Reduced .223 Rem Loads

[Nine Banger]

Does anyone have a reduced .223 Rem load they'd like to share?

I'm looking to down load one of my straight pull 223's for an ultralight predator/fur-friendly rifle in 22 Hornet-level velocity until I have an ultralight 17 caliber AR barrel built.

Lyman has some lower pressure, reduced speed, lead bullet loads which can get me started using some powders I have on hand like AA #9, Unique, and IMR-4198, but I would appreciate hearing recommendations from folks here.

I had to look up the average velocity of 22 Hornet but I have experience with 223 and Unique.

Unique works for subsonic rounds, but subsonic rounds suck for hunting because of the trajectory. If you're calling I'd skip it but if it's for a trap line, go for it.

You won't be able to push 223 Remington up to 22 Hornet velocity without damaging your gun. I blew up a 6.5mm Creedmoor Ruger No.1 with a double charge of Unique in which the single charge was intended to be around 1064fps.

My boys are shooting a reduced 223 load in their guns. I don't think I recorded the load because I don't intend to buy any more of these bullets. I'm pretty sure its 21gr or 23gr Leverevolution with 55gr Sierra 1345s. It's mild and groups well and is in your velocity range. You can load Lever up to 25.5gr or so without pressure.

 

[Chris in TN]

I had to look up the average velocity of 22 Hornet but I have experience with 223 and Unique.

Unique works for subsonic rounds, but subsonic rounds suck for hunting because of the trajectory. If you're calling I'd skip it but if it's for a trap line, go for it.

You won't be able to push 223 Remington up to 22 Hornet velocity without damaging your gun. I blew up a 6.5mm Creedmoor Ruger No.1 with a double charge of Unique in which the single charge was intended to be around 1064fps.

My boys are shooting a reduced 223 load in their guns. I don't think I recorded the load because I don't intend to buy any more of these bullets. I'm pretty sure its 21gr or 23gr Leverevolution with 55gr Sierra 1345s. It's mild and groups well and is in your velocity range. You can load Lever up to 25.5gr or so without pressure.

Did you happen to document when the Ruger blew up? That’s fascinating. It’s also part of the reason I dislike really fast powders and on the rare occasion that I load them in subs I’m OCD careful about charging.

When I was a kid we ‘double charged’ a muzzleloader once. But that was powder-bullet-powder-bullet.

My uncle had borrowed the gun, snapped a cap (no powder ignition) at a deer, didn’t realize the gun was still loaded, so he reloaded and it went off at the second attempt. Split the barrel around the 15” mark like a cartoon; two petals of barrel; one fell off, the other was still attached last I saw it. Split the laminated stock (knight mk85) several inches.

 

[Nine Banger]

Did you happen to document when the Ruger blew up? That’s fascinating. It’s also part of the reason I dislike really fast powders and on the rare occasion that I load them in subs I’m OCD careful about charging.

It sucked.

I was shooting offhand.

The Ruger is allegedly one of the strongest actions as per internet forums but it does have a gas port.

When I fired it was "really loud" according to my wife and I got shell shocked on my feet for just a second and when I "came to" I was still holding the gun and things appeared normal but it didn't have a foreend anymore.

One piece of the foreend was down on the ground about 16 feet away and one piece was right at my feet and a third small piece was stuck thru my shirt and into the skin covering my abdomen.

I made the damage worse but it didn't matter in hindsight. While I was dazed, I looked down at the rifle and subconsciously tossed it away, as in no rational thought....my brain just said "get rid of it". The buttstock broke when it hit the ground because I was up on a porch about 6' off the ground.

The action was locked up. It looked normal on the outside but when the barrel was removed to get it open again the reason for lock up was the primer had pushed itself into the breech block but was still a little bit in the case. The rest (what's left, right?) looked OK but the chamber measured as swelled. Total loss.

The round before the event was a "dud"... I didn't think at the time what ramifications that had for the one next to it.

 

[Chris in TN]

Wow. Dang. I'm glad it didn't hurt your hand.

When you say 'chamber was swelled' you mean the threaded front portion of the action that the barrel threads into?

My dad and I had 2 #1s over the years but it's been a while - I think I sold the last one 10 years ago - but I don't remember a 'gas port'. They're neat rifles, absolutely one of those I'd love to love you' things and if the forend wasn't so tempermental I'd still have one of them, or more. I think the forend issue could be solved, for *waaaayyyyyy* less than what other single shot designs cost, but I don't see that ever happening. All it would take would be a tenon of some sort that the forend could attach to completely independent of the barrel or the action threaded area.

 

[Nine Banger]

When you say 'chamber was swelled' you mean the threaded front portion of the action that the barrel threads into?

No, the chamber in the barrel where the cartridge goes in was enlarged by the detonation.

They're neat rifles, absolutely one of those I'd love to love you' things and if the forend wasn't so tempermental I'd still have one of them, or more.

Yeah...I love shooting them offhand. My family no longer shoots unsuppressed due to lack of interest in noise, neighbors and the volume of shooting they are currently tolerating and I don't want to thread them, I shoot irons/peep only with this platform. It's probably time to get rid of them.

I think the forend issue could be solved, for *waaaayyyyyy* less than what other single shot designs cost, but I don't see that ever happening.

Never gonna happen.