I've got a chance to pick up 100 bullets for my .223. They're .22 caliber Hornady A Max 80 grain bullets.

I looked at these bullets and they look awfully long to try to seat and fit into an AR magazine.

What powder would you suggest and will a 1:9 twist barrel shoot these well?

Any help would be appreciated. I know the gun shoots 55 grain bullets well, but I've never tried any bullets beyond 62 grains.

About the longest bullet loaded to fit the magazine on an AR is the 77 SMK. Anything above that is usually loaded for single shot only. The 1:9 might not get it done, a 1:8 or 1:7 would be better.
C.G.B.

Ok then, that makes sense and that's kinda what I figured based on the bullet shape and length.

Given that the upper is a Lo-Pro DPMS 1:9 and it's known that it shoots 55 grain bullets well, what would you recommend for a "general purpose" bullet (coyotes, fox and other varmints, two and four legged) and what powder?

Sinclair sells a single shot follow for longer bullets.

I've had really good luck shooting the 75 gr Amax loaded with 22.5 gr of Varget.

Tamarac,

I don't really want a different follower to make my AR a single shot. I was hoping that someone would point me in the right direction for a good bullet (55-62 grains) as well as what powder they're using to get good results.

But thank you for that information.

Given that the upper is a Lo-Pro DPMS 1:9 and it's known that it shoots 55 grain bullets well, what would you recommend for a "general purpose" bullet (coyotes, fox and other varmints, two and four legged) and what powder?

Midsouth's 55 grain varmint nightmares have shot great out of every .224 centerfire I've tried them in and it's hard to beat the price. Nosler 60 grain Ballistic tips shoot great too, though a little pricier. Varget, Benchmark, H322, & BLC-2 all work well in .223 Rem.

quote:

what would you recommend for a "general purpose" bullet (coyotes, fox and other varmints, two and four legged) and what powder?

For 2-legged and large 4-legged vermin, the 75 grain Hornady or 77 grain Sierra or Nosler. All have comparable fragmentation characteristics though the Hornady and Nosler are much cheaper and the Hornady will stabilize in a 1:9" twist barrel. (Sometimes the others will too, but Sierra and Nosler both specify a 1:8" twist.) Alternatively, the 68 grain Hornady or 69 grain Sierra or Nosler.

For smaller stuff, these bullets may not meet your needs as they will penetrate 2-3 inches before beginning to expand. So for the smaller stuff, I'd revert to whatever varmint bullet your rifle shoots best.

I've loaded my 75 grain Hornady with Win748, which works fine. But I bought it before 8208XBR and CFE223 came along. If I loaded more today, I'd try those two before anything else.

LWD

quote:

Originally posted by Shof:
Tamarac,

I don't really want a different follower to make my AR a single shot. I was hoping that someone would point me in the right direction for a good bullet (55-62 grains) as well as what powder they're using to get good results.

But thank you for that information.

I'm of the opinion that Nosler's 55 grain ballistic tip is hard to beat. My #2 choice would be a Sierra HPBT, and lastly would be a 55 grain bulk bullet. I've shot a pile of Hornady SXs, but they aren't a good choice in fast twist barrels. If you want to shoot a heavy weight, shoot Sierra's 69 grain bullet and be happy.

As for powder, IMR4895 and Varget would top my list. I also think I'd give Hodgdon's CFE223 powder a go.

Consider the 69 gr SMK. My Bushmaster consistently shoots sub 1 MOA with 24.8 gr Varget at mag length.