AR15 ammo

I buy whatever is cheapest that has brass cartridges as I reload. So usually 55 grain.

I haven’t reloaded that much 223 as this year I was shooting mostly pistol, but I have a nice supply of 55 grain and 62 grain bullets for my ARs.

I use Wolf gold from these guys, www.the-armory.com
Helps that I work there p/t since I retired.

I shoot mostly 55gr.

The short answer: It depends. For a general purpose round, I like the XM193 55 grain from Federal. Longer range, 77 grain black hills MK262. Hunting, Hornady 75 grain BTHP. Reality? Whatever I can get cheap that is sufficiently reliable in the gun I am using and accurate enough for what I am doing.

I'll buy cheap 55gr either steel or brass.

I'll save up the LC brass and use 75gr SMK's to roll my own.

I purchased some IMI 62gr last year and with the 55gr I had purchased yr before and the buckets of brass I was given I have enough brass to reload for a while, the IMI was surprisingly accurate. We found some reloaded ammo (American I think) that shot well in my grandsons gun that was reasonable. I enjoy reloading 223 with my grandson, it's something to keep him away from electronics.

bikerdoc said:

I use Wolf gold from these guys, www.The-armory.Com
Helps that I work there p/t since I retired.

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I no longer have an AR, but I use Wolf Gold in my Mini-14, satisfied with it. Seems to be the least expensive brass ammo, I get mine from AIM Surplus.

I run Federal/Lake City M855 in my Colt 6960CCU for practice and stockpile it for SHTF use. It comes in cans that can be used for any number of different things when empty, and is conveniently on stripper clips, which makes loading a dozen mags at a time prior to running drills much easier. It isn't the most accurate or effective ammo on the market, but I try to keep some Barnes 62 gr TSX available for defense and hunting purposes.

I eventually want to be set up for reloading, and when that happens, I might switch over the 75 gr Hornady OTMs for everything.

I usually buy pmc and reload the brass with 55sp or 77smk depending on the usage.

Occasionally buy Wolf gold or Federal whenever I feel lazy.

I normally roll my own. And have several thousands of 55gr, 62gr and limited amounts of 75gr and 77gr on hand.

I buy Independence, Federal and PMC 5.56 ammo in 55 grain. It depends on what is on sale between the 3.

What ever is the cheapest. I stay away from steel 223/556. Haven't started reloading yet. Kinda worried my chemo brain and ADHD might get me hurt or worse.

Cheap brass-case 55gr for plinking and close-range carbine matches. Hornady 75gr or IWI 77gr when shooting at longer range.

I used to shoot a lot of Tula (which ran fine), but I have been shooting mostly brass-case lately.

MTMilitiaman said:

I run Federal/Lake City M855 in my Colt 6960CCU for practice and stockpile it for SHTF use. It comes in cans that can be used for any number of different things when empty, and is conveniently on stripper clips, which makes loading a dozen mags at a time prior to running drills much easier. It isn't the most accurate or effective ammo on the market, but I try to keep some Barnes 62 gr TSX available for defense and hunting purposes.

I eventually want to be set up for reloading, and when that happens, I might switch over the 75 gr Hornady OTMs for everything.

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I get the Federal/LC M855 for my Buy Cheap, Stack Deep plinking ammo. 420rds to the can, on clips, with a spoon. great stuff. I generally pay US$0.30-.35/round, and the Lake City Brass is great for reloading. I usually see about 1.25MOA with it

for most of my semi serious shooting, I love the Black Hills 'Blue Box' Remanufactured 69gr SMK, about US$0.70/rd. It's LC brass, too, so it goes in the bucket for reloading. That'll consistently group about .75 MOA, and is the bulk of what I actually shoot.

If I'm really being serious, my best .233rem reload is a Barnes 50gr Varmint Grenade over Benchmark in LC brass. That'll get me to .5MOA if I do my part. I load it single stage, triple weigh my charges, weigh and mike each bullet and each case. It's time consuming, so I rarely have more than 200 rounds of it on hand.

50 grain Nosler BT’s over 26.0 Varget, Federal 205 primers, Remington cases. Shoots sub 1” at 200 yards from my Varminter.

For prairie dogs where we go thru thousands of rounds I either use the above load or 64 grain Winchester SP’s than I got for $9/1000

Load mine progressive on a Dillon 550

Alas my gun and stuff budget is pretty limited for the rest of the year but I did buy some Federal M193 and M855 to take advantage of their rebate that just ended.

One of my AR’s is very accurate with PMC 55 gr. FMJ so I need to stock up on it while prices are low.

I'm split about 80/20 generic 55gr ball to more precision ammo. The precision ammo runs 65-67gr, with a slight preponderance to the Nosler varmint loads.
The 55gr FMJ are from all over--WWB, S&B, AmEagle, a hefty batch of LC M885.
YMMV

Mainly 50gr SP reloads or 55gr VMAX with BL-C2 for the range and 55gr or heavier with Varget for target, mostly LC cases, all single stage loaded on a pair of presses.

Once magazines are filled, MTM storage boxes.


Cleaned, de-crimped, resized, and bagged.


Do it again.

I will use 55gr FMJ.. provided it is reasonably accurate.

Wolf Gold is better then normal accuracy.

And GECO .223 55gr ( SGAmmo.com just got some back in stock ) has always been very good accuracy wise.
Be advised... the plastic stripper clips used do NOT work with USGI spoons... you need the current version of a MagLula stripper clip loader

Skylerbone, that is a thing of beauty right there.
55gr whatever is on sale when I am just buying stuff, and usually reload what 55gr bullets are on sale. The 55gr VMAX is a favorite as well as the dirt cheap Hornaday 55gr FMJ-BT. I can usually find those for $10 per 100. Scored huge on some free reloading supplies, so I am reloading for the cost of bullets only, for right now.

If I can get it priced nice, I go 62gr since I have mostly 1:7 twist. I know that's not necessarily a law, but they seem to group a little nicer.

But normally I go for cheapest. Except Tula. I don't buy Tula anymore due to issues with AKs and ARs.

I used to shoot alot of PMC 55gr, I thought those sealed 200rd battle packs would last forever but now I'm back to shooting wolf polyformance. Cant find those sealed battle packs anywhere....