51 AH in 5.56

[Sr Chief]

Will soon be starting load workups and I think I'll start with N-130 & N-133 powders. I think I'm gonna also look at N-120 but it might be a bit too fast. I'll run a computer sim first and look at the numbers.

 

[OutdoorEdventure]

N-120 is listed for 40gr., 223 in Nosler. Should be good to go. Interested to see results.

 

[choprzrul]

Hodgdon's website is offering free shipping and hazmat on orders over $300 for the Labor Day weekend, so I ordered some LT-32 for upcoming load development on my Howa mini action in 223. Just so happens, there is AH load data for that rifle, the 51gr AH, and LT-32 available:

 

[T_the_Tinkerer]

Hodgdon's website is offering free shipping and hazmat on orders over $300 for the Labor Day weekend, so I ordered some LT-32 for upcoming load development on my Howa mini action in 223. Just so happens, there is AH load data for that rifle, the 51gr AH, and LT-32 available:

View attachment 2954

You'll like that combination. My advice with that bullet and rifle combo is to get your bolt bushed ASAP. The very "generous" firing pin hole on many Howa rifles will give cratering signs early. I don't know what barrel length you have, but that powder and bullet should give you 3500fps easy. You may wind up settling for neutered result due to false primer signs.

With benchrest powders (which tend to all be in this burn rate range), primer choice can make a world of difference. Work your load up for velocity, then choose a range of charges about 0.5gr wide that start at the minimum velocity you want, then test 2 shot groups at each charge with each primer of interest. You'll sometimes see drastic changes with nothing more than a primer swap.

See the picture below? Three groups on the same gun, same rest, same day, same bullet, same cases, same powder charges (trickled by hand and measure within 0.03gr of each other)...only differences were the primers.

 

[choprzrul]

Primer change made huge difference in all my rifles except 1. Bye bye cci.

CCI is bad?

.

 

[gltaylor]

Not at all.
Every load (well, many) will show a preference - sometimes it can be a significant difference.
If you're having difficulty getting a load to group to your expectations, sometimes it just takes changing primers to get what you want. In this case, it made a Huge difference

 

[joe16]

Here's some n120 data from Nosler.