I'd be interested in opinions......

I shoot mostly 55gr Hornady FMJs (w/ BT & Cannelure) out of my M&P 15 Sport - with H335. (Although the question below is focused on accuracy/precision, over half of my AR shooting is to steel at varying distances. I don't do tons of precision paper shooting.)

I tried some 53gr Hornady Match bullets - also with H335.

I can get sub-MOA with the Match bullets. And probably 1.5-ish MOA with the FMJs.

Am I chasing my tail trying to get tighter groups out of the FMJs? I appreciate and expect the fact the Match bullets will outperform the FMJs. I'm just wondering what people think about the ability for an FMJ to perform to 1 MOA out of a stock 14" carbine. (Well - almost stock: I've put in a Geissele SSA-E trigger.)

If it matters - I haven't done any "formal" load development from an accuracy/precision perspective (i.e. I haven't done a ladder test). My experimentation to find a good load has been more trial and error - varying powder charges. 1.5-ish MOA is the best I've found so far. I have also found a number of 3-4-ish MOA loads as well. LOL

Thanks.

OR

I shoot the 53 grain V-max, which is a varmint bullet and I found it to be more accurate than the 55 fmj. My opinion is that the 55 grain fmj bullets are for plinking where low price is primary, accuracy is secondary, and the varmint/match bullets are made for more accurate shooting requirements. You get what you pay for when buying reloading components.

Generally match bullets are held to a much higher quality and tolerance than the shooter bullets.

I have yet to buy the high dollar match bullets except a box of Winchester 53gr HBBT #2253H, a long time ago.
I started with just the plain SPFB from Speer and Sierra and later, started buying Hornady and Remington bullets.

The 52gr HPBT shot pretty good with a lot of powders but there were a lot more styles and shapes in the 55gr weight bullets.
You just had to see if the FMJ had a lead base or was a full jacket from some makers.

The shape of the boat tail would also change in length and angle of the BT. You will notice it more on a 30 cal. Speer vs Sierra boat tail.
Overall length will also be different with the bullets makeup and tip style. I have had 52gr HPBT that are longer than a 55gr bullet.

Most rifles will shoot better if you match the twist to the bullet weight but it does not always work out for some odd reason, I had a 70gr RN Speer out shoot a 63gr Sierra at 100 yards.

Others say you have to find the powder that your rifle likes.
My rifle likes BLC-2 up to the slow H414............
Good luck.

Try some heavier match bullets, 68 or 69 grain, to see if they will provide you with better groups. My 1 in 9" twist rate barrels provide MOA or better groups at 100 yds. with them.

I have a stock DPMS rifle, with a 1 in 9 twist. I wanted to stay with the lighter 55 gr. bullet as it is cheaper, and I am building up my 1000 round supply. I have about 500 factory Federal 55 gr. FMJ rounds bought when on sale, and I am loading a 55 gr. JHP, (Midway Dogtown bullet). The Midway JHP is more accurate than the Federal's, and 1.0 to 1.5" at 100 yds is typical. Understand I don't plan to shoot this in any competition or hunting situation. A little paper punching to stay familiar with it, but basically just on hand for when/if a SHTF situation happens. I shoot handguns for fun, not rifles.

The Dogtown bullets cost about $15.50 and with powder & primer I can load for right at .282 cents each, or about 37% less than discount FMJ and have more accurate ammo.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Imo, yes, chasing your tail. Accuracy starts with a good bullet. The best rifle in the world will not shoot a poor bullet well. You want match grade accuracy, get match grade bullets. I have a really accuraye 20" hvy, best i can get with Hornady fmj is about 1.25moa. With just about any match bullet, i am closer to 1/2moa.
Back when surplus 308 was cheap, many of us would buy it, swap out the fmj for a match bullet & often cut groups by 2/3. Btw, if you never shoot past 200yds, good flat base bullets will smoke many match bt bullets.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

+1 on the flat base doing as good or better than a boat tail
at 200 yards or less.

Some rifles do better with more bullet contact and with a boat
tail style, this only happens with the larger weight bullets.

One reason you see the 168gr to 175gr Match King weight in 30 cal. , used in longer shooting conditions.

My .22 has a fast 1:14 twist so a 60gr Nosler is where my accuracy stops.

At what distance are you are shooting?

If 50 to 100 yards and primarily at steel targets why waste money on "match" bullets?? You hit it or you don't.

If you are shooting distance for teeny, tiny small groups on paper than yes, as mentioned above, better bullets will help. But you will also need to do testing on powders, powder charge, COL,brass, primers, yada, yada in search of the "perfect" load.

If I recall your rifle has a 1:9 twist?

Here is a good article on twist and bullet weights.

223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide

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Still Running Against the Wind

I'm doing sort of a hybrid of both. There are times, for giggles, I'll sit down with paper out at 100yds and I just want to check in and make sure my shooting technique (in general) is still OK. Keep things "honed" so-to-speak. So for that I'd love to have an accurate load I can rely on so that, if it doesn't group well, then I know the issue is me. I have that in my current Hornady 53g Match load. This load is one way I get satisfaction out of BOTH my shooting hobby as well as my reloading hobby. Getting sub-MOA on paper with my loads gives me a high degree of personal satisfaction.

There are other times I'll hit the range and I'll, literally, not even go down range to set anything up.....because I just want to make noise on the 300, 400, and 500 yd gongs that my club has. Or / additionally I'll set up a portable frame of steel targets I own at either 100 yds or 200 yds. In those scenarios I'm just plinking and having fun. When doing that I want to use FMJs because I might go through 100 rnds or more so I want things pretty cheap.

Plus many times a bt bullet needs a bit more than 100yds to completely stabilize.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

My exp with most bulk 55gr fmj is just hoe-hum accuracy, that is right at 1moa. My own swaged bullets will match bulk 55gr fmj. These are about 58gr, matching headstamp 22lr cases as jackets.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO