300/221 Recipe for AR

[Scollins]

Originally Posted by 320pf

Scollins,

Did you read the recommendation that I posted carefully?

"Also a warning! DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads or powder charges less than those listed in the Sierra reloading manual!"

I did not say;

"DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads"

I said;

"DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads or powder charges less than those listed in the Sierra reloading manual!"

I believe that this is sound advice to give someone new to reloading his own ammo. It is also sound advice for anyone reloading no matter what the experience level.

Finally, the velocities given for loads listed in the Sierra manual are all out of a 10 in. barrel. I have found that I typically get 100 to 200 fps more than the listed velocity from my 16 in. barrel.

320pf

I did read it carefully. It says "DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads OR powder charges less than those listed in the Sierra reloading manual." The choice and placement of the word *OR* in your statement means "DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads." Everything after the *OR* is a different statement or condition, and totally separates itself from the initial statement before the word *OR*.

If you meant to convey that H110 can be used with subsonic loads, but with certain conditions, your statement should read "DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads WITH powder charges less than those listed in the Sierra Reloading manual." You could also phrase it as "DO NOT USE H110 for subsonic loads UNLESS you are at or above the minimum powder charges listed in the Sierra Reloading Manual."

My personal opinion is that noobies to reloading shouldn't be messing around with wild cat catridges, even one with a lot of commercial data like the 300 Whisper, 300/221, 300 Fireball or whatever you want to call it. There are diffferences in chamber reamers used by the various barrel makers and that can cause problems. There are different die manufacturers, and there are differences in their dimensions. I use Redding Dies in a Randall Rausch barrel, with brass from Davis that is formed from Redding Dies. It works well in my rifle.

Also, building subsonic loads is a different process than what most reloading manuals suggest for standard loads, which is start low and work UP. With subsonic, you want to start near maximum and work your way DOWN, not the other way around. The person in the Fiesty Rooster link should have started with his higher loads first, then worked down until he got the velocity he wanted. Had he done that, he might not have split his barrel.

[320pf]

Scollins,

You are correct! I should have used "with" not "or". My bad.

I also agree with your sentiment that people new to reloading should start with a standard cartridge before venturing into the wildcat realm.

I am using Redding Dies including the trim/forming die as well. I have made 200 rounds from unfired 221 FireBall brass and 200 rounds from unfired winchester 223 brass. I have recently tried about 75 pieces of brass from Davis.... I am probably going to stop making my own brass and just buy brass from Davis.

I am running a 16 in. Olympic Arm barrel with the gas port in the pistol position. I had Randall Rausch thread and slightly re-profile the barrel so I could install and JP Enterprise Bennie Cooley compensator and a JP Enterprise low profile adjustable gas block.

What is the the barrel set-up that you are running?

I am mostly interested in supersonic loads that make/exceed the IPSIC power factor of 320 (bullet wt X vel./1000). Currently the loads that I have that make the 320 power factor are:

16.5 gr H110 behind a 180 SPBT sierra GameKing at 1827 fps
16.5 gr Lil'Gun behind a 180 SPBT sierra GameKing at 1840 fps
16.5 gr H4227 behind a 180 SPBT sierra GameKing at 1792 fps

I am now working up 165 gr and 155 gr bullets. Randall ran some QUICKLOAD models for me and it looks like that the 155 g (PALMA) is the lightest bullet that I can use to make the 320 power factor.

Any way... I was wondering if I have Randall make a barrel in either 18 or 20 inches... can I get 150g bullets over 2133 fps to make power factor