One powder, 5.56 and 7.62

[mrtoyz]

Done some Googling but am curios what the Hide thinks. Looking for 1 powder for the following bullets (I do know there will some compromise but would like to streamline)
62gr and heavier 5.56
168gr and heavier 7.62

edit: temp stability and metering in a progressive is important

 

[John Glidewell]

AR comp

 

[spife7980]

Hodgdon- Varget, CFE 223, 4895

IMR- 4064, 8208, 4166

Ramshot- TAC

Alliant- AR Comp

 

[DMP]

TAC covers both.

 

[Pusher591]

Varget or H4895

 

[wb00757]

Maybe Shooters World Match Rifle? I just loaded up 250 .223's and it metered like magic. It's a ball powder so it isn't going to have the best temp sensitivity but most reports say it is very consistent. It advertised impressive velocities for .223/5.56 but I haven't tested it myself yet. Supposed to be better for heavier .223... Good pressure curve for M1 Garand and M14 type rifles.

Price and availability blow most other options out of the water (8# = $150)

EDIT* I just looked up published data and match rifle might be better tailored for lighter (147-168) .308 but speeds looked pretty good.

168gr
42gr @ 2575fps start
46gr @ 2830fps max

175gr
41gr @ 2560fps start
44.8gr @ 2722fps max

I want to reiterate how well it meters

 

[19Scout77]

Did y’all miss the must meter well requirement? TAC meters great and works the same in both...not that great...

 

[Doc68]

I'll add a vote to the 8208 XBR. Great powder, just watch max loads, pressure signs appear quickly.

 

[mrtoyz]

8208 had been at the top of my list. Problem is it’s non existent right now.
Can anyone confirm that a specific powder has better velocities, accuracy than 8208 for these 2 calibers?

 

[Gunfighter14e2]

H-335

 

[rweaver00geo]

accurate 2520 works good with 68/69 and 77/75 and 168 in 308 m1a and garand. very good velocity numbers

 

[x_789]

8208 had been at the top of my list. Problem is it’s non existent right now.
Can anyone confirm that a specific powder has better velocities, accuracy than 8208 for these 2 calibers?

Word is 8208 may start showing up again first week of March. Evidently Hodgdon manufactured all the powder people actually want to buy in the plant that had a fire last year. You can find 50 other powders they make but H4350, 8208 and Varget good luck. Lets hope rumors of supply showing up soon is true.

 

[Foul Mike]

4895 pick your poison.
Works for all of mine.

 

[Steel head]

That’s an easy one as bothe 223 and 308 tend to like similar powders.
W748 is a nice plinker/hunting option

 

[I SHOOT]

Done some Googling but am curios what the Hide thinks. Looking for 1 powder for the following bullets (I do know there will some compromise but would like to streamline)
62gr and heavier 5.56
168gr and heavier 7.62

edit: temp stability and metering in a progressive is important

Metering
BLC-2, CFE223
Temp insensitive
AR-Comp, varget

 

[1moaoff]

Tac

 

[jet_lagged]

I use AR-Comp, as TAC was not available when I wanted it.

I would also consider Alliant 2000MR for testing if you are going to try out a few powders

 

[rweaver00geo]

I bought some w748 when i couldnt get AA2520 and its good, but i think 2520 is better with the 22 heavies and in the 308 m1a and 3006 garand

 

[427Cobra]

8208xbr for the win

 

[m1match]

I've been loading RE15 for both 223 and 7.62 for over 15 years now with outstanding accuracy. The only downside is it doesn't meter all that well being a short grain stick powder (but it meters OK for practice loads) and it is temperature sensitive. I do find the temp sensitivity is right around 1.2 fps per degree of temp change. AR Comp is supposed to be similar to RE15 but temperature stable, if I didn't have a lot of RE15 I might try that powder.

 

[MarinePMI]

2000MR

 

[Ryridesmotox]

I used a lot of IMR4064 in both. Also just got some WC846 from American Reloading. It's a pretty hot, but it meters well.

I mainly run 68 or 69 BTHPs in 223 and 175s in my 308

 

[GhostFace]

AA2520

I never had a problem with it during different temps but i do load development in the summer and i dont load to max either. Throws on the money everytime in my Dillon.

 

[John Glidewell]

Did y’all miss the must meter well requirement? TAC meters great and works the same in both...not that great...

Yeah, missed it, it was a later edit. On metering the CFE223, and 2000-MR are very similar and meter the best in a progressive. They shoot well too. My best results have been with AR Comp and Varget as far as performance. But they meter better in a V3 / auto trickler type system. Just my experience, opinions may vary.

 

[Vodak]

8208, TAC, CFE223 have all been good for me.

 

[Foul Mike]

I missed the metering thing so disregard my post above for 4895.

 

[ThreeBravo]

I run Varget in 223 and had a buddy that also used it in his 308 both with great results

 

[mrtoyz]

I run Varget in 223 and had a buddy that also used it in his 308 both with great results

Unfortunately Varget doesn’t meter well in a progressive.

 

[ThreeBravo]

Unfortunately Varget doesn’t meter well in a progressive.

Yeah ive heard 50/50 reviews on metering so wasnt sure if you had any luck in that department.

 

[mrtoyz]

I keep coming back to 8208 but can’t find any...

 

[Vodak]

If it was readily available (8208) it would be my top choice. But pick up a pound or two of some of the others, and try them out. If you get good results with one of them stick with it, otherwise worst case scenario you spent some time at the range practicing. Once you settle on a load you like sell or use the leftover powder to load up a bunch of cheap FMJ's or blem bullets to have for plinking or teaching people to shoot. Neither of those calibers (especaily 308) are barrel burners. Win win!

 

[mrtoyz]

Been putting in some time on the interwebs. Down to Tac or Shooters World Match Rifle.
Spoke to both companies. Both seem to dispense well but both are ball powders and thus suffer from temp sensitivity. Not the end of the world but a variable.
Temp sensitivity is a much more complicated as a variable than I'd thought. Didn't know projectile weight and case were factors in sensitivity as well.
Ramshot says Tac can vary 3-5% in temps -40 - 140 degrees. Most powder sensitivity charts have Tac at about .9 fps change per degree.
Match Rifle doesn't have any temp data. Best I was able to get was that it was more stable than CFE223......
Sounds like accuracy is very good with both powders and ballistic data is available for the bullet weights I'll be using.
Not much info out there on Match Rifle but the price is good. Tough call