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Post by teccles on Mar 23, 2013 18:51:00 GMT -5
So I have an AR15...it has a 16 inch barrel with a 1/7 twist....I am reloading a cheap bulk buy 55 grain FMJ bullet in front of 25.2 grains of Accurate 2230....I can't seem to get a decent grouping with it.....I get 2 or 3 and then they go everywhere...30 yds..50yds...100yds..it doesent matter...I changed out scopes it didn't matter...I haven't changed the scope mount yet because I don't think that's the problem...should I be shooting a heavier grain bullet for that twist rate?...maybe my gun just doesn't like that particular bullet....cheap non uniform bullets maybe...maybe 100 yds is not realistic for my barrel length?....I am stumped...I do have a higher quality 55 grain bullet I may try...I don't need to be winning any shooting competitions or anything...maybe my goals for this rifle are unrealistic...I am a rifle and reloading newbie..I am frustrated....please help me....
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Post by tkarter on Mar 23, 2013 19:06:16 GMT -5
I do not know a lot about shooting the AR nor loading for it. What I do know is the scope if sighted in is not the problem. Where does your powder fall into the scope of specs for it in the AR?
If it is a hot load then reduce powder. If it is mild load increase powder not about max and see how it shoots.
Some rifles like some ammo better than others do too.
Maybe someone who knows the platform better than I do will post
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Post by teccles on Mar 23, 2013 19:43:07 GMT -5
It's just a little bit hot according to the data chart....maybe I will back it off a bit.... I believe max is 25.0 and I am at 25.2... Hot just seemed to work my gun better....
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Post by tkarter on Mar 23, 2013 19:46:02 GMT -5
It could be what is scattering the shots though. I have never found any of my rifles to shoot the best groups with the max load of anything.
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smoky
New Member
Posts: 9
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Post by smoky on Mar 23, 2013 20:33:39 GMT -5
Hey, new to the forum, but I registered so I could weigh in. Hope that's ok.
With a 1 in 7 your pushing the margin a little with a 55g anyway, and if it's a little "warm" that may make it worse. I agree, try backing it off a little bit, or try a little heavier bullet. (with appropriate charge weight for that bullet obviously)
Also, what brand of barrel do you have, and is it steel, stainless, or chromed? If the bore is chrome and less than 300 rounds, you will often see that kind of variation. I've also seen some AR's that just won't shoot accurately no matter what. I hope that isn't the case with yours, but I have seen it occasionally.
CCI primers can also tend to be terribly variable. Did you crimp the bullets in? If so, what type of crimp?
Just lots of things that can cause that to happen, part of the "fun" of reloading, is eliminating the possibilities one by one and figuring it out.
BTW--if your barrel's a good one, the length should not be a problem. My cheapy 16" shoots better than my Bushy 20". 250 yrds I can keep them in a pretty small group, and I'm not a very good sharpshooter.
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Post by tkarter on Mar 23, 2013 20:40:38 GMT -5
Welcome aboard smoky and of course it is alright to weigh in on this or any other thread here.
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Post by teccles on Mar 24, 2013 5:46:36 GMT -5
Thanks for all the help... That will give some things brew up in the war room this week....
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Post by eagle on Mar 24, 2013 21:51:54 GMT -5
Just my "guess" , but I would guess the combination of the hot load combined with 55 gr bullet. I would drop the load down a bit and use a 65 gr bullet and see what that does in a 1-7 twist. I'm betting it would improve it. 1-7 twist usually works better with heavier grain bullets than the 1-9 or 1-12 twists.
I have a 30-06, that I don't care what brand of ammo you use, if you use 180 gr it will be all over the place. You can sight it on the bullseye and it may go 1 ft left, 1 ft right , or up or down, it'll be different every shot. It just does not like 180 gr anything. However, if I put in 150 - 170 gr. in it.... it's right on the money every time. The only thing I can figure out it has to have to do with the twist in that particular barrel, not that brand .. "that particular" barrel.
It's like in 9mm, I have 1 gun that has load issues every time with 147 gr.... and I'm certain it's hanging up on the ramp and that's the problem. But it will feed anything else with no issue at all.
I'm betting on the 55 gr and hot load, it's tumbling some or actually degrading the bullet. Are they "clean" holes ? No oblong or strange shaped holes in the target ?
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Post by teccles on Mar 25, 2013 5:00:46 GMT -5
They are clean holes.... I went ahead and loaded down the 55 grain bullets I have.. I will try those first...I can't find any heavier bullets locally.... If that doesent work than I will see what I can round up....
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Post by eagle on Mar 25, 2013 14:28:37 GMT -5
I'm betting that will fix it, and like Smoky said.... 'break in' period.
I'ld also be sure to get all the copper cleaned out of the barrel with a good copper cleaner.
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Post by teccles on Mar 26, 2013 16:14:06 GMT -5
I lorded down from 25.3 to 23.... In the cheap bullets it made s difference not great but better.... I also loaded the same weight bullets in a nosler ballistic tip at the same23 grains of acc2230.... They were a lot more accurate.... I may adjust the powder grains a little more... The question is should I go up or down....
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Post by teccles on Mar 26, 2013 19:43:17 GMT -5
How much crimp is to much... If I don't crimp them enough they get set back a lot when the gun cycles....
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Post by teccles on Mar 26, 2013 20:10:13 GMT -5
Here's one crimped only half as much....
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Post by teccles on Mar 26, 2013 20:12:39 GMT -5
Here's a comparative picture of the two.....
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Post by amosmoses on Mar 27, 2013 8:35:23 GMT -5
Got any factory 193/109 to compare to?
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