Through looking around on Ammoseek, I found a few intriguing heavy-bullet or softpoint 5.56 loads at very good prices. The intended use would be longer-range plinking (local range has steel out to 300yds) and stashing in addition to Wolf Gold and other M193 analogues. The three that jumped out at me the most are the Tula 75gr HP, Hornady Steel Match 75gr, and Wolf 55gr SP, so I ordered a few boxes of each from SGAmmo and did some testing.

The rifle used was a 16" PSA nitrided pencil barrel with a Primary Arms 2.5x prism scope; the limited magnification and 2MOA center reticle dot probably limited my accuracy; I'll try to reshoot two of these groups with my 4-14x scope. Groups were shot at 50yds due to the burning car located at the 100yd line


First up, the Tula 75gr HP. 20-shot group, moderate rate of fire. I'm really not sure where the flyer in the upper left came from, it may have been from another shooter. I'm pleased with this group; it is definitely rack-grade accuracy from some very cheap ammunition.


The Hornady Steel Match delivers. About 2MOA in a ten-shot group minus the one called flier. This stuff definitely has a place in my ammo fort.


Finally, the Wolf 55gr SP...
I have absolutely no idea what was going on with this stuff. It was shot under the exact same conditions as the other groups, same rifle, same optics...this is the single worst group I have ever shot with a rifle. I burned up the rest of this junk with a buddy's M16 lower.

The clear winner for cheap factory precision ammo is Hornady Steel Match. If I just want heavy 5.56, the Tula is quite acceptable as well - I'd like to see some data on its terminal ballistics, though. No rifle I own has ever had a malfunction with Tula through several thousand rounds, for whatever that's worth. I will try to revisit this test with some slow-fire groups with an optic with more magnification in a few weeks.

IME 75gr Tula shot just like your 55gr soft-points.
75gr Frontier could be found for less than $0.50/rnd recently. I think it's well under 2MOA.

+1 for the 75gr Frontier. Can be had for a decent price, is fairly accurate, and doubles as an excellent HD round with the T2 bullet.

I dont do much longer range shooting so I dont mind paying the premium for MK262 clones, but were it a more frequent thing I'd be all over the 75gr Frontier.

I’ve got to ask the obvious question: any failure to feed or failure to eject issues? The only time I’ve ever had any ammo issues is when running steel case, so I’m skeptical.

The best ammo you shot will shoot like the last group when you try your next lot. You cant count on the accuracy holding up lot to lot. All the steel case Russian ammo, 75 HP or not, is trash on the whole. I have some Wolf 75 HP with poly coated cases that shoots just like your last group.

No, no failures. I've always had excellent luck with steel.

Russian steel no problem here for cheap ammo, I like the 62gr sp stuff.

Better QC, then look up Horandy Steel with 75 bthp in 50rd boxes, buy em by the case, they're GTG.