, as is the Sierra one. Both have detailed and well written "how to" sections.
No one can categorically say "X grains of powder under Y bullet will give you good results". Even if they are using the same rifle and ammo components as you are, it's likely their results will differ to yours.
 
Well welcome to the dark art. I started off with .223 and you will suprised with your efforts.

Suggest you buy, beg, borrow or steal "The ABC of Reloading", read and then re read.

Sportsman at Exeter should stock it.

You would well advised to also get hold of " The complete Reloading Manual for the .223 Remington" Norman Clark stock this.

Vit or Lee reloading data will be helpfull. Huge sources on internet just google reloading .223 remington and then spend hours reading.

Get your mate to show you the works. V maxs or Sierra balistics tips are excellent fox bullets just a case of finding
which ones suit your rifle. In most cases load at about 10 thou off lands and should be fine.

Alternatively depending on where you live in Devon I may be able to call round and give you some assistance.

Feel free to PM me. Am in Crediton area every fortnight or so.

Regards

D
 
Androyd: welcome to world of hand loading, I load for 223 for the tikkat3 lite, it's all been good advice from the lads but to chuck my tuppence worth in, being as you've got lee dies invest in richard lee's reloading manual and the parts that will be pertinent to you will only be some 140 pages, all the rest are about pistol and shot shell, but what you do read, re-read over several times ( if that makes sense) 'cos each time it will become somewhat more clear, another suggestion, get "one book/onecalibre" manual in 223 obviously, it's a little bit out of date with the newer powders but has all the bullet "head" types that you want, have a word with Cyres about which "ABC of reloading" book he means as there's 4 or 5 with the same title but not really up to much,I have one and it's very very basic, 1 in particular is supposed to be the bees knees but I don't know the authors name, I also have hornady's 7th edition and thats good,the round I'm working on at the moment is 52gr hornady a-max, Ive also got 50gr v-max but am going up to 60gr v-max and thats about as heavy a bullet as a 1 in 12 twist I think will stabilize in the tikka, as I said 52gr a-max minimum charge 22gr H 322, a reasonably fast powder, cci 400 primers, win cases, I prefer weight, foot pounds, when whacking foxes, rather than zip-along 40 grainers, before reloading I was using 50 and 55 gr sako s.p.'s but prices have jumped from £ 17 a box to £20 +, hence the delving into the arts of reloading which I must admit to really enjoying, if you should by any chance get sooting around the necks of the cases don't worry about it as apparently this is normal, I believe that crimping may stop it but think that it's uneccessary on a small round like the 223, any way crimping shortens case life, hope this helps...callie
 
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