.55gr soft points and AR15s

[Critter183]

A few years agon, I happened on 1000 55gr Hornady soft points very cheap, so I bought them for posterity.

I've never fired soft points in any of my AR15s, but I remember having a bit of trouble with my mini 14. When they fed, the point would get dinged up. If I remember right, they flew all over the place.

Anyone shooting soft points in an AR15? Do they work ok?

Thanks.

Jim

 

[trickyasafox]

i havent shot a lot of SP's in my ar, (about 200) but all cycled fine. about half were reloads. maybe they just didn't like your mini?

 

[Critter183]

That's what I'm guessing. I searched the web a little and found some guy using them in an AR for coyote. I guess if they're good enough for that, they're good enough for my purposes.

Thanks!

 

[GRIZ22]

Several years ago I saw an article in a gun magazine where they addressed the problem you mention. They were concerned about the nose deformation in semi autos and accuracy. Thye flattened, bent, and generally mauled soft points and fired them vs undeformed soft points. They found no practical difference in accuracy. I've used soft points in ARs and Mini 14's and never experienced any accuracy problems.

Sometimes you encounter a bullet that your rifle doesn't like as has been mentioned. Nothing wrong with bullet or rifle they just don't get along.

 

[Critter183]

Sometimes you encounter a bullet that your rifle doesn't like as has been mentioned. Nothing wrong with bullet or rifle they just don't get along.

That very well could be the case with the mini 14. Or maybe, I just wasn't used to its inherent "accuracy" at the time. I really can't remember. I do remember that the groups were so sloppy and erratic and that either myself or someone I was shooting with thought about checking to see how the soft points were feeding. So I fed a few through the action and every one of them had bent points. I think I assumed that was the problem.

Tough getting old sometimes.

 

[snuffy]

Midway blow outs

Midway offers reduced prices on soft points periodicaly, I bought 1K of the winchester 55 grainers, like for about $35.00. I fed some to my bushy AR-15, results were great! They will stay under an inch if I do my part, that's using surplus WC-844 powder, I'm sure H-335 would do as well.

We play a fun shooting game around here called a jug shoot. Water filled gallon milk jugs are shot standing from 50 to 100 yds. They hang from a T post from wires, lined up 5 jugs from 50 on out. At the last shoot, I used some of those W soft points, I hit a closer jug, the bullet passed through to hit the one behind it. It penetrated the front and stopped inside! Prettiest expanded mushroom I've ever seen! Retained weight is 33.0 gr. They should work good on yotes or ather critters of that size.

 

[g56]

I shoot the Hornady 55 gr Spire Points, which are soft points, in my AR15 Varmint Rifle all the time, they are my standard load, I'm running about 3,000 rounds of these so far, no malfunctions of any kind. I get the Hornady 55 gr Spire Points w/cannelure from Midway in bulk packs of 1,000, they are very reasonably priced in the bulk packs.