1 moa @ 100yards ammo question

[CENTURION24]

What ammo have you shot 1 moa @ 100yards with?

I love getting tula on the cheap but I would like to see what my rifle can do. 55gr has always shot 2moa for me.

 

[Gatorade]

I've shot 1.5 MOA with Federal American Eagle 55g FMJ, but haven't been below 1 MOA with my AR.

 

[zirrow]

My AR was built, not an M&P, but the most accurate factory ammo I've put through it was Hornady TAP - Nickle case, 55 grain red-tipped bullet (V-MAX, I think). Unfortunately, it's one of the most expensive rounds I've picked up at over a dollar a round (I actually just wanted some nickle cases to play with, and I had heard good things about the round). I also get MOA accuracy with 75 grain Swift Sciroccos & 55 grain Sierra MatchKings, but that's after playing around with charge type & weight.

 

[RP91]

Hornady 53gr. V-Max through my Sport. Only 50 yards, but still a good 3 shot group.

 

[thezoltar]

Federal Gold Medal Match BTHP should improve your results.

 

[RainDodger]

The only ammo I've shot <1MOA with is my handloads. With Federal M193, PMC Bronze, S&B, PMC X-TAC, I was getting baseball-sized groups. When I went to my handloads in the same rifle, I got 5 touching shots. (This was not a S&W; it was a RRA 20")

 

[MichiganScott]

The only ammo I've shot <1MOA with is my handloads. With Federal M193, PMC Bronze, S&B, PMC X-TAC, I was getting baseball-sized groups. When I went to my handloads in the same rifle, I got 5 touching shots. (This was not a S&W; it was a RRA 20")

Agreed. You want < 1 MOA, it has to be handloads.

 

[uncledoggle]

Consistant, carefully made hand loads. Loads you spend a lot of time at the range testing. Yeah, I like hand loading.

 

[gm272gs]

Yeah. Hand loads are the best for accuracy, especially out of a loosey-goosey standard military chamber. You have to remember that factory loads are designed to function well in any firearm in that caliber (bolt-action .223 and semi-auto .223 alike). Handloaded ammunition can be tailored to your specific firearm. Even ammunition manufacturers will tell you that properly-loaded handloads are always more accurate than factory loads.

I like Hornady VMax for consistancy and accuracy. My 1-in-9" twist heavy barrel likes the VMax 50gr the most. All the holes touch, at 100 yards. I like their 52gr. "match" (HPBT) bullet, as well. VMax projectiles are so exact in their shape, weight, and balance. It's hard to beat them.

And in my particular rifle (built with parts from various manufacturers, but Windham Weaponry barrel and bolt) they prefer to be over Varget, as opposed to H322 or CFE 223.

Also, there's a lot to be said for overall length of the cartridge. A change in .001" can lead to subtle changes (good or bad) for your particular rifle.

It can takes weeks or months to find the "sweet spot" for your rifle - and after you find that "magic" recipe - it's awesome. The one thing I can almost guarantee though, is that when you find that perfect combination, you won't be able to find that particular bullet or powder in stock, anymore.

 

[RainDodger]

For those who might be interested... I took all the rounds I mentioned in my post above, to the range along with my chronograph. I got some interesting results:

American Eagle M193: 3,159 FPS with a Std deviation of 21 FPS
PMC X-Tac M855: 2,965 FPS with a Std deviation of 20 FPS
Sellier & Bellot M193: 3,168 FPS with a Std deviation of 40 FPS

Hand loads:
62 grain Nosler "Varmageddon" bullet, 25.0 grains H335, mixed cases and primers: 2,934 FPS with a Std deviation of 35 FPS

You'll note that my hand load standard deviation is a bit higher than most, but the curious thing that I mentioned above was, baseball-sized groups out of all the factory stuff, but touching shots out of the hand loads. This leads me to believe it's not so much a super-accurate powder charge that leads to great accuracy, but more the bullet design. The Nosler bullets are flat based hollow points. The higher standard deviation could be due to mixed cases (with the resulting different neck tension), varying powder charges or less likely, the mixed primers. When I load 5.56, I use an RCBS powder mill, checking the weight every 50 rounds. I rarely need to adjust it and it's within .1 grains, if not spot-on.

Cartridge overall length has not been a critical thing in my ARs (S&W, Colt, RRA or a vintage SGW). Loading to the max length that a magazine can accept is still resulting in the bullet's ogive being well off the lands.

I just thought it all quite interesting. The rifle was a RRA free-floated 20" with a Wylde chamber.

 

[Pisgah]

Unfortunately, what ammo is MOA accurate in someone else's rifle is all but meaningless for your rifle. Not that any suggested loads aren't worth a try, just that ALL of them are worth a try. One might work for you -- or none.

Believe me, I want shortcuts, too -- but very few exist.

 

[gm272gs]

...RRA free-floated 20" with a Wylde chamber...

You should try heavier bullets. Bill Wylde designed that chamber to work best with the longer 80 grain projectiles. The competition guys load them so long they won't fit in a magazine (have to shoot single shot).

 

[RainDodger]

That's just the load I happened to post. Heavier bullets can't give me any better accuracy than I'm getting now. I can't argue with 5 touching shots at 100 yards. Besides, a Wylde chamber or not, the dictating factor for bullet weight is going to be the twist ratio.

I think we're getting off subject from the original post now though.

 

[zirrow]

<snip>...

The higher standard deviation could be due to mixed cases (with the resulting different neck tension), varying powder charges or less likely, the mixed primers.

...<snip>

A little off topic to OP, but relevant here, I suppose...

My father was working on some loads in his 7 Mag, and had recently picked up some nickel brass (he had never used it before and wanted to mess with it to help keep loads separated). A load that was giving him 3/8" 3 shot groups in regular Winchester brass was now about 4" left and 2" high, and had opened up to about an inch and a half. Not saying mixed brass is always going to have that big of an impact, but it sure made a believer out of me for sorting brass, not only by headstamp, but also by weight.