AR-15 hand loads

I've been out of hand loading for about 10 years.
Getting back into it again, shooting a stock Colt Match Target out to 300 yards max.

Anybody have a favorite, accurate load?

nkh

Nathan:

I don't carry the 'recipe' with me but can get it when I'm back at home.

What's the rifling twist on your Colt? I load for my Bushmaster and younger son's Tikka (1:9) and for my older son's Remington 700 (1:12) so I have a couple loads.

Son 1 shoots 52 grain bullets; Son 2 & I tend toward heavier ones - 60-68 grains.

AR and other magazine-fed rifles are limited to fairly light bullets, lest they get too long to fit in the mag. You can single-load longer ones, I guess.

My sons and I shoot prairie rats with these rifles, often shooting 300+ yards. We take longer shots - out to 500 - but those are shoot & hope most of the time. Twenty-two caliber bullets are a bit small for those ranges and targets that small.

Jon B.

I'm shooting CMP Service Rifle out to 600; at 300 my rifle likes a Sierra 69gr Matchking with Varget; 24 gr. I think (don't hold me to that, look it up). I like that load because it's pretty accurate and if you want to push the range a little farther you can. It's accurate enough out of my Rock River with a Wilson 1:8 twist.

It depends on what you are doing.
For targets, across the course(200,300, and 600yds), a 1:9 twist will only shoot well with 75g or less bullets. A 1:8 is marginal for heavier bullets such as the 80g Sierra matchkings. I use the 77g SMK for 200 and 300yds, and the 80g Amax for 600yds. This is with a 1:7 twist. The barrel is a Kreiger which is tighter that a Wilson.
For the Kreiger bbl., I use 23.2g of H4895 with a Russian(Wolf) small rifle primer and LC case with the 77g. Velocity of 2780fps. For the 80g Amax, I use 23.8g of H4895, Wolf small rifle primer, LC case, and seated 0.015" off of the lands. The 77SMK will jump quite a distance with no problem so it is seated to 2.250(mag lenght).
For the Wilson barrel(1:7), I use 24.2g of H4895 with a 77g SMK, Wolf sr primer, and LC case(seated to 2.250). The 80g Amax uses 24.5g of H4895(seated 0.015 off the lands).
I have another Wilson barrel with a 1:9 that I use for close range. It uses 24.8g of H4895 with a 69g SMK and is a tack driver.
You are just going to have to put in some trigger time to determine what your barrel likes. What I say here will not be the same for you. Good luck.

I also use the Varget. The problem is finding it. It took me 8 months to find my last supply. Lake City brass, CCI#41 primer, 24.3 Varget, 69gr Sierra Match, seated to mag length.

Thanks Guys!

John, it's a 16", 1:9 twist.

Charles; I shoot for fun and the skill of it, competition shooting never drew my fancy. The range only goes to 300yrd and where we hunt coyotes, it's rare to get a shot that long. It's usually around 250 or less; so the need for long range isn't necessary yet. One day I hope to stretch it out and shoot prairie rats.

I understand the need for trigger time, but it's nice to have a direction in mind. My 22-250 was a lazar with 55gr Combined Tech Ballistic Tips and 24.5gr of Varget. But it took a year and 600rds before trying that recipe.

Thanks again.

nkh

748 and BLC(2) are also great do-all powders for the 5.56/.223.
Does your rifle have the 5.56 NATO chamber or .223? Not sure if you are aware but the .223 chamber is a tighter chamber and a person can have pressure issues with firing 5.56 in the tighter .223. Just in case you didn't already know. Opps, I guess since it is an AR-15 maybe this doesn't apply.
WW

Reloading....

I've been reloading for decades. I like Varget for my M14's and M1's. I have also used it for My AR's. Varget is available around here, and I commonly stock up on it.
I'm building a 6.5x55 target rifle based on a 96 Mauser action/Douglas barrel right now. I plan to try it on the 1000 yard range. With the new VLD bullets, even at modest velocities, its still supersonic at 1000 yards.
Should prove an interesting project.

Mike