bullet recommendations for new rifle

[aftcg]

It's hard to generalize about a given bullet. I have built four AR-15 in .223 and have worked up loads for all of them. A bullet that works in one turns in less than stellar groups in another.

I started with the Sierra 55 grain Blitzking and still use it as my benchmark from which to develop loads. From there I try other bullets.

For example, I built a 16" bull barrel for one of my sons. It shoots Nosler 50 grain ballistic tips the best (and in a shoot out for terminal performance the Nosler 50 wins hands down).

I built my other son a 20" DCM/NM gun with a Shilen barrel. It is a dream shooter. It performs best (under 3/4" all day long) with the Hornady 55 Vmax. Ironically it is a spray gun with Hornady factory loaded 55 Vmax. Go figure.

I built an 18" midlength gun with a White Oak barrel and it preferred the Sierra but frankly it shot them all well. Traded it for an M1A but that's a different story

I recently rebuilt my original AR which had a factory 16" M4 profile (DPMS). It now sports a 16" midlength White Oak and it also shoots consistently with pretty much everything but after a couple hundred rounds it seems to prefer the Vmax as well. The new barrel is a tight twist so I really need to branch out and use heavier bullets with it.

For powder I can vouch for Benchmark and Varget, but also load Xterminator.

[Deleted]

The M193 or M855 value packs and similar tend to be very accurate with most carbines (Nato consistency) but I agree if you start getting longer then things can change. In the end, there are very accurate long barrels but the longer you go the less accuracy nodes you have and therefore more work on the loads.
So all things being equal a shorter barrel is a more accurate one but on the other hand it cannot cash out in speed. So like many things in life, specially around physics, it is a trade off.
Cheers.

[gettophilosopher]

Apr 30, 2011 7:19:01 GMT -8 deaddogwalkin said:

I have had very great luck with 55gr NBT or the 60gr v-maxes. I didn't get that good of groups with the 55gr v-maxes. I shoot h335 with the 55gr and imr3031 with the 60gr. Make sure you take the bcg apart and clean it then lube it. Get a bore guide and a good cleaning rod. Don't rely on boresnakes to clean the barrel.

Sorry to threadjack slightly, but why not boresnakes? I've never heard them written off before. Are they just not as effective in your experience, or is there something actually "wrong" with them?

[GLSHOOTER]

quote]

Sorry to threadjack slightly, but why not boresnakes? I've never heard them written off before. Are they just not as effective in your experience, or is there something actually "wrong" with them?[/quote]

Ever wash dishes with a dirty nasty wash cloth and wonder why they still have grime on them? That is all a USED bore snake is. It hauls junk and garbage down your barrel that it removed on it's last usage. Sure you can wash it in betwen butthat makes exactly ONE clean pass the nexttime. The system is great for a knock out the fouling deal on a PD shot but not so good for a deep clean. You can't make effective use of copper solvent as it will dissolve the brass in the snake.

Much better to use the old patch method day in day out. Also the use of the foaming bore cleaners like GUNSLICK Foaming Bore cleaner will make the job very quick. I've been using it for about a year and it is the bees knees. I even cleaned a revolver cylinder the other day before a PPC match and it was matter of waiting 10 minutes with the cylinder in a plastic bag and then hosed down with brake cleaner. The process will work well on the bore once you push the foam out with a patch.

Greg

[Deleted]

Might need to try that foam. it seems that works really well.

[guncollector]

Greg,
Thanks for the info on the foaming bore cleaner. I have always used Hoppe's No.9 since I bought my first gun 40+ years ago and I use it because my father used it. Based on your results I have decided to give the Foaming bore cleaner a try. Thanks.

Bob

[GLSHOOTER]

Nov 23, 2011 14:06:05 GMT -8 guncollector said:

Greg,
Thanks for the info on the foaming bore cleaner. I have always used Hoppe's No.9 since I bought my first gun 40+ years ago and I use it because my father used it. Based on your results I have decided to give the Foaming bore cleaner a try. Thanks.

Bob

They changed the #9 formula in the late 90's and it is not quite the stuff that we grew up with. I bought the GUNSLICK stuff to try as there was no Wipe Out available locally. I am much happier with it over the Wipe Out stuff.

Give it a whirl and I bet you will be happy with it. I cleaned four guns that were shot hard with it then did a follow up with Sweets. I only had a TRACE of Cu in one bore. I have never had to do more than two ten minute ODORLESS treatments with it. No ammonia whatsoever.

Greg