AR 1-9 load advice

U

USMC 77-81

New member
A guy I work with has an AR, 1-9 twist 16'' barrel and is having some difficulty finding a really accurate load. I don't have all the specifics at hand currently other than the 2 powders he is using are Varget and H335 and 60 grn. Spitz/BT bullets.
Do any members have a load which has given good results?
 
A guy I work with has an AR, 1-9 twist 16'' barrel and is having some difficulty finding a really accurate load. I don't have all the specifics at hand currently other than the 2 powders he is using are Varget and H335 and 60 grn. Spitz/BT bullets.
Do any members have a load which has given good results?
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Sorry man, but I have more questions then answers.

What does he consider accurate, (inches at 100 yards)?

What 60gr SP Boat Tail bullet?

What type of rest?

What optix if any?
 
Steve, I'll get answers to those questions today and post along with other pertinent information which others may need in order to assist.
Also, this post is different in so far as the post last week was in regard to a bolt gun where as this one is AR specific, some aspects do carry over though.
 
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I struggled a bit to find a good accurate load for my first AR with a 1:9 twist; I tried probably 8 different bullets before I tried the Sierra 53gr match king (#1400), just like that it would put 10 rounds into a group maybe 1.5". I still use that rifle and load for short-range highpower matches. I've loaded that bullet with H335, BL-C(2) and W748 with pretty much the same result. I also found a similarly accurate load with the Sierra 69gr MK and Reloder15.

Every barrel can have individual preferences of course; I recently built a budget carbine with a 16" 1:9 that shoots Hornady 55gr FMJ-BT bullets to about 2 MOA. Best groups I could get with those when I tried them in the first rifle was maybe 3 MOA. Same barrel manufacturer I believe.
 
A guy I work with has an AR, 1-9 twist 16'' barrel and is having some difficulty finding a really accurate load. I don't have all the specifics at hand currently other than the 2 powders he is using are Varget and H335 and 60 grn. Spitz/BT bullets.
Do any members have a load which has given good results?
Click to expand...

The old safety warnings here, since you didn't specify the caliber marking on the barrel...

DO NOT shoot 5.56 NATO rounds in a barrel/chamber marked .223 or .223 Rem.
Doesn't matter what the lower receiver is stamped, check the barrel forward of the front sight/gas block, the chamber/caliber should be marked on the barrel.

It's OK to shoot .223 Rem rounds in a barrel/chamber marked 5.56 NATO.

It's also perfectly acceptable to use 5.56 NATO BRASS,
But be aware of your LOAD depending on what the barrel/chamber combination is.
If the barrel is marked .223 Rem, load the brass to .223 Rem specifications,

And DO NOT use 'Factory' 5.56 NATO loaded rounds in a barrel marked .223 Rem.
The chamber pressure of 5.56 NATO rounds exceeds the 'Safe' .223 Rem chamber by about 5,000 PSI!

If the barrel is marked 5.56 NATO, it will eat about anything with no issues.

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I've become quite fond of 26 Grains of Benchmark and 55 Grain Hornady bullets together.
55 Grain bullet is long enough to hold that fast twist rate rifling, and the Benchmark has worked flawlessly in my accumulation of AR style rifles.

It's dead accurate also, off the bench, I'm shooting well under MOA most times, depending on the rifle and how twitchy I am behind the optics.
 
There are 2 bullets that have worked well in every 9 twist Ar I've loaded them for....The Sierra 52 grain match king and the Sierra 69 grain match king. Stoke them with H335 and you'll more than likely have an excellent shooting load.
 
The Sierra MK have also provided good results for me, I think they are currently the best value in bullets.
Hopefully some will list all pertinent data so I can pass it on.
 
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