I purchased CCI 5.56 small rifle primers, a pound of CFE 223 and some 55gr hornady bullets. Loaded up about 100 rounds 10% less than what my hornady manual recommended and they all worked fine nothing special.

I decided to get more serious about reloading 223/5.56. I find it extremely relaxing. I have collected over 5k LC 5.56 brass casing as well as 5k of mixed headstamp 223/5.56 brass. I still have the same rifle powder and primers but I have since invested in a chronograph so I can gauge what FPS I'm pushing with my POF P415 16in piston rifle. I also purchased a few different grains of Sierra match king bullets up to 69gr.

My questions for you are:

1. LC brass is great from what I hear but as long as i mild load other brass and keep it in spec would the other headstamps of brass be fine for just normal target practice. Nothing precision.

2. What bullets work best out of a 1:8 twist ratio barrel? That is what is in my POF rifle

3. I see allot about varget powders, are there other great 223/5.56 powders I should experiment with?

4. Any special techniques that you experts might be able to recommend to someone trying to get into this awesome hobby. I'm starting to reload 9mm and it's so much easier than rifle so any helpful tips or hints about rifle reloading would be much appreciated.

Here's a good read on the 223/556.

http://www.6mmbr.com/223rem.html

Mild loads should work fine in other headstamps.
Hornady 55gr bullets can be had for about 7 to 8 cents each when bought in bulk. Heavier bullets will up the price. 55's are great for plinking.


CFE 223 meters very well through a powder drop as does H335 and other spherical powders, extruded powders like Varget don't. Varget is a great powder it just doesn't meter all that well, so those generally have to be individually weighed. That can slow your reloading down.

Make sure you bump the shoulders back on your brass to SAAMI spec when sizing so that they chamber properly. That was the problem I had when I first started on bottleneck rounds. Pistols are much easier.

Lastly, remember that brass hardens as shoot it and after a number of firings it will have to be annealed or tossed.

Hope that helps, and remember, read, read and read some more.

Very cool Jerry... have fun.

No help on .223 from me... I buy mine.

I do reload other calibers though.

If you upgrade to a progressive... and find used Dillon machines for 75% of new. Try one... use for bulk 9mm or .223 etc.. Sell at 76% of new when done. Zero cost game.

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If you are using a ar platform the 1-8 is slow for 77 grain at long range, 69 tipped match king and 75 hornady HPBT will reach out to 600 yards with no issues with magazine length loading.

LC brass is fine always full length resize and discard after 4th reloading. A stuck case is a real pain to remove. With 69-77 grain bullets its hard to beat rl-15 or varget. Loading data is available off the powder companies web page.

Using a bolt gun I used a lee collett die and only neck size. you can play with OAL but using a factory barrel it might not make much of a difference.

Jerry I have found that if you remove the expander/depriming pin from your size die and use it as a full length collet did you won't have any feed problems.
Buy a lee universal depriming die and deprive with it.