Load choices for AR SBRs

[okie]

You are still getting 2000Fps out of a 16 inch barrel at 180 yards. GD expand really well at that velocity. You also say home defense means something different to you because you shoot coyotes. Are they trying to rob or take over your home?

If he's a rancher, then yes.

[Dan_B]

I been making that point all along in the various threads to date, and the role of SBRs and PDWs for civies is SD/HD distances, and that's all I'm interested and concerned with personally. That's a different issue to that of LE and or mil, and they are far more likley to require a 100y shot legally taken. I understand those who want to be prepared for all possibilities, I tend to be a stats guy who prefers to focus on training, prep, etc for what most may have to deal with most of the time.

Probability scenarios are nice; life is unpredictable, that’s why good training has ambiguous problems pop-up. Being hyper focused on specifics and using that to prepare—to me—doesn’t sound very sound. Multiple hits on demand from short to mid range and some longer range ones seems more balanced. Especially if you can hit far and small fast. That gives me lots of flexibility with rifle work, and that I mostly do with my 14.5 upper and a nice mix of ammo that works.

To a point made earlier, I did quite well for the 4.5 year and change service with a Colt and lots and lots of 55gr IMI ammo. I laugh at myself nowadays where I live among generally “civilized villains” — they don’t dismember and burn their victims here — and with gear and ammo that are a bazillion percent better vs. what I had when my rifle was the equivalent of my laptop today.

It’s all really nice but somewhat exaggerated. My inflated 2 cents for the next month.

[indianalex01]

To many are getting caught up in the velocity game. Speer/Federal know exactly what they are doing. There is a reason they set the velocities where they do. They perform with accuracy and expansion. 62, 75 Gold dots are some of the best there is. So much testing goes on with these rounds. I worked at Federal plant for years. They know what they are doing. Factory Gold dots are great and so is the LE223T3. These are the best loads in the world for expansion and penetration.

[okie]

To many are getting caught up in the velocity game. Speer/Federal know exactly what they are doing. There is a reason they set the velocities where they do. They perform with accuracy and expansion. 62, 75 Gold dots are some of the best there is. So much testing goes on with these rounds. I worked at Federal plant for years. They know what they are doing. Factory Gold dots are great and so is the LE223T3. These are the best loads in the world for expansion and penetration.

I think Speer's 75gr gold dot might be the best 223 round period.

[vicious_cb]

Everything is a trade off, the lead in Gold Dots seems to be far softer than in other companies projectiles, that leads to better expansion at lower velocities. That also means the bullet will start to come apart if it hits barriers like autoglass if pushed too fast which is why they dialed the velocities down.

[WillBrink]

To many are getting caught up in the velocity game. Speer/Federal know exactly what they are doing. There is a reason they set the velocities where they do. They perform with accuracy and expansion. 62, 75 Gold dots are some of the best there is. So much testing goes on with these rounds. I worked at Federal plant for years. They know what they are doing. Factory Gold dots are great and so is the LE223T3. These are the best loads in the world for expansion and penetration.

As vicious says below, there's always a trade off. I have read the Gold Dots will penetrate and expand at low velocities also and may be a good choice for SD/HD from SBRs and PDWs. No doubt superior to pistol rnds, but likely short of the terminal ballistics you get from rnd designed for, and doing, the velocities that see rifle rnd terminal ballistics via yaw and fragmentation and hydro static effects would be my guess. I agree some may not realize how many manufacturers are making rnds that will perform well as much lower velocities, and overly focused on velocity as the only metric worth taking about, but the classic rifle wounding effects we associate with rifle bullets seem to happen at higher velocities, and the 5.56 associated with those wounding mechanisms due to velocity. Again, everything is a trade off...

Everything is a trade off, the lead in Gold Dots seems to be far softer than in other companies projectiles, that leads to better expansion at lower velocities. That also means the bullet will start to come apart if it hits barriers like autoglass if pushed too fast which is why they dialed the velocities down.

Some of them are not barrier blind.

[gaijin]

I run 64 or 75 gr. GD and 77 gr IMI m262 clone in my 11.5's for imagined SD.

[Wake27]

I run 64 or 75 gr. GD and 77 gr IMI m262 clone in my 11.5's for imagined SD.

All of mine are currently setup for 75gr GDs but I’ve been debating stacking some of the 77gr IMI and transitioning the 14.5s to that.


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[vicious_cb]

All of mine are currently setup for 75gr GDs but I’ve been debating stacking some of the 77gr IMI and transitioning the 14.5s to that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

There is no one bullet that does everything. 75gr GD is great for those max 200/250 yd civilian/LE distances but I chose the 77gr TMK for my longer range guns. 75gr GD starts to run out of steam past 300 yd, I can tell you for certain those .400+ published BCs on the Speer site are BS.

As vicious says below, there's always a trade off. I have read the Gold Dots will penetrate and expand at low velocities also and may be a good choice for SD/HD from SBRs and PDWs. No doubt superior to pistol rnds, but likely short of the terminal ballistics you get from rnd designed for, and doing, the velocities that see rifle rnd terminal ballistics via yaw and fragmentation and hydro static effects would be my guess. I agree some may not realize how many manufacturers are making rnds that will perform well as much lower velocities, and overly focused on velocity as the only metric worth taking about, but the classic rifle wounding effects we associate with rifle bullets seem to happen at higher velocities, and the 5.56 associated with those wounding mechanisms due to velocity. Again, everything is a trade off...

The 75gr even at slow velocities have amazing terminal ballistics, both in gel and in flesh. Terminal performance is as much about bullet shape than velocity and when you get something that opens up as quickly as the Gold Dot you can generate some pretty impressive temporary cavities. Talk to guys who hunt with their ARs, the 75gr is blowing up deer far more impressively than bullets like 70gr TSX which have a much higher impact velocity.

[WillBrink]

There is no one bullet that does everything. 75gr GD is great for those max 200/250 yd civilian/LE distances but I chose the 77gr TMK for my longer range guns. 75gr GD starts to run out of steam past 300 yd, I can tell you for certain those .400+ published BCs on the Speer site are BS.



The 75gr even at slow velocities have amazing terminal ballistics, both in gel and in flesh. Terminal performance is as much about bullet shape than velocity and when you get something that opens up as quickly as the Gold Dot you can generate some pretty impressive temporary cavities. Talk to guys who hunt with their ARs, the 75gr is blowing up deer far more impressively than bullets like 70gr TSX which have a much higher impact velocity.

I'm personally only interested in their performance from SBRs for SD/HD. I know various brands offering rnds knowing SBRs and even PDWs, are what is most popular.