New DPMS AR15 ammo question

[RAfiringline]

I've got 220 rds through a DPMS Oracle, 16" pencil barrel, 1:9 twist.

I've run 3 types of ammo through it, all 55g. Off a good sandbag bench setup, at 100 yds, I got these results:

Freedom reloads, groups avg ~2.5"
Brown Bear, groups avg ~3"
Tula, groups avg ~3.4"

What factory ammo do you think would give me the smallest group?
I'll buy 20 and run them in the same setup the others had. I'd get a big kick out of dropping the avg group back to ~1.5", or less.

Thanks

 

[BigBL87]

You could try some 5.56, I shoot Freedom Munitions 5.56 and get pretty decent grouping, never took the time to actually measure it though. Assuming you have a 5.56 chamber, it may make a difference. Might also try NEW Freedom 223, couldn't hurt. Honestly, Freedom Munitions is some of the best cheap ammo I've tried.

Now, all that being said, if you really want to shrink groups, you'll want to look at match grade anmo.

 

[6mm]

I have had the best luck with the Freedom also, for cheap stuff. My DPMS likes Hornady 55gr SP the best of what I have on hand usually runs about 1 1/2" groups.

 

[Damon555]

My DPMS loves Ultramax ammo with the 52 grain hollow point....As a matter of fact every rifle I've ever tried that ammo in has shot it well.

 

[RAfiringline]

>if you really want to shrink groups, you'll want to look at match grade anmo.<

What about Federal Gold Medal Match 69g?

 

[BigBL87]

No personal experience, but I think that 69gr is towards the upper end of what your 1:9 twist will stabilize. Someone else with actual experience should be able to give a better assessment though. I have a 1:7 twist personally.

 

[Mobuck]

None of those ammo choices would be at the top of my "best potential accuracy" list. I have better results with 50 grain "tipped" ammo-either Fiocchi or AE. Accuracy of several of the AR's here seems to be only limited by optics or shooter ability with those ammo picks.

 

[rickyrick]

Try american eagle

 

[B. Lahey]

Anything by Black Hills, but the lighter OTM loads in particular.
Federal Gold Medal
Prvi 69gr OTM
Federal Fusion 62gr .223 has given me some groups pretty close to what I get from my rifle's favorite Black Hills load, and you can hunt with it too if you care to. They make a loading that is almost the same called Fusion 62gr MSR that has shot well for me, but not quite as well as the original. The MSR has sealed primers and annealed case necks if that matters to you.

 

[skizzums]

If you can tell us your twist rate, I could give you a more helpful answer. I have a 1:7 and do well with hornaday 75gr, sierra 77gr and privi 75gr. All OTM. If you have a 1:7 or a 1:8, I would start at sierra 69gr and go up from there.

 

[rickyrick]

It's 1:9

 

[RAfiringline]

>It's 1:9<

Correct.

 

[bfoosh006]

The GECO ....

And try the Fed. Tipped Varmint 50gr. at PSA for $7.99 / 20

 

[skizzums]

1"9s generally do good with the light stuff. but it will depend on you rifle to find it's best. I would recommend going up to the 62gr fusion, but also trying the light 50gr VMAX. but somewhere between 50 and 62gr, youll find your sweet spot. so many options out there, you just need to try some. Winchester makes a 64gr power-point which may do well on the heavy side. but tipped OTM's seem to be very accurate hen you find the weight/length your rifle likes.

 

[RAfiringline]

I got some GECO ammo and went to the range and shot it along w/ Tula, Brown Bear, Freedom reload. All of it 55g.

100 yds, light winds, benchrest w/ 40 pds of sandbag and a 6x $30 Ncstar scope; DPMS 16" pencil barrel.

4 targets, 1 each for each ammo. I shot 5 rds of Tula, then 5 of Brown Bear, then 5 of Freedom, then 5 of Geco; then I went down range and used orange marker to define the groups.

Then I repeated the above and marked off the groups w/ blue marker.

Tula 2.6 & 2.6; avg=2.6
opps--Brown Bear 3.4*- 3.5; avg=3.45
Freedom reloads 3.3-4.3 (2 rds touching so maybe 1 rd was a "flier") avg=3.8
GECO 1.0-3.5; avg=2.25

GECO did best on avg and w/ the smallest single group by a wide margin.

What does it mean? Beats me, but it's fun to do.
xxx

M 5-4-15 I kept thinking about the one 1" group I got off the Geco, and that my scope's xhairs are a little thick for my homemade targets. I took out an old standard sight-in target w/ the big orange xhair and got two 5 rd Geco groups shot before some weather came in.

1.8" and 2.3"; 2.05" avg.
Not bad, and in each of the 2 groups, it was 4 rds in ~1", with an outlier dragging things out.
A $500 stock DPMS and a $30 scope.....

 

[Rob62]

I'm gonna go with saying the groups you are getting are not that bad. They're honest. And what I think most folks tend to get at 100 yards through a basic non tricked out - "accurized" AR15.

I think your best accuracy will come with 62 grain bullets in general.

Regards,

Rob

 

[DnPRK]

With a pencil barrel and non free float handguards, 3 inches might be about as good as it will do.

30 years ago I was chasing accuracy with a skinny barrel SP1. Nothing worked. Not even match ammo. It wasn't until l added a free float tube that I got 1 inch groups. And only if I didn't let the barrel heat up.

 

[Tomac]

Give Wolf Gold a try, surprisingly accurate for 55gr FMJ.
Tomac