AR bullet weight

[Big Caliber]

I'm looking for some thoughts on what might be the best 223 caliber bullet weight for an AR with a 16" barrel, with a 1 in 9 twist. I have found loading bolt rifles that they tend to prefer bullets slightly heavier than the middle weight offered in a given caliber. So far, all I can find are 50 grain RP's in .224. What do you think???

 

[Gdouthit]

Not an ar but dads mini 14 has a 1-9 twist and loves a 62-69 gr bullet. Much more accurate than with the 50-55 grainers

 

[jersurf101]

My 16"' 1/9 twist AR loves good old pmc 55 grain bronze ammo. Anything 55 grn is where I would start with a 1/9.

 

[JustinBiscuit]

http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmstab-5.1.cgi

 

[HiBC]

I had a 16 in h-bar with 1 in 9 ,and my load was 25 or 25.5 gr Varget behind a 69 gr Nosler custom comp.Seems like it chrono'd 2750 or so.

My bolt carrier ran clean,it grouped on a quarter at 100 yd.Try it.The Sierra MK works great,too

 

[ligonierbill]

Can't tell you it's the best weight, but yesterday I got good results from my 16" 1:9 AR with 65 gr Sierra GameKings. Either TAC or BL-C(2), which I was testing yesterday, give me 2,850 fps with good consistency. Good groups, but it was really too windy to go "for record".

 

[Ben Dover]

The military style 55 grain bullets from Winchester work quite well in my Colt AR.

It is a model 6920 with a rifling twist of 1/7.

Sixty two grain green tipped 855 type ammunition is also satisfactory, although I have not found a reliable source of the component bullets for hand loading.

Since I no longer compete in matches, I have chosen to eschew the more expensive Sierra and Speer bullets in favor of the bulk military components.

 

[NWPilgrim]

The best weight I have found is 68-69 gr BTHP. Seems to work well with any powder. But I have also found e excellent loads with 55 and 62 gr FMJ. You will find the most styles and quantity and best prices in the 50-55 gr range so that would be a good place to start. If you can find find Nosler 69 gr HPBT then try those or the ones by Sierra or Hornady. But 55 HP, SP, or FMJ should shoot well, too.