Looking at several powders for 55gr fmj. Looking at varget, H335, tac, 8208 xbr. And good ole imr4895. The barrel length is 11.5 inch so I feel like I need a fast burning powder. Really want w clean burning temp insensitive powder but proving difficult. Varget is better for heavier bullets but only gonna shoot 55-62 gr and it's not really fast burning. My dream powder is a temp insensitive powder and gives good velocity temp insensitive, clean burning and works in 308 and 223 AR15. What y'all thinking
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Sbr AR15 55gr fmj loads
- Thread starter Jdutton24
- Start date
I generally stay away from anything slower than H335 for that bullet weight. This is because of barrel ringing that's been seen due to running powders too slow for the bullet weight (see the second half of this article). However, your barrel is short enough that I don't think you will see this phenomenon; just more muzzle flash and blast from the slower powders.
Ignoring muzzle flash and blast, faster powder is not necessary from the standpoint of short barrel performance. IIRC, from running virtual experiments in QuickLOAD with the 223 cartridge, barrel length had to get down to below about 10" before the same powders that produced the most velocity in long barrels didn't also tend to produce the most velocity short barrels, assuming you were running at maximum pressure. So you are kind of on the line there.
You can try H322, as already suggested, and Benchmark and 8208 and even 3031 or 4198 and, assuming the gas system is happy with the pressures they produce, you will be good to go. H335 is the military's 55 grain bullet ball powder for this gun, but I've not had great results from it at this bullet weight (likes the 62's better) and too much is unburned by the time it gets to the muzzle of a short barrel with a 55 grain bullet. One of the better choices, least on paper, is Reloader 10X, filling the case well and burning more completely in your short barrel than most do at a maximum load.
Ignoring muzzle flash and blast, faster powder is not necessary from the standpoint of short barrel performance. IIRC, from running virtual experiments in QuickLOAD with the 223 cartridge, barrel length had to get down to below about 10" before the same powders that produced the most velocity in long barrels didn't also tend to produce the most velocity short barrels, assuming you were running at maximum pressure. So you are kind of on the line there.
You can try H322, as already suggested, and Benchmark and 8208 and even 3031 or 4198 and, assuming the gas system is happy with the pressures they produce, you will be good to go. H335 is the military's 55 grain bullet ball powder for this gun, but I've not had great results from it at this bullet weight (likes the 62's better) and too much is unburned by the time it gets to the muzzle of a short barrel with a 55 grain bullet. One of the better choices, least on paper, is Reloader 10X, filling the case well and burning more completely in your short barrel than most do at a maximum load.
Thank you. What about H4895? How much does temp effect the h322 or 335? Don't want to run into pressure spikes. I am finding out that it's going to be difficult to use in 223 and 308 powder wise outside of varget and 4895. Looking like the 8208 xbr is prolly the one I'm really looking at. I've never messed with reloader powders. Are they cleaner than imr/ Hodgdon?
The Reloader series are stick powders like IMR. Not much difference on fouling. Not temperature stabilized.
H4895 and H322 are in the Hodgdon Extreme line of powders, all of which are temperature stabilized. H335 is canister grade WC844, a formulation developed in the 1960's and definitely is not temperature stabilized. Further, H335 is an old enough formulation that it has an older deterrent coating chemistry developed in the 1940's that is harder to ignite consistently than modern spherical propellants like Western Powder's Ramshot line have. In 1989, CCI reformulated their magnum primers specifically for these older spherical powders. Thus the CCI #41 primer would be recommended for it in the AR. If you want a standard primer with mil spec sensitivity for the floating firing pin AR mechanism for stick powders, Federal's GM205MAR primer is recommended.
Note that it is still possible to get temperature spikes, even with the stabilized powders if you let your barrel get hot and let the rounds sit in the hot chamber. It will raise their temperature above the upper stabilization temperature range. Also, heating the primer seems to goose the pressures up, too. So always keep an eye out for pressure signs, regardless of the components used. The main advantage to the stabilized powders is for the first few shots from a gun with ammo that has had time to come up to ambient temperature.
H4895 and H322 are in the Hodgdon Extreme line of powders, all of which are temperature stabilized. H335 is canister grade WC844, a formulation developed in the 1960's and definitely is not temperature stabilized. Further, H335 is an old enough formulation that it has an older deterrent coating chemistry developed in the 1940's that is harder to ignite consistently than modern spherical propellants like Western Powder's Ramshot line have. In 1989, CCI reformulated their magnum primers specifically for these older spherical powders. Thus the CCI #41 primer would be recommended for it in the AR. If you want a standard primer with mil spec sensitivity for the floating firing pin AR mechanism for stick powders, Federal's GM205MAR primer is recommended.
Note that it is still possible to get temperature spikes, even with the stabilized powders if you let your barrel get hot and let the rounds sit in the hot chamber. It will raise their temperature above the upper stabilization temperature range. Also, heating the primer seems to goose the pressures up, too. So always keep an eye out for pressure signs, regardless of the components used. The main advantage to the stabilized powders is for the first few shots from a gun with ammo that has had time to come up to ambient temperature.
Guess I'll see which I can find between 8208 xbr and the 322. Prolly pick up a lb of h4895 as well. I have some varget on hand
Edit:
The twist is 1-9 on the ar and the 308 is 1-10 20 inch barrel. The ar is SBR. Cci small rifle primer and federal large rifle for the 308.
Edit:
The twist is 1-9 on the ar and the 308 is 1-10 20 inch barrel. The ar is SBR. Cci small rifle primer and federal large rifle for the 308.
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