5.56 ammo for sighting in

[Ponder_MD]

When I complete my AR build, I'd like to sight it in using a high quality cartridge with great consistency so that I can sort of reduce or eliminate ammunition as one of the factors of non-performance.

What/who do you folks recommend for this?

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

I would suggest either a 69-grain or 77-grain match round from any major manufacturer...Winchester, Black Hills, Federal, Remington...most make something that will do what you want.

 

[Bountied]

I'd shoot what ever weight bullet you will be using. 55gr, 62 etc. American eagle NATO spec rounds have worked for me.

 

[Ponder_MD]

Great, thanks!

 

[GuitarmanNick]

Don't expect great accuracy when using NATO spec ammo. Do not be terribly disappointed if your groups are 4 MOA or more. NATO ammo is made to reliably chamber, go bang, and cycle the rifle. Perfect choice for sighting in any SHTF build.

Shoot the best group you can, then adjust sighting system to center the grouping to the POA.

Grouping size will be dependent upon rate of barrel twist, ammo charge consistency(NATO is not necessarily the most consistent), barrel length, projectile weight/length, shooter ability, etc...

With the above in mind, if this build may be used for defensive purposes, my recommendation is to sight in using the ammo you have stockpiled for that purpose. Leave the BUIS system there and do not change it. If you decide to get more precise, set an additional optic up for match grade or handloaded ammo. This will give you the best performance from either type of ammo and the ability to switch between them quickly and still be reasonably certain of getting hits on target.

 

[RRomig]

A couple three years ago I ran low on 3&2 G ammo. I shoot those matches for fun so I’m not buying top grade ammo but I do want some consistency. So I bought 5 or 6 20 round boxes of the lower tier ammo. All 55gr fmjbt . Shot some groups through the gun and found fiocchi was best. Wolf was close. Federal next , Winchester and pmc was the worst. But that’s my gun. It really doesn’t matter what you can group with high price match ammo if your not going to make that your round. With that cheap stuff my guns run from 3/4 to 1/2 moa.
GL

 

[Ponder_MD]

I went with a 1x7 twist barrel because my reading led me to believe that this is more accurate than 1x9.

I have no ammo of this caliber stockpiled (yet) so I have no idea what kind of food this thing will prefer once it's completed. That's why I figured I'd start with something that is at highly consistent, then learn to work with something more common and affordable.

 

[GuitarmanNick]

1:7 twist will do well with anything, but will like heavier/longer bullets better. I keep 62grain green tips loaded as the primary SHTF ammo. They also like 69 grain or heavier match bullets if you handload. Still gets good groups with cheaper 55 grain rounds.

Full disclosure: 1:7 is my preference for 5.56/.223 but a 1:8 also found it's way into my collection.

 

[Bountied]

What sights are you using? Irons, red dot, scope? Depending on what you are trying to do depends on what ammo you want. My match AR with 20" barrel likes 77gr pills I think it's a 1:8 ( the Fiocchi ammo I got had a huge SD (49.6) in velocities, still got a 2" group at 200yds though).

My 16" "combat rifles" all eat 55gr brass cased ammo and are sighted in at 50yds. I don't shoot for groups with most of my rifles just hitting steel at different distances is what I'm looking for.

I stay away from steel cased rounds unless it's for an AK.

 

[Ponder_MD]

I'm starting off with iron sights. This rifle is meant to be simple and reliable. I save the steel cased ammo for the Mosin.

 

[Bountied]

For Irons I believe your 50 and 200yds will be your zero's shooting 55gr ammo. So if you zero at 50 verify at 200. Don't expect 1 MOA with irons, I'm cool with a tennis ball at 50yds and being able to hit a 12" plate at 200 and call it good.

 

[outrider58]

68g Blackhills remans(blue box).

 

[Bountied]

68g Blackhills remans(blue box).

Lake City XM193!

 

[trickg]

I use whatever I've got - currently that's 55gr FMJ reloads.

 

[steves1911]

My 7 twist rifles all shoot much better with heavy bullets. The 75gr hornady bthp is a personal favorite.

 

[Ponder_MD]

For Irons I believe your 50 and 200yds will be your zero's shooting 55gr ammo. So if you zero at 50 verify at 200. Don't expect 1 MOA with irons, I'm cool with a tennis ball at 50yds and being able to hit a 12" plate at 200 and call it good.

Right on.

 

[lazarus]

For Irons I believe your 50 and 200yds will be your zero's shooting 55gr ammo. So if you zero at 50 verify at 200. Don't expect 1 MOA with irons, I'm cool with a tennis ball at 50yds and being able to hit a 12" plate at 200 and call it good.

Yup.

As most others have said shoot whatever you plan to be using. It might not be super accurate, but it just depends on what you plan to use.

My 16" build is not super accurate. It'll handle about 1.5MOA with a scope with handloads and the best match ammo. Its about a 4MOA gun with 223 and 5.56 55 and 62gr (non-match or handloads) ammo. My 20" is quite a bit more accurate.

Anyway, yeah it is nice to know my 16" can shoot about 1.5MOA with the right ammo, but with 98% of what I put through it being 62gr FMJ handloads or 55/62gr 223/5.56 commercial inexpensive ammo that is what matters more for point of aim and accuracy. My 62gr armscor FMJ bullet handloads run to about 2.5MOA and its cheaper than factory ammo. That said, I've got a .30 cal ammo can packed with IMI M193 and one with IMI M855. My 16" doesn't shoot either of them much better than 4MOA, but I am pretty sure that's just fine. And if I really need something more accurate I've got maybe 300 rounds of Hornady Black 75gr BTHP match that shoots just a bit over 1.5MOA out of it. But I am running a 3MOA red dot normally on the rifle, so when it comes down to it, my maximum range on something man sized is only about 250-300yds anyway. Which that IMI should be able to manage with only limited luck.

If I need to stretch things further, I'd be running my 20" which is a bit more accurate with that IMI, and shoots under 1MOA with the Hornady match and better than 2MOA with the bunch of PPU match I have. Oh and has a 3-9 scope on it so I can reasonably engage stuff out to 500-600yds with the right ammo.

Or more likely, just grab my AR-10 or one of my 6.5 Grendel rifles (my Howa or my AR-15) as all three shoot 2MOA or better with fairly cheap ammo I have piled higher and deeper and better than 1MOA with match loads. And have got more horse to reach out there and make friends.

 

[mac1_131]

Just to get started I would second the black hills 77s given what you have.

 

[Ponder_MD]

When I look online, I see many ads for "reman" ammunition. I have absolutely no intention of sighting in a new unit on this stuff but has anyone ever used it or tried it? Opinions?

 

[teratos]

You should sight in with the ammo you plan to shoot....