What factory brand do you recommend for an AR15? Is Hornady Black in a 75-grain bullet consistent?
I have an 18-inch barrel with a 1:8 twist.
I have an 18-inch barrel with a 1:8 twist.
- Thread starter BigPineyTradingPost
- Start date
Black Hills ammo has about five different .223 Match loads, and they manufacture great ammo. Are you restricted to 223, or is your AR-15 approved for 5.56 as well?
I've only shot the Hornady black 75gr bthp in a bolt gun, with a 1:8 twist barrel..... very happy with it so far
I've had really good luck with IMI 69 grain Razorcore.
The Hornady Black 75 shoots consistent for me. IMI 69gr Razorcore is great too.
Some of the best stuff for me is the Australian Outback SMKs 69gr:
globalordnance.com
Some of the best stuff for me is the Australian Outback SMKs 69gr:
Australian Outback Ammunition, Buy One Get One Free 20 Round Box, .223 Rem 69 GR. Sierra Matchking HPBT UPC: 9332153001865-2
Australian Outback provides shooters with the best quality components when assembling their ammunition. The hollow point boat tail design provides that extra margin of ballistic performance match shooters need to fire at long ranges under adverse conditions. This round is part of a new line of...
globalordnance.com 
I have some MagTech 5.56 77g OTM that shoots respectable at 100y, the horizontal spread is likely operator/14x scope induced.
Older Olympic Arms Ultramatch upper/lower with a new 22" 1:7.7 Kreiger.
I have also had great results with that ammo.
I have a precision AR-15 with a 1-8 barrel. Federal Gold Medal Match Sierra Match King 77-gr has been the best for me.
I don't always shoot like this, but... No holes under the dime!
I don't always shoot like this, but... No holes under the dime!
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The barrel takes both, .223 and 5.56.
Yup. I think I'll stick with this round. Very cost-effective. I'll continue to work with it.
I've run circa 10 different factory match loads through my Bartlein 18inch SPR. It likes FGMM 69 and 77 gr, sig 77 gr OTM, and 77 grain SMK BH .223. It is consistently .5 MOA (or less in some instances) with those rounds. It opens up to .5-1 MOA with .77 gr TMK BH, 69 gr Outback, 75gr Hornady Black, IMI 77 gr OTM and another I'm forgetting at the moment.
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Win. Match .223 69gr. SMK/Gorilla Match .223 77gr. SMK/ B.H. 5.56mm 77gr. TMK, would be your Huckleberry, They all shoot tight groups out of my 18" Bull Barrel w/ 1n8T and Wylde chamber and I don't have a chrono, so no M.V.'s, just shoot and measure.
Mac
Mac
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I have a 223 Wilde chamber, 18”, 1-8 twist barrel. I’ve shot the heavier stuff. I shot the magtech 77gr but they were at 2,730fps. I shot the FGMB and the Sig 77gr and they were slow. The Sigs were at 2,200fps. They were so slow I thought my chrono was wrong. The IMI razorcore shoots 2,760 for me. I wanted the extra speed to shoot farther. Magtech and IMI grouped the same and SDs were close. I’ve never broke down and bought Black Hills.
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Every. Damn. Manual. Hahahaha
OP...
Defender Ammunition 77gr
Black Hills 77gr OTM
FGMM 69gr
(Never tried any 75gr so I can’t recommend any)
Has anyone tried the Freedom Munitions 77gr? If so which one, they list a 223 and a 5.56 and they have 200fps different MV. Curious about this stuff since it's only $.50/rd and Freedom Munitions seems to get pretty good feedback.
My go to is 77gr FGMM for accuracy since it's always been great in everything I've run it, but I also really like the Magtech and IMI 77gr stuff for a inexpensive alternation. If you get a good lot it will shoot very very close to the FGMM and it's quite a bit faster.
My go to is 77gr FGMM for accuracy since it's always been great in everything I've run it, but I also really like the Magtech and IMI 77gr stuff for a inexpensive alternation. If you get a good lot it will shoot very very close to the FGMM and it's quite a bit faster.
No.
FM is universally known in 3 gun land as a good way to blow up your gun. You would not believe how many squibs, case head separations and peirced primers I've witnessed over the years. When I shot their 55gr stuff I chrono'd around a 250fps ES in 10 rounds. They've also been in and out of business, bankrupt or continuously bought out multiple times.
I've had great accuracy with IMI 77 gr Razorcore (have a base of 69 gr IMI I haven't shot yet also)
Haven't tried any others......(bought IMI to get me through a period where no time/place for reloading)
Barrel is an 18 in WOA SPR in .223 Wylde
Haven't tried any others......(bought IMI to get me through a period where no time/place for reloading)
Barrel is an 18 in WOA SPR in .223 Wylde
Good to know.
lol, I'll stay away form it then. I've heard a bunch of people say it's good but never really looked into it too far.
I need Midway to run another big sale on the IMI razor core again like they did last year.
Their 77gr stuff might have better QC seeing as how its labeled a match load, but I'd still stay away..
If you’re seeing 250fps ES then that tells me their consistency is sloppy AF too and I doubt that at $.50/rd they’re loading the match stuff on any different equipment than the others. I’ll spend the extra $.15/rd for IMI when my stash dwindles down again.
As mentioned above, midway runs a great deal a few times a year on the IMI 69 and 77grain
I happened upon a sale on some sig 77 grn. It had a super low SD and was extremely accurate out of my AR.
Being a ammo slut... Thanks for the info. I will have to try some.
Please note... Fenix recommends a .223 Wylde chamber or a 5.56 chamber.
Just an FWIW... the velocities of the 77gr Factory loads can vary quite a bit.
https://www.ar15.com/forums/AR-15/V...s-16-Middie-and-20-Rifle--223-5-56/16-676005/
Thanks for the heads up! Next range trip I'll get some data from the labradar to confirm.
I haven't shot Razor Core yet. Before I started loading my own I shot Black Hills 77 grain Match when I shot past 100 yards.
Hornady Black 75 has been good.
was extremely good in my .223 bolt too.
was extremely good in my .223 bolt too.
Magtech 77gr OTM has been a proven performer on a wide sample of rifles in my little shooting clique.
i bought a bunch of different match ammo to try side by side in my "precision" ar (1:8 twist) and my tavors of all things. but the one that kept rising to the top was the Corbon precision match 77 gr smk
fiochi 77 gr was fairly good,
the old prime 77 gr match from ruag was darn good as well
i did not try the best black hills stuff.
all the 77-75 gr stuff outshot the lower weight bullets in my experimenting. except the 69 gr fmgg shot very well.
i noticed that the stuff with crannulations on the bullets or stuff that crimped the necks on the bullets was not as consistent. YMMV
fiochi 77 gr was fairly good,
the old prime 77 gr match from ruag was darn good as well
i did not try the best black hills stuff.
all the 77-75 gr stuff outshot the lower weight bullets in my experimenting. except the 69 gr fmgg shot very well.
i noticed that the stuff with crannulations on the bullets or stuff that crimped the necks on the bullets was not as consistent. YMMV
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Cannelures...
