H4895 issue?

[codym]

I have a 18’ compass lake built AR 15 CLE chamber. I’ve been shooting mostly 77smks or Berger OTM’s over varget no issues. I tried some 77smks over h4895. Started at 23.4, 23.8 and 24.2 in REM brass annealed on an amp trickled in with my v3, small base die and brass fit the chamber gauge perfectly. 2.255 oal. So weird thing is the h4895 load was super fast, Labradar reading 2940 on the top end charges. The h4895 load wouldn’t eject completely most times, when it did it wouldn’t load the next round or lock back on the empty mag. Switching over to the same exact setup with the exception of varget instead of h4895 and the rifle functions perfectly, brass in a neat little pile at 2’ o’clock and mag locks back. Used two different pmags same issue with both, no function with the h4895 load and perfect function with the varget load. The varget load showed my normal velocity 2700 as always, good accuracy for both loads. Just find it interesting. No idea why the 4895 load won’t function in the rifle

 

[AR-180]

Do you have a suppressor, adjustable gas block, heavy buffer, or any other tuning on your rifle?

 

[Xcount]

24.2gr of H4895 is too hot, especially with a CLE chamber.

 

[cas6969]

2 o'clock ejection generally means the bolt is cycling too fast. (ya know, unless it's set up that way intentionally)

The H4895 load is probably trying to cycle with the pressure still at peak, or just too high all together causing hard extraction. OR the bolt is cycling so fast the case doesn't have time to clear the ejection port.

 

[BCP]

Your load is too hot, try 22.5 with 77s.

Now that I think about it I shot 600yd strings with 22.5 h4895 and 77smk at 2.25 was 2600fps iirc

 

[codym]

I figured 24.2 was going to be hot but 23.4 was a common load posted. After seeing chrono numbers I will start much lower. 2’oclock was a typo, the brass is for the varget load is at 5’oclock from the prone

 

[Xcount]

Since you mentioned having a case gauge I thought I would show what an over pressure load does to a 223 case. One picture shows how a case will fit in upside down in the gauge. The other shows the case head is so expanded it won’t even begin. A small base die cannot help here either. You would continue to have weird extraction and other problems. This expanded case would probably still feed and extract in a Wylde chamber, that's how loose the Wylde chamber is. Your brass has to be in spec using a CLE chamber. I found the results at the target are worth having the CLE. Just have to pay attention to the brass when reloading.

 

[codym]

My case gauge is for a cle chamber. I just find it interesting that published data for h4895 and varget are very close and real world data in my rifle is way different. Im going to play around with some lower charges of h4895 and see what I can find out.

 

[codym]

Do you have a suppressor, adjustable gas block, heavy buffer, or any other tuning on your rifle?

Shooting unsuppressed, honestly not sure on the adjustable gas block or heavy buffer but I don’t believe so as I told them I didn’t plan on shooting suppressed at that time.

 

[codym]

I haven’t done much with AR’s other than my m4 when I was in the marine corps. Just trying to learn, I appreciate the help

 

[Xcount]

My case gauge is for a cle chamber. I just find it interesting that published data for h4895 and varget are very close and real world data in my rifle is way different. Im going to play around with some lower charges of h4895 and see what I can find out.

My Kreiger barrel from CLE showed pressure around 23.5gr of H4895 and Hornady 75. Varget is a bit slower but my experience showed much better groups and velocity with H4895. Especially with 80 grain bullets.

 

[codym]

My Kreiger barrel from CLE showed pressure around 23.5gr of H4895 and Hornady 75. Varget is a bit slower but my experience showed much better groups and velocity with H4895. Especially with 80 grain bullets.

23.4 was showing 2810 for 5 shots of 77 smks… that is smoking in a 18’ ar at mag length. Brass looked fine a bit or cratering but no real ejector marks.. I’m just trying to make sense of the info especially why it wouldn’t function in the rifle. I’m going to drop it down a couple grains and see. 24 grains of varget is getting me 2700 and 24.2 of 4895 got me 2920 according to my LR just seems crazy for what I’m seeing other people getting, loads being fairly comparable. Definitely not trying to run it hard just want a good accurate load and have a bunch of 4895

 

[Mulyhuntr]

You should be somewhere in the 22.5-23.3 range with h4895. I start to see some pressure at 23.3 in my woa 223 wylde with 77smk.