I finished up loading my 75gr pulled bullets using IMR 4700SSC today. I recently bought 1000 Hornady 55gr FMJBT's and needed a good powder to match. Since the 4700SSC only has load data for 75gr and up bullet size, I decided to try the Hodgdon Benchmark powder. Early returns for my Lee Auto Disk Pro are great, as far as metering goes this powder is great. I set up for 24.5 gr and tested 10 consecutive loads all measuring within .1 gr. I loaded 100 rounds and tested every 10 loads and all stayed within .1 gr.

I love the way this stuff meters, and there is 15 different loads for bullets from 35 to 80 gr bullets.

Thanks,

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.. I've only used 2 powders so far. One was AA#2, its fine like sugar. If you miss a primer it pours out so fast. The other is Hp-38 and that stuff is coarse and when you miss a primer you have to shake the shit out of the bullet to get the powder out.

Oly, you haven't tried stick powders yet ... they make the HP38 look pretty good!

Good info Jeff!

And I personally love HP-38...

For 55gr bullets in .223 you may not like Benchmark unless you like slower velocities. If this is for an AR, you may want to go to the powders that were formulated for this firearm like AA2230, H335, or BL-C(2). Whenever I use the slower powders in my AR's I usually see more carbon in the Bolt Carrier and on the end of the bolt. That coupled with the slower velocities and I just use the slow powders in my bolt actions.

As always, everyone has their own parameters, the above are just mine.

For my XDM 9 and 40 I use both Alliant Power Pistol and HP-38. For my AutoDisk Pro, the HP-38 meters a little better overall. As for shooting accuracy, I am equally poor with both.

I will find out about it's performance In a week or so, My next trip out to Paul Bunyan.

has anyone know (or think they know) whats best for a 62 grain bulet?

WC44... Douja has it.

Tonight I was looking at the Hodgdon burn rate charts and noticed the burn rate is a tad faster for Benchmark than H335 and AA2230.

80 Hodgdon BENCHMARK

81 Hodgdon H335

83 Accurate Arms 2230

Still, I will see how Benchmark plays out with the 55's I have next week. I will check out the carbon build up. I noticed a build up on the bolt with the IMR 4007SSC I was using last time. It came off hard, even with a chrome bolt & carrier group.

Thanks,

I've loaded enough of these to fill a dozen .50 cal ammo cans with no strippers, just loose. I have used H-335 and AA2230 with great results. If you're shooting these in an AR, these are the Powders that are the same as the Mil-Spec powders.

If you want some of the same stuff that sends the 62 gr bullets at the Taliban, WC844 is available as a "pull down" powder for about $40-$50 less than the commercial stuff. Check out Pat's Reloading. At one time he paid the Hazmat fee on orders of 32# (4-8# jugs). If you also load for .308, consider the WC846. It works well for both. It's also a "pull down" that's inexpensive.

Regular civilian powder like I listed sells for $136/8# jug and you have to pay the hazmat.

I don't know about it being the "best" but AA2230 sure works nice all around. It meters well through my dillon powder measure and doesn't foul the bolt/bolt carrier as bad as H335.

I load 23.5 gr of 2230 with my 62 gr bullets with an OAL of 2.255 (that leaves .005 for tolerance issues in the bullets so the rounds feed freely from the magazine). this load gives me a 3000fps round.

For my 55 gr bullets I use 25.5 of 2230 and still an OAL of 2.255. These rounds are closer to 3200fps average.

That's what I'm talking about! Great information deadshot2.

Thank you.

Sent from my EVO using TapaTalk

small pistol primer? realy?

wc844 8lbs $110, 4lbs $60
ready for pick up.
Tacoma
loads using Hodgdon's H335 data.

i really have no idea what you all are talking about....sounds pretty interesting though! maybe i should read some of the 20 or so reloading books i have!