5.56 help

[5.56longhorn]

Ok so I have a rra 5.56 tactical, with 16 inch barrel 1.9 twist
First ? Rra makes a 24inch barrel with 1.12 twist would in bump my accuracy up because of the higher rate of twist?


Ok and now to the round I'm new to the reloading thing
What would be the best bullet, powder, primer, for hog hunting and still being able to reach out past 500 yards at a deer or yote!

Really need some help cause I'm lost lol!!

 

[rcmodel]

with 1.12 twist would in bump my accuracy up because of the higher rate of twist?

1/12 is a lower or slower rate of twist then 1/9.

Twist refers to how much the bullet is rotated in a foot of travel.
1/9 = one revolution every 9 inches.
I/12 = one revolution every 12".

Heavy longer bullets have to spin faster to be stable then shorter lighter bullets.

1/12 works best with bullets like 55 grain and lighter.

1/9 works with a broad range of bullet weights, up to perhaps 68 or some 70+ grains.

As for deer or pigs at 500 yards?
You bought way the wrong rifle.

No .224" caliber rifle is capable of clean humane kills on either animal at anywhere near 500 yards.

You shoulda bought a 30-06, or .308, or .270, or 7mm Mag bolt action, and even then?

Do you really know how far and how hard hitting something at 500 yards really is?

rc

 

[243winxb]

M16 = "Mousegun"

 

[CMV]

I agree that it's the wrong tool for the job.

The good news is you can turn it into the right tool with a simple upper swap. That's what's so nice about an AR - you can do so many different things with them. $600ish though for a complete entry level varmint upper out of a box or you can build your own for a little less.

So since you're going to need a 20-24" bbl upper anyway to make the gun capable of what you want to do, maybe it would be better to get suggestions for what bullet type, weight, & twist rate combination would work best. You can make a real nice varmint gun easily capable of 500+ yds.

As far as deer, I'm not a hunter so can't tell you much there other than .243 is the smallest most people in my family use for deer (who are all avid hunters - just didn't rub off on me). I suspect you'd be wounding several deer for every one you kill @ 500 yds. Prairie dogs, coyotes, gophers, etc sure, but not something as big as a deer.

 

[5.56longhorn]

Thanks for the info bro!! The deer and pigs will be closer ranges than 500 yards just got a buddy that wants a shooting contest and I wanna be able to stretch the range even a little further than that, I set up 5 gallon bucket at 500yd and hit 3 out of 5, it's really not that hard with leupold and elevation adjustments, it was with Umc 55gr fmjs too, I want to be able to push it even further though, ive got the optics just need prolly a barrel switch and some good reloaded ammo and ill have it!! so if I went 24 inch bullbarrel in 1.8 twist I could chunk like a 62 or 68 gr and be more accurate at longer ranges ? I've also been hearing that 16 inch 1.9 twist works with a wide range of ammo like you said!!

 

[5.56longhorn]

CMV when you say upper switch, you mean barrel right?
Am I kinda on the right road? I just need the right ammo after that right rock river makes em for about 300$

 

[Miata Mike]

When CMV spoke of switching uppers, we are talking the whole assembly. Your stock, trigger, and receiver are separate from the "upper".

You can change the whole upper half of your rifle in no time. You can even change the caliber.

 

[5.56longhorn]

Ok so I can't just buy the barrel? Like it got a 16 inch in regular barrel, I want a bull barrel 24 inch from the same brand, can I just switch out the barrels or is it more complicated, like the gas block and all that, the caliber is the same and everything !!

 

[rcmodel]

Good heavens?
I don't know where to start!

Again, it makes no differance if you have a 16" or 24" barrel.

The .223 is not a 500 yard deer or pig caliber.
It does kill 5 gal buckets pretty good at that range though.

But if you can already hit a 5 gallon bucket at 500 yd 3 out of 5 with a 16" carbine?

It ain't gonna get much better then that with a 24" barrel unless you learn to judge wind better.

rc

 

[Miata Mike]

Anything can be done with the right knowledge. I am sure it wouldn't be too tough with the right tools. I have a 16" DPMS that I have toyed with the idea of buying a nice bull barrel upper for varmint shooting.

The uppers can be sold whole without having to ship it through an FFL. The receivers with the serial numbers are what is tracked, so a lot of guys trade uppers if they want something "different".

I am by no means knowledgeable about the AR platform, but a search on the right terms will bring up a lot of good threads with answers to what you are looking for.

Might get some better answers in the rifle section....

 

[CMV]

No doubt you can hit things at 500 yds but killing a hog or deer is a different story.

I was thinking more of a complete upper half assembly - upper receiver, barrel, BCG. You probably went with a 16" for a reason so you'd still have that. But then on the same lower receiver you could attach whatever upper half you wanted and have a completely different gun. They even make 50BMG upper halves.

 

[5.56longhorn]

Ok rc another ?... I'm going to leave the 16 inch on, but a 5.56x45 when I'm buying bullets through hornady, you said .224 earlier is that the bullet size or is it the same as 22 cal ? And when I'm buying brass do I need to buy 5.56 brass or 223 brass? I want to load them hot with a 55 gr ballistic tip

 

[5.56longhorn]

Dang they make 50bmg upper halves? Doesn't sound very safe lol

 

[rcmodel]

I'm buying bullets through hornady, you said .224 earlier is that the bullet size or is it the same as 22 cal ? And when I'm buying brass do I need to buy 5.56 brass or 223 brass? I want to load them hot with a 55 gr ballistic tip

The first thing you need to buy is a reloading manual or two, or three.

First:
.22 Hornet rifles use .224" bullets.
.220 Swift rifles use .224" bullets.
22-250 rifles use .224" bullets.
.222 rifles use .224" bullets.
.223 rifles use .224" bullets.
.225 Win rifles use .224" bullets.

Second:
.223 is 5.56 brass.
5.56 brass is .223 brass.
It is what you put in it that makes one the other.

Third:
Loading "hot" is usually neither accurate, or safe!

Forth:
55 grain varmint bullets are a very poor choice for long range target or game hunting.
They start out faster but get there slower.

Fifth:
Heavier bullets start out slower but get there faster.

Sixth:
You need to do more reading studying about reloading and ballistics before you buy anything besides a real good reloading manual or three.

Seventh:
I would suggest Lyman #49, Speer, and Hornady manuals to start.

rc

 

[5.56longhorn]

Aight thanks vatos

 

[Willfully Armed]

1/12 is a lower or slower rate of twist then 1/9.

Twist refers to how much the bullet is rotated in a foot of travel.
1/9 = one revolution every 9 inches.
I/12 = one revolution every 12".

Heavy longer bullets have to spin faster to be stable then shorter lighter bullets.

1/12 works best with bullets like 55 grain and lighter.

1/9 works with a broad range of bullet weights, up to perhaps 68 or some 70+ grains.

As for deer or pigs at 500 yards?
You bought way the wrong rifle.

No .224" caliber rifle is capable of clean humane kills on either animal at anywhere near 500 yards.

You shoulda bought a 30-06, or .308, or .270, or 7mm Mag bolt action, and even then?

Do you really know how far and how hard hitting something at 500 yards really is?

rc

Navy snipers are allowed to take human targets with 5.56 out to 600 yards.

 

[helotaxi]

Navy snipers are allowed to take human targets with 5.56 out to 600 yards.

And with an enemy combatant as the target, wounding is perfectly acceptable and oft-times preferred to killing them. An animal, not so much. Apples and oranges comparison. Military shooters also use non-expanding bullets which are not only unethical to hunt with, but in most areas, illegal to hunt with.

 

[243winxb]

Longhorn, Buy some Sierra 65gr gamekings # 1395, Load with H335. Go deer hunting, but keep shots under 300 yards. Every thing you want to know about the 223/5.56 here >> http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/ Let us know how you do. For accuracy & paper targets, not game, load the Sierra 69gr or Hornady 68gr Match Bullets. These both work great with a 1 in 9 twist barrel.

 

[redneck2]

I have a Bushmaster that also has a 1:9 twist. It's got a Leupold 6.5x20x40 VX-III. Match grade barrel and trigger.

I used 64 grain SP Winchesters and 68 grain Hornady Match HP's on a PD hunt this fall. All were exceptionally accurate. Used Varget in the 68 grain loads and the 64's. In decent conditions, with my rifle you should be able to hit a 5 gal bucket pretty easily every time at 500 yards.

As for "loading hot", that is just nine kinds of foolish. You'll most likely damage the gun and yourself, particularly an auto loader.

If you want a bigger gun that shoots faster or harder, buy one. I took a .22-250, and a Rem 7 mag set up for 1,000 yards for those kinds of shots.

Guys that have been here for a while (look at post count) most likely know what they're talking about. I'd strongly suggest taking their advice.

 

[5.56longhorn]

Ok thanks guys just new to some of this stuff still learning, especially reloading

 

[Hondo 60]

5.56longhorn -

I can not more strongly agree with rcmodel's statement:
"The first thing you need to buy is a reloading manual or two, or three."

Lyman's 49th Reloading Manual is for my money the best manual available.
It has the widest range of load data - for lead & jacketed bullets.
It also has a very, very good "How-To & Why section, a total of 13 chapters.

If the rifle's purchase (and Christmas) has you broke, go to the local library.
They might have a reloading manual.
That's what I did before I bought any reloading equipment.
Once I read it cover to cover, I had a MUCH better understanding.

Please stay safe.

 

[Waywatcher]

rcmodel has given good advice. I won't take the time to rewrite anything he has written.

I will add that I have done some research of using .224 bullets for deer hunting. I use a 20" .223, I set 300 yards as my extreme maximum range, and would really prefer to keep it under 200. Where I hunt this is not an issue, 95% of the shots are 200 yards or less. I also use Barnes TSX bullets for penetration while retaining expansion. (Very different than a ballistic tip.)

The (poor) Ballistic Coefficients of .224 combined with the (low) Sectional Density is really not conducive (at all) to long range deer hunting.