What kind of accuracy can you really get with a 55 gr in a stock AR15??

Status
Not open for further replies.
Rule3

Rule3

Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
Messages
10,405
Location
Florida
Mil Spec AR 15, 16 " barrel. 1:8 twist

Stock S&W MP, not a match grade anything

55 gr FMJ BT w/c, LC brass trimmed to length, seated to the cannelure center.

AA 2230 powder with 23.0, 24.0 and 25.0 grains tested I also had been using IMR powders but can not believe it's the powder

Shot from a V shape sand bag rest Sighted in and shot at 50 yds.

Have been using Hornady bullets but found a stash of a bag of Winchester bulk bullets and used them. They look almost the same but are they really?

I have a Burris 3.5-10 scope on this rifle and can not seem to get decent groups, more of patterns

I am used to shooting my Savage Heavy barrel bolt Varmint and one hole accuracy. Really do not expect the same accuracy but better than 3-4 inch groups.

A 55 gr bullets seems light to me for a 1:8 twist but I have a bunch of them. I can try some 62 gr bullets but would like to get these to work.
 
3-4" at 50 yds?! Ouch.

Make sure everything is tight with scope set up.

Clean well to make sure no copper fouling.

Try another bullet. I suggest heavier.

Keep at it.
 
What type of bullets?

This is my first set of reloads out of an ar at 100 yards, 5 shot group, 55gr sp 1:9 16" barrel.

null_zps1affa009.jpg

And here is factory 55gr fmj Remington umc.

null_zps1d37c539.jpg
 
Last edited:
55 gr FMJ BT w/c,
Click to expand...
Those are the least accurate bullets made by anyone, anywhere.

Try something with the jacket hole in the nose, not in the base.

HP Match, or Plastic Tip varmint bullets will give you all the accuracy the rifle is capable of.

Here is my Colt carbine shooting the exact same load.
Except one group is Win 55 FMJ-BT, and the other is 55 Nosler Ballistic-Tip.

EoTecGroup.jpg

rc
 
^^^
Yep, that looks like my target (the bad groups):uhoh:

I am gonna borrow another similar rifle and see how it does with my loads.

I have several factory loads that I can try but I want to blame the gun.;)
 
Rule3 said:
A 55 gr bullets seems light to me for a 1:8 twist but I have a bunch of them. I can try some 62 gr bullets but would like to get these to work.
Click to expand...

55 grain bullets should do just fine in a 1-8 twist barrel.

With 55 grain VMAX or Blitzking bullets I get 1/2" to 3/4" groups at 100 yards with a 20 inch, service rifle profile barrel with a 1-7 twist.
 
cfullgraf said:
55 grain bullets should do just fine in a 1-8 twist barrel.

With 55 grain VMAX or Blitzking bullets I get 1/2" to 3/4" groups at 100 yards with a 20 inch, service rifle profile barrel with a 1-7 twist.
Click to expand...

That raise's the point RC made as to the bullets I have are not as accurate as say the ones you are using.
I can only go by the listed BC of bullets as I have not shot enough of them out of this rifle. I have some heavier "match" bullets that I use in the bolt action so I still need to blast these away.
 
As already stated FMJ bullets are not known for accuracy, but some are better than others. The Hornady 55gr FMJ should do better than 4 inches the cheaper ones, not so much.

What brand of FMJ are you using?
 
Agreed, there are 55 Gr FMJs that can do better than 4" at 100 yards.

But Webers pics show the normal results between a FMJ and a HP or SP bullet. One can shoot very well, and one, well, not so much.

Good enough for cheap plinking? Sure thing.

What brand 55 Gr FMJs?

And yea, it isn't the twist rate.
 
I only shoot my ammo.Which was the Hornady bullets until I loaded a few hundred with the Winchester bullets.

I do have some Win White box 55 gr, PMC Bronze 55 gr
Federal 62 gr,
Some DRS re-manufactured 55 gr. (Hornady bullets)

Also have some Winchester "hunting" ammo in I think 65 grain .
 
I found, several years ago, that bulk Remington and Winchester 55gr fmj bullets are just about worthless. The Hornady bulk bullets are much better. Also like IMI, but have a hard time finding them.

1/8 twist is fine for 55gr bullets.
 
I have an 18" 1:8 BHW barrel on my precision AR. 77gr Noslers with Varget or 8208XBR are easily sub-MOA with some groups in the 0.5-0.75 MOA range.

With 55gr Hornady FMJBT the best it would do is 2MOA - I get that with UMC 55gr factory ammo.

I have no doubt if I used 52 Amax/HPBT/SMK or 55 Amax/Nosler BT the rifle would be back to sub-MOA accuracy.
 
and Winchester 55gr fmj bullets are just about worthless
Click to expand...
They sure aren't consistent, from cannelure location, to weight, to shape, .....

At first I just figured it was my Mini 14, but after shooting them in an AR, I decided they were just not very good bullets, even for FMJ.

attachment.php
 
osteodoc08 said:
Make sure everything is tight with scope set up.
Click to expand...
+1. I had a similar experience with a batch of .308 Hornady bullets and H4895. 5 round shot groups were erratic and wandered around the target. After pulling some hair out of my head, I realized scope mount hex bolts were not tight. After I tightened the bolts, shot groups got tight and stayed where I put the cross-hair. :banghead:

Since then, I make sure I always have "known accurate loads" with me in the range bag when I am doing load development with a new rifle bullet/powder. If I have any concerns to accuracy, before I make any adjustments to the scope, I will shoot 5 rounds with the "known accurate loads" to verify accuracy of rifle/scope.

For .223, I keep a blue box of Black Hills ammo or my most accurate reloads as my "known accurate" loads.


osteodoc08 said:
3-4" at 50 yds?! Ouch.
Click to expand...
+1. Something is not right.
 
Good bullets are a must. Try some sierra's. Lose the cannelure -- that hurts big time. At 100 yards, should easily be in the 1 - 1.25" 5 shot group, I can get that with my M&P15, and I use 65 grain hunting bullets, which won't be quite as accurate as HPBT's will be.
 
Bushmaster Vietnam Nam style...solid stock, round forend, carry handle. 4-12X scope. LC match brass, sized and trimmed. 25 grains Varget. WW primer. 55 Sierra SP.
Consecutive groups...virgin gun, 2". Second group, 1.5". Third.....3/4", fourth, 5/8". Next two...3/4 and 1". Eyes were getting tired. One year later, three groups all 1" or under.
Never had a factory gun ever come close, that quick. Been at this shooting and loading thing since '56.
 
Walkalong said:
They sure aren't consistent, from cannelure location, to weight, to shape, .....

At first I just figured it was my Mini 14, but after shooting them in an AR, I decided they were just not very good bullets, even for FMJ.

attachment.php
Click to expand...


Well you have given me some hope.:) Maybe it is just the damn bullets.

I was getting really miffed as I changed 2 variables at the same time. The bullet and the powder. Went from the Hornadys to the Winchester in a bag and H322 to the AA 2230. So I now loaded some Hornadys with the same AA2230 load to see if there is any change due to the bullet.
 
All bullets are not created equal for sure.

I have found the bullets that shoot best in my rifle are 55gr Sierra GameKing HPBT #1390. The Sierra #1355 FMJBT GameKing is also a good and accurate bullet too.

I'm sure there are plenty of accurate .224" bullets out there but since I found those 2 I stopped looking.
 
I have loaded some of the Hornady 55 gr. fmj's for accuracy and gotten some strange groups. 2" to 2.5" was the norm, but usually with 5 or 6 clustered together under an inch...it was frustrating, getting a taste of great accuracy, but I could never pull a consistent 10 shot group out of them no matter how long I waited between shots.
 
Hornady 55 FMJ should give you 1-2" groups at 100 yd with out any problem, sometime better. Their 55 JSP is the most accurate of the 55 gr bullets I have shot in 1-10, 1-9 and 1-8 twist barrels. Winchester FMJ are the worst I've ever used.
 
Rule3

I have never had much luck with any FMJ Bullets in my AR's:banghead:

I get a similar group with the Hornady FMJ-BT I have... never can get em ta group very good.... Z-max V-Max and HP's are all Tac Drivers...I just use the FMJ in my short range AR for Plinking

Its not yer Gun... its the Bullets:cool:
 
I can get about 1.5 MOA groups out of a 1:8 RRA varmint gun with Hornady 55g FMJs. Sometimes more, sometimes less. These are about the best shooting "blasting" bullet I've found.

You will (should) have much tighter groups than what you have now with a better bullet, such as a 50 or 55g V-max.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Rule3
  • Locked
223 Rem, 55 gr and H355, lets beat this again!
2
Replies
33
Views
14K
Kaldor
Kaldor
Rule3
  • Locked
Anyone loading 223/5.56 with H 335, 55 gr bullets??
2
Replies
33
Views
10K
tcoz
tcoz
T
  • Locked
5.56 NATO Loads?
Replies
8
Views
854
Khornet
K
Ej3
  • Locked
Loading .223 with CFE223 & Hornady 75 GR BTHP #2279
Replies
6
Views
6K
NWPilgrim
N
Rule3
  • Locked
SS109 Mil Spec 62 gr bullets. What will they do for me?
Replies
5
Views
866
Walkalong
Walkalong
Back
Top