Reloading for SU16, what works reliably for you? (case length, OAL, etc)

[flaboy]

Hey guys,

Been reloading pistol cartridges for awhile, but now that I have an SU I wanna try my hand at reloading for it. I'm planning on loading what i found to be a very popular and typical .223 load, using 55 gr FMJ boolits and H335 powder (not 100% sure on the powder, need to check when i get home), probably starting at 24 gr loads (this will be put together with a variety of used brass, and CCI primers)

For those who have reloaded for their SU before, what cartridge dimensions worked well for you, feeding- and reliability-wise? When I'm doing case prep, what case length should i measure/trim for? When seating, what cartridge OAL should I aim for? It's my understanding that in a semi-auto rifle, the cartridge dimensions are the prime determiner of cycling reliability (assuming you've loaded to a standard power level the action was designed for). I'll always start off with smaller batches to see what works well in my gun before making up hundreds of that recipe, but it would be ncie if I have a starting point that others have found works well for their guns.

Any information would be appreciated with your experience loading for our guns, thanks!


And yes, before you tell me, I know loading for bottle neck rifle cartridges is a little tricker than reloading straight pistol cases, and in .223 I'm probably not going to save a lot of money. But I like reloading, and wanna try my hand at it for my SU.

[Ghurka]

The maximum COL (cartridge overall length) for the .223 is 2.260, that being said, look at your reloading data and they'll tell you at what COL they loaded the bullet at with the particular powder charge. If the bullet you're loading has a canlur (sp?) (the grove in the middle of the bullet) crimp it in there but make sure it's under 2.260"