COAL for AR15

[jLorenzo]

I've been loading my hand loads to 2.25 with the best load being 23.6gr varget, LC 5.56 brass, 75 Hornady bthp is pretty much all the gun sees maybe some 77s and ocassional some 55gr plinking. I have some American Eagle 50gr predator hollow points that shoot consistently 1.3 moa, my hand loads are 1.2 consistently but they always throw one flyer. Could be me still learning the gas gun. Anybody ever have luck back the COAL down from 2.25 and getting better accuracy? It's a 18" 1:7 ss 223 wylde, A2 profile PSA barrel. I've been very surprised at how well it shoots for the money. I still plan on going with a WOA or Ballistic advantage. I have a 223 Wylde SPR 1:8 16" on my do everything gun and it's definitely a shooter. With a mil spec nickel boron trigger I've got sub minute groups with fed gmmm 73gr bergers and it generally shoots everything well. even 300round bulk pack federal 55gr is 1.5 MOA with a 4x scope that has a 2 MOA dot so I zero it right on top of the dot on the fine vertices duplex.
But until I get a new barrel for 18" any suggestions on how to squeeze some more accuracy from ot, it has a large 2 stage as well which really helps.
Here are some groups with various ammo on different days and before ai found the best accuracy at 23.6gr of Varget CCI br4 primers and 5.56 LC brass thinking of swith in to see kind of bulk 223 federal brass so I don't have to ream the primer pockets so much and champher the cannulure grooves out of the neck. Will this change velocoty/pressure moving from 5.56 to 223? I'm get about 2520 just by truing my through shooter at 700y.

 

[Snaploader]

Too many statments that don't make sense plus pictures of 2 different uppers. In the last paragraph, you have a large 2 stage what? Based on what I see with your target pics, it looks more like shooter problem rather that purely ammo/reloading techniques. Maybe some helpful points here.... 1st I see is that Berger 73 gr. shoot sub moa, right? If so, then try to duplicate that cartridge. I would load out to 2.26" and try to match mv with the Berger bullet and compare your group sizes.
Next, I am not sure what camfer the cannulure grooves of the cartridge neck means? Help me understand.
Also, I don't ream primer pockets.... I remove the swage from the crimped primers.
And also, for best accuracy, I pay close attention to neck tension of the seated rounds. I'll be glad to try to help you but I need a little better understanding of your problems.

For what it is worth, I wouldn't be so quick to blame the barrel for your groups. It takes a combination of things to get an accurate rifle; shooter, trigger, glass and then ammo.... just my thoughts.

 

[jLorenzo]

Sorry auto correct and typing fast. The gun I'm handloading for is the 18" PSA, some of the groups are from the 16" PSA lower/aero upper/PSA bolt/16" balistic advantage spr profile 223 Wylde/1:8 twist. The bergers were shot from the 16", they shoot like a shotgun out of the 18" the pics of the Berger 77s tac, Hornady 75 bthps was shot with the 18" PSA 223 wylde 1:7 A2 rifle length gas. Yes I'm still figuring out how to drive a gas gun but it is also not my first rodeo. I've had some good trigger time on the 18". It has the LaRue mbt 2 stage in it. I'm just trying to find where in the chain my cosistency is going away with the 18" gun. I've settled on 23.8gr of varget loaded slightly shorter than mag length the gun seems to like more of a jump. But it has shown some promise.

Too many statments that don't make sense plus pictures of 2 different uppers. In the last paragraph, you have a large 2 stage what? Based on what I see with your target pics, it looks more like shooter problem rather that purely ammo/reloading techniques. Maybe some helpful points here.... 1st I see is that Berger 73 gr. shoot sub moa, right? If so, then try to duplicate that cartridge. I would load out to 2.26" and try to match mv with the Berger bullet and compare your group sizes.
Next, I am not sure what camfer the cannulure grooves of the cartridge neck means? Help me understand.
Also, I don't ream primer pockets.... I remove the swage from the crimped primers.
And also, for best accuracy, I pay close attention to neck tension of the seated rounds. I'll be glad to try to help you but I need a little better understanding of your problems.

For what it is worth, I wouldn't be so quick to blame the barrel for your groups. It takes a combination of things to get an accurate rifle; shooter, trigger, glass and then ammo.... just my thoughts.

 

[jLorenzo]

The brass I was using was federal American Eagle from the 150 round bulk packs 55gr 5.56 found everywhere. I switched to buying 300 round boxes of federal .223 55gr. I shoot those out of the 16" doing ready ups, dot drills, etc. Then save that brass to reload for the 18" with the 75gr Hornady bthps. I have a pound of varget so that's where I'm at. Always used cci primers recently switched from bench rest to standard and could not tell a difference in either my 308 bolt gun or 223 semi. I'm guessing getting brass prep super consistent, along with the rest of the reloading process plus trying to shoot the gun without putting any influence into it as I shoot it at prs matches out to 700 never really prone.