Thread: high quality 5.56 ammo choices?

What is an ideal ammo for a high quality 5.56 ar with 1:8 twist out of an 18"bbl?

what brand would you most trust regardless of price for long range effectivness and accuracy?
say your were going to have to shoot a lot of rounds without time to clean the rifle

what grain bullet?...
5.56nato or .223 rem?....
fmj,or soft tip or other?

I am interested too. For my 18" rifle gas system barrel, the hotter military rounds seem to cycle much better. It really likes the green tips but I am not so sure they are as accurate as other choices.

Different ammo shoots differently through different firearms. One brand of quality ammo may shoot well through my rifle and not so great through yours. You may want to purchase several small quantities of quality ammo like Hornady, Federal, etc.....Just find something that shoots well through your rifle. With 1:8 you can shoot 70gr bullets or larger but can still stabilize the 50-55gr ones. You will have to do some experimentation on what works best for you and your rifle. Everyone also has different ideas of what long range is. It also depends on what your target is at that given distance.

Originally Posted by djgaloot

I am interested too. For my 18" rifle gas system barrel, the hotter military rounds seem to cycle much better. It really likes the green tips but I am not so sure they are as accurate as other choices.

it's a shame to pay for a high quality rifle or barrel and put crappy ammo through it.not to mention you're really not enjoying the benifits of the extra cash.

1-in-8", 1-in-7" twists - 45gr - 80+gr

Ammo- Black Hills, Winchester Q3131, Federal LC XM193

Insure your AR is chambered for 5.56 ,as it will shoot both 5.56 and .223.

If your AR is chambered .223 only, no 5.56 should be fired.

Originally Posted by timac

1-in-8", 1-in-7" twists - 45gr - 80+gr

Ammo- Black Hills, Winchester Q3131, Federal LC XM193

Insure your AR is chambered for 5.56 ,as it will shoot both 5.56 and .223.

If your AR is chambered .223 only, no 5.56 should be fired.

it's 5.56.i have heard black hills is good but can never find it.
i thought 45gr was a little light for the high twist rate?i heard it will come apart in a tight barrel but that may be wrong idk.but i thought you wanted a higher grain like say 62gr or higher and 55gr was better fitted to a 1:9 barrel?

I can get Black Hills locally, you should be able to find Black Hills online. The red box is newly manufactured, blue is remanufactured ammo by Black Hills, still good just a bit cheaper.
The 1-in-9", 45gr-75gr, I've shot 52gr to 69gr in my 1-in-9 no issues.

Originally Posted by timac

1-in-8", 1-in-7" twists - 45gr - 80+gr

55 grn is as light as you can go in a 1-7 barrel unless the bullet has a thick jacket and then a little lighter is fine. 45 grn, thick jacketed bullets should be fine in a 1-8 but it will probably be less accurate than a heavier projectile.

IMI 5.56 is best quality ammo you can buy for general use.

Not a fan of floor swept bulk ammo. And don't expect rifle to function right without proper basic care.

There are many good articles around, search in Google.

Originally Posted by timac

I can get Black Hills locally, you should be able to find Black Hills online. The red box is newly manufactured, blue is remanufactured ammo by Black Hills, still good just a bit cheaper.
The 1-in-9", 45gr-75gr, I've shot 52gr to 69gr in my 1-in-9 no issues.

where can you get it locally?and about how much for a box compared to standard cheap stuff from federal?
also in my ar10 168gr bthp was always regarded as the best match grade ammo,so what grain would be that premium bullet for a 5.56?

Ive got black hills tryign to figure out my pinned 14.5 1:8 in 62 68 anmd i THINK some 72... I got it from the WAC shows.... 30ish per 50 IIRC.

Originally Posted by supergenius

Ive got black hills tryign to figure out my pinned 14.5 1:8 in 62 68 anmd i THINK some 72... I got it from the WAC shows.... 30ish per 50 IIRC.

what area are you in?

This is what I use in my 1:7 16" AR. And this is a pretty decent price for it. It is only 8 cents a round more than I load for and right about the same quality of components.

Federal XM193 NATO 5.56 55gr FMJ 1000/box - Natchez Shooters Supplies

A 1-8 twist should handle 55-80gr bullets with optimum around 70grs.

Federal Gold match 77gr shoots the small groups for me.

Ammunition To Go : 200rds - .223 Federal Gold Medal Match 77gr. BTHP Ammo [GM223M3] - $234.95

The BH 68gr even smaller.
Ammunition To Go : 500rds - 223 Black Hills 68gr. Heavy Match Hollow Point Moly Coated Ammo [MOLY223N5] - $344.95

For general blasting I just shoot XM193.

I've bought Black Hills at Cabelas in Lacey Wa, a new store just opened in Springfield Ore. I've also bought it local a local shop, Surplus Ammo in Lakewood. Cabelas is pricey they usually are $5 to $10 more than Surplus or online.

I honestly couldn't answer your bullet question, I know people who prefer 77grn for a match grade in 5.56.

My friend has a Savage M10. He always buys the cheapo Remington at Big 5. I just shake my head,well used to,until he was shooting MOA with it easily.
If he buys better or tries some that I have they don't shoot as well thru his gun.Certain reloads of mine work well but his gun really likes the cheapo Remingtons

I guess the old adage 'each gun shoots different' is true. I would buy a box of each and see what happens.Then buy bulk after that.

I gave up and now roll my own. Seems to work (for me) much better that way.
Hornaday TAP worked well in mine (65gr IIRC). I also had good luck with some Ultramax SP ammo. In the end though, it was easier to pick-up some bullets and load my own. Rather than look all over town for what someone MIGHT have on the shelf. (Or order online and pay a bunch for shipping).

I like federal lake city xm193 for blasting and black hills 68-69gr for accuracy. Supposedly the 75-77gr will do even better (in a 1:7 barrel, not sure if it'll work in a 1:8) but I'm running a holo sight so it's never going to be a tack driver.

Originally Posted by DoubleTapDrew

I like federal lake city xm193 for blasting and black hills 68-69gr for accuracy. Supposedly the 75-77gr will do even better (in a 1:7 barrel, not sure if it'll work in a 1:8) but I'm running a holo sight so it's never going to be a tack driver.

wouldn't a 1.8 twist in 18"bbl be the same as 1:7 in 16"bbl though?

No. 1:8 means 1 full revolution for every 8 inches of barrel length.
1:7...1 rev every 7 inches. This is a faster spin rate than 1 in 8.
Faster spin rates stabilize heavier bullets better.