The Hot Load for .223

By Gary A. McCraw, MA

AZOD Shooting Editor

The .223 has got to be the most loved and hated cartridge in production today.  The 5.56mm was originally designed for the U. S. military.  Die hard military specifications personnel could not see anything else but the 7.62 x 51 (.308) as being practical in war or peace time plinking.  It would seem that a ‘preferred caliber’ mostly depended on what war was going on at the time of your introduction to firearms.  During WW I and II it would have been the .30-06, which has fathered more wildcats than any other case around.  After Korea and through part of the Vietnam conflict the .30-06 was put through the dryer and came out as the .308 Winchester.  Changing horses in midstream in not too intelligent but the U. S. military did just that and came up with the .223 Remington.

The .223 caliber was not the only problem but the real humdinger was the introduction of the new shooting platform, the M-16 assault rifle.  Almost 40 years have past and still the M-16/AR-15 rifle has been refined but remains the weapon of choice all over the world.  The round of choice is still the 5.56mm Nato, .223 Remington, .22 caliber or the .224 diameter.  Even Russia has changed from the 7.62 x 39 to a round similar to the little .223.

All history aside, I am constantly asked for loads for the .223.  Having done a tremendous amount of tinkering with this .22 caliber, I have come up with a favorite load.  This recipe came out of the 1999 loading manual from Hodgdon Powders.  My problem was a Ruger Mini 14 Ranch rifle in stainless steel with a wood stock.  Trying to get one of these pitbulls to shoot groups instead of patterns is, well, just a bit more than impossible.  Thousands of bullets in 40 to 69 grains were thrown down range propelled by at least a dozen powders.

Then a stroke of luck, enter the free Hodgdon Powder pamphlet.  Back at the bench I loaded up about 50 rounds of .223 with their load.  Off to the range for more disappointment, but wait!  The first group of five was in under 2” at 100 yards.  A thorough scrubbing of the barrel and five more shots brought tears of joy, a .900 inch group.  A few hours at the range and I had ten groups of five shots each with an average of 1 1/4”.  I know that sucks for you ‘bolt’ guys of yesteryear, but for a Mini 14 that’s awesome.  Shortly after I came into a Colt AR-15, HBAR, 20” barrel, flattop with a chrome lined 1 in 9 twist barrel.  I took a gamble and took this same load and squeezed a few down range.  Boy howdy, an average group size of 5/8” from center to center made me a happy camper.

Here is ‘that’ load that is being shot by more guys than you can shake a stick at:

Caliber - .223 Remington, 5.56mm
Powder - Hodgdon Varget 26.4 grains
Case - R-P or Win (mil. spec. brass: use only 26 grs.)
Primer - R-P No. 7 ˝ Benchrest Small Rifle
Bullet - Hornady 60 gr. V-Max
Case Overall Length - 2.255