IMI 5.56 headstamps

[Springfield 1911]

Accuracy may come with speed....less time of flight to target means less time for it to get pushed around by the wind.

This is true but there is a point of diminishing return on a certain powder charge based on pressure and barrel length as well as a lot of other variables. That is what is fun to me. Trying to find what works and then moving on to the next challenge.


In other words the max load may not help on your rifle.

 

[UXO]

Accuracy may come with speed....less time of flight to target means less time for it to get pushed around by the wind.

Understood. Guess I should have been a bit more clear. Not looking for the most accurate round right off the bat, or the hottest round. Step one for me is to load something that will go bang and produce factory ammo quality accuracy. Then just stick to loading that round for a while until I'm more comfortable with the process of reloading. Then it will be time to experiment a bit with working up the best load for my gun.

I very much appreciate everybody's input!

 

[Chuckdog]

Understood. Guess I should have been a bit more clear. Not looking for the most accurate round right off the bat, or the hottest round. Step one for me is to load something that will go bang and produce factory ammo quality accuracy. Then just stick to loading that round for a while until I'm more comfortable with the process of reloading. Then it will be time to experiment a bit with working up the best load for my gun.

I very much appreciate everybody's input!

Looks like your off to a good start.

Excellent attitude toward learning the process! Seems kinda rare in most beginners. Many just want to start at the top and work up from there!

 

[UXO]

Looks like your off to a good start.

Excellent attitude toward learning the process! Seems kinda rare in most beginners. Many just want to start at the top and work up from there!

Typically, I'm one of those people that starts at the top. But seeing as how reloading has serious consequences I figured I'd go into it the right way for once. I enjoy my hands and face the way they are, and my guns shoot a lot better when they're in one piece!

 

[Clearance_Clarence]

What powder you gonna use?

 

[UXO]

I went with Hodgdon Varget. Even though it doesn't measure as consistently as others through a powder measure, I plan on verifying each charge individually on a scale before loading cases with them. I chose it because it is (from what I've researched) very consistent given different temperatures and there will be enough powder in each case to make it easy to recognize an overcharge and a double charge is impossible without compressing it, which should be easily recognized, even for a beginner like myself.

 

[Chuckdog]

Varget's an excellent powder. It meters better for me than it obviously does for others. It'll work well in a plethora of applications. I buy Varget and H322 in 8lb lots. H335 is very popular for the .223 too. I use the H322 in most AR .223 loads because it works so well for the 6.8 SPC too.

I've got some CFE for testing, but haven't got one of those "round tuits" yet.

 

[CAK]

Hey guys, quick question for those of you "in the know". I'm just a couple weeks away from starting to reload .223 for my AR. I've never reloaded before, but looking forward to getting into it. I just tumbled my first batch of brass and sorted them by manufacturer. Looking at the IMI brass I noticed there were different headstamps on some of the cases. They all came from the same lot (00236/K). They are all marked "IMI" on top and "09" on bottom, but have differing, or a lack of numbers on the left and right sides. Pulling 6 random cases has produced numbers of (L,R): (x,2) (2,4) (2,2) (1,1) (x,1) and (x,4), where an "x" indicates a lack of number. While I am not concerned about it, I was just wondering if there was any significance to these numbers. Being from the same lot, and even the same case as I've only ever bought one case of the stuff, I expected them all to be marked the same.

My Google-fu is feeling a bit weak today as I wasn't able to come up with anything on the net about it, must be due to the cold medicine I'm on!

If this needs to be moved elsewhere I apologize, just thought I'd ask in here since reloaders seem to be more informed about this kind of thing. Thanks for any info!

Maybe this will help you ID headstamps it did for me. Good luck
http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=headstampcodes#E

 

[fz1boxer]

Accuracy may come with speed....less time of flight to target means less time for it to get pushed around by the wind.

my reloading experience has taught me this is not always true
every barrel is different and bullets as well,i usually get much better accuracy staying well below near max loads.
when i had my test bed rifle my favorite was a 52 grn smk running 3100 fps from a20" barrel,when i started pushing for more velocity accuracy dropped off,but that may well have been the barrel.

 

[jglenn]

I've used the IMI stuff and it's close to LC in volume

crimped unless you happen to run across some of the Stuff Wideners had a few years back..I have 1000 new IMI cases waiting on my ""round tuit". they are bare cases so no crimp

my brother has loaded some of the IMI 7.62 x 51( 308) and it very nice brass.

for 62 gr bullets and above I like TAC.. 55 gr we have now switched over to 2230

both meter extremely well in my Dillion 550