Best 175-178 gr Bullet for Rem 5-R Milspec @ 300 yards???

[amlevin]

I realize that this question can end up with a wide range of answers but I'm wondering just what bullet is intrinsically "best" for a rifle like this?

According to some, the M118LR using the 175 gr SMK is the cat's whiskers. Others go for a variety of bullets such as the 178 A-Max and Berger VLD's.

Remember, I'm only looking at 300 yards, not something "over the horizon" and specifically the 175-178 gr bullet. My experience so far shows that the rifle performs real nice with a bullet in this weight range traveling around 2550 to just under 2600 fps. Any faster and groups open up. Slower and the wind carries them all over the range. Just wondering what commonly available bullet out there has any superiority over another. Flat Based? Boat tailed? Rebated base? Ballistic Tip? HP/HPBT?

My curiosity is running over 8)

 

[Hoier]

I know this doesn't quite answer your question but if your only gonna shoot 300 then why don't you try a 155 Berger or Sierra?

 

[amlevin]

I know this doesn't quite answer your question but if your only gonna shoot 300 then why don't you try a 155 Berger or Sierra?

Fair question. This rifle is a stock factory rifle with "bottomless" freebore. It doesn't seem to shoot the shorter bullets well at all. My best success to date has been with the 175 gr Nosler Custom Comps and 178 gr A-Max.

I'm always looking to improve and wonder whant others have found is a good/great bullet for this relatively short range in this type of rifle.

 

[Michael Courtney]

I know this doesn't quite answer your question but if your only gonna shoot 300 then why don't you try a 155 Berger or Sierra?

Fair question. This rifle is a stock factory rifle with "bottomless" freebore. It doesn't seem to shoot the shorter bullets well at all. My best success to date has been with the 175 gr Nosler Custom Comps and 178 gr A-Max.

I'm always looking to improve and wonder whant others have found is a good/great bullet for this relatively short range in this type of rifle.

I feel your pain about excessive freebore in factory rifles. I have a 30-06 and a .308 with the same issue, and I wish I did not have to trade as much velocity as I lose with the heavy bullets to get close to the lands.

If you are shooting at varmints or deer, the A-MAX is the better choice. If you care about BC, Hornady bullets are more likely to meet their BC spec than Noslers, which tend to be exaggerated. At 300 yards, though BC is more about retained energy (not important on paper targets) and wind drift than about drop. I have not shot the 178 A-MAX, but several of my factory rifles like A-MAX in other bullet weights. Plastic tipped bullets also have the advantage of smaller shot to shot variations in BC. Not really important at 300 yards, but as the range is extended, it becomes more important that every bullet have the same BC.

I had a 5R-Milspec, and I never did get it to shoot to satisfaction. Even 1 MOA seemed unattainable. I had it rebarreled.

 

[dreever]

Hands down my vote goes to the Berger 175gr. Tactical OTM bullet.
I can't say enough about how this bullet performs.

Danny

 

[XTR]

Is this competition shooting or just groups for your own entertainment?

Personally I've had better performance from the 178BTHP, but that's shooting 1000 yards. My 200 yard groups with both the 175SMK and the 178 weren't significantly different on the limited sample sizes I have shot.

185 Bergers on the other hand shot inside both of them, noticeably so at 200.

I had a VLS 308 that I couldn't get to shoot the 150SGKs because of the "bottomless freebore" you mention. It shot inside of 3/4 at 200 with the 165SGK.

 

[amlevin]

I had a 5R-Milspec, and I never did get it to shoot to satisfaction. Even 1 MOA seemed unattainable. I had it rebarreled.

I've been more fortunate with mine. Mine has shot 1/4MOA groups fairly regular, when I pay attention and do my part. I have changed the trigger to a Timney as I got tired of the adjusting screw on the X-Mark Pro rubbing the hide off my trigger finger I also added pillar shims and bedded the action. After a few hundred rounds I took the action out of the stock and saw how it wasn't evenly contacting the "action bedding block". That in itself was the biggest improvement.

XTR---

This is purely for my own amusement 8) My last "competition" was back somewhere around 1984. Essentially I now shoot against myself, trying to improve on last weeks results. Being retired I get to go to the range during the real quiet hours and often have the "members only" range to myself.

I keep telling my wife that all the reloading equipment and rifles I've invested in are still cheaper than what most "retired old farts my age" spend on their classic cars or hot-rods. Those are things she understands ;D ;D

I also have 5 grandkids that I'm slowly teaching how to shoot and reload.

 

[Leaddog]

If you are only shooting 300, the 168 SMK's and about 42 grains of 4064 will get the job done quite well.

I'm not too impressed with the 5R Milspec. True the action/ bolt face and put a custom barrel on and bed to a decent stock. Replace the trigger. Now you'll have something that shoots. I had a 5R Milspec a number of years ago. After 700 rounds and not getting it to shoot sub 1/2 minute, I sold it to a hunter who is very happy with it.

 

[jlow]

I agree with Charlie, my understanding is that under 800 yards, there is little need for the 175gr SMK and the 168gr SMK is more accurate and it will wear your barrel less but does take a bit more powder.

 

[CAU]

I have had good luck with my 700 Milspec. The freebore comes in handy when you go to a bullet like the Berger 185 LR BTHP. I loaded up some 185's to almost the same OAL as I was loading for my Broughton with a 138 Tactical Match chamber. Last month I shot a 3X 600 with it at MSSA in Memphis and it held its own with a 579-18(?)X. The top shooter beat me by one point with a custom gun. Pretty good accuracy for a factory rifle.

This is my sniper rifle for work and I normally shoot the FGMM 175 SMK with good results. My gun likes the 175's better than the 168 FGMM but if I were handloading a bullet in that range, I would try the Hornady 178 Amaz or bthp and the Sierra 175 SMK tweaking it with some Varget.

All in all, I would say this gun is a solid .5 MOA shooter but not much better. I greatly respect Charlie Watson's experience but I haven't seen many factory rifles that will consistently shoot sub-half MOA without some love.

Chris