looking for a powder

M

Madball6

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I'm looking to find a powder that can be used for both .223 and .308. I've been using some IMR 4895 which im almost out of. Problem with the IMR 4895 is it doesn't meter very well and I'd like to find one that will be more consistent using my hopper and powder through die for loading the .223 (I load far less .308 so i don't mind manually weighing each charge). Anyone have suggestions? The .223 is mainly used for Ar-15 plinking, so i'm not looking for match grade consistency but would like to keep the charges fairly uniform. The .308 is for hunting/target loads in a bolt gun.



-Madball
 
Powder charges of IMR4895 with a 3/10 grain spread dumped from measures have shot bullets from both cartridges into 1/3 MOA at 200 yards and 1/2 MOA at 600 yards. The charges don't have to be exact weights.

High speed metering of it was used in .30-06 and 7.62mm match ammo for years. The U.S. Palma Team's done the same thing for long range matches with .308's.
 
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.223/.308 powder

Mad; Try IMR 8208 or WIN. 748. It has worked well in both cartridges for me in my Mini-14 and RUGER .308 Varminter. If you're not looking for the last FPS, RL-10X is every bit as accurate as H-322 in both too.
WILL
 
I've used W748 in .223, and, recently BLC-2. Both are ball powders, so they meter very consistently. I don't shoot .308, but I use W760 in 30-06. For the same reason.
 
I used to use Varget with good results in both.
It's probably the most widely used powder for the .308, but very few use it for the 5.56/.223.
We experimented with it "for the heck of it" when we couldn't get good (sub-minute) results with a 700 bolt gun- including the popular H335.
Not sure where the cutoff is with bullet weight for the .223, we used it only with 62 grains and heavier.

You might also see if IMR's 8208 XBR will work for both...
 
BL-C(2) and Win748 work well for both, at least with what I think of as typical bullet weights (50-60 gr in .223 and 150ish in .308). Both ball powders and meter very consistently.
 
Imagine a scenario where you find this magical powder that meters beautifully and in some crazy universe -- it even ended up being THE BEST choice for both calibers! If that happened... you would buy it - use it - and love it.

Eventually, you would run out.
And you would buy more, right?

So instead of an imaginary scenario that does not exist, I would suggest the REAL scenario that absolutely exists;

buy two different powders and make each choice better for each round rather than some middle of the road that "tries" to be "good enough."

Generally speaking
Those two different powders will last roughly as long as one "dual use" powder that isn't perfect for either.
 
4064.......that's it. it works amazing for both and everything in between. pain in the ass to meter, but ut's exactly what your looking for.
 
Good point Sevens, I hadn't really thought of it that way.... and thank you all for the suggestions.


-Madball

Edit: Skizzums "pain in the ass to meter" is exactly what im NOT looking for
 
I'll go back to the OP and first comment.... What is your metering issue with IMR 4895? Consistency in weight? See post 1.

If it is beyond that, moving into issues with your measure grinding/spilling powder, move to W748.

Or as several others have remarked, find a ball powder suitable for each separate caliber.
 
Maybe its not a big deal but in the back of my mind i have an issue with a .3-.5 grain difference metering the long stick powder. It was free powder from my father who quit loading, but im not particularly attached to it and was hoping to find a powder that metered better. And after thinking about Sevens comment I do believe i'll simply find an easy to meter ball powder ideal for the .223 and figure out which powder i want to run in my .308 where im not concerned about metering because I don't load it in volume like i do the .223. with the .223 I load 100-500 in a session, the .308 more like 20-80. (my wife loves eating thru my .223 ammo since i bought her her own AR)

-Madball
 
As my bread & butter is handgun loading, I am also a stickler for a powder that meters well and gives me very consistent powder drops. With that said... rifle is a bit different in that the charge weights are far heavier. I would never stand for even a 0.3gr swing in charges in handgun rounds -- but my rounds run 4.0 to 15+ where RIFLE loads start at 18gr in some .223 powders and run far, far more in .308.

Furthermore, many have found that extruded powder is VERY tolerant of slight variances in charge weight. YMMV!

One last thing just for yet another angle of perspective...
I have made more than a few rounds of .223 with both H-4198 and H335.
With H-335, I get awesome metering and tons of published load data.

However, with H-4198, I was getting fine performance -- at a LOWER peak pressure, and was saving six grains of powder per round. Like 20% less powder!

For sure, the H-4198 is obnoxious through my measure. Feels like I'm grinding rocks in to dust. It sucks! But it sure shoots well through my 14" Contender.

Choices -- so many!
 
A non-imaginary scenario that DOES exist!

"Imagine a scenario where you find this magical powder that meters beautifully... ...it even ended up being THE BEST choice for both calibers!"

Sevens, you can stop imagining!

Although I personally use 3 very different powders for the .223R, 2 additional powders for the .308W and 3 more powders just for the .260R, the use of a single powder for 2, 3 or many cartridges is a great idea. Especially for a newer or lower volume reloader.

This is especially true now with the continuing shortages of many reloading components.

There are quite a few powders that are EXCELLENT in BOTH the .223R AND .308W.

No, I don't think you can use a single powder for both if you are trying to use 36g to 90g bullets in the .223R and 100g to 200g bullets in the .308W.

BUT, if you are using (maybe) 50g to 77g in the .223R and 150g to 180g in the .308W, you could.

And, since the .223R is primary to the OP and the .308W is loaded/shot far less it becomes far easier to select a single powder...

In addition to what others have mentioned and bullet weights desired, a few good choices for a single powder would be Winchester 748, IMR 8208, Hodgdon Varget, Hodgdon H-335/B2c, Accurate 2230, Accurate 2520, Ramshot TAC, Reloder 15...

Again, depending on bullet weights loaded, other possibilities would be Reloder 10X Ramshot X-Terminator and others mentioned...


"Generally speaking Those two different powders will last roughly as long as one "dual use" "

NOT TRUE if using a single powder you buy 8 pounds at a time instead of two, 1 pound containers of different powders...

And, the way the OP loads, he will run out of the supposedly "magical perfect powder" for the .223R long before he needs more .308W "magical perfect powder"!

T.
 
Hands down the most versatile and precise powder in my stash is Win 748. Works excellent with .308 , .223 bolt and 5.56 semi gas guns. The added bonus with 748 is the fact it's a ball powder which meters so trouble-free !
 
In my experience, the "magic powder" for the 5.56X45mm and the 7.62X51 is H335.

Perfect metering, accurate, and easy to get max velocity.:):)
 
Ramshot TAC for 223 and 308.

Hard pressed, and not sure it exists, a powder that meters better? It meters superbly.

And its very inexpensive.

IMR 4895 doesn't meter very well? Its about average, or better than average. Meters better than Varget, and a whole lot of other stick powders.

Doesn't meter as well as W748 or other spherical powders. H335 meters pretty good, but not as good as Ramshot TAC
 
In my (admittedly limited) experience with Varget, it sucks in .223, especially with bullets on the lighter end. It's a physical limitation -- the loads are compressed and getting the powder to fit in the small case is obnoxious.

My single pound of Varget is probably going to sit for a while.
 
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