View Full Version : Point me to some decent factory "match" .223 ammo...
Long story short: I'm going to buy a bolt-action 5.56, and I'm going to handload for it. I want to buy a couple hundred rounds of decent factory "match" ammo to use as a reference as I work up my own loads.
I'll be punching paper at 200-300yds, maybe out to 600yds. I expect I'll be using bullets in the 50-69gr range.
So, I'm looking at 69gr FGMM, which I can get for 85¢/round, shipped.
QUESTION: Are there other/better options that I should consider?
(I know you guys were all drooling over MagTech's 77gr OTM load a couple years ago, but that seems to be long gone.)
OK, I just saw the 73gr Berger FGMM load.
I can get that for 95¢/round. I'm not convinced that it would be so much better than the 69gr SMK load, but it's not like an extra $20 for a couple hunderd rounds would ruin me, either.
Defaultmp3
04-10-19, 22:57
If price is an issue: https://www.targetsportsusa.com/prvi-partizan-match-ammo-223-remington-75-grain-hpbt-ppm2232-p-65.aspx
The data is rather old, but it is from Molon, so at least PPU was once capable of pretty good accuracy: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?65896-Prvi-Partizan-75gr-BTHP-Match&p=800880#post800880
Here's the Magtech: https://www.targetsportsusa.com/magtech-fd-sniper-556-nato-ammo-77-grain-otm-556c-p-82712.aspx
One can roll the dice in regards to finding an accurate factory load for THEIR rifle, same an be said for hand loading. The hand loading can turn into a nightmare if you let it. Having said that, there are factory loads that are a safe bet and the saying goes that if your rifle can't shoot FGMM than it's not the ammunition. Ask yourself what ranges you can shoot to and maybe pick a good bullet that will perform best to that distance. If short range, go for the 69's, longer-at least 77. I could be wrong but I think the 73's where intended for semi's, certain they will perform well in a bolt. Blackhills would be another good one. Don't waste your time over a nickel a bullet, nothing is worse than having a great rifle and ammo that won't shoot.
I've shot the PPU and Magtech in a couple different rifles, it did ok but not on par with Blackhills or FGMM. Every rifle is different, I have a standard 16" chrome lined LMT MRP barrel that will shoot the Sig branded 77 match into .75 bu the tack driver, 20" SS 5R hates it- over 1" But that same 20" will run BH 262 into sub 3/4" one example.
For a good combo look at H4895 and the the Hornady 75 BTHP and or IMR 8208 with the 77. I haven't mixed the two yet. That H4895 load has shot well in 3 rifles.
Ditto the above. There are some loads that just shoot well in most rifles. May not be the ultimate best for any one rifle but surprisingly good in most. Federal has a good record of finding such loads for its GMM ammo. The 69 and 77 gr GMM are close to my best handloads in my rifles. I use GMM as a good baseline for working up accurate loads in a new rifle. And it is always available at least long as ammo in general is available.
gunnerblue
04-11-19, 12:13
Folks around here use HSM with Bergers and Hornady for the most part and seem pleased. I have no first-hand experience with the factory ammo but I’ve had very good results with handloaded Bergers and Hornady ELD-X’s
Get some Black Hills 69 gr TMK in 5.56mm. You'll be blown away. The TMK bullet itself isn't quite as accurate as the Matchking, but it's still good. And if you want to shoot a load out to 600 that is amazingly flat, try a box of those.
If price is an issue...
Here's the Magtech: https://www.targetsportsusa.com/magtech-fd-sniper-556-nato-ammo-77-grain-otm-556c-p-82712.aspx
Price is always an issue, but I'd rather have utterly reliably accurate ammo at 85$/round, rather than try to guess whether a problem is the ammo or not... The MagTech is reallllly tempting at 60¢/round, though!
Ditto the above. There are some loads that just shoot well in most rifles. May not be the ultimate best for any one rifle but surprisingly good in most. Federal has a good record of finding such loads for its GMM ammo...
... the saying goes that if your rifle can't shoot FGMM than it's not the ammunition.
Exactly. This is why my first instinct was to just buy a case of FGMM.
... For a good combo look at H4895 and the the Hornady 75 BTHP and or IMR 8208 with the 77. I haven't mixed the two yet. That H4895 load has shot well in 3 rifles.
I trust you guys to correct me if I'm wrong, but lighter bullets are flatter shooting inside 600yds, right? Given that I'm unconcerned with terminal performance, I'm looking at using 69- or even 52/53-grain bullets.
Get some Black Hills 69 gr TMK in 5.56mm.
Ugh, I have several old boxes of Black Hills 77gr, and they've never shot well (not much better than M193) for me in my ARs. It's not me or the guns — the Norma 77gr factory ammo I have does much better.
Hornady 5.56mm 75 gr. BTHP T2 TAP (8126N) works well for me.
Get some Black Hills 69 gr TMK in 5.56mm. You'll be blown away. The TMK bullet itself isn't quite as accurate as the Matchking, but it's still good. And if you want to shoot a load out to 600 that is amazingly flat, try a box of those.
Truth. While truing my first box of that load all I could think was, "this can't be right..."
Get some Black Hills 69 gr TMK in 5.56mm.
Holy cow, I just looked it up, it's $1.05/round... That's hard to justify when FGMM is 85¢.
If I was going to spend more, then I would go for Lapua... Their 167gr Scenar is just awesome in my .308, except that it's so damned expensive.
I see that BH loads the 52 SMK, though, and that's tempting... but I really just want ONE decent factory load, so that I'll be forced to handload.
Holy cow, I just looked it up, it's $1.05/round... That's hard to justify when FGMM is 85¢.
When you shave off nearly a mil in come up at 500 yards, that price isn't so bad. I'd give you some to try if you were near me...
Like ST911 pointed out.... If you have experience shooting 500-1000 yards plus, and you try this load... you'll be in disbelief.
Hornady 5.56mm 75 gr. BTHP T2 TAP (8126N) works well for me.
I have some of that... It's been underwhelming in my ARs, at least in terms of accuracy.
I've been collecting random samples of .223/5.56 over the years, but never really made "precision" a priority since I've been shooting lightweight ARs.
Now that I'm getting a bolt gun and really going to start hand-loading, it's different...
WI'd give you some to try if you were near me...
I appreciate it... Mostly I'll be shooting 200-300yds, and never beyond 600yds.
Irony: California has banned online ammo sales, so right now I'm looking to have something delivered to my parents' house in Colorado, so that I can pick it up when I'm there next week.
One can roll the dice in regards to finding an accurate factory load for THEIR rifle, same an be said for hand loading. The hand loading can turn into a nightmare if you let it. Having said that, there are factory loads that are a safe bet and the saying goes that if your rifle can't shoot FGMM than it's not the ammunition. Ask yourself what ranges you can shoot to and maybe pick a good bullet that will perform best to that distance. If short range, go for the 69's, longer-at least 77. I could be wrong but I think the 73's where intended for semi's, certain they will perform well in a bolt. Blackhills would be another good one. Don't waste your time over a nickel a bullet, nothing is worse than having a great rifle and ammo that won't shoot.
I've shot the PPU and Magtech in a couple different rifles, it did ok but not on par with Blackhills or FGMM. Every rifle is different, I have a standard 16" chrome lined LMT MRP barrel that will shoot the Sig branded 77 match into .75 bu the tack driver, 20" SS 5R hates it- over 1" But that same 20" will run BH 262 into sub 3/4" one example.
For a good combo look at H4895 and the the Hornady 75 BTHP and or IMR 8208 with the 77. I haven't mixed the two yet. That H4895 load has shot well in 3 rifles.Hand loading doesn't have to be a nightmare, you just need the right tools and methods. A good chronograph being numero uno! Find the node that yields both the lowest SD and has the most consistent group performance, done. Yes you can go off the rails with experimentation. That's why you consult other experienced reloaders to get an idea of the right bullet and powder combinations for your application first.
OK, since I just reminded myself that I need this to arrive in Colorado by Easter Monday, I just put in an order...
Sixteen boxes (320rnds) of FGMM 69 @ $15.99 from Ammunition Depot came to $255.84, and they ship orders >$250 for free, so it came to 80¢/round, shipped.
Hand loading doesn't have to be a nightmare, you just need the right tools and methods. A good chronograph being numero uno!
Not to worry... I've been reloading pistol rounds and .30 Carbine on a RL550B since the early 1990s. I have a ProChrono and know how to use it!
Stepping up to real rifle cartridges with shoulders will be stepping up my game, but it's been a long time coming.
I've been sitting on a Dillon swagger and Dillon trimmer for years and years, and I have a phat stash of .223 cases and 48lbs of TAC and 9,000+ various .224 bullets.
Of course, I'm not going to actually buy the bolt gun until the end of the year, but that'll give me time to catch up on loading .40, .38, and .30 Mauser!
Not to worry... I've been reloading pistol rounds and .30 Carbine on a RL550B since the early 1990s. I have a ProChrono and know how to use it!
Stepping up to real rifle cartridges with shoulders will be stepping up my game, but it's been a long time coming.
I've been sitting on a Dillon swagger and Dillon trimmer for years and years, and I have a phat stash of .223 cases and 48lbs of TAC and 9,000+ various .224 bullets.
Of course, I'm not going to actually buy the bolt gun until the end of the year, but that'll give me time to catch up on loading .40, .38, and .30 Mauser!Good, TAC has been outstanding for me with 77 noslers and cci41's in lake city or federal brass. Good luck!
Good, TAC has been outstanding for me...
Yes, mostly I bought it to load lots of .223 for my ARs and 7.62 for my M14, but I'm hoping that I can come up with some halfway accurate ammo for my bolt guns, too...
Really, my expectations (at least so far) are pretty low: I'd be very happy with 1moa out to 300yds.
Hand loading doesn't have to be a nightmare, you just need the right tools and methods. A good chronograph being numero uno! Find the node that yields both the lowest SD and has the most consistent group performance, done. Yes you can go off the rails with experimentation. That's why you consult other experienced reloaders to get an idea of the right bullet and powder combinations for your application first.
That why I said -IF YOU LET IT meaning you could try every combination one could think of to chase the golden egg. Some do, the point is to go with "safe bets" and be done with it.
That why I said -IF YOU LET IT meaning you could try every combination one could think of to chase the golden egg. Some do, the point is to go with "safe bets" and be done with it.
Amen to this...
Years ago I figured out a decent recipe for .40S&W that's cheap and runs well in my Glocks. Now I just crank out the same stuff, over and over again, and go shoot it. Suffice to say that the issues with my pistol-shooting are NOT ammo-related!
I assume that loading rifle rounds will involve much more fiddling, but I'm determined NOT to go down the rabbit hole...
Get some Black Hills 69 gr TMK in 5.56mm. You'll be blown away. The TMK bullet itself isn't quite as accurate as the Matchking, but it's still good. And if you want to shoot a load out to 600 that is amazingly flat, try a box of those.
The 77's dont suck either.
Actually, I started looking at TMKs, and the 60s look good for inside 500yds, and they're waaaay cheaper than the 69s or 77s.
Because I expect that 97% of my shooting is going to be inside 300yds, I'll probably just get regular SMKs. I have an idea, too, that the pointy TMKs don't get their ogive as close to the rifling, and I absolutely need whatever I load to fit in standard AR mags...
I would save some money and go with the Hornady 75 BTHP. If you have H4895, use that. My Tikka 24" Varmint load is 24 grains of it with the 75 H. 2900 fps and 1/2" Start at 22.5 and work up--DO NOT START WITH THAT IN A SEMI
I would save some money and go with the Hornady 75 BTHP.
To start I'm looking at bullets in the 50-69gr range... The ballistic calculators I'm using don't give any advantage to heavier bullets until 450yds or so.
I don't want to make myself nuts, but once I figure out a good light load, then maybe I'll work up a heavy load to shoot at 500-600yds. The chances are slim/none that I'll ever get to shoot beyond 600yds, just because there's no place around here to do it.
Aside from what's already mentioned here, I've had very good luck with Australian Outback / ADI ammo. It's sub MOA in a few of my rifles. It wasn't available in the US for a while but it's back. Too bad it's nearly a $1/rnd now. It was ~$.70 when Cabela's stocked it.
https://australianoutbackammo.com/223-rem-69gr-sierra-hpbt-matchking/
... Australian Outback / ADI ammo. Too bad it's nearly a $1/rnd now. It was ~$.70 when Cabela's stocked it.
Yes, this is what I found...
FGMM is not only the "gold standard," but it's also inexpensive enough that some of the "copycats" actually cost more. Several years ago I stocked up on .308 and 7.62 FGMM at 75¢/round to use as a reference...
Even at 70¢/round, I can't see buying Outback (or MagTech @ 60¢/round) when I can buy FGMM for 80¢/round.
While I have never tried them, my understanding is the flat base 52/53 grain bullets do really well at closer ranges. I was just pointing out that the Hornady 75 BTHP match bullets are priced very well and you will have a good longer range bullet.
While I have never tried them, my understanding is the flat base 52/53 grain bullets do really well at closer ranges.
Yep, this is my understanding, too... And "closer ranges" is ≤400yds, as I understand it.
"69gr FGMM, which I can get for 85¢/round, shipped"
has generally worked the best for me. 77gr is good, too, but anecdotally seems a little *less* accurate.
depending on what you're trying to do, and with what, I've found the 50gr & 53gr Hornady loads to be surprisingly accurate as well.
*and noticeably cheaper than the traditional match loads.
Aside from what's already mentioned here, I've had very good luck with Australian Outback / ADI ammo. It's sub MOA in a few of my rifles. It wasn't available in the US for a while but it's back. Too bad it's nearly a $1/rnd now. It was ~$.70 when Cabela's stocked it.
https://australianoutbackammo.com/223-rem-69gr-sierra-hpbt-matchking/
Watch Global Ordnance. They often have ammo deals that are priced very nicely. Often they’ll have specials with by a case or two and get another free.
https://globalordnance.com/deals/?_bc_fsnf=1&brand=3290
I picked up some nice shooting Australian Outback 300BLK ammo there last fall. Informal testing in bitter cold leads me to think it will be about MOA with my SBR. I’ll be adding a good scope and wringing it out better sometime soon, but have been too busy and lazy to do so yet
squirrelsniper
04-27-19, 07:10
I've had good luck with Black Hills 69gr out of a Savage model 12 with a 1-9 twist.
ViniVidivici
04-27-19, 15:14
The go-to for me at this time is Hornady 75gr BTHP, for my 1:7 and 1:8 barrels. Extremely accurate, and they make it in both .223 and 5.56 versions. 5.56 is all I use of it.
Same exact bullet, I load with H335. 22.0 grains in LC brass, gets close to as accurate as the factory loading. Not there, but close.
Thanks, guys...
I picked up the 320rnds of FGMM with the 69gr SMK at my parents' house last weekend, and it's now stashed away, waiting for me to get that 5.56 bolt gun.
If/When I get another chance to bring home a load of ammo from out of state, and/or if I don't actually start handloading for this gun, then I'll look closely at these other options...
Watch Global Ordnance. They often have ammo deals that are priced very nicely. Often they’ll have specials with by a case or two and get another free.
https://globalordnance.com/deals/?_bc_fsnf=1&brand=3290
I picked up some nice shooting Australian Outback 300BLK ammo there last fall. Informal testing in bitter cold leads me to think it will be about MOA with my SBR. I’ll be adding a good scope and wringing it out better sometime soon, but have been too busy and lazy to do so yet
I spoke to them yesterday at NRAAM Indy and was told the same thing. 2 for 1!
I need to do some more ammo testing and buy a case if it's what shoots best.
I need to test some Gorilla 77 gr as well.
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