View Full Version : Hornady Frontier 5.56
Is Hornady Frontier ammo any good? It is ammo that would be for multi purpose use, target, self defense, shtf.
When ever I am at the local hardware store I buy a couple boxes of 20. I think I've been paying about $10 or $11 a box with a military discount. They also have Winchester green tip. The Hornady is 55gr and 75gr. The Winchester is 62gr. Just wondering which is better ammo? I have a 16" 1:7 non suppressed barrel.
Thank you in advance for any advice.
Don't know if it has improved any, but I do remember reading bad things about a few years ago. IIRC, it was causing some kabooms, but I may be off on that.
Don't know if it has improved any, but I do remember reading bad things about a few years ago. IIRC, it was causing some kabooms, but I may be off on that.
Nope. That was well documented.
Nope. That was well documented.Yup, just looked it up. Multiple kabooms. Terrible QC. Also I seem to recall complaints about the cases being dirty/unpolished making extraction more difficult. One can hope that things have improved, I suppose.
Interesting, I was thinking because it's made at the Lake City plant that it would be good quality. Guess I was wrong.
Wasn’t that a lot of 55gr 5.56 from 2019? Any issues since then?
I tried the 75gr and was not impressed. Accuracy was between mil surplus and decent match/hunting ammo (1.5-2moa).
I have shot quite bit of 55 gr without issues, but there is better ammo available at the same prices.
Andy
Pretty crappy ammo. A buddy of ours was shooting it at long range, then I handed him some RMR 69gr handloads. Remarkable difference in accuracy.
blacktail 8541
05-08-23, 09:06
I have not shot any, just been the beneficiary of a leo friend giving me all the range brass. Won't pass up free brass.
I picked up a 1000 round case of Frontier 5.56 55 grain hp around 2017 when it was under $300. I shot it all up with not one issue. Accuracy seemed on par for bulk 5.56 55 grain but I bought it for shooting steel and it worked well for that purpose.
I have not shot any, just been the beneficiary of a leo friend giving me all the range brass. Won't pass up free brass.
Same here. The guy we shoot with doesn't reload. I've used hundreds of the once fired pieces of brass.
Pretty crappy ammo. A buddy of ours was shooting it at long range, then I handed him some RMR 69gr handloads. Remarkable difference in accuracy.
A lady at work goes shooting with me occasionally. A year or two ago we were shooting a scoped AR at 100 yards with decent ammo (handloads?) before switching to 55 gr FMJ, maybe Frontier, maybe another inexpensive round. She wanted to know what happened to the rifle, because groups doubled at the least. When I explained that it was the different ammunition, she asked a brilliant question "Why are we shooting it then?"
Andy
she asked a brilliant question "Why are we shooting it then?"
Once the notion of accuracy is displayed clearly like that, anyone with a lick of sense won't want to shoot sloppy ammo.
I'll never forget spotting for Pappabear at 200 yards when he was shooting some 7.62 import garbage ball. I mean this shit was 8 moa at very best. Bullets tracing off everywhere. I thought he was shooting with his eyes closed.
ViniVidivici
05-09-23, 08:12
I remember getting a few hundred rounds of it at some point over the last few years, 55gr I think, don't remember having any problems with it.
Shot it all up long ago, and that brass lives on in my ammo stash, I see the headstamp frequently when I shoot.
Dude gave us a box. I think I finally shot it on the short range steel just to burn it up and get the brass. We never had any pressure issues, but the accuracy was pretty bad.
Hammer_Man
05-15-23, 15:41
I bought about 200 rounds of their 75gr BTHP because it was what I could find during the pandemic. Should I be concerned?
If it were me, I'd shoot it. I pull a lot of ammo down, but I would just run this stuff.
I bought about 200 rounds of their 75gr BTHP because it was what I could find during the pandemic. Should I be concerned?
Yeah, shoot it.
I have shot alot of Frontier 62 SP and 75 gr BTHP. I had one primer back out of a 62 gr and lock up the gun. That said, It is my primary HD ammo in my WW rifle and is very accurate. Most of the problems I heard about was with the 55 gr FMJ, but that was several years ago.
I bought about 200 rounds of their 75gr BTHP because it was what I could find during the pandemic. Should I be concerned?
If you are concerned, shoot it but check your brass for pressure indicators, avoid heatsoaking the ammo, and shoot on cooler days. I fired at least 1500 rds of the 55 gr Frontier because a local gun store sold it for a great price with zero issues. I also reload and the cases did not have loose primer pockets or any other obvious signs of overpressure.
Andy
I bought 120 rounds of the 75gr BTHP ammo. Academy had a good deal for it and thought I'd give it a try. The stuff I got ran fine without any issues. Grouped better than the m855 I had. I have been impressed by Palmetto's AAC ammo. Bought the 77gr SMK and shoots and groups great!
I bought 120 rounds of the 75gr BTHP ammo. Academy had a good deal for it and thought I'd give it a try. The stuff I got ran fine without any issues. Grouped better than the m855 I had. I have been impressed by Palmetto's AAC ammo. Bought the 77gr SMK and shoots and groups great!
Of all of the three of those, the WIN M855 in stores now was the best ammo I shot. Frontier, as mentioned, ran ok but was all over the place at distance. The AAC problems are covered in depth in the ammo forum. But the WIN M855 ran great and shot surprisingly accurately with an ACOG. I don't think we ran any out to 900 or 1000 yards, but we probably should.
Leonidas24
05-18-23, 16:40
Of all of the three of those, the WIN M855 in stores now was the best ammo I shot. Frontier, as mentioned, ran ok but was all over the place at distance. The AAC problems are covered in depth in the ammo forum. But the WIN M855 ran great and shot surprisingly accurately with an ACOG. I don't think we ran any out to 900 or 1000 yards, but we probably should.
You get all the luck. My current stock of Winchester M855 shoots around 4 MOA out of all my guns at any distance and has wild swings in velocity.
You get all the luck. My current stock of Winchester M855 shoots around 4 MOA out of all my guns at any distance and has wild swings in velocity.
This was a sample of 1 box of 20. I might haul the other box I have and try shooting it in the bolt gun to 900 and or 1000. I don't think we've ever done that.
BangBang77
05-21-23, 15:52
I wouldn’t run that crap unless I was black on ammo and my position was about to be overrun.
Wow, I didn't think AAC or Frontier stuff was that bad, albeit I do have a small sample size. It worked for the range and it was an alternative to the M855 stuff I usually use.
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