Handloads: The Versatile .223 Remington

by
posted on September 14, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
.223 Remington
Illustrations by David Labrozzi

.223 Remington specsThese days, you’re lucky to find 5.56 NATO and its commercial counterpart, .223 Rem., at all—let alone a load built for a specific purpose. I developed this one for my 20"-barreled Rock River Arms NM A2 rifle and found it to work well in faster-twist barrels. On bad days, it groups just outside one minute of angle, and on good days—out of my Anderson Mfg. 24" Sniper upper—it produces ragged holes at 100 yards. Using a Hornady 75-grain BTHP bullet, it is affordable enough for plinking, accurate enough for competition and deadly on coyotes. Of course, primers and firearms will affect performance, so always start at the published minimum and work your way up.

My recipe starts with carefully weighed and processed Lake City brass. After a full match prep, I separate out the cases that weigh between 92 and 93 grains and prime them with CCI BR-4s. An even 23.0 grains of Hodgdon Varget just about fills the case body without needing a drop tube. When seating bullets, I found this cartridge to not be overly finicky with seating depth, but I do find my best accuracy when I seat as long as possible, up to 2.265" for good metal magazines. Lake City brass has excellent neck tension, so skip the crimp unless you find that the bullet won’t stay put during feeding or recoil.

This load leaves a 20" barrel at 2,511 f.p.s. (1,050 ft.-lbs. of energy) with an extreme spread of 43 f.p.s. and a standard deviation of just 16. Best of all, it falls into the range of both 5.56 NATO and .223 Rem., as per the 10th edition of Hornady’s reloading manual, making it safe for both chambers as well as the .223 Wylde.

—Frank Melloni

Latest

smith & wesson performance center model 19 carry comp moss
smith & wesson performance center model 19 carry comp moss

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Army Announces Type Classification Of New Infantry Rifle, Machine Gun

In May 2025, the U.S. Army’s Soldier Lethality Project at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey announced the official type classification of SIG Sauer’s M7 rifle and M250 automatic rifle, previously known as the XM7 and the XM250, respectively.

RXR22: Savage Arms Redefines The Budget Rimfire Rifle

Savage Arms has a long history of producing affordable and accurate rimfire rifles, but with its RXR22, the company is bringing a new level of affordability and modularity to rimfire rifle fans.

SARCO: A Lifetime Covered Up With Surplus Firearm Parts

When it comes to selling gun parts and gun-related military surplus, Charles “Cholly” Steen has been at it for longer than almost anyone. It all started when, as a 5-year-old, he began stashing odds and ends in the drawers of his clothes dresser.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.