In order to beat a dead horse... (AR-15)

[gnoahhh]

I'll bring up the old topic of feeding an AR-15. After decades of resistance, I allowed myself to be led down the AR rabbit hole. Now I'm faced with feeding the monster I created, after having studiously avoided paying attention whenever the subject came up. Suggestions for a direction to start in?

Goal: a decent uniform jacketed load with a 60-ish grain bullet that won't break the bank, and hopefully available in bulk form after load development is done. Powder? (I have a decent supply of H-322 and 4895 which I think may serve, plus a locker full of powders used to feed small and medium bore cast shooters. Have access to Varget.) LC brass on its way here. 100-200 yard bench work and plinking will be 99% of its use.

Naturally, cast bullet suggestions welcome too. Pitfalls of cast use in an AR?

Gun: 20" H-Bar, 1-9" twist, Wylde chamber, A3 configuration with an A2 butt stock. (Hey I'm a gimpy old fart who isn't going to be doing any "running and gunning"!

[country gent]

For 200 and 300 yd loads in NRA High Power I used the 75 grn Hornady boat tail match bullet over varget at around 2600-2700fps. Shot exceptional and was very accurate. This bullet will be at the upper end for length wieght in your barrels twist but should stabilize. The 69 grn sierra matchking aso works well. At 600 yds I shot a 80 grn JLK loaded long ( single load only). I would work from 68 grns to 77 grns in bullet wieght and shoot for 2600-2700fps range. My ar match rifles barrel went 8000 rds on these loads. ( 26" heavy kriegers SS 1-7 twist)

[RU shooter]

for a match bullet that isn't called one or priced as one try the 60 gr serria FB hp it's what I used in all my 200 yd reduced course HP matches at that range shot the equal of any other bullet I tried in that rifle .

[rancher1913]

get with brassmagnet, he is researching loads with the help of several friends.

[leadman]

I buy the bulk Hornady 55gr SP jacketed to shoot in my Contender 23" 223 Rem and my 16" AR15. The Contender usually shoots 1/2 moa with these, the AR about moa to 1 1/2 moa. These can be bought for less than $10 per 100 most of the time.
I do shoot cast 22 cal. also but mostly in my Contender 22 K Hornet.

[Smoke4320]

I buy the bulk Hornady 55gr SP jacketed to shoot in my Contender 23" 223 Rem and my 16" AR15. The Contender usually shoots 1/2 moa with these, the AR about moa to 1 1/2 moa. These can be bought for less than $10 per 100 most of the time.
I do shoot cast 22 cal. also but mostly in my Contender 22 K Hornet.

I would agree with the Bulk Hornady 55GR SP's .. They can be very accurate with the right load
even the 100 rd boxes should be in the $12.00-$15.00 range
Win 748, H414, H322 can all be good as many others for a 223 AR
your 1 in 9 twist will like bullets on the lighter end 55 to 67 and maybe 69 .. Only your gun/loads will tell you whatsits hi weight limit will be

[farmerjim]

One more for the bulk hornady 55 gr SP and FMJ. Less than $80 per 1,000 with free shipping when on sale. They shoot fine in my AR and less than 1/2 moa in my 223 Handi. For hunting larger game I use the 60 gr Nosler partition.

[waltherboy4040]

Bulk hornady or wolf bullets, and h335 is my go to plinking load.

[runfiverun]

I run the hornady 50gr sp or sp/sx for ground squirrels in my stag ar's in LC brass on top of 20.5 grs of H-322.
4895 can be used but it's about 4 grs more.
with the hornady 55 gr fmj I use aa-2230 at 24.5 grs and it's good for plinking and target fun day stuff.
as far as a cast boolit LEE just copied the rcbs 22-055s.
gas checked and weight sorted after tossing the even semi-junky looking ones from the mold works pretty well on top of 19grs of 4895.
the real good ones on top of 22.5 grs of 4895 will shoot like real jacketed rounds only a little slower.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I usually try to find pull downs for my plinking loads.

[Hickok]

One word of advice, learned from experience. When letting anyone shoot your AR-15, only put a maximum of 3 rounds in the mag.

If you give them a full mag, you will be standing there screaming, "Stop, wait, that's enough!!!" while 30 rounds goes down range, and then they look at you with a smile and say, "That was cool, give me another mag!"

[gnoahhh]

One word of advice, learned from experience. When letting anyone shoot your AR-15, only put a maximum of 3 rounds in the mag.

If you give them a full mag, you will be standing there screaming, "Stop, wait, that's enough!!!" while 30 rounds goes down range, and then they look at you with a smile and say, "That was cool, give me another mag!"

Yeah, that's kind of how I got lured down the rabbit hole...

Thanks, fellas. You've given me a push in the right direction.

[nagantguy]

Any flavor bullet your twist rate/rifle likes and varget, the Marine Corps made me love and hate the AR/m16 platform but one day they said I could go home and I couldn't imagine life without one, so now with a stable full I always start and usually stop at varget, some powders may produce more fps, but none off me better consistency, accuracy none are cleaner burning. And my feild research shows not one fps difference nor any POI shift from -20 degrees in the upper Peninsula of MI to 90 degrees and 100% humidity to 100 degrees and no humidity in the desert. Not what I've read, been told or heard, my actual shooting experience.

[nekshot]

At least you are starting out right from go. I being a old finicky stoog, wanting nothing to do with anything semi auto, went and bought a sks to learn from and it was less than 200 bucks. That gun ended up being more fun than I thought so I wondered how much fun an ar could be? Well, 3 bottoms later and loving the 223 just makes sense the 7.62x39 round could be more fun and it all goes down hill from there finantially!

[dragon813gt]

How much does that thing weigh w/ the 20" H-Bar. I have two 16" carbines w/ H-Bars and they are a little heavier than I'd like. Also have an 18" SPR and that thing is really barrel heavy. I should have bought at least one lightweight barrel

All of mine are 1-7" or 1-8" and prefer the heavier SMKs. Doesn't make for cheap shooting. I've used H335, W748 and IMR4895 w/ good results.

[6bg6ga]

Nice thread on AR-15's Could we touch more on barrel twists and respective bullet weights and hopefully this will become a sticky.

[gnoahhh]

I haven't weighed it. It is noticeably heavier than my pards M4, as you would expect. I'll guess 7½ pounds? I really don't care as I don't see myself hunting with it- just range "dates", so weight is unimportant to me. At age 63 I don't see myself "running and gunning" with it. Also, there are some nutty restrictions in place here in Maryland as to what is legal. Essentially it must be a heavy barrel (H-Bar)- lightweight gov't contours are banned- and meet a 29½" minimum overall length requirement. The length allows for 16" (H-bar) guns but going shorter is problematic. 20" suits me fine.

I went with the A3 configuration so as to have flexibility with sights. Initial setup is with detachable irons front and back, and I'm researching scope options. Any recommendations there? (No red dots or reflective(?) sights, please.) Leaning toward something 4x or less and short with simple crosshairs, and not bank-breaking in cost.

[dragon813gt]

I only have a scope on my piston gun. It's a Nikon P223 3x32. W/ the p series mount cost was right around $200. I have no complaints about it.

[runfiverun]

https://www.stagarms.com/model-6-super-varminter/

this is my main varmint rifle, top it off with a good scope and it will make most varmint rifles look bad real bad with good ammo.
it runs right there with my ruger VT, and my savage 12-F, with ease.
1-8 twist.
full stock.
it winds up that 22.5gr cast load above up near 2800 fps and keeps groups.

this is the one Littlegirl shoots with a couple of different scopes.
it has no problems shooting ground squirrels 1-1/2" wide by 4-5"tall out to 150 or so yds.
it's a 1-9 twist.
full stock configuration also.


the wife pretty much took over my NM Armalite but she just shoots the open sights at the 300 yd 6" plates so it has no bearing here.

[gnoahhh]

I only have a scope on my piston gun. It's a Nikon P223 3x32. W/ the p series mount cost was right around $200. I have no complaints about it.

That scope is right up my alley. Dumb question: It seems that many AR scope mounts sit really high. Is that the norm?