10.3" ammo suggestions

[Royalflush]

I'm shooting a 10.3" MK18 style rifle.
Currently I've shot xm193 and MFS 55gr .223

I've actually had alot of luck with the MFS for plinking, (100% out of my DD, and fairly accurate ~5-6" groups standing w/ 3 MOA dot) but I'm considering that it is lacking in a defense round!

I've read all over that the xm193 isn't ideal for 10.3" rifles because the velocity is not high enough to cause the bullet to fragment- a major advantage of the round

So, since I'll unlikey get fragmentation, should I seek a heavier bullet? I need something that I can buy in bulk for $400/1000 of so.
I'm thinking m855 or PMC Xtac 62 gr. ammo, but before I pulled the trigger on that, I wanted to see if there were other options for a better price?

Is there a surplus ammo that is heavier than 62 gr that would suit my purposes?

[Koshinn]

I'm shooting a 10.3" MK18 style rifle.
Currently I've shot xm193 and MFS 55gr .223

I've actually had alot of luck with the MFS for plinking, (100% out of my DD, and fairly accurate ~5-6" groups standing w/ 3 MOA dot) but I'm considering that it is lacking in a defense round!

I've read all over that the xm193 isn't ideal for 10.3" rifles because the velocity is not high enough to cause the bullet to fragment- a major advantage of the round

So, since I'll unlikey get fragmentation, should I seek a heavier bullet? I need something that I can buy in bulk for $400/1000 of so.
I'm thinking m855 or PMC Xtac 62 gr. ammo, but before I pulled the trigger on that, I wanted to see if there were other options for a better price?

Is there a surplus ammo that is heavier than 62 gr that would suit my purposes?

Why do you need 1000 rds of defensive ammo?

I don't think what you're looking for exists... Surplus defensive ammo that's effective through a 10.3" at $0.40 / rd. There's a whole thread on good defensive ammo... Just read that and check prices.

Buy good ammo, practice with it occasionally, but get fundamentals down with cheaper ammo.

[Royalflush]

why do you need a rifle capable of throwing 30 rounds down range in 5 seconds? (kind of dumb to question "need" on any gun forum anywhere, dontcha think?)

Maybe I should have reworded the "defense ammo"...

Right now Ive been shooting a bunch of the MFS .223 ammo. great for staying on my game, but not I wouldn't imagine it's the worlds ballistically sound ammo. but it's been great for plinking!

When I say 1K rounds of "defense ammo", I'm not talking about hornady tap, or Barnes ammo. I just mean a "better" ammo than what I've been shooting.

I always used xm193 in my 16 and 18" rifles because my thought was fragmentation is an advantage, but now, other than a little extra velocity- the xm193 wouldn't be much better than the mfs 55 gr .223?

So my question really is: w/o fragmentation, would one advise just going for the heaviest round in their budget?

I checked out that thread- but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for

m855 was 820 rds for $349 at PSA earlier this year- that's close to .40/round (.425)

[DocGKR]

M855 offers you no terminal ballistic advantage out of a Mk18. You need to go to one loads noted in the sticky thread if you want improved on target capability with an SBR: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19881.

[Royalflush]

Thanks!

So Doc: are you saying that 855 is no better/worse than 193 in a 10" barrel?

I only ask because there is certainly a limit to what I want to spend, and if there is no difference- ill just stick with the mfs of xm193 (even though I know the mfs is a little slower)

[BufordTJustice]

Thanks!

So Doc: are you saying that 855 is no better/worse than 193 in a 10" barrel?

I only ask because there is certainly a limit to what I want to spend, and if there is no difference- ill just stick with the mfs of xm193 (even though I know the mfs is a little slower)

They are both awful. I think you need to adjust your expectations in price much closer to $1.00 per round to achieve adequate terminal performance past 25 yards.

Doc's Sticky. Go read it.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=19881

[CatmostFeared]

I also have a 10.3 DD 1/7 twist barrel and this was the info i was looking for thanks

[BigLarge]

So my question really is: w/o fragmentation, would one advise just going for the heaviest round in their budget?

From Doc's 5.56mm Duty Loads...

Keep in mind, that with non-fragmenting bullet designs, heavier bullet weights are not necessarily better, especially at closer ranges and from shorter barrels. As long as penetration and upset remain adequate, it is possible to use lighter weight non-fragmenting bullets and still have outstanding terminal performance. With fragmenting designs, a heavier bullet is ideal, as it provides more potential fragments and still allows the central core to have enough mass for adequate penetration.

So, no. It appears it is better to stick with 55-62g soft point ammo. Privi has some relatively cheap 55g SP brass-cased ammo. Might be worth a look.

edit: http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.as...Box&groupid=21

I recently bought a case of Privi 55g FMJ for my 10.3" and it functions flawlessly. I'm just going out on a limb here and ASSuming that Privi SP would perform better than XM193 out of a 10.3"

[AndrewWiggin]

Prvi Partisan 75 gr BTHP

If your rifle will stabilize a 75 gr bullet. If not, PPU makes the same stuff in 69 gr.

Molon tested the 75 gr stuff and found it to be very terminally effective. The link above has it for $99 for 200 rds or $487 for 1000 rds. So a bit more than what you're looking for but a lot less than TAP.


Your only other option is to hand load a reasonable facsimile of one of the cartridges from the list using the exact same bullet and working up to the same velocity. It has to be the exact same, not a similar bullet because nuances in bullet construction can cause one bullet to fragment in a situation that a similar bullet won't. Consider loading a soft point to extend the range at which it will perform well.

[Koshinn]

why do you need a rifle capable of throwing 30 rounds down range in 5 seconds? (kind of dumb to question "need" on any gun forum anywhere, dontcha think?)

If you want to practice with $1/rd ammo, be my guest, that's certainly your right. But why? It's not match ammo, it's defensive ammo.

Maybe I should have reworded the "defense ammo"...

Right now Ive been shooting a bunch of the MFS .223 ammo. great for staying on my game, but not I wouldn't imagine it's the worlds ballistically sound ammo. but it's been great for plinking!

When I say 1K rounds of "defense ammo", I'm not talking about hornady tap, or Barnes ammo. I just mean a "better" ammo than what I've been shooting.

I always used xm193 in my 16 and 18" rifles because my thought was fragmentation is an advantage, but now, other than a little extra velocity- the xm193 wouldn't be much better than the mfs 55 gr .223?

So my question really is: w/o fragmentation, would one advise just going for the heaviest round in their budget?

I checked out that thread- but couldn't find exactly what I was looking for

m855 was 820 rds for $349 at PSA earlier this year- that's close to .40/round (.425)

are you hunting? law enforcement? home defense? shtf teotwawki?

For hunting or home defense, get the best possible ammo you can, even if it's expensive, and load a couple of mags. If it's shtf teotwawki, don't know what to tell you.