What is your favorite ammo to feed your AR-10's appetite?
I've shot just about all the factory ammo out there. I've been most impressed with the Winchester 168gr ballistic silvertip. These are moly coated bullets with a nickle finish case. They have a noticably different sound than other factory ammo. I think they are a hotter round than the comparable remmington though I never checked the specs.
Repeatedly I get 1/2 MOA groups at 200 yards. Have shot several varmits with these out past 400 yards-- which when aiming for and hitting a groundhog's head consistantly I'm more than happy with.
Shots also group well even when the first shot is manually loaded. There has been much talk about the 1st round out of an AR-10 impacting different than the 2nd and following rounds because of the manual load vs. self feeding. Also the Winchester ammo loads smoothly and I never seem to have misfeeds which I had frequently when using a similar ballistic tip Remmington round.
I've got my best groups with federal match. About 3/4 inch. 5/8 is my best. Can't seem to
duplicate it with hand loads. I am going to try the wins, but I won't hold my breath. I have
loaded 168 grn hornady moly coats to no avail.
I've become a big fan of UltraMax, specifically the 168gr. BTHP. From what I understand, the founder of this reloaded ammo is an ex-Black Hills guy and is literally down the street from them. I get excellent performance and my black cat really eats them up. Sportsman's Guide usually has the best deals on this ammo at all the quantity breaks.
Hoss
I would like to know more about 1st round fliers. To what extent does the ammo play in 1st round fliers? What role does the rifle play in 1st round fliers? And, most importantly, how do I avoid them? It seems to me that in both hunting and self-defense situations, the first shot is the most critical.
I have not yet had enough experience with my AR to explore a wide variety of ammo options. Today, I did some target shooting with PMC 150 gr. FMJ and Winchester 150 gr. JSP. The PMC seemed to shoot slightly tighter groups, but that is because the Winchester ammo usually had a slightly wider 1st round flier. Otherwise, I couldn't tell much difference between the groups. Since you have had some success with Winchester Silvertips, I will probably try some of those next weekend. The only thing that I hate about the Silvertips is the cost.
Are there other loads that I should consider? Also, other than trying different types of ammo, are there things I can do to limit 1st round fliers?
i seen the ultramax ammo for a $190 for 200 rnds on cabelas website,i didnt purchase any due to the fact that i never heard of them.
but it sounds like you recomend them,let me know what you think
Well I never tried BH ammo but I hear it's good...and the manual recommends it..I prefer Hornady for my Match ammo...I use UltraMax for plinking...and also Federal mainly for mag dumps and the brass..
Never cared much for the Winchester Super X...to dirty.
In order of preference.....
Hornady 168gr TAP
Hornady 168gr A-max
Hornady 168gr BTHP
UltraMax 168gr BTHP
Federal (blue box???) 150gr SP...Oh I forgot...Remington Core Lock 150gr SP
and of course my own plinking rounds...
Federal Brass, Remington Brass
Remington Primers
IMR 4895....43.5
and Hornady 150gr FMJ...seem to do good when I can get my shooting down..
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