Adelaide wrote:Thanks a ton for the info, Is it safe to exceed 25g if its going to compress the load. Have just made another batch with max loading of 26.2.G.I can move the seating depth out but Barnes recommends .050, which is what I have gone with. On another note what projectiles would you recommend for accuracy ( paper punching)? Is 2606H the best powder or would you recommend anything else.
Thanks once again for your
Yes, compressed is good. With no air space in the case, ignition is about as uniform as it's possible to get it.
You can keep increasing the charge if you are looking for an accurate load, but there's really no need to chase velocities, especially for shooting paper and steel.
I would have to check if the TSX is a secant, tangent or hybrid design, but I would expect it to not be a secant if they're suggesting starting at .050" jump.
You can load out as long as the bullet is not actually touching the rifling, and is still firmly held in the case mouth, so it doesn't come loose during feeding. If you can load it longer, the extra case volume reduces pressures, and/or allows you to push higher velocities before reaching pressure signs.
In .224-calibre I've only owned a 14"-twist .222 and my 8"-twist .223. In the .222 the bullets of choice for accuracy for me (back in the eighties) were the 52gn and 53gn match bullets from Sierra and Speer. Not having a .22 any more though, I don't know if the bullets I used were identical to the modern versions. In the 8"-twist I prefer the heavier bullets, 77gn and up. The heavier bullets don't make as much velocity (although my Ruger allows me to seat them very long which makes up for that), but their much high BC makes them less affected by wind, and wind is a major issue for me.
For competition I would start with something readily available and relatively cheap, cheap means you can do a lot more shooting for your money, and practice is how you improve. The Sierra Match King (SMK) is probably a good starting place and they have a wide range of bullet weights to try. And they offer bulk 500rd or 1000rd packs if you find a bullet that works really well. Berger do offer a couple of lighter bullets that might work and they're not too expensive, though sometimes supply is difficult.
The only way to determine the "best" powder for your load is to try them all. This guy tested 19 powders last week -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LkMYUdh6mQ - although he only tested a single load with each, which is far from sufficient data to make a choice. You really need to do load development with each powder with the bullet you intend to use, but it's a lot of work and quite expensive. I would expect you will have no difficulty finding accuracy using AR2206H, but as you improve you may find yourself trying other powders. BM8208 (IMR 8208XBR in the US) is a good choice for benchrest-style shooting, and it is still quite versatile. Currently, ADI has slowed production of the less common rifle powders, so I would try to work with something that is readily available - AR2206H (H4895), AR2207 (H4198), AR2208 (Varget), BM8208 (IMR 8208XBR). AR2205 works very well in small capacity cases but is difficult to get just now.
http://www.adiworldclass.com.au/2021/04/16/propellant-update-rifle-powder-update/