Question on Black Hills ammunition

[jgunner13]

I saw a good deal on some Black Hills 5.56 77 Gr Ammo (https://www.armsunlimited.com/Black-Hills-Ammo-556x45-MK262-77gr-Sierra-Open-Tip-p/d556n9.htm?Click=53396), but have never shot it before. Any one have experience with this ammo and can give me some feedback before I purchase?

Thanks!

Jay

[firefighter37]

I saw a good deal on some Black Hills 5.56 77 Gr Ammo (https://www.armsunlimited.com/Black-Hills-Ammo-556x45-MK262-77gr-Sierra-Open-Tip-p/d556n9.htm?Click=53396), but have never shot it before. Any one have experience with this ammo and can give me some feedback before I purchase?

Thanks!

Jay

Some of the best ammo commercially available. That's a good price too.

[Spin Drift]

Some of the best ammo commercially available. That's a good price too.



That's a really good price for that specific ammo.

+1 on the quality.

[markm]

We've been burning through a bunch of BH 5.56 ammo in 5.56 lately. It's been very good. I normally handload this type of ammo, but don't get the velocities that Black Hills does with my preferred loads.

[Krazykarl]

Markm,
How much do you compromise between a handloads precision and it's velocity? I have found that many rifles reach optimal precision before desired velocity is achieved.

This is topical to this thread as I have recently switched to IMI mk262 for social use. The effects on paper were not as spectacular as the potential terminal ballistics. But like my hunting rifles, terminal ballistics are more important than smallish groups for this scenario.

[JaegerOne]

You might also consider the Black Hills 69gr. TMK.

[OrbitalE]

It's good stuff and that's a good price; I was tempted myself actually. The 69gr stuff is also quite good.

[jgunner13]

Thanks everyone, I got a few cases based on your reviews/feedback :D

[hdrolling]

Thanks everyone, I got a few cases based on your reviews/feedback :D

Thanks for the link I've been looking for a deal on the BH 77 .

[markm]

Markm,
How much do you compromise between a handloads precision and it's velocity? I have found that many rifles reach optimal precision before desired velocity is achieved.


Yep. Our target load is nothing to get excited about in the velocity realm. (2650 or so out of a 20 inch barrel). It still gets out to 1000 yards. Just not as efficiently.

[markm]

You might also consider the Black Hills 69gr. TMK.

That stuff is insane. We still have yet to post a 3 shot video of those bullets hitting steel at 500 yards. The 5.56 load crushes any 77 load inside of 500.

[ST911]

I've shot Mk262, the 5.56 77 TMK, and 5.56 69 TMK against each other out to 900. The 69 is really quite something, and a bit of a head-scratcher.

[markm]

The 69 is really quite something, and a bit of a head-scratcher.

Any experienced long range shooter (500 plus yards) who tries the 69 gr TMK will really appreciate what they're cooking up. It simply blows the doors off of anything else.

[Krazykarl]

Several years ago I did work up to a maximum load of n540 and 69gr SMK. 10 shot string at 1.8" and average velocity 2900 fps. This is the only time that I can report a field velocity similar to a published velocity.

Sounds like I need to find that recipe again.

[Colnago]

That is a really good price on the BH 77 gr. I have shot a bunch of the new black hills 77 gr and the remanufactured BH 77 gr. The load is pretty hot, but very consistent and accurate. I tried the 69 gr. in my SPR and it was noticeably less accurate than the 77gr. Maybe I need to try another batch of the 69 gr. to see if I get a better result

[markm]

Your barrel may just not like 69s. 77s have generally been better for us over the broad spectrum of guns.

[mack7.62]

All my clones so far have been weak sauce, one of these days when I can crono them I need to try some of these.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v314/mack77515/Ammo/097_zps6nw3oxkn.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/mack77515/media/Ammo/097_zps6nw3oxkn.jpg.html)

[markm]

Nice.

[Pappabear]

That is a really good price on the BH 77 gr. I have shot a bunch of the new black hills 77 gr and the remanufactured BH 77 gr. The load is pretty hot, but very consistent and accurate. I tried the 69 gr. in my SPR and it was noticeably less accurate than the 77gr. Maybe I need to try another batch of the 69 gr. to see if I get a better result

Most of our guns agree with each other on ammo choice. But every once in a while a barrel will flat disagree with a particular load with no good reason. Very strange. On average you won't go wrong with black hills. Their balance of speed and accuracy is amazing. Truly outstanding.

A few of my guns preferred the OTM vs the tipped match kings. So don't feel cheated buying the classic OTM type ammo.

PB

[sl4mdaddy]

Not sure if this is an accurate comparison or not, just throwing it out there...SGAmmo has this for $335.00:

http://www.sgammo.com/product/223-556mm-ammo/500-round-case-556mm-77-grain-smk-otm-lr-mod-1-razorcore-imi-ammo-made-israe-0

500 Round Case - 5.56mm 77 Grain SMK OTM LR MOD-1 Razorcore IMI Ammo Made by Israel Military Industries Mfg 2016

( I have no experience with this ammo...)

[Krazykarl]

Not sure if this is an accurate comparison or not, just throwing it out there...SGAmmo has this for $335.00:

http://www.sgammo.com/product/223-556mm-ammo/500-round-case-556mm-77-grain-smk-otm-lr-mod-1-razorcore-imi-ammo-made-israe-0

500 Round Case - 5.56mm 77 Grain SMK OTM LR MOD-1 Razorcore IMI Ammo Made by Israel Military Industries Mfg 2016

( I have no experience with this ammo...)

That is the same stuff that I have just rezeroed my rifles for. No chronograph data to report. Scoped precision from a 1:9 20" bushmaster is 10 shot at 100 yards producing 2 moa. Red dot precision with 2 colt carbines is fist sized groups at same distance with same number of rounds.

[OrbitalE]

That is the same stuff that I have just rezeroed my rifles for. No chronograph data to report. Scoped precision from a 1:9 20" bushmaster is 10 shot at 100 yards producing 2 moa. Red dot precision with 2 colt carbines is fist sized groups at same distance with same number of rounds.

I got 2860fps; don't have my notes, but IIRC it shot low two digit spread and low two digit standard deviation. This was out of a 20" barrel, suppressed, using a cut-off style gas-block. I'd expect 50-100fps less using a regular gas block and no suppressor.

[jcalvert86]

Any recommended retailers that continually have reasonable pricing on IMI or Blackhills 69/77gr?

[Krazykarl]

Sgammo has my continued business.

[Tigereye]

Sgammo has my continued business.

Sgammo for me too.

[jgunner13]

Any recommended retailers that continually have reasonable pricing on IMI or Blackhills 69/77gr?

The Black Hills ammo that I got is still available at Arms Unlimited: here (https://www.armsunlimited.com/Black-Hills-Ammo-556x45-MK262-77gr-Sierra-Open-Tip-p/d556n9.htm?Click=53396)