Conflicting load data 223

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Good times.
Hodgdon's website says 21-22.6 gr h335 for 77gr SMK.
Lyman 49 STARTS at 22.5 and maxes at 25 for the same.
Hornady 9th doesn't test that powder at that weight

This is somewhat consistent on other weights and powders. Lyman's starting is close to Hodgon's max. Both have pressure readings that say the same 49-51 CUP range.
Who to believe? Ladder it all the way from 21 to 25?

18 AR in 223 wylde loading to mag length

What other manuals does everyone keep?
 
Are lengths the same in both manuals?
 
Thumbsout said:
Good times.
Hodgdon's website says 21-22.6 gr h335 for 77gr SMK.
Lyman 49 STARTS at 22.5 and maxes at 25 for the same.
Hornady 9th doesn't test that powder at that weight

This is somewhat consistent on other weights and powders. Lyman's starting is close to Hodgon's max. Both have pressure readings that say the same 49-51 CUP range.
Who to believe? Ladder it all the way from 21 to 25?

18 AR in 223 wylde loading to mag length

What other manuals does everyone keep?
Click to expand...


for what it’s worth Hodgdons has always been in the low side of things. i just checked my lyman 50th and it shows the same start and max.

from a safety aspect, start with hodgdon’s data and work up from there.

from my personal aspect, you shouldn’t have any issue with the Lyman data as i’ve used it and it’s been different that a lot of other published data

i say run a small ladder on hodgdon data, then do the same with lyman. keep an eye out on pressure signs, and enjoy some recoil therapy
 
As said above Hodgdon is on the conservative side typically, BUT I always default to the powder manufacturer and work up from there when the manuals are in conflict.
 
To add to my other comment...Hodgdon is using Winchester brass and primers, Lyman is using Remington brass and primers.
 
lengths are the same for both, 2.26 (mag length)
I ended up loading a whole ladder 22 to 25 in half grain increments. I started seeing slight cratering of primers at 24 gr and stopped there. Best groups were ~ 1 inch at 22gr and 22.5 gr. I think I might run another ladder in .3 gr increments 21.7 to 22.8.
Recoil difference was noticably sharper at 24 than it was at 22.

LC once fired brass w/ cci 400
 
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Every maker,, if YOU READ THE DETAILS in their manuals,, (not just the load charts,) will point to how the loads were assembled.
Test barrels, vs. actual firearms.
Different primers.
Different bullets.
Different brass.

Get the most up to date manuals, (Hornady #9 is out of date, as is Lyman #49.) study ALL the details, compare what components you have, and then, as ALWAYS when working up a new load, start low & work up the load in YOUR gun, and find the sweet spot for accuracy. Now, if you have a loading bench with older manuals, you can often find that info is identical, but never assume anything without studying. Buy new manuals,,, they are cheap insurance.

Many decades ago, when friends would want me to load some ammo for them, they often heard comment was; "I want them hot!" Too many people equate handloading with being able to build "rocks & dynamite" types of loads.
ACCURACY should be the determining factor for the final product. But only if it falls under the SAMMI pressure limits. Trying to meet or exceed max loads in any gun can be a POTENTIAL for disaster.
Maybe not the first round, or even the 1000th round. But when you push the limits all the time, it puts stress on any mechanical object. A good example is a race car. Built to run a single race, then rebuilt. Why? the builders know it's going to be pushed to it's limits for the one race. they also know that stresses the entire mechanical process.
We can't rebuild our guns the way race cars can, so pushing the max envelope all the time can & will eventually wear out something.
And sometimes that has proven to be very dangerous.

Handloading manuals & their parent companies have already tested their stuff using SAMMI specs & a ballistic lab to be able to avoid lawsuits etc. And every one of them publishes guidelines on how to start loads & to not exceed them.
 
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