QuickLoad Analysis Please? .223, 55gr bullet, 20gr Alliant 2400, 16" Barrel

[Pdvdh]

Don't ask why. I'll post a picture of Lake City case head later. Need less to say, it's pretty dramatic. Must be pushing 80,000 - 90,000 psi?

I loaded the wrong powder in the wrong cartridge. I was intending to produce a reduced MV load using H4895 for fox pelt hunting. MV= 2,100fps was the goal. Instead, I charged the case with 20 grains Alliant 2400. So much for the reduced load!!!

Better MV than Hodgdon's SuperPerformance powder I'm certain... Do they make a MegaPerformance powder? Or "mother of all performance" powder???

Curious what Pressure I produced in my 16" AR15 barrel? And what Muzzle Velocity? My LabRadar wasn't able to record the velocity, so it might have exceeded it's upper limit ability. Like in the speed of light? I'm headed back out now, to see if the bullet reached the target at 125yds.

Live and learn. Live being the more immediately important. But learn is a close second.

 

[HARPERC]

.......I loaded the wrong powder in the wrong cartridge. I was intending to produce a reduced MV load using H4895 for fox pelt hunting. MV= 2,100fps was the goal. Instead, I charged the case with 20 grains Alliant 2400. So much for the reduced load!!!

.......Live and learn. Live being the more immediately important. But learn is a close second.

I'm unaware of any data on the subject, but I've come to believe "light loads" are more problematic than "excessive loads".

Been there.

 

[HARPERC]

Duplicate.

 

[Pdvdh]

Thus wasn't a light load. I loaded the wrong powder. Simple as that.
Charged the case with 2400 instead of H4895.

Bullet never reached the target. Must have come apart during launch. Smoking...

 

[Deleted member 46119]

First I have to say. I am so glad you are still with us. When you see the data you will understand. This could have been life changing and I'm so glad it was just a learning experience.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

 

[HARPERC]

I understood the powder change being the issue. Mixing powders could happen in pursuing normal loads. For whatever reason in my experience the errors possible in otherwise normal re-loading seem to get more common when going light.

The pursuit of light loads is a sensitive spot for me, being the only failure in my reloading career. That likely came through in my response.

 

[Deleted member 46119]

@HARPERC

I'm following you. "Light" loads aka "Reduced Recoil" loads are problematic except for powders know to be "safe" in this environment. Specifically less than %90 case fill. I recently saw the results of the less than %90 fill with a standard powder. Just scary not really dangerous.

Paul did say that he made an error leaving A2400 on the bench/in the charging system when he though it was H4895. H4895 is one of those "safe" powders 2400 is not.

 

[Pdvdh]

Hmmm... Thanks for that workup. I don't know why I couldn't find a bullet hole on the target at 3237 fps. Clearly 2400 is an inefficient powder in the .223. Based on what the casing looks like, I figured it to be screaming. There was a hole 12-14" low, and that could have been the bullet hole due to the unreal chamber pressures.

I'll post a couple pics of the casing. It's a lesson in structural failure of a cartridge case head. How they stretch, where they stretch, what gives loose first. They should always let loose first as pressure rises in any legitimate rifle/action. That's what happened here.

Just got back in from shooting some 'proper' loads in 223Rem and 357Mag. No more surprises, thank God.

Next post will include some pics. Lake City casing at 88,000psi.

 

[Pdvdh]

@HARPERC
Paul did say that he made an error leaving A2400 on the bench/in the charging system when he thought it was H4895. H4895 is one of those "safe" powders 2400 is not.

Error is too kind. ClusterFk is the better descriptor. It was supposed to be a low pressure - low MV load. No recoil at all and I couldn't figure out why the bolt was locked up tight. Until I came home and disassembled the upper from the lower. Then had to tap the bolt and bolt carrier free. My eyeballs bulged out and touched my reading glasses!

 

[Pdvdh]

Pictures of the Lake City .223 case head. Turned the belt-less case into a belted case. The case rim flowed to the point of shearing outward where the extractor slot is present in the ring of steel at the bolt face, which surrounds the case rim. The case rim also flowed back into, and laterally outward, into the void where the plunger hole exists in the bolt face. The flash hole enlarged to twice normal diameter. The brass case rim and case head flowed into all voids where they weren't supported by the steel in the recessed bolt face, or by the steel chamber.

This was a 55gr Nosler Varmageddon bullet, by the way. Flat base bullet with the plastic tip.

Fortunately, there wasn't any torching away of the bolt face, extractor, plunger, or anything else. Never knew anything was wrong until tried to open the bolt. It was supposed to be a reduced load that would barely cycle the bolt open. So I thought the bolt hadn't opened and the casing hadn't ejected. Wrong...

Don't think there's any salvaging this casing for another loading.

 

[wklman]

don't think you're gonna need to worry about removing the crimp on that one either.

 

[can1010]

WOW

 

[Deleted member 46119]

Like I said. Glad you are still with us, have your eyes, appendages, ears, etc...

A friend was not so fortunate. Catastrophic head injury.