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I want to develop a practice handload for use in multiple rifles. They include a .223 Hawkeye, two Mini-14 Ranch Models and five AR's we have in the family [all of a sudden]. Four of the AR's are new to me. My kids went on a little buying spree and I had to get one to keep up.

I am looking for recommendations for an accurate, economical, 55gr practice bullet and load. I will load it with .223 Rem load data and will likely use R-15 {since I have some} I have a load worked up with 55gr PSP Hornady's with cannelure and may end up just using that.

I have been pretty disappointed with the 193 loads insofar as accuracy. Otherwise, I might just buy a bunch of that. I suspect the bullet may be a part of the problem.

The only bullet I have located that seems to have good possibilities is the Hornady 55gr FMJ BT with cannelure. They are available from at least one source for $9.00/hundred.

I would appreciate any help you may be able to give me.

Thanks,
Gary

I realize this might be more properly posted in the reloading forum but I expect this is the best area to find experienced users.

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this ain't what you are asking for but the sierra 60grain flat base HP and the 63 grain semi pointed used to be reasonable and extremely accurate, while not nearly as costly as match bullets.

You can try, and I have heard that, 62 grain FMJs have some promise at times, especially if you weight sort.

Or bulk WW/RP soft or hollow points, FMJ generally are not great.

But trying to get to good ammo cheaply simply generally is an oxymoron.

I have not looked at powders lately but the other way to save is buy surplus in bulk..we bought a 200 pound keg in the 90s at I think 3 bucks a pound or so... I doubt anything even surplus is cheap today, but its likely relative anywya.

We shot ARs a long time looking for cheap but able to shoot good groups and in the end the 60 HP was the best compromise at the time.


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These have always shot well for me (although I usually use the 50gr version), and perform well on small game too.

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c...4-Diameter-55-Grain-Soft-Point-500-Count

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For bangin I buy 55 grn Hornady BTFMJ for $47/500


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Thanks. I like their Hornady fmj & SP pricing too.

Gary

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Originally Posted by tedthorn
For bangin I buy 55 grn Hornady BTFMJ for $47/500


Good suggestion. Where do you get yours?

Gary


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Originally Posted by rost495
this ain't what you are asking for but the sierra 60grain flat base HP and the 63 grain semi pointed used to be reasonable and extremely accurate, while not nearly as costly as match bullets.

You can try, and I have heard that, 62 grain FMJs have some promise at times, especially if you weight sort.

Or bulk WW/RP soft or hollow points, FMJ generally are not great.

But trying to get to good ammo cheaply simply generally is an oxymoron.

I have not looked at powders lately but the other way to save is buy surplus in bulk..we bought a 200 pound keg in the 90s at I think 3 bucks a pound or so... I doubt anything even surplus is cheap today, but its likely relative anywya.

We shot ARs a long time looking for cheap but able to shoot good groups and in the end the 60 HP was the best compromise at the time.


Thanks,
You gave me a lot of good information I can use.

I am not really looking to load as cheaply as possible. I am looking for economical performance. The match bullets are pretty darn spendy I agree. What I don't want to do is buy a lot of a component and find it won't group.

I plan to first work up a 55gr load now as I have some history with it and that is what the boys and my grandson tend to use.

This winter I will develop a couple of mid weight loads for my personal use. Even later I want a 70 gr GMX load.

I do have 62gr 855 and 64gr Win Power Point ammo. I also have 60 gr Hornady, 64 gr PP and 60 gr NPT's to try. I have a few 60 gr Hornady's and some 60 gr NPT's to load up. I will add te Sierra 60gr FB and 63 gr semi pointed to the winter project.

Thanks,
Gary,

Last edited by Dancing Bear; 07/11/15.
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Originally Posted by Dancing Bear
Originally Posted by tedthorn
For bangin I buy 55 grn Hornady BTFMJ for $47/500


Good suggestion. Where do you get yours?

Gary



Graffs in the St Charles store

I use WC844 powder for bangin ammo but I bought it pre 2013


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Gary, don't buy much of anything, get the accuracy vs cost worked out first, and then buy a bunch of components.

The only FMJs that I ever found to be more or less accurate were Lapua... I have the good word that the 62 ball stuff as noted, can be accurate, I had given up on ultra cheap by then.

Grafs has some good pricing especially in bulk.

Accuracy wise, remember flat base and not open base are generally a better thing and HPs are generally better than SPs but those are just general observations.
Nosler partitions have never shown great accuracy to me, and have been not nearly cheap. But they work good for hunting.

There are also some off brand ones, can't think of the name but generic match bullets, they have shown some promise.

Bottom line is to get to MOA accuracy I've never found a FMJ bullet capable personally, at least not extended groups. IE maybe some fluke 3-5 shot groups but shoot 10 shot groups and at least 3 out of 10 will not be in the "group" so to speak.

The other thing to recall, as long as the projectile is good enough, the primer/powder combo can make some pretty significant differences. IE cut groups in half or double their size... have to find the right pairing and sometimes thats not that easy.

Your winter project is how I settled on 60sierras as the best compromise for us at that time, cost vs accuracy. For our practice ammo.


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Mid South sells the Varmint Nightmare 22 Caliber 55 Grain Soft Points in 6,000 round boxes. Get some H335 in bulk or some other similar powder and get your Dillon cranking.

Forward projecting to when some POS politician tries to outlaw all .223 or AR-15 ammo, I set back a decent quantity of these soft points.

In regards to loads, I have found that 25 grains of H335 gives decent accuracy and wrecks whatever it hits.


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Originally Posted by rost495
this ain't what you are asking for but the sierra 60grain flat base HP and the 63 grain semi pointed used to be reasonable and extremely accurate, while not nearly as costly as match bullets.

You can try, and I have heard that, 62 grain FMJs have some promise at times, especially if you weight sort.

Or bulk WW/RP soft or hollow points, FMJ generally are not great.

But trying to get to good ammo cheaply simply generally is an oxymoron.

I have not looked at powders lately but the other way to save is buy surplus in bulk..we bought a 200 pound keg in the 90s at I think 3 bucks a pound or so... I doubt anything even surplus is cheap today, but its likely relative anywya.

We shot ARs a long time looking for cheap but able to shoot good groups and in the end the 60 HP was the best compromise at the time.


I agree. The Sierra 60 gr hollow points are tack drivers, and aren't all that expensive.

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Originally Posted by Mackay_Sagebrush
Mid South sells the Varmint Nightmare 22 Caliber 55 Grain Soft Points in 6,000 round boxes. Get some H335 in bulk or some other similar powder and get your Dillon cranking.

Forward projecting to when some POS politician tries to outlaw all .223 or AR-15 ammo, I set back a decent quantity of these soft points.

In regards to loads, I have found that 25 grains of H335 gives decent accuracy and wrecks whatever it hits.
You can PM me an answer, but having your knowledge, I'd like to check numbers of reloading projectiles I have in stock vs what you are stocking, just out of curiousity.
jeff


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Originally Posted by Mackay_Sagebrush
Mid South sells the Varmint Nightmare 22 Caliber 55 Grain Soft Points in 6,000 round boxes. Get some H335 in bulk or some other similar powder and get your Dillon cranking.

Forward projecting to when some POS politician tries to outlaw all .223 or AR-15 ammo, I set back a decent quantity of these soft points.

In regards to loads, I have found that 25 grains of H335 gives decent accuracy and wrecks whatever it hits.


Exactly what I run through our AR's and bolt guns.

Groups ~moa for 5 shots in guns that are capable.

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Thanks for the double proof suggestion

Might not be a bad idea to grab 4-5 boxes of those at some point.


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I have found the 55-gr SPs from Midsouth and 60 grainers from Hornady to be very accurate in my ARs, at close to FMJ prices.

Last edited by turkish; 07/18/15.
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Economical is sort of a relative word............

The Hornady 55 gr V-Max or the Nosler 55 gr BT are both pretty good bullets in both my bolt guns & AR's but seem to be best in a 1-9" twist gun..........1-8" works OK too & they will certainly shoot in 1-7"'s but 55 gr is not a 1st choice in a 7 twist for me.

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I purchase a hundred or so rounds of Prvi-Partizan/PPU 55FMJ ammo whenever I'm in Wal-Mart, at $7.97/box of 20. It's cheap and it's generally available factory ammunition. That's a lot for bullets, but the same price also includes some decent Boxer primed brass and pull-down propellent.

They are intended for a project involving pull-down with an RCBS collet puller.

First, the average charge will be determined, and a smaller batch reassembled with greater care matching that average charge of the original propellent to establish an accuracy benchmark.

Next, some load development with the same components.

Next, that same developed load with once-fired, F/L resized brass and standard commercial primers, and a final check with match primers to see if they make a serious improvement. Usually they don't with these humble components.

Greg

Last edited by JarheardNY; 07/23/15.

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Seriously?

That's a lot of work for sub standard ammo when you can buy better components to reload about as cheap.

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Originally Posted by TWR
Seriously?

That's a lot of work for sub standard ammo when you can buy better components to reload about as cheap.



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plus 100....................Just sayin'.

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Yes, you're absolutely right. I'm retired and time is a bit more available to me.

It's still pretty good brass (perhaps on a par with Win or Rem), and the ammunition also works fairly well as blaster ammo. But I also figured a little creativity could enhance the performance of the basic original components.

I have managed decent match ammunition performance using the PPU brass.

Greg

Last edited by JarheardNY; 07/23/15.

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