I have no experience hand loading for a AR. I would consider myself a experienced expert when it comes to loading for bolt guns. So I have a cheep Bushmaster XM 15 16" Light weight barrel.
I have been loading the 73 gr ELD M with CFE 223 because loading manuals show the highest velocity with that powder. So it looked promising. One thing I read was do not load out of the book for a AR 15 or gas gun..So my book load showed 26.5 gr CFE 223 with a 75gr bullet was 2,900 FPS out of 20" barrel. so I loaded 25.0,25.5,26.0,26.5 catching my brass and looking at my cases . so 26.0 looked half decent this day so I loaded quite a few up at 26.0. it turned out accuracy was bad shooting other days and chrony testing showed that 26.0 was 2,500 FPS and my brass was real dirty and dented up..So I loaded 27.0 and 28.0 and groups got worse and brass looked worse. So I said I will load some Benchmark as it has always shot well in my slow twist 223's.So my load was 25.0gr behind a 55gr in a bolt gun so . I loaded 22.0 and 23.0 behind this 73gr and 23.0 was 2,550 FPS..wow that is slow..lol... I would say I could go over 25.0..imo...So I loaded RL 15 at 26.0 GR at it looked decent at 2,728 FPS cases are clean and not dented up and look good. So I'm now loaded at 26.5 grs at 2.260ish loaded up 10.. and I loaded 26.0 benchmark behind a 60gr V max to try have 9 of them. hope to shoot them tomorrow.
But is that all I can expect from a 16" AR 2,700 FPS and 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards..
From what I have seen this bullet/barrel combo gas system seems to take away from what I would show pressure in a bolt gun so to me in this instance I can load hotter than normal due to bullet/barrel combo,short barrel, ect ect.. it is how it seems to me..anyone with experience with loading these little guns.
I have been loading the 73 gr ELD M with CFE 223 because loading manuals show the highest velocity with that powder. So it looked promising. One thing I read was do not load out of the book for a AR 15 or gas gun..So my book load showed 26.5 gr CFE 223 with a 75gr bullet was 2,900 FPS out of 20" barrel. so I loaded 25.0,25.5,26.0,26.5 catching my brass and looking at my cases . so 26.0 looked half decent this day so I loaded quite a few up at 26.0. it turned out accuracy was bad shooting other days and chrony testing showed that 26.0 was 2,500 FPS and my brass was real dirty and dented up..So I loaded 27.0 and 28.0 and groups got worse and brass looked worse. So I said I will load some Benchmark as it has always shot well in my slow twist 223's.So my load was 25.0gr behind a 55gr in a bolt gun so . I loaded 22.0 and 23.0 behind this 73gr and 23.0 was 2,550 FPS..wow that is slow..lol... I would say I could go over 25.0..imo...So I loaded RL 15 at 26.0 GR at it looked decent at 2,728 FPS cases are clean and not dented up and look good. So I'm now loaded at 26.5 grs at 2.260ish loaded up 10.. and I loaded 26.0 benchmark behind a 60gr V max to try have 9 of them. hope to shoot them tomorrow.
But is that all I can expect from a 16" AR 2,700 FPS and 1 1/4" groups at 100 yards..
From what I have seen this bullet/barrel combo gas system seems to take away from what I would show pressure in a bolt gun so to me in this instance I can load hotter than normal due to bullet/barrel combo,short barrel, ect ect.. it is how it seems to me..anyone with experience with loading these little guns.