AR-15 Bushmaster Patrolman

[Clay M]

Does anyone have any favorite bullet choices for these rifles?
They have a 1/9 twist. So far the 60 gr shoots really well.

[Lonegun1894]

I use a relative of it, the 14.5" (with AK-74 muzzle-brake to bring it up to legal length) with 1:9" twist and use the 77gr SMK. Just fair warning though, not all 1:9" twist guns like this. A friend has a 16" 1:9" Bushmaster, not sure of model, and his rifle keyholes these at 50 yds, while mine cuts nice clean round holes out to 900yds with them--when I can hit the target.

[Lloyd Smale]

4 bullets id defineately give a shot are the hornady vmax 55 and 60 and the nos bt 55 and 60s. Those 4 bullets are hands down the best shooting bullets in all my ars and bolt 223s. Id about bet at least one of them if not all will drive nails in your ar.

[Hickok]

4 bullets id defineately give a shot are the hornady vmax 55 and 60 and the nos bt 55 and 60s. Those 4 bullets are hands down the best shooting bullets in all my ars and bolt 223s. Id about bet at least one of them if not all will drive nails in your ar.Lloyd you beat me to it. I agree with you choices 100 per cent. I like the plastic tips on these bullets as they can take a beating in the feeding cycle of the AR.

The 69gr Sierra MK also is a tack driver in my two Bushmaster's, both 1/9 twist, a 16" and a 20 Heavy barrel.

I have a Model 70 win. 24" barrel .223 with a 12" twist, and I have settled on the Nosler 55gr BT for all my .223/5.56 rifles.

[Clay M]

Lloyd you beat me to it. I agree with you choices 100 per cent. I like the plastic tips on these bullets as they can take a beating in the feeding cycle of the AR.

The 69gr Sierra MK also is a tack driver in my two Bushmaster's, both 1/9 twist, a 16" and a 20 Heavy barrel.

I have a Model 70 win. 24" barrel .223 with a 12" twist, and I have settled on the Nosler 55gr BT for all my .223/5.56 rifles.

The 69 gr Sierra Match king is also the bullet my UPS driver raved about in his Bushmaster.
What powder did you have the best accuracy with?

[Hickok]

The 69 gr Sierra Match king is also the bullet my UPS driver raved about in his Bushmaster.
What powder did you have the best accuracy with?Clay, I have always used AA2230 in all my .223/5.56 loads. I have an 8 pound keg of it and several 1 pound cans I stocked up on years ago.

There may be better powders, but 2230 was designed for the AR15/M16 rifle, so I just stick with it.

[Clay M]

I think my UPS driver uses Varget for most of his .223's
I don't have any AA 2230 or I would use it.

[Houndog]

I'll second Hickok's AA2230 recomendation and put H335 in as a close second. For bullets, I like Hornady 55gr flat base with canelure for a general purpose bullet and Sierra 69 match kings when I get serious. All 4 of my ar's are 1/9 twist, but I'd like them to be 1/12's.

[imashooter2]

My 1:9 DPMS really likes the Hornady 60 grain V-MAX over Varget.

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had good luck with many powders. aa2230, 332,335, ramshot exterminator or tac, blc2, wc846 and wc844, 748. Heck any of these will give great results in an ar if you play with them a bit. I use mostly 844 and 2230 because I have a lot of it but work with all of them some. If it were me id just buy the cheapest 8lb keg of any of the above you can find.

[Clay M]

I have Varget, Rel 15,Benchmark, H4895, W 748,and some of the Vit powders.
Like you say, most shoot pretty well, but then you find that magic load that instantly goes into a really small group.

I like the 60 gr Nosler Ballistic tip because it has the cannelure.When I load it with a good taper crimp, the bullets stay where I seat them.

[GabbyM]

Matched pair. Sierra 69gr MK with the Sierra 65 grain SBT-GK. Obviously using the Game King for large varmint hunting. Currently I'm using Alliant AR-Comp powder to drive them. RCBS X-dies for case sizing.

Another bullet I like is the Sierra 55gr SBT-GK. I have a 12 twist SP=1 in addition to 8" and 9" AR's. So I keep 55gr around. The 55 and 65 grain Game Kings have double taper jackets with a harder lead alloy core. They will punch a hole straight through any coyote alive. Also shoot the Hornady bulk 55gr bullets.

[Clay M]

If I do any bulk loadings I am going to try to use either Varget or Benchmark.
I like the Hodgdon "Extreme" powders ,as they are not sensitive to temperature changes like W748 and others.

[imashooter2]

I have Varget, Rel 15,Benchmark, H4895, W 748,and some of the Vit powders.
Like you say, most shoot pretty well, but then you find that magic load that instantly goes into a really small group.

I like the 60 gr Nosler Ballistic tip because it has the cannelure.When I load it with a good taper crimp, the bullets stay where I seat them.

When I load the 60 grain Hornady V-MAX with no crimp the bullets stay where I seat them.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup theres surely no need to crimp
When I load the 60 grain Hornady V-MAX with no crimp the bullets stay where I seat them.

[Clay M]

yup theres surely no need to crimp

I loaded some Sierra 52 match bullets and they set back in the case when they were chambered, so I had a different experience.
I bought the RCBS AR series tapered crimp dies and the problem is solved.

[Hickok]

One thing I found with the 69 gr Sierra that I found surprising. Not that it may mean anything in real hunting situations, but when shot into water-filled jugs at 50 yards, the Sierra MK produced picture-perfect mushrooms for me. No fragmentation, just a nice expanded mushroom like a big game bullet.

I will look to see if I can find one and post it.

The Nosler 55 BT and the Horn V-max bullets I tested in water jugs were violent and explosive.

[Clay M]

One thing I found with the 69 gr Sierra that I found surprising. Not that it may mean anything in real hunting situations, but when shot into water-filled jugs at 50 yards, the Sierra MK produced picture-perfect mushrooms for me. No fragmentation, just a nice expanded mushroom like a big game bullet.

I will look to see if I can find one and post it.

The Nosler 55 BT and the Horn V-max bullets I tested in water jugs were violent and explosive.

Sounds right. I always found the jackets on Sierra bullets pretty tough.

I ask my UPS driver what he was using with the 69 gr Sierra bullet to get the best accuracy, and he said Vit 140 powder, which is very close if not identical to Rel 15.

[imashooter2]

I loaded some Sierra 52 match bullets and they set back in the case when they were chambered, so I had a different experience.
I bought the RCBS AR series tapered crimp dies and the problem is solved.

Then your neck tension is bad. Try polishing a thousandth off your expander.

[GabbyM]

One thing I found with the 69 gr Sierra that I found surprising. Not that it may mean anything in real hunting situations, but when shot into water-filled jugs at 50 yards, the Sierra MK produced picture-perfect mushrooms for me. No fragmentation, just a nice expanded mushroom like a big game bullet.

I will look to see if I can find one and post it.

The Nosler 55 BT and the Horn V-max bullets I tested in water jugs were violent and explosive.

Match Kings won't expand at all after you get past a couple hundred yards. Maybe less if you start out handicapped with a carbine barrel. Sierras 65gr SBT-GK soft nose has about the same BC as the 69 MK and shoots almost identical. Cost a few dollars less per box also. You will need to have any AR-15 setup on a bench with bags then have a really good scope and no wind day to find any accuracy advantage in the MK bullet. I'm not saying you can't kill stuff with a Match King. That would be silly. The Game King is the one designed for hunting and it is silly not to use it for that purpose over a match bullet.

Those ballistic tips totally fragmenting in a depth less than the length of the bullets is just how they are supposed to act. I use them on Prairie dogs and they are great. Nosler and Hornady both have videos on there web pages showing them in gelatin. Sierra Blitz or Hornady SX soft points are almost as explosive. For something the size of a coyote. My preference is the standard Sierra Varminter or the 55 or 65gr Game King. Those bulk Hornady 55gr SP work also. Sierra gives you three different hardness of 22 caliber hunting bullets. Varminter-Blitz, Varminter and Game King.
Many people like the 60grain HP Varminter but I've never shot them. Been my experience they all perform just like Sierra advertises they will. The soft point Blitz won't stand up to the fast twist AR-s. The plastic tips will as they all copied Noslers solid base design. With the reduced velocity you get for a 16" carbine the Varminter #1360 in 55 grain will hold up pretty well. As will the Hornady bulk bullets. The Hornadys I've had the last ten years have all shot under 1 MOA. Sinclair has them on sale right now for $8 a hundred if you buy six thousand. Best if you have a couple buddies to split that up with. The Speer Hot core 55gr SP are good solid hunting bullets also. But the B.C. on them is low.

Cutting to the chase. I load blitz type bullets for prairie dogs. Generally that's bolt gun ammo. Game kings and Hornady bulk in the AR-15's. 50 grain Sierra #1330 Varminter at 3,300 fps from my little 222 bolt gun.

[Lloyd Smale]

correct answer
Then your neck tension is bad. Try polishing a thousandth off your expander.

[Clay M]

We shot my handloads yesterday. My son shot two five shot groups (with two different powders) at a measured 240 yds .
They each measured about 1.6" ( sub MOA at 240yds)
I loaded with Winchester brass, Nosler 60 gr BT, and I used Benchmark,and H 4895.
The Benchmark load may be slightly better.

My son is young and has great eyes. He was using a 4X12 power scope.

I doubt my rifle will shoot that well.
He obviously got an exceptional rifle.

[sundog]

69 gr SMK and surplus 2230C. I use it for high power in a Rock River National Match and it shoots better than I can.