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Thread: What company loads the most accurate/consistent rounds? .223/5.56 SMK 69gr./77gr.

  1. #11
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    Narrowed it down to the blackhills, one of the distributors I use has a number of different loads in stock.

    I am going to get some 60gr. Hornady V-max, 69gr. SMK, and 77smk. All Black hills loadings.

    One more question I have, Black hills has New ammo, Reloaded ammo, and Cosmetic seconds (new ammo). Is there much of a performance difference here?

  2. #12
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    Another vote for Black Hills. Look particularly at the 52 Match HP, 60 VMAX, 68 OTM, 77 (.223), Mk262, as twist rates allow.

    I believe it was a Molon that did a differential performance analysis of BHA new manufacture vs reman. If not him, someone else but I know I have seen the pics and targets. It may have been on another site. Search should get you there.

    Note that you can also find seconds in BHA new-manufacture from time to time, if new is preferred but value is desired.
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  3. #13
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    Southwest Ammunition's 77GR SMK's out-shoot Black Hills' offering in every single barrel I've pushed them through. Their match ammunition is in my opinion the best you can get in a factory round. Handloads tailored to your rifle and carefully refined will clearly do better, but for a factory round SWA is tops. And I've tried them all. If you do a search you can find where I talk about this in greater detail.

    PS. I'll echo and agree with the statement that the heavy SMK's often do NOT produce the best 100yd groups. If this is your only purpose, you can likely do better with other rounds already mentioned. Where the 77's shine is long range:

    Copy/Paste of my response to another thread that is relevant here:
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    While you may find that 69 GR SMK's or some other round outperform the 77's for printing little 1/2 MOA groups at 100 (which I'd bet the bank that your rifle is capable of), that does not, in the end, mean that those rounds will increase your hit probability throughout your rifle's effective range spectrum, especially when you introduce wind into the equation.

    Do what you can to get the 77's shooting SUB-MOA, but even if you can never get them to print 1/2 MOA, keep shooting them because when considering all the factors, you're still coming out on top. Unless you never shoot past 300, in which case, shoot whatever prints the smallest groups.

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  4. #14
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    Israeli IMI M855 green tip shoots pretty good in my AR.

  5. #15
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    Trident82 is correct, 52 and 55 grn flat bases give more consistent good groups at 100 yards.

    You can't beat the Federal Gold or Black Hills 69 and 75 grn HPBT for 500 yards. I am cheap and use the Black Hills remanufactured SECONDS with moly coating.

    Also getting better than one MOA using Hornady Steel Match 55 grn, great price at $15.95 for 50 rounds.

    I tested every weight bullet I could get in quality ammo before finding my upper (17 inch Lilja patrolman barrel) likes 55 grn at 100 yards.

    I need to get lucky and get a day at the range when the wind is less than 15 to 20 mph to shoot longer distances. Shot a couple times in 40-50 MPH gusts.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by a0cake View Post
    ....
    PS. I'll echo and agree with the statement that the heavy SMK's often do NOT produce the best 100yd groups. If this is your only purpose, you can likely do better with other rounds already mentioned. Where the 77's shine is long range:
    ....
    I completely agree here. The only honest sub MOA groups I see with .223/5.56 is the 77 SMKs at distance. Possibly the 77 Noslers as well, but I've not used them as much. Great bullets for my use and I doubt I'll go back to SMKs for reloads.

    On steel flashers at distance, especially > 300 Meters, hits with the 77s are never in doubt - not so with 55s. The heavier bullets carry significantly more momentum - regardless of what they hit.

    FWIW, the 5.56 pressure 77 grain factory loads (both S.A & B.H run ~2,800 fps) are a bit hot for my tastes and not quite as accurate as by reloads at 2,700 fps (18" SPR barrel).

  7. #17
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    When I attended the SPR Sniper Course we were required to use BH 77gr. loads. Simply because according to the instructors it was the most accurate and consistent loading especially at distance.

    It would also make it easier to diagnose a shooters problems since all the weapons were esentially the same, as well as optics, etc...



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  8. #18
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    No factory produced rounds will be as consistent as your own handloads. If you are worried about groups on paper, you should really consider taking the reload plunge. The most accurate bullet on paper for me at 100 yards is the 52gr SMK.
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  9. #19
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    On a related note, I'm planning on doing a DMR class and is looking for the most affordable ammo that offers performance close to Mk262. I'd love to shoot Mk262 at the class, but at almost $1 per round it's quite expensive for training. What factory ammo do you guys recommend for this purpose? Prvi 75gr match, or some other stuff?

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by a0cake View Post
    Southwest Ammunition's 77GR SMK's out-shoot Black Hills' offering in every single barrel I've pushed them through.
    Helen Keller could load ammo better than BLACK HILLS. I've never found ONE thing those clowns do good.

    It's functional ammo... and better than PRVI trash... And might seem decent if you're used to shooting XM193 or some other 3-4 MOA stuff.... but if you want good 69/77 factory...

    You have to get Federal Gold Medal Match ammo, Jethro.

    As far as that Mk 262 load... I'd say that it's more of a testament to Sierra's bullet... that BH can't screw up the accuracy of that load.... And that stuff only has a MOA accuracy requirement.
    Last edited by markm; 08-10-12 at 11:27.
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