We Can Now Have Our Cake and Shoot It Too! Thank You Berger.

Want to hit targets accurately at 1,000 yards with your AR?

85.5 grainer supersonic past 1,000 yards in an AR. A real innovation in the AR bullet.

I'll be testing up a load and using it at Camp Perry Long Range 1,000 yard matches for fun this Summer. Mine's a humble Rock River 20" 1:8 with a 4X Athalon scope. Will be a fun experiment to come out of the Service Rifle competitions and then go into Long Range with the exact same rifle, just a different round of ammo.

bergerbullets.com
New 22 Caliber 85.5 Grain Long Range Hybrid Target Bullets | Berger Bullets
Our new 22 caliber 85.5 Grain Long Range Hybrid Target™ Bullets feature an improved center of gravity and ballistic coefficient. Utilizing advanced and proprietary manufacturing processes, our new innovative Meplat Reduction Technology™ (MRT™) System applies controlled pressure along the...
bergerbullets.com bergerbullets.com

"Easy to load and shoot with a jump-tolerant hybrid ogive design, the Long Range Hybrid Target™ Bullets are tailored to cartridges such as the .224 Valkyrie, 22-250 Remington, and the 22 Creedmoor among others, and remains supersonic to over 1,000 yards – including .223/5.56 chambered Service Rifles and Target Rifles with 1:7″ twist barrels! Launched at velocities of 2,800 feet-per-second, expect 15% less wind drift than .308 Winchester Target Rifles using 155 grain projectiles, and up to 10% less wind drift than .308’s using 190 grain projectiles. A “real-world” 1,000 yard capable 22-caliber projectile is now a reality."

Don’t expect to hit 1k with a 8 twist and this bullet. The BC loss at 8 twist will mean you’ll need a nuclear hot load to stay sonic to 1k in a 20” service rifle.

Might want to ask around a bit on accurateshooter, there’s a big thread on the 85.5.

The fact that they specifically state, "including .223/5.56 chambered Service Rifles and Target Rifles with 1:7″ twist barrels", and the Berger stability calculator puts optimal twist at 1 in 7" for sub-2950 MV, I would not go any slower than that with an expectation of good results, especially in high density air.

Mag length? We got some of that 87 grain Black Hills OTM stuff that's mag length. It really didn't deliver thrilling results at 1000 yards. (now that I think about it, we ran the ammo in a 1/8.. might need faster spin)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Hohn

Don’t expect to hit 1k with a 8 twist and this bullet. The BC loss at 8 twist will mean you’ll need a nuclear hot load to stay sonic to 1k in a 20” service rifle.

Might want to ask around a bit on accurateshooter, there’s a big thread on the 85.5.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Failure2Stop

The fact that they specifically state, "including .223/5.56 chambered Service Rifles and Target Rifles with 1:7″ twist barrels", and the Berger stability calculator puts optimal twist at 1 in 7" for sub-2950 MV, I would not go any slower than that with an expectation of good results, especially in high density air.

---

I hear you, I think I'll definitely have more challenge with the wind. Using Berger's stability calculator for 1:8 and driving them at 2,710 fps (22.8 grains of Hogdon 4895 vs max of 23.4, with that load still supersonic at 1k per guys at usri forum), it puts me right in the middle of marginal stability. So, yeah, wider groups and more challenge with the wind. Sounds good to me. Will be my second time at 1k. First was with M1A with irons. THAT was fun! Shooting prone with a sling, no bipod etc. Actually got an X by accident, and 10's. Had 3 complete misses out of 20 shots, but hey, that's part of the challenge and not too bad for an old wood rifle. With this bullet out of my AR if I can be in the black with just a few outside, and no misses, I'm buying myself a beer

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by markm

Mag length? We got some of that 87 grain Black Hills OTM stuff that's mag length. It really didn't deliver thrilling results at 1000 yards. (now that I think about it, we ran the ammo in a 1/8.. might need faster spin)

---

As per above, 1/8 not ideal, but not out of the game either. I use the BobSled for single loading rounds in competition, works well. I'll check for feeding through a mag thou.

Yeah. I have the single feed AR mag thingy, but I don't use it too often.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by markm

Yeah. I have the single feed AR mag thingy, but I don't use it too often.

---

Is it this? https://www.originalbobsled.com/ARSleds.aspx Or a regular mag with single feed follower?

I often fumbled with the regular mag/single follower. The BobSled lets you darn near toss that round in with wild abandon, pretty fast and fumble free.

Just curious what you're using.

I'm running the follower. We can run longer stuff in the Rem 700, so we usually just shoot longer rounds in that gun.

In an 8 twist at an attainable service rifle speed of 2700fps, you’re losing nearly 10% of bc. Which means you’d be better off shooting the 80.5 fullbore at higher speed. Most service rifle shooters are 2750-2800 with 80s.