.223 mixed head stamps

For shooting out to a max range of 200 yards with a 223 Rem, will there be big accuracy difference shooting like head stamps v/s mixed head stamps? I usually separate my brass into commercial and mil then further separate into weight groups..Lately I've been shooting mixed brass that weighs the "same" and group sizes are good. Across the chronograph things look consistent.

as long as they weigh the same the headstamp will not matter. I find most 223 brass weighs 92-96 grains but some PMC will weigh 102-104 grains. I tend to sort them out and load them as a separate batch.

That's what I'm discovering..IMI is pretty heavy brass to

Right now I am shooting 223 with 77 gr bullets in a 20" AR out to 500 yards with ease.

Why not run your own test?

I tested sorting and weighing with my rifle and discovered it was not worth the work. YMMV

weight and case capacity: http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

Depends on your purpose. If you're trying to headshot prairie dogs or punch x rings with a match rifle on reduced NRA targets, I would definitely sort. For casual shooting practice, so long as your loads are safe and relatively consistent, sorting would be a waste of time. I routinely shoot mixed military stamps for the offhand and sitting stages in high power and can notice no difference between mixed LC/WCC/TAA and sorted. They do start to show a difference at 300 yards on the MR63 though.

Mostly just popping groundhogs out to around around 200 yards with a 20" AR..I have a separate batch of Lapua brass I use to shoot it from the bench.

I keep all my rifle brass separated by head stamp. It does make a difference in accuracy in some rifles.

hunter24605":o9ted12g said:

For shooting out to a max range of 200 yards with a 223 Rem, will there be big accuracy difference shooting like head stamps v/s mixed head stamps? I usually separate my brass into commercial and mil then further separate into weight groups..Lately I've been shooting mixed brass that weighs the "same" and group sizes are good. Across the chronograph things look consistent.

Click to expand...

Brass consistency goes to accuracy. What "a big accuracy difference" is to one guy, might be wasting time "for nothing" to another.

So much of this has to do with all the other things you are doing. I don't type this to be flippant .... honestly trying to be helpful ... regardless of how I or anyone else responds .... the absolute best way for you to determine if it's worth it for you, with your process, in your rifle(s) .... is to run a clean test yourself in your stuff. You can answer your question yourself soooo much more meaningfully than anyone else can.

(for me, in my stuff, with my reloading process, my distance, my target size, a good trigger, and an accurate bullet .. I sort and then some because it helps me) ymmv

((Re AR: If you are shooting a stock mil trigger with good technique at 200, a trigger upgrade will likely produce a more noticeable gain assuming your chrono spreads are decent with the brass sorting/reloading process you are already doing and your bullet is worthy...but I'd still sort them))

greenheadcaller":rbxsj31q said:

hunter24605":rbxsj31q said:

For shooting out to a max range of 200 yards with a 223 Rem, will there be big accuracy difference shooting like head stamps v/s mixed head stamps? I usually separate my brass into commercial and mil then further separate into weight groups..Lately I've been shooting mixed brass that weighs the "same" and group sizes are good. Across the chronograph things look consistent.

Click to expand...

Brass consistency goes to accuracy. What "a big accuracy difference" is to one guy, might be wasting time "for nothing" to another.

So much of this has to do with all the other things you are doing. I don't type this to be flippant .... honestly trying to be helpful ... regardless of how I or anyone else responds .... the absolute best way for you to determine if it's worth it for you, with your process, in your rifle(s) .... is to run a clean test yourself in your stuff. You can answer your question yourself soooo much more meaningfully than anyone else can.

(for me, in my stuff, with my reloading process, my distance, my target size, a good trigger, and an accurate bullet .. I sort and then some because it helps me) ymmv

((Re AR: If you are shooting a stock mil trigger with good technique at 200, a trigger upgrade will likely produce a more noticeable gain assuming your chrono spreads are decent with the brass sorting/reloading process you are already doing and your bullet is worthy...but I'd still sort them))

Click to expand...

Not stock. I built it with a 20" ARP barrel 1:7.7 3R, free float hand guard, Geissele G2S trigger and a 4.5x-18x scope. I get that the best information comes first hand, and I plan on running tests to see for myself, but though I'd tap into some of the knowledge here. This is a mixed head stamp group at 100 yards...Ignore the bigger hole in the center..(Quick scope check on a .243)

Thanks hunter ... the additional color helps.

That's a good trigger.

As I now know you are chasing 10th's, yessir, sort em.

Additional stuff for max accuracy/consistant brass in your AR. Dedicate your brass to one rifle, shoot them only in that AR (same number of reloads together, same brass treatment every time, same length's), and full length resize them but only set back headspace to your chamber less .003. Use a headspace comparator for this brass measurement - not a case gauge. It might actually take 2-3 firings to get them to grow into your chamber headspace...all depends on your chamber. When you know they are there (all alike headspace - grown out) and they are all exactly the same length (use a trimmer that indexes off the shoulder, not the base - ever)....they are about as good as they can get as it relates to consistent size.

Next, if interested in chasing decimals...neck tension matters. Annealing (if done properly) goes a long way in aiding consistent neck tension and will make this brass you are putting all this love into last longer (assuming you are not shooting max loads). Use tempilaq, and anneal all your brass after whatever firing you choose using the same process every time. (I anneal before every reloading) If you are not confident in consistent annealing techniques, ignore this annealing advise ... easy to make neck tension consistency worse instead of better if annealed inconsistently.

hope this helps.

it got long winded lol .... sort them.

Thanks! I've been just neck sizing my brass..In my bolt guns I set the shoulders back .004 using a gauge. I need to get one for the .223..What I did was just mark the brass with a dry erase marker and made tiny adjustments until it only wiped the marker off the neck and not the shoulder then one more slight adjustment to bump the shoulder back a tiny bit...I have a gauge and collet neck sizer ordered for the 223.

It'l be a trial process for the AR. I'm a little nervous about neck size only on an AR. I'm concerned about a fail to chamber, or even worse, firing out of battery.

Whoops, stop.

I am not recommending neck sizing only for the semi auto AR.

I am recommending full length sizing for the semi auto AR (so the body gets resized if needed), but only bumping shoulders .003 to .004 (not oversizing)...and tailoring that measurement to the rifle the brass is dedicated to.

(clarity to protect the innocent = you and me)

greenheadcaller":32gn4e0m said:

Whoops, stop.

I am not recommending neck sizing only for the semi auto AR.

I am recommending full length sizing for the semi auto AR (so the body gets resized if needed), but only bumping shoulders .003 to .004 (not oversizing)...and tailoring that measurement to the rifle the brass is dedicated to.

(clarity to protect the innocent = you and me)

Click to expand...

LOL. "What we have here is a failure to communicate"..I was talking about the process I'm using in my .223 bolt gun..Guess in situations like these, clarity is of utmost importance....I'd be real leary about neck size only in AR for the reasons I mentioned, and I do agree with you it shouldn't be done in an AR, just fine tune the bump back..