Hornady 55gr. FMJ-BT w/c Accuracy

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peeplwtchr

peeplwtchr

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Hi All-

I shot my first .223 ladder today, and I am wondering what your best results are with this bullet. I picked it specifically because I thought maybe they are the bullets which come in the Hornady Frontier .223 factory ammo. This gun loves those. However, I'm not sure my assumption about the bullets used in the factory ammo is correct. I know the powder matters, but the COAL is 2.2 for both, yet very different results. I shot both groups with the same red dot.

Does this group size mirror your results with this bullet?

Thanks
 

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Unless you match the velocity and powder burn rate, it’s a crap shoot. I wouldn’t poo poo your results too much, but I understand why you would expect similar accuracy.

I have loaded and shot those bullets, but I didn’t test them For accuracy, nor against any factory ammos... they really aren’t meant for accuracy shooting.
 
Charlie98 said:
Unless you match the velocity and powder burn rate, it’s a crap shoot. I wouldn’t poo poo your results too much, but I understand why you would expect similar accuracy.

I have loaded and shot those bullets, but I didn’t test them For accuracy, nor against any factory ammos... they really aren’t meant for accuracy shooting.
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That's good to know. I barely crimped my loads, only about .001 to .002, maybe that's a factor too.
 
There are quality differences with Hornaday factory ammo bullets and those bulk packed .224 FMJ bullets. I have never got the bulk packed bullets to shoot as well as the more expensive options that are packed 100 to a box. Your rifle may like one better than the other as well. It is possible the gliding metal is different on them as well. That may be the difference in price. Still I have not bothered to worry and expect the cheap ones to be about twice the group size. One final thought, did you crimp yours? All my 223 ammo that I crimp is less accurate as I have tested.
In general the more you pay for a bullet the more accurate it is. Or at least it seems so for what I shoot.
 
FROGO207 said:
There are quality differences with Hornaday factory ammo bullets and those bulk packed .224 FMJ bullets. I have never got the bulk packed bullets to shoot as well as the more expensive options that are packed 100 to a box. Your rifle may like one better than the other as well. It is possible the gliding metal is different on them as well. That may be the difference in price. Still I have not bothered to worry and expect the cheap ones to be about twice the group size. One final thought, did you crimp yours? All my 223 ammo that I crimp is less accurate as I have tested.
In general the more you pay for a bullet the more accurate it is. Or at least it seems so for what I shoot.
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I barely crimped my loads, only about .001 to .002.
 
I see a difference in accuracy with anything over 200 YDS with a light to moderate crimp. I am not that good a shooter and even I can see a difference. I would try with and without a crimp. Let the results guide you.
Did you find two accuracy nodes in your work up? I often find the first (lower) one is the most forgiving and use that. Never worked with CFE223 though.
 
FROGO207 said:
I see a difference in accuracy with anything over 200 YDS with a light to moderate crimp. I am not that good a shooter and even I can see a difference. I would try with and without a crimp. Let the results guide you.
Did you find two accuracy nodes in your work up? I often find the first (lower) one is the most forgiving and use that. Never worked with CFE223 though.
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Node? No idea, I have read 20 different explanations, and I still have no idea what it means; I gave up. I just posted a pic of the rest of the ladder if that helps.
 
I have not tried that bullet but I have loaded and shot the Hornady #2265 55gr SP and the Hornady #2266 SP.. The #2266 is with a cannalure and the 2265 is w/o a cannalure. Also the the #2266 is a Boat tail and the #2265 is flat based. In my Savage Axis 223 with a 1:9 twist the #2266 shot much better with the same powder charge of 22.3gr of TAC.
 
kmw1954 said:
I have not tried that bullet but I have loaded and shot the Hornady #2265 55gr SP and the Hornady #2266 SP.. The #2266 is with a cannalure and the 2265 is w/o a cannalure. Also the the #2266 is a Boat tail and the #2265 is flat based. In my Savage Axis 223 with a 1:9 twist the #2266 shot much better with the same powder charge of 22.3gr of TAC.
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Yeah the BC is better for the Spires. I couldn't find them the day I bought these, and wanted to try a 10 cent bullet first, to see how they do. I guess I can't complain, as I think these cost me about 20 cents per round, maybe a couple cents less. With shipping, I think I paid 29 cents for the Frontier.
 
peeplwtchr said:
Hi All-

I shot my first .223 ladder today, and I am wondering what your best results are with this bullet. I picked it specifically because I thought maybe they are the bullets which come in the Hornady Frontier .223 factory ammo. This gun loves those. However, I'm not sure my assumption about the bullets used in the factory ammo is correct. I know the powder matters, but the COAL is 2.2 for both, yet very different results. I shot both groups with the same red dot.

Does this group size mirror your results with this bullet?

Thanks
Click to expand...
Google Creighton Audette. He developed the first written article on ladder testing that I can remember. Several others have shortened the process somewhat. Also, look up Optimal Charge Weight (OCW) as another load development process. There are threads in this forum on both Audett and OCW. For more complete info, google.
 
A node is when your group tightens up and as you pass it things open up again. I often find two of them. One near the middle/start load and one near or sometimes above the max load. Go above max at your own peril. I seldom venture there as bad things happen too quickly and are unforgiving.
 
FROGO207 said:
A node is when your group tightens up and as you pass it things open up again. I often find two of them. One near the middle/start load and one near or sometimes above the max load. Go above max at your own peril. I seldom venture there as bad things happen too quickly and are unforgiving.
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Ahhh, thanks!. Why can't anyone else say that? So my node was 27.1.
 
NMexJim said:
Google Creighton Audette. He developed the first written article on ladder testing that I can remember. Several others have shortened the process somewhat. Also, look up Optimal Charge Weight (OCW) as another load development process. There are threads in this forum on both Audett and OCW. For more complete info, google.
Click to expand...
Wow the Creighton Audette stuff is really interesting, thanks and no thanks. Now I want a chrono. :what:
 
27.7 gr is where I'm at with the CFE-223, LC Brass, CCI #41 primers, Hornady bulk 55gr FMJ-BT w/cannalure, with OAL of 2.205" - 2.210". The best I get in 1 moa at 100 yrds. I get better results using TAC powder. Then step up to a premium bullet (SMK) and the groups shrink down to 1/2 moa using TAC. CFE-223 still only yielded 1 moa. Did get higher velocity out of the CFE but gives up accuracy.
 
I bought those Hornady for .08 a round cheapest jacketed I could find. They shot good- didn’t group that well but I hit a 2x3 inch metal 18 of 20 times at 200 yds. I was using Varget max.
 
Blue68f100 said:
27.7 gr is where I'm at with the CFE-223, LC Brass, CCI #41 primers, Hornady bulk 55gr FMJ-BT w/cannalure, with OAL of 2.205" - 2.210". The best I get in 1 moa at 100 yrds. I get better results using TAC powder. Then step up to a premium bullet (SMK) and the groups shrink down to 1/2 moa using TAC. CFE-223 still only yielded 1 moa. Did get higher velocity out of the CFE but gives up accuracy.
Click to expand...
I've been looking at TAC for awile, thanks!
 
JPIMBO said:
I bought those Hornady for .08 a round cheapest jacketed I could find. They shot good- didn’t group that well but I hit a 2x3 inch metal 18 of 20 times at 200 yds. I was using Varget max.
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Didn't group that well? 2 to 3 inches at 200 yds for a 55gr bullet sounds damn good. Now I feel better about my Biden panick buy of them. What powder was in that load?
 
I've always been happy with ~2moa for the 55gr FMJ plinking ammo. Haven't had very much luck getting better than that with 55gr bullets tho. My barrels might not like them either, they're 1/7 twist. They love 75/77's and TAC or 2520. I have some CFE223 and some 55's I've been playing with and I've noticed mine seem to like a light to medium crimp with a Lee FCD.
 
IALoder said:
I've always been happy with ~2moa for the 55gr FMJ plinking ammo. Haven't had very much luck getting better than that with 55gr bullets tho. My barrels might not like them either, they're 1/7 twist. They love 75/77's and TAC or 2520. I have some CFE223 and some 55's I've been playing with and I've noticed mine seem to like a light to medium crimp with a Lee FCD.
Click to expand...
Yeah, doing 75gr loads for my DD 1:7. No point in trying to get accurate w/a 55gr in 1:7.
 
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