Handload to Approximate M193 ball ?

[J.C. Kerns]

Has anyone successfully copied M193 ball ammo ? My own efforts come up short on velocity for the 55 grain FMJBT from a 20" HBAR AR15. Mil-spec, I believe, goes at 3200+ from a 20" barrel.

Hodgdon calls for 27.5 grains of Varget for 3384 FPS from a 24" barrel. I can only get 27 grains in my Winchester cases and my velocity runs about 2950 from my 20" barrel. Other powders I've tried are H335, WW 748, IMR 4985, and IMR 4064. All run less than I expect.

Does this need magnum primers ? Is there one powder that just "does it" reliably ?

Does brand of case or bullet affect velocity enough to matter ?

Am I expecting too much ?

 

[Fyrtwuck]

You might check over on http://www.m4carbine.net/

There are several discussions about duplicating different loads over there.

 

[Huckelberry75]

Varget is better suited to the heavier pills on the 223. It does wonders with the 69 & 77gn bullets. Have you tried and TAC, Benchmark or ARComp? I have heard good things about the Benchmark powder in 55gn 223 loads. No personal experience, just noticed it in threads on Snipers Hide.

As an aside, is there a reason that you are trying to duplicate this load? Do you have a calibrated optic or something, or just doing it for "Grins"? If you aren't trying to match it for a calibrated optic, then find one that your gun eats well and go shoot the damn thing rather than trying to produce the perfect handload or some clone of a military load. I am guilty of this flaw myself. Not trying to be a jerk, I just see too many people trying to make not-so precision guns shoot one hole groups and loose site of the real reason to really worry about shooting, and that is to stay sharp.

 

[Shadowrider]

I'm not trying to duplicate any particular load per se, but I am working on some 55gr loads for 3 gun. I'm currently trying BLC2, AA2230 and IMR 8208 XBR. The 2230 powder is beating the others on velocity at the moment. I'm still working on them but it's not looking good for the other two. Fastest to slowest so far is 2230, BLC2 followed very closely by IMR 8208. I'm really hoping to get the 8208 up over 3150, and it might get there, I'm right at 3000 now but I'm also getting close to book max, but it's supposed to be very temperature insensitive. All of them are good powders in .223. FYI I'm working with an 18" barrel. And as a general rule, ball powders work better with magnum primers.

 

[GlockCop]

If you e will use the CCI white boc military primers (#41) its a magnum strength primer. I dont have a chrony but I have no trouble lighting off a charge of AA2230 with them. And in answer to a previuos post...from everything I can find you are supposed to use a magnum primer for ball powder for best results. BTW the AA2230 meter like a dream. I tried Varget once and kept overflowing the case as well. The reloading guy at H&H tried to tell me my scales were off...yeah right.

 

[Hump66]

Since there is already a thread on .mil loads, anyone got one for the 77gr SMK at approx 3025fps? (Mk262 Mod 1)