Best brass for .223 AI?

[RockAndSage]

Any of you guys with experience handloading .223 AI...what would likely be the best brass for a .223 AI, shooting 77gr TMKs? Primary consideration is velocity, followed by durability, then accuracy.

 

[Ganderzone]

Been looking into this as well, starline 5.56 brass seems to be a popular recommendation.

 

[waspocrew]

I was looking at this a while back when considering the 223 AI. I found this chart showing Lake City had more H2O volume than Lapua (old lot - not sure what production date)... seems you can stuff just a little more powder in there.

Personally, I have a ton of Lake City brass, so I'll probably use that when I punch this chamber out to 223 AI. It shoots very well in my Tikka 223, so I doubt it'll be different in the improved chamber. It's left all over the local shooting range, so easy to replace if I lose one while varminting, etc. If I lose a piece of Lapua, it stings a bit more haha.

 

[vonb]

I use Lake City in my .223AI. No problems.

 

[xringshutr]

WCC or LC brass has consistant capacity and availability. My rifle with a McGowan 8 twist hammers with pretty much anything I put down the tube.

 

[KyleR1985]

LC and Lapua side by side comparison for me in real time. It could be initial hardness and taking another round to fire form, but the LC is showing around .8gr more capacity after fireforming than the lapua. No difference in precision to note yet. I will get capacity/pressure/velocity differences soon as I now have formed and second fired brass to compare.

Free advice - to start, use brand new brass that was annealed by manufacturer, or once fired brass that has NOT been resized. For the once fired buy the Lee collet die, size necks, and shoot. I’d then do that again after the first fireforming load. Then go on to your normal sizing and loading process.

I bought a pile of once fired and processed brass from Sage’s. To say it has been sized a little too much is an understatement. Which is no big deal for a 223, especially a gasser. But I’ve got to push the shoulders forward a long way with the 223ai. I had a bunch of misfires, and several cases showing that they’re going to split horizontally.

Swapped to my pile of once fired out of my 223 mini, sized necks in lee collet die, and had much better results.

The lapua I’m using is once fired and not sized, so I am neck sizing with the collet die as well to load for fireforming.


I think the answer lies in your use case. If you’re the type that wants to form all brass in one range session, and then not mess with it for as long as possible - the lapua may be the answer. If you don’t mind shooting accurate fireforming loads to make new brass a few times here and there, the LC is a hell of a lot cheaper.