Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles 77 TMK's

So I see a few here running these and claiming typical Sierra accuracy. What's the scoop? Load info appreciated.

The match load I have used for close to 20 years is 24gr Re15 with a 77SMK loaded to 2.28". 24.5gr of Varget will do near the same.
I've been playing with some newer powders to see if I can gain velocity and keep the accuracy with the TMK. 25.8gr CFE with the TMK loaded out as long as the mags will function, 2.28 in a metal mag is about all I can do unless I cut the front of the mag open low enough to hold 5 rounds. I've gone as high as 27gr but that did not produce 1/2MOA. Could have been me or maybe a primer change would do better.
For this I don't weigh cases or turn necks or anything. A handful of the same year LC cases loaded in a Dillon 650.

constructor- I'm curious if you've tried H4895? I've found better accuracy and velocity with that than either RL15 or Varget in both 69gr & 77gr SMK's.

TWR- don't mean to hijack your topic. I have some of the TMK's but haven't finished testing them yet. I don't expect the results to vary much.

Honestly not in years. After I found the RE15 load which can produce 3/8" groups at 100yds out of the DCM Kriegers I didn't see much need to look for anything else. In wylde chambered barrels that is the most consistent load I have ever found.
Earlier this year I was testing Lever and CFE in a few wildcats and thought I would try it in the 5.56. I just don't have enough time to work up loads for 3-4 wildcats the way I should and have too many to concentrate on 1 cartridge...lots of unfinished projects.

Those groups only count if they are 10 shot groups, repeated 3 times.

MM

I have never found good accuracy and speed with 4895 in the AR without getting into to much pressure.

Sample of one shooter with a lot of guns FWIW.

I haven't even considered in in 15 plus years.

If the rifle can do it once the load and rifle are GTG, it's up to me to do the rest. I think over a period of 20 years the load has proven itself many times over. Now if I could shoot like that standing I would be satisfied.

Loaded to mag length 2.24" - 24.5 gr of Varget, 77gr TMK's, Fed 205M (Rost later warned me that primer is soft, and may be subject to slam fires)

Heavy barreled Armalite AR15T

That was an inside campfire joke, making fun of the statistics guys who basically claim your sample size has to be large enough to shoot the barrel out before you can claim the rifle/load combination is xMoa.

The inside joke is some still claim 3 shot group mean something...

I have been using TAC and ran some yesterday in a 6920 and still got fliers just like I did in my Noveske and LaRue barrel. Maybe it's just me.

So, serious question: What do you think that 6920 barrel should be capable of? Of course with 10 shots, to be duplicated multiple times.

As far as flyers go, most of us are not capable of sustained shooting & not having some levels of jerks or pulls or pushes......"flyers" if you choose to call such events that. To me those are not "flyers" due to the gun or ammo; they are shooter induced.

Maybe rost or Formy can do it, but most of us mere mortals can't.

The only way to know what the gun & load can really do is when it's fired from a machine rest, period.......we, the shooters, are the biggest variable & induce far more "flyers" than the gun & ammo.

That's not to say that some guns or some ammo don't make big(er) groups, because they do, of course.

JMHO, YMMV

MM

Pretty funny to me I can switch ammo and lose the flyers...

I was shooting 5 shot groups FWIW and didn't expect MOA accuracy with the T2 or the 6920 but when the gun loses the flyers when I switched ammo (77 gr NCC) it reminded me it would do the same in my other guns. That's why I quit using it.

The 6920 and T2 gave me 2ish MOA groups by the way and that's as good as I can expect.

The "maybe it's just me" was typed in sarcasm font.

Remember I'm a smart ass, not a dumb ass.

But seriously, I had 4 AR's out there and never had any "flyers" I couldn't call except with the 77 TMK's.

I do recall someone saying they were finicky back in the spring. Just wondering if I'm missing something.

Ahhhh, I missed that.

MM

TWR,

Have shot quite a few hand loads with 77gr TMK's and almost always get 2-3 out of 10 that are wild.




This is with multiple guns and it doesn't happen with other bullets. I haven't played with them, however from a reliable source that had the same issues with 77gr TMK's, the 69gr do not suffer the affliction. I do want to say that they still averaged under MOA for 5 round groups if that is what one is after, and I do shoot loaded ammo with the TMKs that do not show the same issue....

I have some 69 TMK's, might have to give them a whirl in the Mk12. Heck for that matter, the bull barrel Armalite may like them, too.

Thanks, I may try some 69's in my good guns and see what happens.

Looking at the 10 shot groups posted here, one could quickly figure out that if you didn't have a LOT of 3 shot groups overlayed, that 3 might not mean diddly...

Sounds like a production issue with that lot. Or maybe they don't like that OAL in your barrel.

Lot #?