bullet weight for ar15 5.56?

[bod]

I am just starting to reload for my ar15 5.56 and was curious as to what weight of bullet I should use. I have an olympic arms with a 1X9 twist. My friend gave me some 62 grain full metal jacket bullets and I didn't know if these were to heavy for my barrel/gun or not.

 

[l c gun guy]

I liked the 50 gr vmax out of that rifle very accurate with varget.

 

[jghelton]

I liked the 50 gr vmax out of that rifle very accurate with varget.

i second this same load....I have a remington r 15 ...this shooots awesome

 

[sloughfoot]

Your 62 FMJ bullets will be fne out of your 1X9 barrel. Other bullet weights and styles may be more accurate, but the 62's will stabilize just fine.

 

[bod]

Your 62 FMJ bullets will be fne out of your 1X9 barrel. Other bullet weights and styles may be more accurate, but the 62's will stabilize just fine.

Would a lighter weight bullet be better? And what style would you recommend?

 

[WLW]

I shoot 55 gr in my 1:9 twist barrel out of a DPMS Sportical. It shoots great and quite accurate. As the other fellow mentioned you're just fine with 62 gr bullets in a 1:9 twist rate. I shoot 55's because you can buy them in bulk quite cheap. 62's are not quite as available where I shop.

I just loaded some Vmax's on top of Varget for a Texas hog/cayote hunting trip. We'll see how those Vmax's work on Cayotes!

 

[workinman]

you can shoot 69gr. bullets no problem out of 1in9. shoot great out of my ar15. Currently trying benchmark powder and have been getting good results.

 

[farmboy365]

I shoot 50gr to 62gr 223 bullets out of 1:9 barrels they will all work just need to find a load and bullet that works for you.good luck

 

[sloughfoot]

Anything 52, 53, 68, 69 that says "match" on the box theoretically should be more accurate that a 55 or 62 grain FMJ. The question is, are you and your rifle able wring this potential accuracy out of an expensive match bullet?

Load up your 62 fmj's and see how they do, would be my advice.

Have fun, sir

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

Would a lighter weight bullet be better? And what style would you recommend?

Heavier is better for your twist rate. While 1:9 will shoot anyhthing under the sun pretty well you will squeeze the best accuarcay out of it with pills in teh 60gr range 69's and above in the 1:8 and 1:7 while 50's and under in he 1:14's

the only problems you may run into are with the ultra light varmit pills. the jackets are so thin and teh speeds so high you might have them come aprt in mid air with that twist rate.

 

[kolob10]

Rolexrifleman has the most complete answer. I have several AR's and in my 1:9 twist I get best results overall with 55-60 gr bullets. Hornady Vmax aleays shoot well out of my AR's. Good shooting.

 

[dtkw]

I have been shooting both 55 and 62 for a long time with my M&P15T. Both are pretty accurate at 100 yards. Well, that's the longest range I have here. I am sure they would go further but no place around here have that kind of range.

 

[NealWright]

Anything 52, 53, 68, 69 that says "match" on the box theoretically should be more accurate that a 55 or 62 grain FMJ. The question is, are you and your rifle able wring this potential accuracy out of an expensive match bullet?

Load up your 62 fmj's and see how they do, would be my advice.

Have fun, sir

Be careful there ... my understanding is that FMJ bullets are potentially more accurate than anything with a hollow point (read Match). The manufacturers have a harder time making a concentric hollow tip, than just making the whole jacket solid.

FYI ... I can shoot .223 Hornady 55g FMJ's to under an 1" at 300yds, have gotten groups in the 5/8" catagory. And, these are $8/100 box.

 

[sloughfoot]

Be careful there ... my understanding is that FMJ bullets are potentially more accurate than anything with a hollow point (read Match). The manufacturers have a harder time making a concentric hollow tip, than just making the whole jacket solid.

FYI ... I can shoot .223 Hornady 55g FMJ's to under an 1" at 300yds, have gotten groups in the 5/8" catagory. And, these are $8/100 box.

You are joking, right? I want to see it to believe it. We have a 300 yard range and our next match is on June 12. You are welcome to bring this rifle and ammo combo and you can shoot for free if it performs as you say.

This is a friendly offer.

directions and date are at Fort Wayne Rifle & Revolver Gun Club... Home

 

[Robert Richardson]

Be careful there ... my understanding is that FMJ bullets are potentially more accurate than anything with a hollow point (read Match). The manufacturers have a harder time making a concentric hollow tip, than just making the whole jacket solid.

FYI ... I can shoot .223 Hornady 55g FMJ's to under an 1" at 300yds, have gotten groups in the 5/8" catagory. And, these are $8/100 box.

I'd like to see that also

 

[NealWright]

You are joking, right?

Alright, this one I'm going to backup, and ask forgiveness.

The rifle will shoot 1"@300yds. I have gotten 5/8" groups with it before. I do this with Hornady 55g FMJ's and H322 (don't remember charge). So to say I can shoot 1" groups at competition, I can't ... to do it at home, I can.

The problem I have is consistancy, of which I feel is in me not the load. The rifle is setup as AR15 DCM. The A2 stock causes too much elevation movement in sandbag. The free-floating plastic handguards are too "wiggly" on the bipod/rest.

Rifle has 1:8 twist. I have tried Sierra 68g Match and Hornady 69g & 75g Match. Best accuracy still comes from 55g FMJ's. Wind is always a major with 223's, so possibly the heavier bullets could buck wind better ... but I could never see it.

My brother used to shoot Nosler BT and tried some Berger's in his Swift. He's now shooting the FMJ's as me. It's just friendly shooting behind the house anyhow.

Now, for all those doggin' me ... how many have tried the 55g FMJ's? Like I said, my reading has always been that FMJ's could be made more consistant than putting a hole in the front ... but most competitions/ranges would allow since Match bullets are typically made to disintegrate on impact.

And, as far as the best bullet in 5.56 (for my kind of shooting) ... I'll still say the Hornady 55g does pretty darn good for me. Suppose all you high-rollers also don't want to hear I'm doing this this a Tasco scope:-)

Thanks, Neal

 

[sloughfoot]

Neal, the offer still stands. Bring your DCM rifle and spend the day with some friendly folks. Just leave the sandbag, bipod, and scope at home.

The "wiggly" AR service rifle tightens right up with a proper shooting sling and position.

And yes, I have a bunch of 55 FMJ reloads and Mil-Surp in the ammo can. I also have several thousand IMI 62 grain FMJ cartridges. While they all shoot pretty good, I don't shoot them in Highpower matches. They won't shoot within 1 moa and 1 moa is required to clean the HP targets.

Oh and BTW, hollow nose match bullets don't disintegrate on impact. They thump right on through the target and backer and bury themselves deep into the berm beyond.

Regards,
Dean

Tasco makes a good scope.

 

[NealWright]

Dean, good to meet ya ... where do you shoot at then? Something in FtWayne? One of the difficulties I have, is that I shoot right here at the house ... so don't travel often to shoot. I do go to Farmland Conservation (outside of Winchester) sometimes, and really enjoy shooting with those guys. I just started their 300yd "varmint" match ... and have been going to their "Old Timers" shoot in the Fall for probably 30yrs now.

I don't shoot DCM matches, although a friend has asked me to try sometime. I don't actually even have a sling for the rifle. It's kind of a mis-match that I try shooting off of bags, or freestyle (no sling).

I am really curious that you can't get >1MOA with Hornady 55g? I've probably done ~300 in my AR ... handloaded a friends 223 Savage ... and my brother's Ruger 220 Swift. They have all done phenominal with this bullet! Mine is the only one I've tried the Sierra/Hornady match in, and I did as well/better with the 55g. The Swift might be doing better with Berger's, but honestly as soon as we put these in ... they were shooting as good as the Berger's.

Now, take this all with a grain of salt ... NONE of my friends (or me) are match shooters, and I don't think we could compete. We only do fair, competing with ourselves.

I might take you up the offer some weekend, because I do have one thing on the AR that I don't do well. I do not know how to use the peep sights well at all. Mine is a flattop with NM carry handle, but my best groups are probably ~2"@100yds with that. Two years ago I competed with some guys that were doing ~1.5"@200yds. I can't seem to figure out how?

Take care, and thanks. And, don't rule out the Hornady 55gFMJ ... I've done 3 rifles that will do extremely well with them. Neal

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

WOW.... you guys name the time and place and I'll drive down myself

 

[sloughfoot]

Fort Wayne Rifle & Revolver Gun Club... Home

In Highpower, you are only competing against yourself. Of course you are good enough. You might learn a thing or two also. And I will loan you a sling and show you how to use it.

As far as shooting accurately with iron sights, the six steps of firing the shot as taught at Appleseed and Highpower clinics will clear that up right quick.

Good talking to you....