[tri70]

Anyone tried military pull down powder like 844, 846 or 872?


http://http://www.wideners.com/itemview.cfm?dir=278|283|999

[steve4102]

Originally Posted by tri70

Steve shot a great group with this powder and his mini 30. Now I need to find some, one lgs is going out of business, I need to check their stock.

2015 shoots well in my 7.62 x 39. It doesn't do so well in my 5.56. It shoots OK, but not great. But then again my 5.56 is an AR and not a Mini. YMMV

I cannot comment on an accuracy load for the Mini-14, but I do load for a few 223/5.56 rifles. It's tough to beat 2230 and 748 with light bullets and even tougher to beat 2520 with heavy bullets in my Non-Mini 223/5.56 rifles.

[tri70]

Steve, what gr of bullet do you load for the 223/5.56? I really like Nosler and Sierra 55 gr bt bullets. I do pretty well with the Hornady 60 Vmax but not so well with the 55.

[steve4102]

For SHTF and blasting ammo I load Hornady 55gr FMJ. For accuracy I have a few different bullets. Hang on, let me go look.
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OK, I'm back.
Hornady 55gr V-Max
Hornady 55gr V-Max with cannelure
Nosler 52gr CC
Sierra 53gr Match
Nosler 69gr CC
Sierr 50gr Semi Point
Sierra 50gr Blitzking
Nosler 55gr BT.
Sierra 60gr HP


I have a 1-9 twist and I shoot all of these bullets with varying results.

So far I haven't found a great load for the 69gr Nosler. Haven't spent a lot of time at the bench with it either.

Of all the bullets up there my favorite is the Sierra 53 Match, it shoots exceptionally well in both the 5.56 I load for. Next would be a toss up between the V-Max and the Nosler 55gr BT with maybe slight edge to the Nosler.


The 52gr Nosler CC shoot very well, but my lot is a batch of seconds and the tips are deformed on many of them. Don't know if that makes a diff., but next time I buy I will get some Firsts and see how they stack up against the Sierra's.

[tri70]

What COL do you like on the bullets with the cannelure? I think I found a decent load with Hornady fmj 55 gr with a COL of 2.230. My non cannelured bullets like a COL of 2.255 for my bolt and minis, even my brothers AR shot well with my Nosler 55 bt load .

[steve4102]

I know this is a Mini section, but I thought I would share a little 223/5.56 range report with you even though I used an AR.

To make a long story long, I have always used the Lee Factory Crimp die when loading for semi-autos. I tested the LFCD for accuracy a long time ago, my tests showed enough improvement in both securing the bullet and in accuracy that I have blindly used it ever since. Lately I have read that many handloaders are having mixed results with the LFCD and most of it bad.

With all this negative talk about the Evils of the LFCD, I started to second guess my previous accuracy tests. Maybe I wasn't getting the improved accuracy I thought I was. So, I loaded up a few rounds with the crimp and a few without and headed off to the gravel pit.

The rifle was a Colt HBAR off the shelf AR-15 5.56.

This first target was Sierra 53gr HP Matchking with 25.5gr AA 2520. The heavy crimp was "heavy" a pulled bullet showed a deep groove in the bullet. The Med-light crimp showed a slight ring or groove, but just barely.



This next set of targets is all with 53gr Sierra HPMK and 26gr 748. I fired five at the crimp target then five at the No-crimp target, then I reversed it and fired five ant the No-crimp first and so on. My plan was to shoot 25 rounds at each target, but I got booted out of my shooting spot by some loggers hauling equipment into the pit, so I only fired 15 at each target.







Conclusion. Not enough of a sample to draw and real conclusion whether the LFCD improved accuracy or not, but enough of a sample that it sure as hell didn't hurt.

[tri70]

I think the light crimp does help to keep the loads more consistent. Sometimes I notice a bullet coming loose after it has been in the mag and I have fired several shots on top of it. I only have seen this with my 223 loads and not seen any with my 6.8 loads. I try to make sure I get a solid roll crimp with the seating die.

I did find some more 2015 to to shoot!

[Bellum]

60gr Hornady V Max
25.2 gr Hodgdon CFE223 powder (love this stuff!)
Trim: 1.750
COL: 2.250

[51colt]

I looking for a new powder to try. I can't find any AA or Reloader powders were i live. These are the powders i have found W748 (cheaper), Varget, and H4895 all these powders have good velocity and have good load density. Then there is 4198 and H322 that Ed Harris seams to like. But i am sure the Mini he tested did not have a muzzle break or smaller gas pot bushing. These powders work well with 1 in 9 barrels in bolt guns but will they cycle my Mini? I will loading 53gr HP and 52gr HPBT Sierra bullets as well as 55gr Nosler BT bullets. Right now i am leaning towards W748 or Varget.

[sniper762]

my mini is a 181 series. i never used it for target shooting (2moa acuracy at best) but i deer hunted with it for years killing over a dozen deer.

i first used factory 55gr bullets with about 3000fps muzzle velocity and shot a couple of deer that ran 100 yds before dying. i found that reloading heavier bullets at slower velocities were one shot killers.

i started reloading 62gr. sp sierra projos at 2600 fps. dropped deer in their tracks frm 50-200 yards.