223 help

wise man

Well-Known Member
A mate has asked me to load some bullets for his 223 rem.
The man that used to loaded his bullets has dead. So the mate he has no idea what he loaded them with.
He gave me the same powder and heads that he said that he used for his 223.
The powder is Vihtavuori N160 with sierra 65gr sbt i cant seen to find a load for this.
Can you men advise me .
:doh::doh:
 
Take the bullets as a given, look at the reloading book and pick a powder that's recommended and you can lay your hands on. You've said nothing about brand of brass or make of primers. Or whether the brass is being neck sized or full length re-sized.

http://www.lapua.com/en/products/reloading/vihtavuori-reloading-data/relodata/5/44

Work up a load just like you normally would. Don't make any assumptions about what has been done before.

Regards JCS
 
Got your point mate but the point that i have N160 with a 65 gr head in a 223 thats what i would like to know if eayone has used it before and how it was thats all .
 
Are you positive that the powder previously used is N160?
N160 would seem to be a bit slow for .223 and that's why it isn't listed in the VV data. The guy that previously loaded this ammo should really have recorded the data on a label on the ammo box, that is the last stage of the reloading process. Not recording all the data is a big mistake. A strip of masking tape or grey gaffer tape stuck inside the ammo box with the details marked in indelible pen is a good idea.
 
Yes he"s positive the powder he was told to get for him was VV N160 for his 223 .
I would have said that he should have been better with VV N140 thats why i was asking for some info has anyone ever used N160 for the 223.
Thanks............
 
I have not loaded VV160 but I have loaded slow-burning powders in .223 before so it's not entirely out of the question. My old SAKO single shot BR rifle was chambered in .223 (redone from .222 by a previous owner) and a compressed charge of H-4831 was number three in accuracy behind 4198 and H335. Slow and accurate with 10 shot groups in the .4's.

I'd start working up loads with a different powder and save yourself the head scratching.~Muir
 
Thanks for that Muir. I have a tub of Hodgdon 4831sc that i use in my 270 do you have a load that you use on the 223 with that powder?
Cheers wm
 
Some of the lads that shoot practical rifle .223 use N135 as it is a bit faster than N140 if you are using a 20" barrel.
But as stated most go to N140 as a starting powder.
 
I never did have a weighed load. Volume was (and is) the way we loaded. One of the "old timers" in the club named Bob Collier had a 50# drum of surplus powder and he'd load it for everything. He showed me his .223 "load" which was to simply put in powder half way up the neck and seat a bullet to the base of the neck. That was 30 years ago using surplus powder. I'm not sure it's applicable today. There is some data out there. I've run across it from time to time. I'll see what I can find. I think the Hodgdon #23 or #24 listed it.~Muir
 
Thanks for that Muir. I have a tub of Hodgdon 4831sc that i use in my 270 do you have a load that you use on the 223 with that powder?
Cheers wm
Hi WM, Hodgdon manual 26 list 26.5gr H4831 with a 60-64gr bullet and 26.0 gr with 70gr pressure is 31.600
max loads are listed at 50.000 so looks like you can't get enough 4831 powder in a .223 case to do any damage
you may not get enough pressure to seal the case in the chamber,
probably worth a try you never can tell what is going to happen until you try.
Robert.
 
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