Mil Spec Bullets .223

[Sniper 79]

I have been coming across some cheap mil spec bullets at shows and what not in .224. Weidners has some in 62 grain both steel and lead core. I have been shooting 69grn with Win 748 in my 1-9 16" AR with great results.

My question is would the mil spec bullets make an alternative lower cost range ammo loaded to middle of the road .223 Rem specs? Or should I leave it alone and stay with name brand stuff like Hornady or Matchkings like I have been using?

Let me know experiances and powder preferances.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

I have been coming across some cheap mil spec bullets at shows and what not in .224. Weidners has some in 62 grain both steel and lead core. I have been shooting 69grn with Win 748 in my 1-9 16" AR with great results.

My question is would the mil spec bullets make an alternative lower cost range ammo loaded to middle of the road .223 Rem specs? Or should I leave it alone and stay with name brand stuff like Hornady or Matchkings like I have been using?

Let me know experiances and powder preferances.

My range load consists of 55 grain Hornady FMJBT bullets, Varget powder, and CCI mil spec primers. This load works great out of both of my AR's.

 

[red_zr24x4]

All I've ever shot out of my AR have been surplus 55g FMJ loaded with surplus Wc846 and WC844 with surplus primers (all bought at Knob Creek).
Ill have to do the math but its been dirt cheep shooting

edit did the math--
per 1000- $86.67
per 50- $4.33
per 20 $1.73
per round $0.087
now I guessed at what I paid for the brass so this might be slightly low

 

[Sniper 79]

All I've ever shot out of my AR have been surplus 55g FMJ loaded with surplus Wc846 and WC844 with surplus primers (all bought at Knob Creek).
Ill have to do the math but its been dirt cheep shooting

edit did the math--
per 1000- $86.67
per 50- $4.33
per 20 $1.73
per round $0.087
now I guessed at what I paid for the brass so this might be slightly low

I have been down to Knob the last two years and that is where I saw a lot of pulled bulets and stuff like that for sale. It is tempting because of the price.

 

[Sniper 79]

All I've ever shot out of my AR have been surplus 55g FMJ loaded with surplus Wc846 and WC844 with surplus primers (all bought at Knob Creek).
Ill have to do the math but its been dirt cheep shooting

edit did the math--
per 1000- $86.67
per 50- $4.33
per 20 $1.73
per round $0.087
now I guessed at what I paid for the brass so this might be slightly low

What kind of accuracy are you getting or is it just for random blasting?

 

[red_zr24x4]

What kind of accuracy are you getting or is it just for random blasting?

Man sized steel target at 160 yrds every shot hits. I can hit a 8" steel plate at 150 with it also

 

[Sniper 79]

I guess it wouldnt hurt to give it a try. I will pick some up.

 

[Sniper 79]

Man sized steel target at 160 yrds every shot hits. I can hit a 8" steel plate at 150 with it also

I can do that with a pistol. A guideline for me is MOA or get rid of it. If it cant hit a 1" at a hundred I dont want it. For inexpensive blasting I would settle for 4" at a hundred and also sleep a little easier knowing I had a nice stash of it just in case. I am going to have to try it and see I guess.

 

[red_zr24x4]

I can do that with a pistol. A guideline for me is MOA or get rid of it. If it cant hit a 1" at a hundred I dont want it. For inexpensive blasting I would settle for 4" at a hundred and also sleep a little easier knowing I had a nice stash of it just in case. I am going to have to try it and see I guess.

I shoot the 55g fmj out of an AR with open sights so 1" at 100yrds is highly unlikely for me. If I want 1"@100 I'll break out the bolt gun.

 

[SSGSAD]

I have been down to Knob the last two years and that is where I saw a lot of pulled bulets and stuff like that for sale. It is tempting because of the price.

I have shot "pulled" bullets out of my Colt Match, with NO ill effects .....

 

[Sniper 79]

I have shot "pulled" bullets out of my Colt Match, with NO ill effects .....

Any decent accuracy from them? If so what powder did you use.

 

[Sniper 79]

I shoot the 55g fmj out of an AR with open sights so 1" at 100yrds is highly unlikely for me. If I want 1"@100 I'll break out the bolt gun.

My AR15 will shoot along side my Savage bolt gun although I had to spend a lot more money to get it to do so and hand load for it. Savage will shoot MOA all day with cheap factory Rem ammo.The advantage is having the ability to pull multipal shots off without ever taking your eye off the scope. I have had a few coyotes get away while I was rowing the bolt back and forth trying to get back on target when two or more came into my decoy.

I would love to setup an AR10 for heavier applications and sell off my bolt guns completly. The accuracy and fire power is so sweeeeeeet!

 

[SSGSAD]

Any decent accuracy from them? If so what powder did you use.

Actually, yes, for me... not moa, but same as other 55 gr.. I use accurate 2230...

 

[Leo]

red_zr, you have less than 9 cents per shot for powder/primer and bullet for rifle ammo? That is incredible. I only load premium components so I am not complaining about my costs, I just would have never guessed it could be done that cheap. (of course I am not including the price of driving to Kentucky ;-) )

 

[jmemmert]

^^^ what he said. That is incredible. What are the pulled bullets running down there? Seems like 9 cents is what most places charge and then you have shipping...

 

[red_zr24x4]

red_zr, you have less than 9 cents per shot for powder/primer and bullet for rifle ammo? That is incredible. I only load premium components so I am not complaining about my costs, I just would have never guessed it could be done that cheap. (of course I am not including the price of driving to Kentucky ;-) )

^^^ what he said. That is incredible. What are the pulled bullets running down there? Seems like 9 cents is what most places charge and then you have shipping...

I paid $100 for 5000 surplus primers, pulled from 30 carb.
$95 for 8lbs of surplus WC844
$50/1000 for pulled surplus 55g FMJ
When I put the info into the reloading calculator I put $50/1000 for the brass ,but most of it I've had for yrs and reloaded it before, so I don't think I should count it again but I did.

 

[Sniper 79]

I have been down to Ky the last couple years and have seen this stuff real cheap at other shows I have beeb to. That is what is attracting to me is the cheap cost. For some reason it still scares the hell out of me. Maybe I will try some bullets and use better quality new stuff for the rest.

 

[Lock n Load]

I paid $100 for 5000 surplus primers, pulled from 30 carb.
$95 for 8lbs of surplus WC844
$50/1000 for pulled surplus 55g FMJ
When I put the info into the reloading calculator I put $50/1000 for the brass ,but most of it I've had for yrs and reloaded it before, so I don't think I should count it again but I did.

A little more expensive today, mainly bullets have increased in $$:

WC844 8lbs= $85
1k bullets= $85- $100 (55gr/ 62gr)
1k primers= $25- $30 (depends on brand)

That's appox. $150- $175 per 1k and the 62gr are green tips too.

 

[Boiled Owl]

For brass, 3K of LC 5.56 bought at Wideners for $185 in November.

I ended up ordering WC844 powder from Hi Tech Ammo. Buy 4 jugs ($85 each/ 8#) and they pick up the Hazmat. $18 to ship 4 jugs. Bought last week.

Wolf Primers from Wideners were $14.50/1000 bought about 1 month ago.

* lucky deal alert! While walking thru a gunshow, picked up 2500 various small boxes of 53-62 gr bullets. some were slightly water damaged. I ultrasound cleaned them. less than 2¢ each. Some are Sierra match 52 and 53 grain, the best of which I'm using for Highpower @ the 200 yard line.

When I get thru using those. I've got 6K of Hornady 55gr fmj to work on that I bought at 7¢ each. Bought a couple years ago.

So far I've avoided pulled bullets except for tracers.

Plinking ammo cost:

Powder WC844 ($11.25/#shipped) $.039
Primer Wolf 223 shipped & hazmat .017
Cheap deal bullets .020
Brass lets say 5 reloads shipped .014
Total 9¢
(14¢ when I go to the hornady projos)

 

[mdemetz]

I paid $100 for 5000 surplus primers, pulled from 30 carb.

I got 1K of those at the SJCRC open house. Did you have any problems with them?