I just got a AR-15 with a DPMS upper with a 24" 1:8 twist bull barrel.
I have found that a heavier bullet (70-80gr) have to be applied.
Before I order the reloading stuffs (powder,bullet,primer),
I need your advice.
Any suggestions would be appreciated
Thanks

Hi Garson

Welcome aboard! First, is it mandatory that you use heavy bullets? All my fast-twist ARs shoot the lighter bullets just fine and allow me to shoot the heavies at distant paper.

You oughta be able to run just about anything thru that barrel with acceptable or better results.

FWIW, I use 24gr of an old lot of AA2520 with either of the 75 Hornady's (BTHP and A-Max), both mollied. VarGet works well too in the same range of charge weights.

Redial

I think all the flat top ARs I've shot or seen shot had 1-8" twists. Two or three Bushmasters (16" chrome lined barrels) and one DPMS 24" bull barrel. All shot 40-55gr bullets into 1/2" or better. Some (couple of Bushmasters) much, much better.

Don't sell the lighter bullets short just yet. If you *need* the heavier bullets for long range target work (my personal opinion is that yes, some very respectable groups can be shot w/ ARs in .223 @600yds. Still doesn't make it a 600yd varmint cartridge of choice regardless of what bullet you stick in it.), then by all means go ahead and load 'em up. Otherwise, a 40-50gr bullet coming out of a .223 makes one hell of a good varmint gun out to 300-350+, depending on the wind.

YMMV,

Monte

I have the 1-9 twist on my DPMS panther with 24" heavy bull and have shot weights from 40-69gr with acceptable accuracy. I did notice that the lighter bullets group great at 100 yards but accuracy falls away a lot faster at the longer ranges than the heavier bullets.

Thanks for all your kind responds.
I'm not going to shoot long range like 300-600yds.
But I can hardly shoot 1/2" with factory ammo of 45g JHP and 55g FMJ.
I'm going to try the suggested 75g BTHP with 24g Varget to see if I can shoot 1/2" in 100yds with my DPMS 24" 1:8 twist upper.
Thanks again
Garson

Garson - The point is that you don't HAVE to create your handloads with the heavy bullets to get top accuracy. Personally, I really like the idea of heavy bullets in a .224" rifle.

I've had good luck with WW748 and BL-C(2) powders and should be good for bullets on the heavy side in the .223. Good luck in your quest for accuracy.

I have an Armalite upper with a flat-top 1:8 twist barrel. At first I also was under the impression that it wouldn't shoot well with lighter bullets. I emailed Berger Bullets (www.bergerbullets.com), and asked them what bullet they would recommend as an accurate, flat shooting varmit round in my barrel. I'm not quoting Berger here, I can't recall exactly how they phrased it. They recommended light bullets (flat base hollow points) and explained that light bullets are fine in a fast twist barrel as long as the bullet and jacket have no irregularities, i.e., the bullet is perfectly round and the jacket is properly formed over the bullet so that it's balanced and will spin fast without wobble. Buy top quality light bullets and they'll shoot great.

Come to the conculsion(correct me if I'm wrong)...

Barrel with 1:8 twist can shoot well with both bullet light as 50gr and heavy as 75gr.

Heavy bullet like 75gr have to be shot through a barrel with a faster twist rifling.

Right?