Rifle Scopes New to the AR world and need some direction

[KEE]

I am completly new to the AR world and looking for some good tips to point me in the right direction, i am just getting into some Coyote hunting and just bought A New RRA JAR 15 with a carbine, put a 5-20*50 Trijion Socpe on it , when i say new i mean brand new to the AR world, where i live we are manily in Shotgun Contry, so own very few riffles,
I am wondering what everyones thoughts are on the grain i should be shooting, i have a 16 inch barrel with a 1 in 8 twist on it, i was taking out some coyote last year with the T&C pro hunter with a s&w 460 on it at around 200 yards but these dogs are getting wise and staying out a little further so i want to reach out and touch them, let them now i am here, whats your thoughts?
Any help is apppreciated as i am ccompletly new to this,
i am not new to guns or hunting plunty of handguns and shotguns but just touching into the AR S
Thanks for any help in advance

I see by my Name it says private first class but do not want to mislead any body i am not a milatary man and do not want to insult anyone but i dont know how to change that.

 

[wallace11bravo]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

Someone with a better comprehension of internal ballistics will probably come along and elaborate (or correct) but generally speaking the faster the rate of twist the longer the ideal projectile (for stability)

faster twist=longer projectile
heavier projectile=longer projectile

IOW you want to be on the heavier side. My 1:8 handles 75gr BTHPs the best, but every barrel is different, and the most common I hear for 1:8 is 69gr. 77gr would probably be worth a look as well, but those were more intended for the 1:7.

I would reccommend purchasing 20 of each and shooting for groups at a set distance, compare and conclude.

 

[ToddKS]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

KEE,

If your primary goal is to shoot coyotes then the you need to select a round with a bullet correct for the task. A FMJ or match type BTHP is not what you are looking for. You need a varmit type bullet.

Typical wisdom might say a 69gr or heavier bullet for 1-8 twist, but I have had good luck with the 55gr bullets in mine. I tried 50gr, however, and the results were not good and there is not much available in .223 in the way of varmit ammo over 55gr bullet weight.

I am going to assume given that you are new to the rifle game that you do not reload. Try Hornady Varmit Express loaded with the 55gr bullet. Nosler Varmegeddon loaded with the 55gr bullet would be another option, but more expensive. See what shoots best.

It is not necessary to practice all the time with these ammunitions as that would get expensive, but for hunting purposes you want to make sure you have the right round for the job. If you choose to practice with lesser cost ammo, make sure you re-zero your scope with the hunting ammo before you head out as you point of impact will be different with each variety of ammunition.

Good luck and welcome aboard.

 

[BERTMAN77MK2]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

60 gr Hornady VMAX for the win---try it, you will like it

 

[remaction]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

I've tried several different factory loads in my 18" RRA,from 50 gr up to 77 gr. It likes the 55 gr black hills soft points the best, but the 55 gr fiocchi are a very close second place and are much cheaper to buy. However, I ended up going with 50 gr fiocchi v-max. They were even less expensive than the 55 gr and they shoot darn near as good. I went that route for prairie dogs and they worked out well. Now, if you want to stretch it out over 400 yards, then you should probably look to the heavier bullets, but I believe the 50 gr v-max would do a nice job on coyotes. I've heard that there can be issues with reloading the fiocchi's, as some have reported off-center flash holes. I have not tried reloading any yet.

 

[Beef82]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BERTMAN77MK2</div><div class="ubbcode-body">60 gr Hornady VMAX for the win---try it, you will like it </div></div>

^^^^This is what you want^^^^
Best groups I ever shot were with this bullet, several groups under 1/2" @200yds out of a nothing special AR. Many others report good accuracy as well, the terminal performance on soft tissue is also quite good.

Not sure why you've posted in optics though?

 

[CajunAR]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

i also hear good things about the Hornady 55gr SP's. I have never shot coyotes or varmints, but i know there are a ton of different options and i'm sure there are plenty folks here that will give you great advice.

With the "faster" 1:8 twist you should be able to stabilize anything you want, but as mentioned above, the longer/heavier bullets are going to typically be your match bullets which wouldn't be ideal for your application.

 

[fireEMT5]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

Have had good luck with Hornady 55 gr. SP's, V-maxes, and 60 Gr. V-max. My AR likes the 60 gr. V-max the best and it does stop coyotes and leaves a hell of a hole. Maybe not the best if you want to sell fur, but to just put them down it does a hell of a job.

As said above, you'll have to try a few to see what your gun likes to eat. Once found, reload your own if you are going to shoot alot.

 

[KEE]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

Thanks alot guys for the help, we are going to give them all a run for it and see how we trun out, for someone like myself running blind with this all the leads in the right direction have given me some insight into something you have learned with years of experiance, again thanks for the help, hoping to get this thing to the range for the frist time tomorrow

 

[KEE]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

My apolgies i dont now how/where to post i am new to this

 

[Ghogs Nightmare]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

Kee,
Welcome to the hide. First remember the only dumb question is the one you dont ask. A lot of knowledge here but some are a little rough at times.
This is from an article at 6mmbr . com:
Twist Rates
The .223 Rem shoots a wide range of bullets very effectively, from 35gr flat-based varmint bullets, to ultra-long 90gr VLDs. However, you'll need the right twist rate for your choice of bullet. For max velocity and accuracy with the lightest bullets, a 1:14" twist may be ideal. More versatile is a 1:12" twist that will allow you to shoot the popular 60-64 grain match bullets. (However, a 1:9" twist is needed for the steel-core 62gr bullet used in the M855 military loads, because that bullet is as long as most 70-grainers.) For normal lead-core jacketed bullets, a 1:9" twist will let you shoot up to 73gr bullets. Since most .223 Rem shooters prefer bullets in the 50-73gr range, a good "do-it-all" solution is a 9-twist, unless you're a Highpower competitor.

<span style="font-weight: bold">For long-range match purposes, long, high-BC bullets are favored for their ability to buck the wind. You'll want at least a 1:8" twist to shoot the 77gr and 80gr MatchKings and 80gr Bergers.</span> To shoot the new 90gr pills, a 1:6.5" is recommended, though a true 1:7" will work in most conditions.
.
If it were me I'd probably stick around the 60/69 range with 77 being the max weight I'd go.
.
Here's a link to the full article:
http://www.6mmbr.com/223Rem.html
.
If you reload check out the reloading section an specifically the top of it. Lots of info there on loads an load data with the 223 an heavier bullets. Good luck an get some pics of those yotes when u smash'm. The 60BT is my fav.

 

[Force_Multiplier]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

no... there are dumb questions asked daily

 

[KEE]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

Cant seam to find the 60 Gr hornady Vmax?
Any suggestion on where i can get them?
Thanks

 

[plant.one]

Re: New to the AR world and need some direction

if you cant finc the 60's, just give the 55's a try - see how your rifle likes them. My 1:9 ar is absolutely in love with them sitting on varget - but i do hand load so that helps but see sub ½ MOA performance out of them.

have been varmit hunting with 223 vmax for a few years now.. dont have a yote under my belt yet, but groundhogs and racoon's a pleanty. 160-175 yd backflips on groundhogs arent difficult to do.


(clickable thumbnail if you want to really see what kind of exit damage occurs on a groundhog at 170 yds with 55gr vmax)

feral pigeon in the soybeans from about 120 yds away - the puff of feathers was impressive.