5.56 powder testing results with 75 gr.

[rdsii64]

The bellow listed powders work well in all my semi auto's with heavy for caliber bullets
AR-Comp
Power Pro Varmint
Power Pro MR 2000
8208 XBR
AA2520
CFE223
TAC
W748

 

[budlight]

Like i said above I use fast powders like CFE 223 for 55 grain and maybe a 62 grain. AR comp powder is really fine and works well with 62 gr. the 2000-MR is the speed demon for the heavy bullets.

1:9 is the twist that works from 75 gr and lower out of the longer 18 - 20 inch barrels because the velocity is up. My very first AR15 had a 20 inch 1:7 and 55 grain bullets were going through the paper sideways. I was ****ed at the shop that made the custom AR. I even tried down loading to get the velocity down. I just gave the whole upper back and ordered 1:9 20 inch.

Cheap shooting 55 and 62 grains is really what AR are all about. I just bought a 8X32X 60mm scope and i was going to try and whack some squirrels way out there is why I bought 1000 of these 75 hpbts

 

[budlight]

The bellow listed powders work well in all my semi auto's with heavy for caliber bullets
AR-Comp
Power Pro Varmint
Power Pro MR 2000
8208 XBR
AA2520
CFE223
TAC
W748

You left off H414, AA2700, AA4350, and Hybrid 100V. They all work with 62 - 75 grain in 223 with 20-24 inch barrels

 

[rdsii64]

You left off H414, AA2700, AA4350, and Hybrid 100V. They all work with 62 - 75 grain in 223 with 20-24 inch barrels

While that is true, I have not tried those powders in my rifles.

 

[dale guthormsen]

I have never bought H4895 or varget. New powders have some outstanding qualities. I test on hot days so I know that I won't have a future problem. CFE 223 just doesn't have the speed with heavier bullets. putting in the listed max it was still 100 fps slower than under loaded 2000 MR in both 18 and 20 barrels with rifle length gas systems. I don't own shorter barrels to test.

I like shooting for groups far enough away that I can't see the holes in the paper. That way you are not correcting your aim point. I shoot at a little dot and don't know how the group was until you retrieve the target. 200 yards is a good distance

The accuracy of the 75 is very good. It is made for long distance shooting. Some of the bullets went through the same hole

I use 4895 with the 75 gveld-m, 24 g and I get 2920. we shoot 600 yards most days and its shocking how well they perform.

 

[moosekiller99]

With the 75 ELD-M's I am getting 1 MOA at 600 yds. 18 inch barrel; 24.6 Varget; Rem 7 1/2 primers. Sd around 12. Single load and .015 off lands.

 

[mongo4567]

With the 77 sierra tmk I use h4895 and tac. With the 70 nosler I use w748.

 

[budlight]

Someone mentioned home defense. In an AR platform my advice is: Load to 5.56 pressures because you are not thinking about reloading and loose primer pockets. I've tested 55 gr pills up to 28 gr of CFE and just get flattened primers and exceed 3300 fps out of a 20 inch barrels. That is .6 gr over max for hodgdon reloading for 223.

We went out testing on a great year for jack rabbits. Morning and evening with good rifle rests. Went for broad side body shots to test the results of 5 kinds of cheaper bullets. 3300 FPS 55 gr, 3200 FPS 62 hpbt, and these about 2940 75 gr hpbt's

55 gr FMJ just punch a hole straight through. dime size exit and the JR often will just keep walking or move to another location and eventually expire. 55 gr soft points exit holes the size of a tennis ball and DRT. 55 gr HP varmint Popped into pieces. I can't imagine what it would do to a person.

The 62 and 75 were maybe quarter to 50 cent piece exits and not always DRT. IMO they are designed for long range and the sectional density can power deep into objects.

I watched some online youtube ballistic jell tests of 75's and others. My home clips have hot rod 55 HP rounds made for varmints.

 

[SteelBanger]

Good thread. I had put down my AR's for a few years but had been using H335 under 55gr v-max's for cheaper plinking and coyotes. Had tried Nosler 77gr CC's and Hornady 75gr HPBT's for the heavier stuff, both with Varget. I just started shooting them again, primarily an 18" white oak barrel with rifle gas system and have been playing with the Hornady 73gr ELD's, found a good node but haven't been able to get back out yet to shoot it for groups.

Coincidentally, when I was out shooting the 73's for speed data I had found an old box of the 75 HPBT's I had loaded a few years ago and was quite impressed with how well they shot (better than I remembered) so I'm going to pick up some more of those to compare with the 73's.

 

[budlight]

Like I said: 75 grain is what I consider the max for 2.26 max AOL 223/5.56 bullets. That's why they came up with the Valkyrie. shorter fat case with long neck to hold those 75 -90 vld bullets.

I've always been big on using the slowest powders available for the caliber. I've done a lot of using the burn rate chart where there is NO load data. I've owned wild cat rifles that later on became commercially available. 7STW and one of the first 30-378's I help perfect and publish what is now common load data. These slow powders have all come into exsistance in the last 30 or so years.

The Copper foul reducing powders actually work

 

[LVJ76]

I have a 16" barrel on mine with a 1:7, what speeds can I expext with 60gr, 68gr and 75gr bullets? And how far would you shoot with them ?

Thanks in advance

 

[Tyler Kee]

I have a 16" barrel on mine with a 1:7, what speeds can I expext with 60gr, 68gr and 75gr bullets? And how far would you shoot with them ?

Thanks in advance

I flight plan 2600 fps for the 75s - very achievable with off the rack components at factory OALs. I've shot them at steel @ 475 yards, but its very difficult to spot hits. sometimes even hard to hear them hit steel.

 

[SteelBanger]

I have a 16" barrel on mine with a 1:7, what speeds can I expext with 60gr, 68gr and 75gr bullets? And how far would you shoot with them ?

Thanks in advance

I went up to 25.6gr of Varget with the 73gr ELD-M's and it clocked in at 2,782 with an 18" barrel, that should put you somewhere around 2,730 with a 16" barrel ... give or take a little. That was just in the load development I've done so far, I haven't shot them for groups or anything yet.

I was just shooting The Hornady 75gr HPBT's at 2,734 up to 500 yards pretty easily and hearing the steel well enough.

 

[dale guthormsen]

With the 75 ELD-M's I am getting 1 MOA at 600 yds. 18 inch barrel; 24.6 Varget; Rem 7 1/2 primers. Sd around 12. Single load and .015 off lands.

What kind of velocity?