Terrible Accuracy with XM556FBIT3

I've seen some of the accuracy testing results for this round here on the Arfcom ammo forum, and it looks pretty impressive - not precision by any means, but fine for duty rifle use. Given that DocGKR has labeled this round the best round available from a terminal performance perspective, I decided to pick some up from SGAmmo.com.

I have fired a few hundred rounds of it through my rifle (BCM 16" Middy free-floated in a Daniel Defense rail) and my average 100 yard groups are on the order of 5" to 7". I was thinking that it was either me or my rifle, but every time I shoot Mk318 (T556TNB1), I get groups that are 3" or less. At 300 meters, the difference is obviously even more pronounced; I was typically getting 7"-8" groups with the Mk318 (sometimes as small as 6") and with the FBI load, the best I could do was 21"!

Since this flies in the face of all the accuracy testing I've seen done with this load, I can only assume that either my barrel just really doesn't like this ammo or I have gotten a bad batch. I tend to think it's not a bad batch because it's not marked as factory seconds. Lot number is 49V580T004. Does anyone have any information that can clarify whether this ammo is a bad lot or that my rifle just doesn't like it? Ie: has anyone done accuracy testing with this same lot? I still have 340 rounds of this stuff and it is useless to me. If it's good ammo from a good lot, then I'm probably going to sell it at a decent rate.

i will pay for 10 rounds and shipping if you want to send them and i will try it.

hmm.. I just received 200 rds. of this, same lot # . Haven't had a chance to try it yet. I'll let you know how it does out of my Stag 16" 1-9. I know it's not match ammo so I was hoping for around 4" from a rest with irons. Just got a 4-12x scope, so I'll try it with that as well.

I'm getting 4" groups at 100-yards with the .223 version of the 62Gn TBBC from a 16" 1:7 chrome lined brl. same gun shoots 1.25" with 75Gn Hornady.

Havent tried the Mk318 yet.

With my last build I've come to accept that sometimes a barrel will just not shoot the ammo you would've preferred well. It's a crap shoot, as you will come to see.. Choose another round that's proven and see how that does.

I'm experiencing the same thing. I've tried the ammo in 3 different rifles. I'm getting 4+ MOA with the FBI rd & under 3 MOA with mk318 in all 3 rifles.

5 to 7

Its rejected for a reason !

I wont buy any ammo for SD that has the XM or unknown surrplus,etc!

Sure its just a over run

BTW
I bet if you use your AR15 for SD it will be well under 100 .
So you should be able to hit the BG

I would be happy with 4MOA and under.

Link?

Better then TSX?

DocGKR ammo recs

He doesn't say one is better than the other. They are both considered good loads.

If it gives 4" groups or thereabouts, I can live with it. For starters, I find it really unlikely that 1) I'll ever need to use it for defensive purposes, and if I did against goblins in vehicles it's most likely within 50 yards (else it would probably be ruled a bad shoot by the local prosecutor, assuming society hasn't gone downhill far enough that prosecution is unlikely). It's not going to penetrate brick walls/small trees well enough to make a real difference.

I figure better to have some and not need rather than need and not have. But realistically it'll probably never be used in defense anyways.

maybe at expanding steel test.

Also federal EFMJ handgun ammo expands on the steel test. better than JHP.

But I will still stick with HST/Ranger JHP`s and TSX

DocGKR -
"The current FBI 5.56 mm ammunition offers the best overall terminal performance of any 5.56 mm/.223 loads."
"The FBI TBBC and the Win bonded perform the best, followed by the BH 50 gr TSX, then the Rem CLUB, Speer Gold Dots, Nosler Partition, and other TSX's"
DocGKR on FBI Load

Thanks for posting that link. It's not like Doc Roberts hasn't been pretty clear about this. He has said in multiple places that the Fed and Win FBI loads are the best (from a terminal ballistics standpoint).

That's completely irrelevant. Statistically speaking, it's most likely that I will never in my life have to use a rifle for self defense at all. But I still train and equip myself for a fight. Chances are that self defense uses for a rifle will put the badguy well under 100 - probably well under 10 because I don't have any 100-yard-long hallways inside my house. Much of my rifle training, therefore, takes place at those close distances. But it is still a rifle, and the rifle and ammo together should still be capable of hitting a man-sized target out to about 600 yards. The key advantage to a rifle is its range - it's not merely a bigger pistol with a larger magazine and more power. Just because a self defense shooting involving a rifle is likely to happen at less than 10 yards doesn't mean I'm going to waste the potential of my rifle and myself by only training and equipping to shoot at 10 yards. 4 MOA or more for ammo as an accuracy standard? No way. Pretty much ANY modern rifle shooting just about ANY modern decently-made ammunition will do about 3 MOA, so why settle for worse than that when it's not going to be any more expensive to fix it? And why not be able to hit at 300+ yards with your rifle when it is capable of doing so? Doesn't make any sense. Don't let silly statistics be an excuse to keep you from mastering your weapon and being a warrior.

So you are saying you couldnt hit the BG with the ammo at well under 100yards

Im not the one who buys XM ammo for SD read my 1st post.

mastering the weapon LOL

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