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Finaly Took the Leap

I had the ability to do it, so I finaly took the dive. I picked up a Dillian Precision 550b press, DPMS 10-10 scale, Super swager, and a second toolhead. I got the dies for .223 & 9mm; they didn't have the shell plate set for the 9mm in stock so I have to wait for them to come in so I will be working on the .223 for now.

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I got the dies all set to set the bullets to proper legnth, the only thing I need to find the data for is the powder measure. Till then I am in limbo to get rolling. Anyone able to help me find the reload data for all my once fired Lake City 5.56 brass? I got a box 100 count of Sierra 22cal .224 69gr #1380 and Acurate #2230 to get me tinkering.

My plan is to deprimer and resize everything while I attempt to find load data. I was able to find info for loading .223 loads, just not 5.56.
 
You're a few ticks ahead of me (with my Lee) - I'm tumbling brass waiting for dies to start depriming. I have a new Lymans Guide downstairs - I'll look and send or scan if they have 5.56 info - and I think they bdo.
 
You're not going to find loading data for 5.56. Just use .223 Remington data.

The difference between 5.56 and .223 is 1) the chamber is bigger and the freebore is longer for 5.56 to ensure reliability over extended periods without cleaning and 2) Nato ammo is loaded to a higher pressure than commercial ammo.

Everything you find in a loading manual will be within SAAMI specification which is the industry group that defines ammunition specification. Min/Max chamber size, min/max round size, max pressure, max length.
 
You might look at the Lake City brass and see if you need to remove the primer pocket crimp since all military brass usually has the primer crimped in place. I bought an RCBS primer pocket swaging die set that covers both small primer and large primer pockets. As I reload both 30-06 and 223/5.56 it comes in handy. All my brass is military. Just something to consider if you might need the dies.
 
Oli or nitesite might know...you could send em a pm or check olis posts for info.
 
Ripsnortr said:
I grabbed the Lymans and they have .223 but do not reference 5.56.

Yeah - but they talk about them in the same breath - are they implying that 223 loads work for 5.56. it seems like it but I'd also rather see specifics to each! I'm starting with 9 then 40 THEN 223 / 5.56, inquiring minds want to know!:?
 
seabee128 said:
You might look at the Lake City brass and see if you need to remove the primer pocket crimp since all military brass usually has the primer crimped in place. I bought an RCBS primer pocket swaging die set that covers both small primer and large primer pockets. As I reload both 30-06 and 223/5.56 it comes in handy. All my brass is military. Just something to consider if you might need the dies.

Not in the picture because I was still unboxing and setting up is the Dillan Precision Super Swage 600 that I also bought.

I have an amazing girlfriend, after de-priming and swaging all of the spent casings I had, she cleaned the primer pockets while I trimmed them to size. :cool: She may be sucking up to me to get her an AR of her own... :lol:
 
Congrats, that's a heck of a starter setup. :D
 
Wow. That is one helluva starter setup; it's much nicer than most people will ever own!

You definitely got off to a good start with that bullet and powder. The Sierra #1380 69-gr HPBT MatchKing is one of the finest ever for most AR-15 rifles. And Accurate 2230 was specifically designed to optomize the .223 Remington cartridge. It's no accident that the name has "223" in it. AA-2520 is superb with that bullet and you might try a pound of it when you use up the 2230. Also, several Hodgdon powders are winderful and very tolerant of temperature extremes.

Remember that you should trim after full-length resizing because to do so beforehand can see the cases lengthened slightly again during full-length resizing. Not enough to necessarily require trimming again, but check them to be sure. *** I'm not directing that specifically at you, Rip, just putting the info out there. ***

I have the Sierra (Edition V Third Printing) Manual which is great because unlike most other manuals it breaks load data down into two categories: one set for AR-15 and other semi-auto gas rifles, and another set of load tables for stronger bolt guns. I like that.

Sierra used a Colt HBAR 20" 1:7 rifle and Remington 7-1/2 primers in Federal cases trimmed to 1.750".

For the Sierra #1380 bullet and AA-2230 and 2.260" O.A.L.

Velocity 2500 2600 2700
Grains 21.9 22.7 23.5

If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to get a hold of me and I'll be happy to try and help! :)

I also have Hornady, Speer, Lyman and Winchester manuals. The Lyman is one of my favorites though, especially for handgun.
 
Here's a little known secret.

Bullet manufacturers don't put their load manuals online for free because they want to sell the actual bound books. But....

The folks at www.6mmbr.com convinced Sierra Bullets to release their load data online thru their website. The 6mmBR site is a vast store of terrific info and I hope that you'll check it out.

http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html

Click the tab for .223 Rem and .223 AI info and enjoy the amazing wealth of information.

Then down on the right side you'll see the Sierra logo links to the AR and bolt gun load data FOR FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
nitesite said:
If I can help you in any way, please don't hesitate to get a hold of me and I'll be happy to try and help! :)


That's why you rock! :D And thanx for chiming in....I was gonna give ya rep, but I gotta spread meself around... :lol:
 
nitesite said:
...
Bullet manufacturers don't put their load manuals online for free because they want to sell the actual bound books. But....
...
I've been wondering, do they sell manuals so they can sell bullets? Or do they sell bullets so they can sell manuals?
 
I believe that the bullets sell the manuals.

For instance, there is one outdoor supply store here which carries only Hornady and Sierra bullets. So if you buy the bullets, it seems natural that you would want the appropriate manual which you can't get for free on the interwebz.

It doesn't make sense that one would buy a specific bullet makers manual and then go scavenging over creation hoping to find the bullets listed in the manual you have!

I like the Lyman because they incorporate so many vast sources of bullets for a specific cartridge and they are not "brand loyal".
 
nitesite said:
I believe that the bullets sell the manuals.

For instance, there is one outdoor supply store here which carries only Hornady and Sierra bullets. So if you buy the bullets, it seems natural that you would want the appropriate manual which you can't get for free on the interwebz.

It doesn't make sense that one would buy a specific bullet makers manual and then go scavenging over creation hoping to find the bullets listed in the manual you have!

I like the Lyman because they incorporate so many vast sources of bullets for a specific cartridge and they are not "brand loyal".
Does Lyman's have load data for Speer, Hornady, Sierra, etc, as well as Hodgdon powders (including IMR and Winchester)? Is it be the one manual that has it all?
 
What Lyman does (that bullet manufacturer's manuals don't because they only publish powder charges for THEIR bullets) is that for each of their cartridge data they used bullets from several (but not all) brands.

For instance, for a .30-30 load with a 150-gr bullet they maybe/perhaps chose to use a Speer bullet and then list about eight powders from most of the big powder names, naming varying charges for each powder to get that Speer bullet to various speeds.

Then for a 165-gr bullet for the same .30-30 they tested, lets guess here, a bullet from Hornady or Sierra... and again they provide the different powder brands and list different charges to get that 165-gr to MIN and MAX pressures/velocities.

And on throughout the spectrum of bullet weights for a particular cartridge.

And for Pistol each cartridge listing gets tons of both jacketed and cast lead bullets of different weights made by different makers, and the powders are from many makers, and the load tables give suggested starting and MAX loads within that cartridge.

The Lyman manual is not perfect or all-inclusive but it gives a wide variety of bullet weights, bullet brands, jacketed vs. cast lead, powder brands and powder charges so that just about any shopping list of available components you decide to buy will get you very, very close as far as SAFE powder MIN and MAX charges.
 
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