Thoughts on PPU 75gr Match (5.56)

[jhs1969]

I'm looking to get another case of ammo in the next month or so. A dealer here in TN has in stock;
IMI M193
IMI M855
PPU M193
PPU 75gr Match

I'm curious about the 75gr Match. How does PPU's (Prvi Partizan) loading stack up. This will be put back for social occasions. I'm interested in it's veloicity, reliability and expansion. Should I go for it (it's a decent price) or get something else. They also have Hornady's 75gr TAP in stock but it is about $1.00 per round, which is hard to swallow, and hard to put much stock back at that price.

[Belmont31R]

I have gotten marginal accuracy results with it. Barely any better than M193.



I personally keep Mk262 as my "go to" ammo along with over 1k of IMI M193 as back up.



Here is a group I shot with IMI M193 at 100Y which is pretty consistent with other groupings Ive gotten from it.

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/BM31R/Range25APR10Stealth100YRDSIMIM193-2.jpg


The best M193 load I have shot with...

http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/BM31R/Range25APR10StealthIMIM193100YRDS.jpg


Of course "match" ammo does better (similar group size yet twice the distance):


http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj245/BM31R/26APR10200Y77SSA556Stealth.jpg




Don't have any scans of my groups with the PPU 75GR but they were worse than the IMI M193 out of the same gun, and didn't do any better out of my SPR.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

There is cheap ammo and there is accurate ammo. I think the PPU 75gr PRVI stuff maxes out the balance of cheap and accurate. The rifle I have set up for accurate shooting likes 77gr Black Hills ammo better than the 75 gr loads like the PPU, but at like half the cost it will do. If there is a one inch square I need to hit, I'll go with the Black hills. If I'm shooting from anything but the most stable platform, or at UNK distance targets, I'm more than comfortable using the PRVI ammo.

[shootist~]

It depends on how your rifle shoots the various ammo mentioned. I have rifles that shoot IMI M193 very accurately (within reason), and one very accurate rifle that hates it. That same rifle shoots the Privi 75gr very well - almost on par with TAP 75.

Try a sample of each and see. Some research in the Terminal Ballistics forum would be advisable also.

[Robb Jensen]

Prvi 75gr is typically what I use for any rifle/3gun match where I'll be having to shoot beyond 200yds or where I'll have to shoot a lot of steel that must fall. Typically for stuff inside 200yds I just shoot whatever 55gr stuff I have.

[jhs1969]

Where do you find Mk262?

Yes, I've been looking at the Terminal Ballistics forum as well but haven't found much on PPU 75gr. Only that it seems it may be a little slower in velocity than some other 75-77gr loadings.

[jhs1969]

Prvi 75gr is typically what I use for any rifle/3gun match where I'll be having to shoot beyond 200yds or where I'll have to shoot a lot of steel that must fall. Typically for stuff inside 200yds I just shoot whatever 55gr stuff I have.

What do you think of it's terminal performance, would you recommend it for social occasions or some other loadings?

[Robb Jensen]

What do you think of it's terminal performance, would you recommend it for social occasions or some other loadings?

I've pulled a few bullets, they are similar to Hornady 75gr and they do not have a cannelure. My ammo in my SHTF bags iis Mk262 and M855 but I wouldn't hesitate using Prvi 75gr I'm certain it would do just as good as any 55gr ammo but likely a whole lot better.

[Belmont31R]

It depends on how your rifle shoots the various ammo mentioned. I have rifles that shoot IMI M193 very accurately (within reason), and one very accurate rifle that hates it. That same rifle shoots the Privi 75gr very well - almost on par with TAP 75.

Try a sample of each and see. Some research in the Terminal Ballistics forum would be advisable also.



Sure but PPU has not shot well for me with quite a few barrels. Its consistently been by far the worse performer of any match ammo Ive shot.


For the price I guess its worth giving a try....

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Saying you prefer MK262 over PPU is like saying you like Corvette over the Yugo- if you could actually buy the Corvette. :)

[jhs1969]

I just found some Hornady 75gr TAP Training ammo at a good price. What is the story behind this ammo, why such a low price? Is it reliable for serious uses?

[Molon]

100 Yard Accuracy Evaluation of Prvi Partizan 75 grain Match Ammunition

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The Prvi Partizan 75 grain match ammunition uses an open-tip-match bullet very similar in configuration to Hornady’s 75 grain BTHP bullet used in Hornady’s TAP line of ammunition and in Black Hills’ 75 grain MHP line of ammunition. The Prvi Partizan (PPU) bullet has a nominal length that runs approximately 0.010” – 0.015” shorter than the Hornady bullet. The PPU 75 grain bullet does not have a cannelure, but the case mouth on this load does have a slight collet crimp on it which puts a slight crease in the bullet.



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The PPU 75 grain match load uses Boxer primed brass cases and is charged with “ball” powder. Neither the primer nor the case mouth have sealant and the primer is not crimped. Previous chronographing of this load through multiple barrel lengths shows it to run an average of 127 fps slower than the Black Hills 75 grain MHP load.


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I have read some statements recently that claim the PPU 75 grain bullet was designed to shoot well through 1:9” twist barrels, yet none of those making these statements have provided any scientific evidence to support this claim. According to the Greenhill formula, the optimal twist for the PPU 75 grain bullet is 1:7.6”.

From a 1:9” twist barrel, the PPU 75 grain match bullet has a gyroscopic stability factor (GSF) of less than 1.25 for all velocities. It is generally accepted that a rifle bullet should have a GSF of 1.5 to 2, with 1.25 being the least acceptable GSF.




Gyroscopc stability factor from a 1:9" twist barrel.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/n5zdm1u8an.jpg




Gyroscopic stability factor from a 1:7.7" twist barrel.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/4dqy5u18rg.jpg




The test-vehicle for this evaluation was an AR-15 with a 24” stainless-steel Kreiger VarMatch barrel, with a 1:7.7” twist, installed on a LaRue Tactical Stealth upper receiver. A Leupold Competition Series Scope was used for sighting. No malfunctions of any kind were experienced during testing.




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Following my usual protocol for accuracy evaluation, shooting was done from a bench-rest at 100 yards. Three 10-shot groups were obtained using the PPU 75 grain match load. Those three groups had extreme spreads that measured:

0.66”
0.92”
1.14”

for an average extreme spread of 0.91”.



The best 10-shot group from 100 yards.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/4hfdi5ii9x.jpg




The three groups from above were overlayd on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to obtain a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius of this composite group was 0.29”. For comparison, this composite group is pictured below next to a composite group of the Black Hills 75 grain red box MHP load as well as a composite group of one of my handloads.



http://www.box.net/shared/static/ymurmkahz1.jpg





Here is a repost of some of the chronograph data for the Prvi Partizan 75 grain Match load.


http://www.box.net/shared/static/4j7nxibrlt.jpg

[Molon]

Prvi Partizan 75 grain Match; Velocity Update


Here's a little update on the velocity aspect of the PPU 75 grain Match load. One can't help but wonder if Prvi Partizan has been listening to its customers. About the only complaint anyone has had with this load is that it has a lower muzzle velocity than the Hornady or Black Hills 75 grain loads. I recently chronographed the latest lot of the PPU 75 grain Match load that I have on hand and from a 20" Colt A2 barrel it is running approximately 117 fps faster than the original lots of this ammo that I chronographed!


http://www.box.net/shared/static/b3ncdbx8g4.jpg

[Molon]

Terminal Ballistic Properties of Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM

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Thanks to the efforts of the esteemed Dr. G.K. Roberts, we now have some excellent information on the terminal ballistic properties of the Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM load. The same lot of Prvi Partizan 75 grain OTM ammunition that Dr. Roberts used in testing had a nearly identical velocity when I chronographed it from a 16" Colt barrel as noted above.

Privi Partizan 75 gr OTM

Velocity: 2468 fps from a 16" 1:7” twist barrel

penetration in bare ballistic gel: 12.6"

neck length: 0.8”

maximum temporary cavity: 3.2” at a depth of 4.7”

recovered diameter: 0.36”

recovered length: 0.15”

recovered weight: 30.1gr

percentage of fragmentation: 60%




The “ballistic neck” length or initial upset depth is a critical component in evaluating the terminal ballistic properties of a round of ammunition. It is the length that the bullet travels in the body before it begins to upset (expand, yaw/fragment.) Keep in mind that on an average adult male, the surface of the heart is roughly 1.5” below the surface of the chest. Basically, the shorter the ballistic neck, the better.




http://www.box.net/shared/static/8pfe8o3g1x.jpg

courtesy of DocGKR




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The difference between a round with a long ballistic neck and a short ballistic neck can be the difference between the bullet sailing through the target without having expanded/yawed/fragmented and only creating the “ice pick” wound versus a bullet that yaws, fragments and creates a large temporary cavity with large amounts of tissue damage within the target.


This . . .
http://www.box.net/shared/static/fz38bkogum.jpg


versus this.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/mlojnackvc.jpg



This . . .
http://www.box.net/shared/static/j5p1fe57ln.jpg


versus this.
http://www.box.net/shared/static/x7zve7rk1c.jpg

courtesy of DocGKR



.....

[jhs1969]

Great post, thank you.

Two quick questions;

Does the ball powder present an problems in the AR systems?

Any thoughts on the Hornady 75gr TAP training ammo?

Again thanks for your help.

[Molon]

Hornady's 75 Grain Practice Ammunition


Hornady’s 75 grain practice ammunition uses a Berdan primed, steel case instead of a brass case to reduce the cost of the loaded cartridge. The round uses Hornady’s 75 grain BTHP bullet with a cannelure (referred to as the T1C here on AR15.com.) The round is charged with ball powder and has a muzzle velocity similar to Hornady’s 75 grain TAP FPD. Fired from my 20” Colt government profile barrel with a NATO chamber, a 10-shot string had an average muzzle velocity of 2,646 fps with a standard deviation of 9 fps.


http://www.box.net/shared/static/xsbzu8o3b2.jpg




http://www.box.net/shared/static/pux1fjacjp.jpg



The steel case employs the heaviest amount of bullet-pull I have ever encountered in a 223 Remington case. I was unable to remove a bullet from the case using Dillon’s kinetic bullet puller, so I chucked a Lee collet bullet-puller into my reloading press and attempted to pull the bullet. I still couldn’t get the bullet out of the case! At that point, I had to resort to more primitive means to get the bullet out of the case.



http://www.box.net/shared/static/5qnfhakn5j.jpg



I tested the accuracy of the 75 grain practice round following my usual procedures. Using a free-floated 20” Colt HBAR and shooting from a bench-rest from 100 yards, I obtained three 10-shot groups and over-layed them on each other using RSI Shooting Lab. The 30-round composite group had a mean radius of 0.47”. While not as accurate as Hornady’s 75 grain TAP FPD, accuracy was on par with the 75 grain 5.56 TAP load.



http://www.box.net/shared/static/us8pqbd4tl.jpg

[shootist~]

Great post on the 75 PPU, Molon - thanks for sharing, even if it's been posted before.


Where do you find Mk262?
...


I've never seen any Mk 262 for sale, but some claim the SSA 77 gr SMK /w cannelure 5.56 load is similar. It's available on-line and I satisfied my 5.56 curiosity by trying a few boxes. The lot I received appeared a little on the warm side for my personal needs or desires, however - at least in the one rifle I tried it in.

Out of a 16" N4 Light Reece a 6 shot string averaged 2,783 fps with a high of 2,804. The standard deviation was a respectable 13.7. Primers look OK, but I notice bright marks on the case head that appear to be metal trying to flow into the extractor grove. Whether or not this is normal pressure signs for real Mk 262 is beyond my experience.

[Molon]

Silver State Armory 77 grain OTM


http://www.box.net/shared/static/on62k494wc.jpg


Silver State Armory is now producing a 5.56mm NATO pressure, 77 grain OTM load with velocities on par with the Black Hills MK262 load. This makes SSA the fourth commercial ammunition manufacturer to currently offer a 5.56mm heavy OTM round loaded to NATO pressure; the other three being Black Hills (MK262), Hornady (5.56 TAP) and HSM (5.56-17T).

The SSA 77 grain load comes in simple brown boxes with nothing more than a “5.56” designation on it to give you a clue as to what’s inside the box. There is no indication of the bullet weight found anywhere on the box. This round is loaded with a 77 grain Sierra MatchKing without a cannelure.



http://www.box.net/shared/static/gm3v5xgro0.jpg



The cartridge is charged with ball powder. The primers are crimped in place, although some of the crimps are so shallow that I needed magnification to see them. The primers are not sealed. As mentioned, the bullet does not have a cannelure, but there does appear to be a slight taper crimp on the case mouth that leaves a small indentation on the bullet. There is no sealant at the case mouth.


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The SSA 77 grain load was chronographed using an Oehler 35-P chronograph with “proof screen” technology. All velocities listed are muzzle velocities, as calculated from instrumental velocities using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software program. All strings of fire consisted of 10 shots each. Colt barrels in the lengths of 20”, 16” and 14.5’ were used as the test vehicles. All barrels used were chrome lined, NATO chambered and have 1:7” twists. Atmospheric conditions were recorded using a Kestrel 4000.


Temperature: 74 degrees F
Humidity: 58%
Barometric pressure: 30.15 in Hg
Elevation: 950 feet above sea level



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The SSA 77 grain cartridges had a nominal length of approximately 2.250”. All rounds used in this test session fed, fired, extracted and ejected without any malfunctions. There was definite primer flattening noted on the fired caseheads, but no significant ejector or extractor brass flow marks.



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Finally, here’s the data!


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At one point during the test session I noticed an unexpected visitor on the range. The big guy pictured below was sitting on the berm about 10 feet above the target frame watching me.



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Accuracy Report

Following my usual procedures, an accuracy evaluation of the Silver State Armory 77 grain OTM NATO load was conducted shooting from a concrete bench at a distance of 100 yards. The test vehicle used for this evaluation was a Noveske barreled RECCE. The 16” Noveske Recon barrel is made of stainless steel and has the 5.56 Noveske Match Mod 0 chamber, a 1:7" twist and polygonal rifling. The barrel is free-floated in a LaRue Tactical railed handguard.




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The fore-end of the RECCE was rested in a Sinclair Windage Bench Rest with the aid of a modified Sinclair fore-end stabilizer. The butt-stock was stabilized in a Protektor bunny-ear bag. Sighting was accomplished using a Leupold VARI-X III with a mirage shade attached. Magnification was set at 25X and the scope was adjusted to be parallax free at 100 yards. The lower receiver used during testing has a Geissele match rifle trigger in it.


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Atmospheric conditions were recorded on a Kestrel 4000. Skies were sunny and the winds were breezy. Wind conditions were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe which was positioned approximately 33 yards from the muzzle.


Temperature: 77 degrees F
Humidity: 51%
Barometric pressure: 29.87 inHg
Elevation: 950 feet above sea level



http://www.box.net/shared/static/lkg47ptc04.jpg


Prior to firing the SSA 77 grain load, I fired a 10-shot control group from 100 yards using a hot hand-load seated with Sierra 77 grain MatchKings (the same bullet used in the SSA load). That group had an extreme spread of 0.97”.


http://www.box.net/shared/static/hh3sdj30gg.jpg


Three 10-shot groups of the SSA 77 grain OTM NATO load were fired from 100 yards using the described set-up. Those groups had extreme spreads of:

1.92”
1.60”
2.03”

for an average extreme spread of 1.85”. Those three groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius of the composite group was 0.54”.

For comparison, three 10-shot groups of Hornady’s 75 grain 5.56 TAP previously fired from the same Noveske barrel had extreme spreads of:

1.03”
1.42”
1.20”

for an average extreme spread of 1.22”. The 30-shot composite group formed by over-laying those three groups on each other had a mean radius of 0.37”. The composite groups of the two different loads are shown below for visual comparison.



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Lastly, for the Internet Commandos in our viewing audience I fired a 3-shot group of the SSA 77 grain load from 100 yards. That group had an extreme spread of 0.80”.


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[shootist~]

Below is a couple pf pics of the SSA 5.56 I purchased recently. This lot (#SSA10075-77Sierra) is labeled "5.56mm 77gr Sierra OTM" and the bullet has a cannelure.

OAL runs approximately 2.240" and the crimp is a collet type.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/shootist87122/AR15/SSA77grSierraOTM2.jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y141/shootist87122/AR15/SSA77grSierraOTM.jpg