.223 updates and testing

[DRT]

The COR-BON load using the 62 grain TSX had a standard deviation of only 18 fps for a 10-shot string fired from a 20" Colt M16A2 barrel. Federal's 62 grain Tactical Bonded load using the TBBC fired from the same barrel had a standard deviation of 22 fps.

I saw some data from evan marshall's site showing it greater than 100fps. Your results look much better.

What average velocities were you seeing out of 16 & 20" barrels with 62gr dpx and 62gr TBBC?

Based upon your experience, can you comment on the POI difference between these two barriers loads vs 5.56mm 75gr TAP?

[Molon]

I saw some data from evan marshall's site showing it greater than 100fps. Your results look much better.

What average velocities were you seeing out of 16 & 20" barrels with 62gr dpx and 62gr TBBC?

Based upon your experience, can you comment on the POI difference between these two barriers loads vs 5.56mm 75gr TAP?

The Federal Tactical 62 grain load uses a bonded soft point bullet with a cannelure. (All the better to shoot your auto-glass with, my dear!) There is a scant amount of lacquer sealant at the case mouth (mostly in the cannelure.) The primers are also sealed and crimped. As you can see from the picture above, the components come loaded in a shiny nickel plated Lake City case.

This load had a muzzle velocity of 2978 fps from a 20" Colt barrel with a NATO chamber and 2885 fps from a 16" Colt barrel with a NATO chamber. The smallest 10-shot group had an extreme spread of 2.13” and a mean radius of 0.54”.






As for the points of impact, unfortunately many people seem to think (not saying you are one of those people) that the difference in the points of impact between two different loads is due solely to the difference in the exterior ballistics (trajectory) of the two loads. This of course is incorrect.

The difference in the points of impact between two different 5.56mm/.223 loads out to say 75-100 yards will be due in large part to matters of interior ballistics; barrel harmonics and recoil vectors for instance. These components will not be the same from barrel to barrel and are not easily predictable. My weapon might show a different change in the points of impact between different loads than your weapon. Long story short, the only way to know, is to shoot the different loads in your weapon.

[DRT]

My barrels are colt govt profile.

Well I just ordered a couple boxes of 62gr DPX (not cheap) so I'll give them a whirl.

Do you have DPX velocities from your testing?

[Molon]

My barrels are colt govt profile.

Well I just ordered a couple boxes of 62gr DPX (not cheap) so I'll give them a whirl.

Do you have DPX velocities from your testing?

See my first post in this thread.

[DRT]

Oops. Missed it. Thanks.

[Molon]

Oops. Missed it. Thanks.

No problemo. Since you're looking at barrier loads, you might also want to check out the Speer LE 64 grain Gold Dot. Depending upon the forthcoming results of DocGKR's windshield tests with this load, I might be giving it some serious consideration.








This Speer ammunition is loaded with "flash suppressed propellants" and a bonded bullet that has less exposed lead at the meplat than the Federal LE223T2 load. The muzzle velocity from the 20" Colt barrel was 2798 fps. The smallest 10-shot group from 100 yards had an extreme spread of only 0.91" with a mean radius of 0.27"!

[DRT]

Im interested in the GD .223 results also. My guess is that the TBBC and DPX will be better through glass while the GD will be more accurate. Are they making a 5.56mm pressure version?

[DocGKR]

The Federal 55 & 62 gr TBBC JSP are still the best of the bunch for glass, followed by the Nosler 60 gr Partition JSP, Remington 62 gr bonded JSP, Speer 64 gr Gold Dot JSP, Swift 75 gr Scirrocco PT, as well as the ATK 77 gr TOTM. The various DPX designs are OK, but do not compare to bonded loads. As noted in other threads, the Barnes all copper TSX bullets are great projectiles and offer good penetration through barriers, however, when first hitting a laminated automobile windshield intermediate barrier, the TSX bullets exhibit less expansion than bonded bullets, as the Barnes jacket either collapses at the nose, the jacket "petals" fold back against the core, or the "petals" are torn off. This phenomena has been documented by the FBI BRF, as well as being noted in our testing. The advantage of the 55 gr TSX is that it has a different ogive and is actually shorter in OAL than the 53 gr TSX, thus the 55 gr TSX will stabilize when fired from 1/12 twist barrels, while the longer 53 gr TSX is not always stabilized in some 1/12 barrels.

[DRT]

Sounds like TBBC is still tops. I'll probably change my order to TBBC or another bonded option.

[Molon]

The Federal 55 & 62 gr TBBC JSP are still the best of the bunch for glass, followed by the Nosler 60 gr Partition JSP, Remington 62 gr bonded JSP, Speer 64 gr Gold Dot JSP, Swift 75 gr Scirrocco PT, as well as the ATK 77 gr TOTM. The various DPX designs are OK, but do not compare to bonded loads. As noted in other threads, the Barnes all copper TSX bullets are great projectiles and offer good penetration through barriers, however, when first hitting a laminated automobile windshield intermediate barrier, the TSX bullets exhibit less expansion than bonded bullets, as the Barnes jacket either collapses at the nose, the jacket "petals" fold back against the core, or the "petals" are torn off. This phenomena has been documented by the FBI BRF, as well as being noted in our testing. The advantage of the 55 gr TSX is that it has a different ogive and is actually shorter in OAL than the 53 gr TSX, thus the 55 gr TSX will stabilize when fired from 1/12 twist barrels, while the longer 53 gr TSX is not always stabilized in some 1/12 barrels.

Doc,

Have you completed your testing of the Speer 64 grain Gold Dot? Any specifics that you can report?

Molon