223 light loads w/AA1680

[frankm]

Anyone have loads you've developed and shot with 50 grain bullets in 223 and using AA1680? I have a 221 Fireball that I use 1680 in with a 50 grain bullet; 15.5 grains. It's in the Nosler manual as an accuracy load. Very mild but accurate. Plan to use that for squirrels come this spring...

Now here lies the problem, the 221 Model 700 Classic that is in excellent shape has been 'laid claim to' by my daughter.......so been looking around for another and haven't yet found one. Starting to give some thought to 222 or 223 since they'd be (especially the 223) easy to find a good one in.... but, I'd like to use the 50 grain bullets and my AA1680 as I've got an 8 pounder of it and don't want or need to inventory more powder of other burn rates. Next thing I have is Varget and don't want to use it nor do I want to push the velocity, and heat, while doing so. The squirrel shooting can be pretty fast and furious and wanting to keep costs down and have some longetivity of my barrels.

Thinking 2700-2800 fps would be plenty for up to 175 yards or so of shooting....

Appreciate any loads you may have used and/or a Quickload if possible. Thx.

 

[FOTIS]

Cartridge          : .223 Rem. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .224, 50, Nosler BalTip 39522
Useable Case Capaci: 25.923 grain H2O = 1.683 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.260 inch = 57.40 mm
Barrel Length      : 18.0 inch = 457.2 mm
Powder             : Accurate 1680

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   48    12.00   1800     360   13578   4014     68.9    1.410
-18.0   49    12.30   1840     376   14199   4165     70.1    1.385
-16.0   51    12.60   1879     392   14847   4318     71.2    1.361
-14.0   52    12.90   1918     409   15525   4472     72.3    1.338
-12.0   53    13.20   1958     426   16232   4627     73.4    1.339
-10.0   54    13.50   1998     443   16969   4783     74.5    1.315
-08.0   55    13.80   2038     461   17731   4939     75.6    1.292
-06.0   57    14.10   2078     479   18518   5096     76.7    1.269
-04.0   58    14.40   2118     498   19330   5253     77.7    1.247
-02.0   59    14.70   2158     517   20167   5411     78.8    1.225
+00.0   60    15.00   2198     537   21033   5568     79.8    1.204
+02.0   61    15.30   2239     556   21935   5725     80.8    1.183
+04.0   63    15.60   2279     577   22875   5882     81.8    1.163
+06.0   64    15.90   2320     597   23856   6038     82.8    1.143
+08.0   65    16.20   2360     618   24877   6193     83.8    1.123
+10.0   66    16.50   2400     640   25941   6347     84.7    1.104

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     60    15.00   2338     607   24239   6028     87.5    1.123
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     60    15.00   2043     464   17812   4981     70.7    1.282

 

[frankm]

Thanks Fotis ! I appreciate it Sir.

Looked at JBM and with 2400 fps the bullet would stay within 2.5" of sight from point blank to 175 yards.... could probably make that work well on squirrels. I was a little surprised that 2400 fps was the top end... guess the powder is just 'that much too fast'...

Thx Again.

 

[FOTIS]

Thanks Fotis ! I appreciate it Sir.

.......... I was a little surprised that 2400 fps was the top end... .

It is not the top end. this is

Cartridge          : .223 Rem. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .224, 50, Nosler BalTip 39522
Useable Case Capaci: 25.923 grain H2O = 1.683 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.260 inch = 57.40 mm
Barrel Length      : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder             : Accurate 1680

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   69    17.20   2630     768   28598   5453     89.2    1.191
-18.0   71    17.63   2689     803   30358   5614     90.4    1.162
-16.0   72    18.06   2748     839   32221   5770     91.5    1.135
-14.0   74    18.49   2807     875   34193   5922     92.5    1.108
-12.0   76    18.92   2866     912   36281   6068     93.5    1.082
-10.0   78    19.35   2924     950   38490   6209     94.4    1.054
-08.0   79    19.78   2983     988   40829   6344     95.2    1.026
-06.0   81    20.21   3041    1026   43306   6472     96.0    0.999
-04.0   83    20.64   3098    1066   45928   6594     96.7    0.974
-02.0   85    21.07   3155    1105   48706   6708     97.3    0.949  ! Near Maximum !
+00.0   86    21.50   3212    1146   51650   6814     97.9    0.925  ! Near Maximum !
+02.0   88    21.93   3269    1186   54771   6912     98.4    0.902  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+04.0   90    22.36   3325    1228   58081   7002     98.8    0.880  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+06.0   91    22.79   3381    1269   61595   7083     99.2    0.858  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+08.0   93    23.22   3436    1311   65327   7155     99.5    0.837  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
+10.0   95    23.65   3491    1353   69294   7217     99.7    0.817  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     86    21.50   3344    1241   60154   6724    100.0    0.867  !DANGEROUS LOAD-DO NOT USE!
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     86    21.50   3038    1025   43343   6620     92.4    1.001

 

[FOTIS]

My squib loads for my 223 rem are composed of 35 gr v max and 12 grains of Blue dot. Killed hundreds of prairie dogs with them. Feels like a 22 LR

Cartridge          : .223 Rem. (SAAMI)
Bullet             : .224, 35, Hornady V-MAX 22252
Useable Case Capaci: 28.640 grain H2O = 1.860 cm³
Cartridge O.A.L. L6: 2.260 inch = 57.40 mm
Barrel Length      : 22.0 inch = 558.8 mm
Powder             : Alliant BLUE DOT

Predicted data by increasing and decreasing the given charge,
incremented in steps of 2.0% of nominal charge.
CAUTION: Figures exceed maximum and minimum recommended loads !

Step    Fill. Charge   Vel.  Energy   Pmax   Pmuz  Prop.Burnt B_Time
 %       %    Grains   fps   ft.lbs    psi    psi      %        ms

-20.0   45     9.60   2447     465   16082   3638     96.9    1.295
-18.0   46     9.84   2494     483   16835   3724     97.5    1.269
-16.0   47    10.08   2540     502   17610   3808     98.0    1.245
-14.0   48    10.32   2586     520   18408   3888     98.4    1.221
-12.0   49    10.56   2631     538   19228   3966     98.8    1.199
-10.0   50    10.80   2675     556   20071   4040     99.2    1.177
-08.0   51    11.04   2718     574   20937   4111     99.4    1.157
-06.0   52    11.28   2760     592   21828   4179     99.7    1.137
-04.0   54    11.52   2802     610   22742   4243     99.8    1.118
-02.0   55    11.76   2843     628   23681   4304     99.9    1.100
+00.0   56    12.00   2884     646   24645   4361    100.0    1.083
+02.0   57    12.24   2923     664   25634   4415    100.0    1.065
+04.0   58    12.48   2962     682   26648   4468    100.0    1.049
+06.0   59    12.72   3001     700   27689   4520    100.0    1.033
+08.0   60    12.96   3038     717   28756   4572    100.0    1.018
+10.0   61    13.20   3075     735   29850   4624    100.0    1.003

Results caused by ± 10% powder lot-to-lot burning rate variation using nominal charge
Data for burning rate increased by 10% relative to nominal value:
+Ba     56    12.00   2969     685   27769   4244    100.0    1.029
Data for burning rate decreased by 10% relative to nominal value:
-Ba     56    12.00   2762     593   21482   4392     97.9    1.143

 

[frankm]

Thanks for the expanded quickload.... looks like aa1680 will get to 2800 comfortably in the 223. Would obviously want to find a good accuracy node but this info gives me some options! I know a 223 will be easy to come up with; the 221 FB (my first preference) not so much.... About 3.5 or 4 grains more of 1680 in the 223 should give comparable performance to smaller cased 221.

Your Blue Dot load Fotis is very similar to a friends.. he shoots 13 grains with 40 grain bullet and has killed thousands of squirrels in Northern Nevada. Of coarse he kills probably 8 or 10K a year. Retired farmer who I'm very envious of!

Thx again for the help.

 

[frankm]

Fotis, shot 18.5 and 19.0 grains of AA1680 today in my 223 with 50 gr sxsp bullet. Chronographed at 3300 and 3350! At same session shot H4895 reduced to 17.3 and 18.0 grains. Those were 2450 and 2550 respectively. Brass is FC commercial and using F205. Could quick load on AA1680 be that far off? Rifle has 24" barrel but that wouldn't make more than 50 fps or so ... Definitely not loading any higher or more with AA1680 charge listed. Might back off a grain and a half and one grain and try that. Say 17 and 17.5 ? Thoughts/ input?

 

[FOTIS]

That does not sound right. AA suggests a maximum of 18.7 of AA 5744 which is FASTER than AA1680

http://www.accuratepowder.com/wp-conten ... ta_3.5.pdf


Just for fun I would try 15 gr AA1680

 

[frankm]

Looked at Accurate burn chart, AA5744, assuming what you meant, shows slightly quicker than AA1680 as you mentioned. Going to step down to 16.5 and 17.0 next range session, if still pretty warm will try 15-16 ish as you mention. 15.5 in the 221 FB case real accurate and mild.... Would think 223 would take a couple grains more for similar performance. Guess that's where burn rates, case capacity, and all the variables get tricky. Maybe at such a low load density the powder 'quickens up' ...?

Will sneak down slowly as too big of decreases make me nervous just like going up too quickly!

Thx for all the help.

 

[FOTIS]

You bet! Logical decreases at this burning level are ok. No worries