Cannelure or no cannelure?

[Leo_B]

I'm looking at bullets on the theory I will want to start loading practice ammo for my AR if I get into it. I'm looking at option 1 which are pull downs, either with or without cannelure at 8c each from Midway, option 2 pull downs for 7c each from Combat Disabled Veterans Surplus cannelure unknown or option 3 Hornady factory 10c each with cannelure only from Midway. For general range work and practice at 100 yards max which would be the best choice?

 

[JB10]

Id go the cheepest route if loading for more trigger time vs accuracy demand. I do not crimp any rounds that i load for my AR's and have never had any issues. I do not rapid fire though.

 

[charlie b]

For plinking the Hornady's work fine. They always seem to be on the shelf at the LGS too so no waiting for shipping.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I bet pull downs would make me a miserable person.

 

[Sniper338]

I've never needed a crimped bullet for an AR. I dont buy bullets with a cannelure at all across the board.

 

[Fuj]

I shot a lot of pull down cannelure FMJ's in my old Colt. I did crimp
them and they shot well enough for killing cans, but sometimes they
needed to be coffee cans......The faster you pushed them the worse
they shot, and i mean different zip codes......

 

[Oso]

Nothing the matter with having a cannelure on a bullet. For your loading purposes simply Ignore the cannelure and set the bullet seating depth that works best for your rifle.

If / When you need a greater hold on bullet then there are a couple of ways to achieve this: tapered crimp or increase the amount of “neck tension” (interference fit). A cannelure isn’t necessary to add a crimp.

The Hague Convention 1899 prohibited bullets that expand or flattened . As result US forces used less-lethal ammunition (FMJ and ball ammunition). In AR15 (5.56) the cannelure created a failure point that can result in bullet breaking in half resulting in two fragments tumbled through the target after impact. This was an “unintentional” benefit that made these bullets more lethal. In 2015, US military started using expanding bullets.

 

[danny]

I've never needed a crimped bullet for an AR. I dont buy bullets with a cannelure at all across the board.

Same here, and with respect to the similar posting above, I do shoot rapids with uncrimped bullets. Let me save the OP here, a small base sizing die is not an automatic must for an autoloader. Sometimes, but rarely you need them, but only when you need them.

Danny

 

[Just Say Moe]

In 2015, US military started using expanding bullets.

Huh? documentation?

 

[searcher]

Some of the best plinking bullets are inexpensive varmint bullets such as V-Max, Varmegeddon, etc. They are priced similarly - and sometimes less expensive than crappy full-metal jacket bullets and other military style bullets that just don't shoot as well. There really is no need for a cannelure, though they aren't much of a hinderance at close range. I'd just not crimp your brass into them. They will hinder accuracy more than help it, as a general rule - though how folks load their ammo will provide different results. I'd completely avoid pulled bullets UNLESS you are willing to chance the higher odds of getting crappy groups AND they are so cheap, they are worth the try.

 

[Oso]

Huh? documentation?

Google it…. This was a news story that got covered in 2015. The part that most coverage was moving from ball ammo to hollow point ammo for pistols, but it also applied to rifle projectiles.

US Military - use of Hollow Point bullets.