Recommendation needed on .223 Remington ammo

[dusterdave173]

I guess I meant any AR for varminting--ammo for varmints and that kind of work not match stuff

 

[coldboreshot]

I'm surprised, no mention of Blackhills. Their 223 line is rather expansive in the lighter range which your twist rate would dictate. When I used them, I found them to be as accurate as Fed GM. Even their remanufactured line shot well.

 

[RegionRat]

Can you please help me understand the term "plain AR" better. I am trying to see where my ar fits

An AR is going to be grouped by a few characteristics regardless of cartridge/caliber.

The barrel length/profile and the twist are the top considerations.

To start with, the twist and chamber details dictate what ammo you expect to be able to use with stability.

The barrel length and gas system details dictate what loads will give reliable function.

We will leave full auto and suppressor discussions alone for now.

You stated 1:12 twist, which dictates the lighter end of the bullet weights/lengths range.

That also implies magazine length ammo, typically <= 55 grains.

The length and profile of the barrel are now going to dictate two more things.
One is how many rapid shots you can expect before the barrel gets too hot, and two is what velocity that ammo will make.

For today, these should give you enough to think about, 1) twist, 2) chamber, 3) barrel length, 4) profile.

We consider this a short range rifle because it is 1:12 , meaning best use is well under 400 yards. The bullet will certainly travel farther, but beyond 400 yards the typical dispersion and energy level means it rapidly becomes ineffective.

Now, just an opinion, take it or leave it.
Grab some decent middle of the road varmint or lighter target ammo, and go have fun. You don't need to burn expensive top quality match ammo in your 1:12 unless you left something out of your story.

The powers that be are trying to set up the next ammo frenzy and it appears as if 223/556 is their focus. I would go grab some stuff ASAP and see what you like before you don't have a choice. Try several brands and types up to 55 grains and see what you think, then stock up when you have picked your favorite.

 

[jk80]

Take urbanrifleman up on his offer. The Hornady 53 vmax is great for everything from coyote on down.

 

[tonyv138]

An AR is going to be grouped by a few characteristics regardless of cartridge/caliber.

The barrel length/profile and the twist are the top considerations.

To start with, the twist and chamber details dictate what ammo you expect to be able to use with stability.

The barrel length and gas system details dictate what loads will give reliable function.

We will leave full auto and suppressor discussions alone for now.

You stated 1:12 twist, which dictates the lighter end of the bullet weights/lengths range.

That also implies magazine length ammo, typically <= 55 grains.

The length and profile of the barrel are now going to dictate two more things.
One is how many rapid shots you can expect before the barrel gets too hot, and two is what velocity that ammo will make.

For today, these should give you enough to think about, 1) twist, 2) chamber, 3) barrel length, 4) profile.

We consider this a short range rifle because it is 1:12 , meaning best use is well under 400 yards. The bullet will certainly travel farther, but beyond 400 yards the typical dispersion and energy level means it rapidly becomes ineffective.

Now, just an opinion, take it or leave it.
Grab some decent middle of the road varmint or lighter target ammo, and go have fun. You don't need to burn expensive top quality match ammo in your 1:12 unless you left something out of your story.

The powers that be are trying to set up the next ammo frenzy and it appears as if 223/556 is their focus. I would go grab some stuff ASAP and see what you like before you don't have a choice. Try several brands and types up to 55 grains and see what you think, then stock up when you have picked your favorite.

Thank you, this is an educational analysis.

If you can, please ask any details about the build to finish your line of thinking - i refer to "unless you left something out of your story".

Just to provide some consolidated detail:
- Rifle length
- Shilen 223 math barrel with the head spaced bolt. Shilen told me this barrel can handle up to 63gr ammo. And as I understand, they will guarantee the barrel to be 0.5MOA or better
- Wilson combat BCG
- Wilson Combat Billet Upper/Lower
- Adjustable Gas Block
- Rise Amament ICONIC 2 stage trigger
- Arken EP 2-25 optic

Out of interest, I want to try and at least 0.5 MOA out o it, Benched, too heavy to try and do that off hand

thanks

 

[RegionRat]

Thank you, this is an educational analysis.

If you can, please ask any details about the build to finish your line of thinking - i refer to "unless you left something out of your story".

Just to provide some consolidated detail:
- Rifle length
- Shilen 223 math barrel with the head spaced bolt. Shilen told me this barrel can handle up to 63gr ammo. And as I understand, they will guarantee the barrel to be 0.5MOA or better
- Wilson combat BCG
- Wilson Combat Billet Upper/Lower
- Adjustable Gas Block
- Rise Amament ICONIC 2 stage trigger
- Arken EP 2-25 optic

Out of interest, I want to try and at least 0.5 MOA out o it, Benched, too heavy to try and do that off hand

thanks

You can try ammo out to see what suits you.

What I meant by "left out of the story" is your goals and other details, which you have now filled in.

Here is a table of Shilen AR barrels. My guess is you have a Heavy Varmint contour with a 223 Match chamber that is 24" long. Next time you go down the road of asking for forum advice, those are important details to include to help focus your story.


A barrel like that is ideal for colony rodents like prairie dogs, sage rats, ground squirrels, etc. or along those lines.

Notice that the Service Rifle barrels are 20" per the rules, and usually a faster twist in order to be competitive at the 600 yard slow fire prone stage.

The implication is a SR will typically use 50 - 77 grain magazine length ammo for the 200/300 yard lines, and then switch to something like 80 grain SMK or Berger in single feed length for the 600. The gun is expected to be used offhand, sitting rapids, rapid and slow prone, from sling.

You could still use a 20" SR barrel in Mid Range matches and be competitive at 600 yards since that is one of the normal stages in XTC.

Now for your situation, which sounds like informal target shooting or maybe varmint shooting?
I will stick with my earlier suggestion, which was to try several types of varmint ammo in your rig and then try to get larger quantities at a discount. Something along the lines of 40 - 55 grains should do the trick. The Hornady 40 or 53 V Max is usually available and inexpensive compared to full blown match ammo.

There is no reason you can't also try some lighter match ammo, again something in the 50 - 55 grain weight range will do fine, but it will also be more expensive unless you buy in bulk. Some day, you may want to consider hand loading some match bullets as well.

Give yourself time to learn the rig and it's bench manners. The weight of the barrel should make it easier to follow through. You may also want to consider a bag rider for the front and rear, as well as invest in decent quality rests. Good Luck and have fun!

 

[troupe]

I have had very good luck with Fiocchi 40gr. V-Max factory loads if you can find them. They shoot very good in my 8 twist barrel and should shoot great in a 12 twist. Plus they were cheap. I keep them in my Thermal rifle.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I have had very good luck with Fiocchi 40gr. V-Max factory loads if you can find them. They shoot very good in my 8 twist barrel and should shoot great in a 12 twist. Plus they were cheap. I keep them in my Thermal rifle.

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting...gr-v-max-pt-bt-rifle-ammo-50-rounds/p/1319999
Here’s some that I noticed when buying some 223A from them.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Getting consistent .5 moa will require good shooting technique(AR), correct rifle support and ammo that the rifle is in tune with.

 

[searcher]

If you handload, I would recommend Berger 52 grain match and 52 grain varmint (yellow label and orange label, respectively) and would suggest LT-32 for powder. The bullets and powder recommended are readily available, right now.

This is a FABULOUS combo (Berger 52 Match and LT32). Using that same powder, you will likely find that you can get in some great practice using less-expensive Nosler Custom Competition bullets and, for varmints, the 50 and 53 V-Max. Works in my 1-12, as well as my 1-8 and 1-9 twist. great. If the LT32 doesn't do the trick, try Reloader 7 with those same bullets.

 

[COLT45SA]

Sig, Sierra, Berger, Hornady with the lighter weight (under 60 grain bullets) for your 12 twist. To maximize the potential of your rifle, you may want to look into hand loading.

My Ruger 77 with a 1:12 twist doesn't shoot a 55gr that well. 3/4" is its average. Trying 53s 52s, and 52s to try to tighten things up.

 

[titus123]

You're basically at the buy 5-6 boxes of light weight match/ varmint ammunition point.
That said, the Frontier 55 grain match hollow point has served many varmint hunters well. VMax ( tipped bullets in general) can be a crap shot because the plastic tips can become damaged while the rifle cycles a round into the chamber. I recommend buying 5-6 different 50-55 grain factory ammunitions and seeing which one works best for your rifle, then stock up.