Picked up some 5.56

[justinacolmena]

Will bear in mind. Initially will be learning to reload 5.56 and 9MM. This isn't strictly speaking a firearms forum, but it is a leaning and teaching forum. As we get closer and into it, certain I will have questions. Glad to know there are more experienced out here to point the way and best practices.

I used to shoot a .41 Magnum pistol and a .233 AR-15 rifle, until the Democrat gangsters of my hometown went to court and had my rights revoked my rights with unspecified "concerns" under "red flag" laws. I was tortured, drugged, and almost beaten to death in Washington's jails and mental hospitals because they didn't want me to possess any firearms, even though I never did anything to harm anyone. I will never get a decent job in this life with a permanent record as a criminally insane adjudicated mental defective.

 

[Flash]

Knowing how explosives degrade is what made me wonder about primers. Uncle had almost a whole roll of Det chord in his gun-safe, very old, was in with junk he bought at an estate auction, asked if I wanted. I tried to ignite a couple of feet from two different places in the roll but was totally inert. Had him dump it in the river to avoid questions.

Typical rifle and pistol primers pop and make a loud noise like a firecracker if they go off accidentally, but otherwise they are not that dangerous or "hazardous" to handle. However, they are very sensitive and delicate. The slightest touch of moisture or grease or oil from your skin will ruin the explosive. You almost need rubber gloves or tweezers to handle them.

Will bear in mind. Initially will be learning to reload 5.56 and 9MM. This isn't strictly speaking a firearms forum, but it is a leaning and teaching forum. As we get closer and into it, certain I will have questions. Glad to know there are more experienced out here to point the way and best practices.

I have reloaded tens of thousands of .223 and .308 and if you need any pointers let me know.

By the way, whenever I am seating primers I wear eye and ear protections. I learned to do that the hard way by having popped a couple of primers. It will ring your ears.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Wow. I am stunned that people are excited about 80 cent a round 5.56. Did you all sleep from 2017 to 2019? Or for decades before that?

It's been way higher than that.
Hell,even finding 5.56 is tough.

I wouldn't know; I'm not in the market for any.

I already had over 5k rounds on hand.
I just bought it because I found it.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

1000 Round Case - 5.56mm 62 Grain FMJ Ball Magtech SS109 Ammo - Limit 1

Hey, HereWeGo, nice heads up. Went to the site, searched 5.56. Saw 500 round offering at $399.00 or .80 cents/round. 62 grain green tip m855 made by Israel Military Industries. What makes the 62 grain fmj ball magtech ss109 ammo superior at 87.7 cents/round?
I do have to make a buy. First 5.56 I ever built and need to zero and get in some re-train. All the 5.56 I ever shot were furnished by Uncle Sam. For bulk to use for range work, what do I really need to know about 5.56 ammo?

Dont think the Green tip is all that important.
Standard ball ammo will penetrate most body armor as it is.
This is a home made target made from .400 thick 4140 commercial heat treated steel using standard ball ammo in a 55 grain.
The standard ball ammo does a number on it from 100 yards.
View attachment 479839
View attachment 479840

The 62 grain NATO IMI round is supposed to have flatter trajectory at mid-range to longer targets through my 16" upper with 1:7 twist. Not worried about getting more penetration. It has too much penetration as is, to use for home defense in my house in a urban subdivision. Initially doing zero on outdoor range and then checking with 100-400 meter targets and basic refam. Hope I can get groupings like yours. Was pretty good back in the day, but have not shot the basic platform much since early 90s. Was probably at my best late 70s to early to mid 80s, due to assignments.

That was offhand shooting.
From a bench you can hold an inch at 100 yards easily.
Turns out those green tips arent in stock. They're going to notify me when they are.

Just went back there, saw the same thing and put myself on the notify list. Just went to Ammoseek and picked up 150 rnds Winchester 5.56 M855 at 83.9 cents/rnd. $125.85 In stock and shipping.

The Green tips are now available.
I went with a thousand rounds just for the hell of it.
$779 for 1k rounds.
Check out that FPS!!!!! 3060!!!!

 

[White 6]

1000 Round Case - 5.56mm 62 Grain FMJ Ball Magtech SS109 Ammo - Limit 1

Hey, HereWeGo, nice heads up. Went to the site, searched 5.56. Saw 500 round offering at $399.00 or .80 cents/round. 62 grain green tip m855 made by Israel Military Industries. What makes the 62 grain fmj ball magtech ss109 ammo superior at 87.7 cents/round?
I do have to make a buy. First 5.56 I ever built and need to zero and get in some re-train. All the 5.56 I ever shot were furnished by Uncle Sam. For bulk to use for range work, what do I really need to know about 5.56 ammo?

Dont think the Green tip is all that important.
Standard ball ammo will penetrate most body armor as it is.
This is a home made target made from .400 thick 4140 commercial heat treated steel using standard ball ammo in a 55 grain.
The standard ball ammo does a number on it from 100 yards.
View attachment 479839
View attachment 479840

The 62 grain NATO IMI round is supposed to have flatter trajectory at mid-range to longer targets through my 16" upper with 1:7 twist. Not worried about getting more penetration. It has too much penetration as is, to use for home defense in my house in a urban subdivision. Initially doing zero on outdoor range and then checking with 100-400 meter targets and basic refam. Hope I can get groupings like yours. Was pretty good back in the day, but have not shot the basic platform much since early 90s. Was probably at my best late 70s to early to mid 80s, due to assignments.

That was offhand shooting.
From a bench you can hold an inch at 100 yards easily.
Turns out those green tips arent in stock. They're going to notify me when they are.

Just went back there, saw the same thing and put myself on the notify list. Just went to Ammoseek and picked up 150 rnds Winchester 5.56 M855 at 83.9 cents/rnd. $125.85 In stock and shipping.

The Green tips are now available.
I went with a thousand rounds just for the hell of it.
$779 for 1k rounds.
Check out that FPS!!!!! 3060!!!!
View attachment 484981

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

1000 Round Case - 5.56mm 62 Grain FMJ Ball Magtech SS109 Ammo - Limit 1

Hey, HereWeGo, nice heads up. Went to the site, searched 5.56. Saw 500 round offering at $399.00 or .80 cents/round. 62 grain green tip m855 made by Israel Military Industries. What makes the 62 grain fmj ball magtech ss109 ammo superior at 87.7 cents/round?
I do have to make a buy. First 5.56 I ever built and need to zero and get in some re-train. All the 5.56 I ever shot were furnished by Uncle Sam. For bulk to use for range work, what do I really need to know about 5.56 ammo?

Dont think the Green tip is all that important.
Standard ball ammo will penetrate most body armor as it is.
This is a home made target made from .400 thick 4140 commercial heat treated steel using standard ball ammo in a 55 grain.
The standard ball ammo does a number on it from 100 yards.
View attachment 479839
View attachment 479840

The 62 grain NATO IMI round is supposed to have flatter trajectory at mid-range to longer targets through my 16" upper with 1:7 twist. Not worried about getting more penetration. It has too much penetration as is, to use for home defense in my house in a urban subdivision. Initially doing zero on outdoor range and then checking with 100-400 meter targets and basic refam. Hope I can get groupings like yours. Was pretty good back in the day, but have not shot the basic platform much since early 90s. Was probably at my best late 70s to early to mid 80s, due to assignments.

That was offhand shooting.
From a bench you can hold an inch at 100 yards easily.
Turns out those green tips arent in stock. They're going to notify me when they are.

Just went back there, saw the same thing and put myself on the notify list. Just went to Ammoseek and picked up 150 rnds Winchester 5.56 M855 at 83.9 cents/rnd. $125.85 In stock and shipping.

The Green tips are now available.
I went with a thousand rounds just for the hell of it.
$779 for 1k rounds.
Check out that FPS!!!!! 3060!!!!
View attachment 484981

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as the go through some of the steal targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

It's potent!

 

[Shawnee_b]

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

What's your twist? Many AR 1:12, good for 62 gr. I have a bolt 223 with a 1/9 likes 55gr balistic tips

 

[White 6]

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

What's your twist? Many AR 1:12, good for 62 gr. I have a bolt 223 with a 1/9 likes 55gr balistic tips

1:7 Palmetto State Armory 16" CHF NATO Premium Classic

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

What's your twist? Many AR 1:12, good for 62 gr. I have a bolt 223 with a 1/9 likes 55gr balistic tips

My Sig AR is 1:7 which I've found to be a good all around twist rate.
It'll shoot 55 as well as 62 grain bullets well.

 

[White 6]

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

What's your twist? Many AR 1:12, good for 62 gr. I have a bolt 223 with a 1/9 likes 55gr balistic tips

My Sig AR is 1:7 which I've found to be a good all around twist rate.
It'll shoot 55 as well as 62 grain bullets well.

Do you find any deviation in zero with the 55 compared to 62 grain. I can safely say I will never be shooting beyond 500 Meter. The eyes are not what they used to be. I got the M855 62 Grain just because they are NATO standard and zeroed iron sights down to 1 inch groups at 50 Meter and was consistent pinging the iron at 200, most of the time at 300 and 1 out of 4 at 400 tried 3 shots at 500 no hits and quit shooting it as could not see where they were hitting. Also found out I should not be using the armor piercing M855 on that range, as being hard on the iron targets.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Found out near the end of firing the range, the range does not like green tip M855 as they go through some of the steel targets. Will keep some around but will transition off to a round without the steel rod in the center for range and target work, but will stay with 62 grain.

What's your twist? Many AR 1:12, good for 62 gr. I have a bolt 223 with a 1/9 likes 55gr balistic tips

My Sig AR is 1:7 which I've found to be a good all around twist rate.
It'll shoot 55 as well as 62 grain bullets well.

Do you find any deviation in zero with the 55 compared to 62 grain. I can safely say I will never be shooting beyond 500 Meter. The eyes are not what they used to be. I got the M855 62 Grain just because they are NATO standard and zeroed iron sights down to 1 inch groups at 50 Meter and was consistent pinging the iron at 200, most of the time at 300 and 1 out of 4 at 400 tried 3 shots at 500 no hits and quit shooting it as could not see where they were hitting. Also found out I should not be using the armor piercing M855 on that range, as being hard on the iron targets.

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

 

[Shawnee_b]

1:7 Palmetto State Armory 16" CHF NATO Premium Classic

Oh crap man, try 55 gr in it,. try serious target workout and see. 1:7 your going to do better groups lighter weights.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Do you find any deviation in zero with the 55 compared to 62 grain. I can safely say I will never be shooting beyond 500 Meter. The eyes are not what they used to be. I got the M855 62 Grain just because they are NATO standard and zeroed iron sights down to 1 inch groups at 50 Meter and was consistent pinging the iron at 200, most of the time at 300 and 1 out of 4 at 400 tried 3 shots at 500 no hits and quit shooting it as could not see where they were hitting. Also found out I should not be using the armor piercing M855 on that range, as being hard on the iron targets.

I haven't shot the AR or the bolt much farther than 150, notice no difference in elevation at all. They shoot pretty darn flat! I used to nail woodchuck/groundhogs with a 222, darn thing did the same at 30 yards as 200. I do have the Leopold Mark AR on my bolt, look it up. Sight at 100, want to shoot 600 just twist the turret to 6. Cool.

All AR shoot phenomenal, great. 55-62 no prob, but some are better groupings and you have a slow twist, good thing in my warped mind anyway.

 

[Shawnee_b]

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

Camp Perry they shoot them LONG ways. Over 200 yards I'll take my M1 Garand

 

[White 6]

1:7 Palmetto State Armory 16" CHF NATO Premium Classic

Oh crap man, try 55 gr in it,. try serious target workout and see. 1:7 your going to do better groups lighter weights.

Definitely plan to try 55 gr. Back in the day, was pretty consistent at whatever range popup targets the range had in Scout school at Fort Knox. I started back in 77. At that time, it was an M-16 using 55 gr M193.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

Camp Perry they shoot them LONG ways. Over 200 yards I'll take my M1 Garand

182 meters is well within the AR's range.
Or am I missing something?

 

[White 6]

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

Camp Perry they shoot them LONG ways. Over 200 yards I'll take my M1 Garand

182 meters is well within the AR's range.
Or am I missing something?

I was consistent at 200 meters, Friday, and pretty good at 300. If I can get that kind of ballistic accuracy when changing from 62 grain steel core M855 to 55 grain M193, I will be satisfied, especially since it will be approved ammo for the range I am shooting and will continue to shoot.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

Camp Perry they shoot them LONG ways. Over 200 yards I'll take my M1 Garand

182 meters is well within the AR's range.
Or am I missing something?

I was consistent at 200 meters, Friday, and pretty good at 300. If I can get that kind of ballistic accuracy when changing from 62 grain steel core M855 to 55 grain M193, I will be satisfied, especially since it will be approved ammo for the range I am shooting and will continue to shoot.

Sight your rifle for the type ammo you shoot the most and adjust your aim as needed with different rounds.

 

[White 6]

The AR really isnt that great beyond 400 meters,while you can hit at 500 that range is pushing the envelope.
You'll absolutely have deviations between the two rounds,the farther the shot the worse it gets. Most 55 grain shoot at around 2700 fps while the 62 grain in the case of the rounds I just purchased is 3060 fps which will help alliviate the drop of the heavier bullet but it'll still be off.
And yeah,you dont want to shoot your AR500 steel with greentips,it'll fuck em up.

Camp Perry they shoot them LONG ways. Over 200 yards I'll take my M1 Garand

182 meters is well within the AR's range.
Or am I missing something?

I was consistent at 200 meters, Friday, and pretty good at 300. If I can get that kind of ballistic accuracy when changing from 62 grain steel core M855 to 55 grain M193, I will be satisfied, especially since it will be approved ammo for the range I am shooting and will continue to shoot.

Sight your rifle for the type ammo you shoot the most and adjust your aim as needed with different rounds.

Yep. That is my usual plan. Does not seem like it should take much adjustment on 50 meter zero, not sure about change adjustments at distances out to 300-400. Guess I will find out.

 

[Shawnee_b]

Definitely plan to try 55 gr. Back in the day, was pretty consistent at whatever range popup targets the range had in Scout school at Fort Knox. I started back in 77. At that time, it was an M-16 using 55 gr M193.

I like the 55 balistic tips, open up a hole in a critter big enough to put a softball in it.