Loading some practice ammo

Well, a friend gave me 200 Winchester 55 grain FMJBT M193 pulled projectiles so I can load some practice ammo for my patrol M4gery. (I have a good supply of Lake City M193 that I got back in the day at $.30 a round, but I am not about to practice with that at $1 a round replacement cost!)

I've loaded up some with 21.5 grains of IMR 4198 (the only 223 compatible powder I could find) and CCI Magnum small rifle. This was a load I used 20 years ago with the SP1 Carbine I had, and it worked great. wasn't too bad in the 20" 1/12" barrel either. While I realize that there are many better powders, this was available and reasonable at $25 a pound post hysteria, and is decent enough for practice rounds. I do remember that Magnum primers worked much better in all temperatures.

I'll post a range report after I shoot this week on patrol.

It should be OK, remember the military didn't change the load just because the barrel was shorter.

If your rifle wont shoot that load it will not shoot anything well. The trend to heavier bullets and slower powders for this cartridge has taken 4198 out of the consciousness of 223 reloaders. "ACCURACY TEST LOAD
If you want to test the accuracy of your AR there is a simple, consistent load that originated with Wally Hart of benchrest fame that can be used to test with. Use the Sierra 52-gr. or 53-gr. benchrest bullet and 22 grs. of H4198 or IMR4198; or alternately 23.5 grs. of H322, and anybody's match primer, in whatever brass you have, but sorted by make or arsenal and year. Seat to 2.26" OAL. DO NOT exceed this charge with 4198, as this is a fairly fast burning powder for this case. As for the H322, this surplus powder varies from batch to batch, and while the 23.5 gr. charge suggested to me was a mild load with the lot I used, others may run faster, so please be careful." From:

The Care and Feeding of the AR

Dave

I used to load this 4198 load with 55s (all that anyone shot in ARs in the late 80s) 25 years ago or so. It was a wonderful load in my Colt SP1 carbine I had back then, and even worked in a 20" 1/12". Its funny, I had a member of another forum PM me and tell me what an idiot I was for using 4198, and that it is a horrible powder good for nothing. Aside from the fact that I've used it in 223 before, the is the minor fact that there were no other 223 compatible powders available in 50 mile radius! Besides 223, I used to load .444 marlin, .44 Mag, 45-70, etc. with it. Fairly versatile powder.

If you go to their website, you can find almost anything will work in almost anything. Just a few rules need to be observed. I've even rolled over a few of those and come out OK. Sometimes the end results aren't quite as good as you wish. You may get a bit of flash or smoke but the load should perform well out of that carbine you built...cycling would be my only fear, and if that works then accuracy can't be too bad...

I plan on taking my standard buffer, also, in case the H buffer is an issue with the fast 4198.

I have yet to try a heavy for better dwell time. They just aren't as easy to get around here. Gun shows are a bit scarce...

I found that in my SP1 a charge of 20.5 to 21.5 grs of 4198 with a 55 gr FMJ bullet would go into about 3/8" at 100 yards all day long. If I use a good HP bullet in the 52 or 53 gr range it would shoot even tighter groups.

I was just thinking: For years I kept an M16 25 yard zero target where all three rounds went through the same basic hole at 25 yards from my 16" SP1. That was done with the 21.5 grains of 4198. I wish I still had it.

Seem to be a common story, I've heard it before. Friend of mine said his would shoot ragged holes with M193...