Your Emergency Ready, You've PreLoaded Your AR15 Magazines with what AMMO?

[ST911]

Noticed a few of my friends had failed to do this and the lack of accuracy depending on what shift of impact there is between your premium and storage ammunition could place one at a tactical disavanage.

I shoot loads against each other to assess POI deviations and file the info away. This gives me a zero with the primary load, and an approximation with a contingency load. In several examples, I found groups from different loads that hit different points, but could still be covered by a 4 MOA dot.

For close range work, there's the example below. 40rds of various duty loads, 52-75gr, a little more than a round per second, AR6720 w/ T1, at 50yds. The inner circle is ~4". At 100yds, these were still within a basketball. Not ideal, but functional. If I hunkered down and gave it more effort, the dispersion would be even smaller.



A true zero is optimal, but let's be realistic: Is a shooter of enough ability to even produce a POI deviation between two loads? Then, under stress in conflict?

[alienb1212]

A true zero is optimal, but let's be realistic: Is a shooter of enough ability to even produce a POI deviation between two loads? Then, under stress in conflict?

Easy to debate all that crap now, doubtful it's going to make any difference when it actually happens. You hit the nail on the head.

[NWPilgrim]

Great point and excellent photo illustration of it.

At real civilian self defense distances most differences in ammo types is not significant enough to diddle with. Test your ammo and adjust to get them within acceptable group without changing the sight. For longer distances you likely have more time to use a specific ammo the sights were set for, or to make the necessary adjustment to sights for that load.

The main thing is to practice enough with all the ammo you have so you are confident in where it will hit at the likely distances when it matters most.

[alienb1212]

Exactly. I'm going to do what I can to transition to a bolt gun for anything more than 300m anyway, I'd rather worry about hand loads and ammo types on that platform, and concentrate on just having ENOUGH rounds so I can put a few more into the "zombie" rather than hope for a disabling shot in the head or vitals in my carbine platform. If you've got the money for purchasing 1000's of good-quality self defense ammo, have at it, but for me I'd rather spend my cash on having plenty of "good enough" to get me by when 95% of my neighbors/hostiles or whatever have little to none.

[rockmyglock]

Exactly. I'm going to do what I can to transition to a bolt gun for anything more than 300m anyway, I'd rather worry about hand loads and ammo types on that platform, and concentrate on just having ENOUGH rounds so I can put a few more into the "zombie" rather than hope for a disabling shot in the head or vitals in my carbine platform. If you've got the money for purchasing 1000's of good-quality self defense ammo, have at it, but for me I'd rather spend my cash on having plenty of "good enough" to get me by when 95% of my neighbors/hostiles or whatever have little to none.

What happens when good enough isn't good enough????

In all seriousness though, I handloaded my 60gr Noslers because I was able to do so for the same price as buying M855. Heavier ballistic tip for the same price as ball, that made the decision.

[ST911]

I don't have the targets scanned yet, but I recently shot XM193, the Speer GDSP 5.56 (24455), Speer .223 GDSP (24446), and the BHA 5.56 50 TSX for POI deviations out of duty Colts with RDSs.

Relative to the XM193 impacts, at 50yds, the 24455 was ~1" low, the 24446 slightly lower than the 24455, and the TSX was ~1" high. The 24446 wanted to go right a little, but the TSX and 24455 were true to windage.

The 24455 and XM193 was great pairing.

[NitroDave08]

855 in 5 Colt 20 Rd mags. One for the weapon and the others in a 4 mag pouch. And a .50cal can with 10 PMag 30 rounders.

[PA PATRIOT]

Don't get me wrong I'M not talking about changing POI settings during a fire fight as I would also just keep slapping magazines into the AR as hostile lead flys. Most same weight 5.56 and .223 ammunition will shoot close to minute of torso out to 100yds but what happens past that distance or you have to fire at target which offers limited exposer?

My theory is once you shoot up that limited amount of Premium ammunition one could adjust their preferred rifle for more accurate fire at all distances with the remaining non premium ammunition you now have loaded into your magazines.

Also depending on were one lives many will have extended engagement distances and will need the extra accuracy to make hits past 100yds. I personally use 2 MOA Aim Points with a swing out 3X magnifier were a exact zero would prove beneficial.

I'M not saying this system is a must for every shooter as SHTF situation's will vary depending on location. But every little tactical advantage you can give yourself during a SHTF engagement could be a life saver.

[#1gunna89]

i use m855/ss109. the 62gr goots good through my 1/7twise barrel. also in a shtf sitch im not to worried about over penatration in some cases would need it. also rember some times the best shot you will take is the one you dont fire. try to keep away from (shoot outs) just shareing things ive learned from service

[Iraqgunz]

Just before I rolled out of the house I took stock of my ammo situation. In the safe I have about 60 magazines or so all loaded with M855 and some mixed with M856.

I also have ammo cans with speciality ammo (SSA 77gr., Hornady TAP T2, Federal .223 63gr. SP) and left over M855 etc... All the magazines with TAP T2 are kept in a chest rig that I can grab.

If I burn through all of those then it's on to the other mags and the ammo cans. In reality if I burn through 13 mags of TAP T2 then I am screwed in a big way. I don't care how the mags are marked to be honest because it's a non issue.