Bullet for ar pistol

[Drifter27]

Hello

I havent reloaded for a while but am jumping back in head first. New house with an area specifically set aside for all things gun set up from the ground up and need some help.

Theres a progressive press in the mail and a 10.3" ar pistol that is hungry. I have a 100 yard max range that it will get used. I cant seem to find minimum expansion numbers from manufacturers. Im looking in the 62gr area since gdsp is already on stripper clips. Any info about pills with same or similar effect is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Project355]

While I don't have suggestions, neither do I fully understand the question.

Are you asking what other bullets would perform about the same as the 62g Speer?

With a 10.3 inch barrel, you're going to be down about 300-400fps or more from that of a 16 inch barrel. You can use that to judge a bit. Also, in very general terms, the heavier end of .22 cal rifle bullets will probably do better in shorter barrels but... you need the rifling twist to support them. You didn't state your rifling twist.

 

[Drifter27]

Right sorry its a 1:7 twist. Im curious if theres something out there that will reliably expand or fragment at the reduced velocity of a shorter barrel

Id like to stay at around 62gr since that's what others are zeroed at and what is readily available here. If thats not realistic let me know

 

[entropy]

60 gr. V-Max.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010926154?pid=770779

 

[Project355]

Your zero at 100 yards one change much. If you want more expansion and frag, then lighter. If you want more punch, then a little heavier.

In normal practice, in any given situation, the lighter bullet will move faster and make up for lack of weight with its extra velocity - as engery in a bullet is 1/2 Mass * Veloicity^2. Ok we all know that, but in the .223 and short barrel AR, you don't really pick up enough extra velocity with the lighter bullet to overcome extra weight of a heavier bullet. So in this instance, the heavier bullet does have slightly more energy than the lighter one. So your situation is an exception to the rule of thumb.

 

[Drifter27]

Well sir that is my conundrum. According to the internet (the unrefutable source that it is) lighter bullets need velocity to achieve performance. With a short barrel I do not have velocity. Is there a bullet that I can use besides gdsp or hst that isnt as speed dependant to reliably open?

 

[CarJunkieLS1]

Doesn't Hornady make a .223 FTX bullet made specifically for short barreled. 223s if they do that's where I'd be looking.

 

[Project355]

You'll have enough velocity really, no matter the bullet, at 100 yards. Shooting further out is the issue with that. Then another conundrum - heavier bullet retains speed a little more, light bullet slows down faster... its all a crap shoot.

If you're looking for "defensive" load, I'd go heavy. If you're looking for pest load, go light, even very light, as a "varmint" bullet will really just obliterate itself even at short barrel AR velocity.

 

[Drifter27]

Any bullet of the 60-65 grain weight will still do what its designed to at 100 yards from a 10.3 barrel?

 

[horsey300]

Any bullet of the 60-65 grain weight will still do what its designed to at 100 yards from a 10.3 barrel?

Grab the varmageddons, they're about as splodey as you can find in the 60weights, otherwise, the Speer big hp (53?) Will work too. Figuring you'll launch ballpark 2500-2600 fps on the 60s that's still fast enough to get the 60 varmint types to expand quite well, the GD, Barnes, and lehigh types may not be moving as fast as needed to get a proper violent expansion at 100 yds but those are number I haven't run, just educated speculation.
Edited cuz autocorrect got involved.

 

[horsey300]

Hello

I havent reloaded for a while but am jumping back in head first. New house with an area specifically set aside for all things gun set up from the ground up and need some help.

Theres a progressive press in the mail and a 10.3" ar pistol that is hungry. I have a 100 yard max range that it will get used. I cant seem to find minimum expansion numbers from manufacturers. Im looking in the 62gr area since gdsp is already on stripper clips. Any info about pills with same or similar effect is appreciated.

Thanks

Any bullet of the 60-65 grain weight will still do what its designed to at 100 yards from a 10.3 barrel?

Grab the varmageddons, they're about as splodey as you can find in the 60weights, otherwise, the Speer big hp (53?) Will work too. Figuring you'll launch ballpark 2500-2600 fps on the 60s that's still fast enough to get the 60 varmint types to expand quite well, the GD, Barnes, and lehigh types may not be moving as fast as needed to get a proper violent expansion at 100 yds but those are number I haven't run, just educated speculation.
Edited cuz autocorrect got involved.

I'm going to clarify a lil bit, the Speer varmint types, Barnes varmint types, Hornady spsx/vmax, and varmageddons all stay violent to roughly 1600 fps.
The GD/ttsx/gmc/etip all "expand" at 1800 fps, but they lose what I'm looking for in the destructive department under 2200fps. The Lehigh might get it done at 1800 but I haven't played with them enough to advise someone else for them in this particular setting.
The gameking/scirocco/partition/hunting class bullets will get you a healthy mix of penetration and expansion at 1800 fps.
You may find a few exceptions to each category, but if you use this as a general guideline you'll rarely come away disappointed.

 

[2ndtimer]

I am quite fond of the Hornady 62 gr BTHP sold exclusively by Mid-South Shooters Supply. My son and I use it in all of our AR’s from 24” heavy barrel Stag Model 6 to his AR Pistol with 12.5” 1 in 7” twist. He was able to take a coyote at over 200 yards with his pistol and red dot sight. It performs even better out of the longer barrels. Priced right, too. About .12 per bullet - if they ever get them back in stock. They had the 250 count bags in briefly a week and a half ago. I was able to order 2 of them before they sold out.
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....llets/-point-224-dia?brand=hornady&grain=62gr

 

[Drifter27]

.12 per shot with a bullet that works at a similar bbl length at twice the distance is hard to pass on. Helps that they are in stock now unless I got the last 2 bags

Eta: a little more digging on other forums and those bullets seem to be pretty popular accuracy wise. The few that hunted coyotes were more than happy. Id post on reloading supplies but not my find