Ammo AR

[Sonney]

What is the best of the cheapest Ammo for an AR with a 1.9 twist. And how long or does it matter if you keep the mags loaded.

Sonney

 

[wsenefeld]

The search function is your friend

 

[Jarhead1775]

Assuming you have a .223/5.56....Any of the factory available or surplus ammunition will work well with a 1:9 twist barrel.

For the cheapest descent ammunition.... you will have to shop around. Wal-Mart has 100rd boxes of Federal .223 55gr for $34.95 a box. They also sell American Eagle 20rd 55gr for $6.97. On great occasion they have a Green ammo can for $164.00 that is surplus 5.56 M855 62gr ammunition. A lot of stores also have cheap Tula and Wolf ammunition that is steel cased.... shoot it if you want, but I wont.

For the 5.56 ammo, your rifle needs to specifically state it can shoot it. Example... the barrel will have stamped in it 5.56 or .223. You can also have a barrel in a .223 Wylde chambering that will shoot both. 5.56 can fire both, but not the other way around.

Some will argue with what I just said about the 5.56 vs .223, but its your rifle. Listen to who you want to. The risk is yours. I will not damage my rifle, but mine is 5.56 chambered.

For the magazines.... I have at least 10 magazines loaded at all times. I empty/shoot them at minimum once a month and reload. Overseas I would unload/reload and clean them about once a month or sooner depending on how dirty things were. They are briefly unloaded and then reloaded until needed or cleaned.

Once again, it's your call, but that is what I do. I have not had any issues and have been doing this for quite some time. I would recommend purchasing good aluminum magazines, not the cheapest piece of crap that is available. The Polymer Magpul Pmags are a good choice also.

You get what you pay for in most instances.

Hope that helps

 

[Chaz]

I too have heard/read storie/wives tales of keeping mags loaded too long and the spring gets weak. True or not, I don't know. But since I have more than one I just load them half way. Insurance, I guess. But i do know a few people that keep the topped off.

 

[netsecurity]

PMC Bronze or PPI .223 is about the cheapest non steel ammo normally, but right now it is hard to find a deal. Check Natchez, Ammoman, SGAmmo, etc. You want to lay less than $7.50 per box of 50. So $34 for a box of 100 at Wal Mart is not cheap; Wal Mart is never cheap for any ammo around here. Online is almost always cheaper. What I've noticed is that M193, which is the real good stuff no matter who makes it really, is about the same price as cheap 223 ammo right now. My advice is to price out .223 as well as M193. I'd pay a little extra for M193 (5.56).

Magazine springs can be replaced easily, but military and police generally put 28 into a 30 round mag I believe. That is how I do it, and I leave all my mags full. The springs should last for years. PMags are considered the most reliable magazines by the way.

 

[dukeboy_318]

I have kept my GI mags fully loaded for months on end with ZERO effect on reliability.

 

[Cat-Herder]

using a mag lowers it's life, not leaving it compressed. leave 'em loaded as long as you like. it won't matter a bit until you start compressing/decompressing them through use.

 

[Colt556]

using a mag lowers it's life, not leaving it compressed. leave 'em loaded as long as you like. it won't matter a bit until you start compressing/decompressing them through use.

This....

 

[chasinfire]

I was wondering about the mags...I made the mistake of not doing research and bought the Wolf steel cased...300 rds before I shot any of it. Turns out my AR doesn't like them at all. So now I had to buy other rounds, and sell the Wolfs...Buy a little and make sure your rifle will shoot it, before you buy bulk.

 

[Mcglockin7]

The search function is your friend

Honestly, If people on here used the search function for everything you would be looking at the same 80 threads every day. Maybe cut the newbie a little slack?

PMC is usually the cheapest brass cased ammo I have found. Cabelas runs specials a lot with this and you can pick some at a decent price if you keep an eye out for their sales and most of the time they offer free shipping over $100.

 

[rockhopper46038]

INGO has a search function?

 

[heatman]

Dick's has PMC bronze on sale this week for $7.48 a box.Dick's Sporting Goods - Weekly Ads & Catalogs

 

[HavokCycle]

i keep XM193 for SHTF. for range work its all PMC Bronze. and nothing else. i love that stuff, reliable and accurate, and I can load it dozens of times.

 

[HavokCycle]

Dick's has PMC bronze on sale this week for $7.48 a box.Dick's Sporting Goods - Weekly Ads & Catalogs

that price is so terrible.. but these day its decent. sad...

 

[gregkl]

Honestly, If people on here used the search function for everything you would be looking at the same 80 threads every day. Maybe cut the newbie a little slack?
.

INGO has a search function?

The search function here (and on most forums) is poor at best. You are better off to go to Google or one of the other search engines. Do the search, then when INGO pops up, find it that way.

 

[micheljns]

Anything with Brass casing usually will work fine. Total myth on the springs getting weak by keeping them loaded, from an engineering standpoint what wears a spring and makes it weak is the constant compressing and decompressing or "use" of the mag. The 5.56 vs .223 debate in my eyes is also a myth, I have fired thousands of rounds of 5.56 through my AR stamped .223 without one failure and this includes combat style shooting not just plinking not saying its not possible but in my experience I have not seen it but I also clean and lube my gun after every use.