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Posted: 2/9/2021 2:50:59 PM EDT

[#1]

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Quoted:
M855a1 is good for its effects but it's not something you want to shoot a lot of. It's been tearing up our guns, busted locking lugs, gas rings wearing quicker, and it's not that accurate. If you're worried about armor then yeah it's good but it's that type of ammo that if you have it's not blasting stuff. The mk318 stuff is supposed to be solid but I have no experience with it. Mk262 is accurate and good terminal ballistics.

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It's not available for Civi LE. Mil only

Posted: 2/9/2021 9:42:40 PM EDT

[#2]

The 77gr TMK is THE choice if barriers aren't a concern IMHO. It is extremely accurate and terminally devastating to a LONG ways out. My plain jane load is 55gr soft points and they will mess stuff up plenty as well with people reporting using them effectively on whitetails. Wouldn't flinch if that was what I had after running out of TMKs.

It's a good idea to keep a deep penetrating load as well especially with armor becoming prevalent but anything that is not FMJ is going to work way better a lot further than m193 and other clone type rounds.

Posted: 2/12/2021 6:16:05 PM EDT

[#3]

I run the BH 5.56mm 69gr TMK in my short barrel setups

Posted: 2/28/2021 1:57:23 PM EDT

[#4]

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Quoted:
Federal Fusion or Gold Dot, Mk318 or TSX. Gold dot used to be easy to come by and inexpensive compared to the rest.

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I stacked 55 grain Speer GDSP deep when it was 50 cpr at Bone Frog

Posted: 2/28/2021 2:13:13 PM EDT

[#5]

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Quoted:

I stacked 55 grain Speer GDSP deep when it was 50 cpr at Bone Frog

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Federal Fusion or Gold Dot, Mk318 or TSX. Gold dot used to be easy to come by and inexpensive compared to the rest.

I stacked 55 grain Speer GDSP deep when it was 50 cpr at Bone Frog

I have enough GD 55’s from that sale to be able to zero rifles and use it for hunting for literally the rest of my life

Posted: 2/28/2021 3:07:47 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
Barnes Varmint Grenades at 3100 fps?

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Don't do this, it's a terrible idea. I don't understand how people still think this is a good idea. Be smart, do your research

Posted: 2/28/2021 3:09:18 PM EDT

[#7]

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Quoted:
Barnes Varmint Grenades at 3100 fps?

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Don't do this, it's a terrible idea. I don't understand how people still think this is a good idea. Be smart, do your research

Posted: 2/28/2021 3:13:30 PM EDT

[#8]

Quote History

Quoted:
Barnes Varmint Grenades at 3100 fps?

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Don't do this. Just don't, It's dumb. I don't know how people still believe light varmint bullets are suitable for defense. Just don't do it. Five minutes of research proves this to be a terrible idea. Be smart, do research

Posted: 2/28/2021 4:51:03 PM EDT

[#9]

If we're waving a magic wand and disregarding the variables of cost and availability, then of course I'm going to take a bunch of M855A1.

Posted: 2/28/2021 11:14:59 PM EDT

[#10]

Quote History

Quoted:
If we're waving a magic wand and disregarding the variables of cost and availability, then of course I'm going to take a bunch of M855A1.

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For strictly end of world sure but, it tears guns up. Accuracy wise it’s the same as green tip. I always had better accuracy from 55gr fmj.

Posted: 3/1/2021 6:25:51 AM EDT

[#11]

Just a reminder to keep barrel length in mind. There is a velocity difference in 18"-20" hunting barrels and the 10.3" barrels that are all the rage.
Like some of the others here I got 55gr gold dot on sale a while ago. I have "a bit" of m193 which is a good enough training round for the gold dot, and the gold dot works out of "pistols." Gold dot is less velocity dependent than some other rounds, such as the M193 I practice with.

I have nothing against the heavy stuff, and may have some 75 gr T2, but that would go in my 16" BCM.

Posted: 3/1/2021 8:02:34 AM EDT

[#12]

Speer Gold Dot 62grain SP. (Fusion or Fusion MSR)

I’ve taken a lot of hogs and deer with it.

Posted: 3/1/2021 10:30:15 AM EDT

[#13]

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Quoted:

For strictly end of world sure but, it tears guns up. Accuracy wise it’s the same as green tip. I always had better accuracy from 55gr fmj.

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Are you sure it still tears guns up? I thought that the pressure was reduced sometime around 2012 to M855 levels. Newer pmags and EPM mags fixed the feed ramp issues.

That said, even if M855A1 is still terrible for our guns, I doubt the average civilian would be able to buy or shoot enough of it for that to be a problem. Even now it’s still ludicrously expensive compared to other choices.

Posted: 3/1/2021 10:36:11 AM EDT

[#14]

62gr federal fusion

The bc and velocity closely matches typical m855 so bdc reticles should line up rather close

And it's a great expanding round

Posted: 3/1/2021 6:24:37 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
62gr federal fusion

The bc and velocity closely matches typical m855 so bdc reticles should line up rather close

And it's a great expanding round

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Fusion is absolutely a great round, but the non MSR version at least is loaded to a pretty slow .223 velocity. I'm not sure how closely it would match m855 in a BDC when it's 200-300fps slower out of a similar barrel length. The MSR would definitely be closer though.

Posted: 3/1/2021 8:04:38 PM EDT

[#16]

Federal 62 Grain Fusion vs Federal 62 Grain Fusion MSR vs Speer LE 62 Grain Gold Dot

The muzzle velocities shown in the tables below were obtained back-to-back during the same chronograph session using recent lots of all three of the Fusion/Gold Dot loads chrongographed.

Atmospheric Conditions

Temperature: 73 degrees F (plus or minus one degree)
Barometric Pressure: 29.68 inches of Hg
Humidity: 62%
Altitude: 950 feet above sea level

Muzzle velocities from a 20” Colt M16A2 barrel with a NATO chamber, chrome lining and a 1:7” twist.

Muzzle velocities from a 14.5 Noveske N4 light barrel with a NATO chamber, chrome lining and a 1:7’ twist.

10-shot groups were fired from one of my precision AR-15s with a Lothar-Walther barrel with a 223 Wylde chamber and a 1:8” twist. The groups were fired from the bench at a distance of 100 yards with the same sight settings on the scope for each of the three groups.

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Posted: 3/2/2021 12:57:30 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/imi_m855_2009_chrono_data_02-1847286.jpg

Federal 62 Grain Fusion vs Federal 62 Grain Fusion MSR vs Speer LE 62 Grain Gold Dot

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/fusion_fusion_msr_gold_dot_boxes_02-1550641.jpg

The muzzle velocities shown in the tables below were obtained back-to-back during the same chronograph session using recent lots of all three of the Fusion/Gold Dot loads chrongographed.

Atmospheric Conditions

Temperature: 73 degrees F (plus or minus one degree)
Barometric Pressure: 29.68 inches of Hg
Humidity: 62%
Altitude: 950 feet above sea level

Muzzle velocities from a 20” Colt M16A2 barrel with a NATO chamber, chrome lining and a 1:7” twist.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/20_inch_barrel_velocities_for_62_fusion_-1550638.jpg

Muzzle velocities from a 14.5 Noveske N4 light barrel with a NATO chamber, chrome lining and a 1:7’ twist.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/muzzle_velocities_from_14_5_inch_barrel_-1550642.jpg

10-shot groups were fired from one of my precision AR-15s with a Lothar-Walther barrel with a 223 Wylde chamber and a 1:8” twist. The groups were fired from the bench at a distance of 100 yards with the same sight settings on the scope for each of the three groups.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/Speer_LE_62_grain_gold_dot_10_shot_group-1550643.jpg

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/Federal_62_grain__fusion_10_shot_group_0-1550639.jpg

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/Federal_62_grain__fusion_MSR__10_shot_gr-1550640.jpg

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Is it really fair to compare Fusion, Fusion MSR and Gold Dot velocities to possibly the hottest M855 load?

Might PMC's X-Tac be a better comparison as it is on the slower side while retaining relatively good accuracy and precision?

Thank you for returning, and for repairing your work!

Posted: 3/2/2021 3:27:16 PM EDT

[#18]

The hottest 62 grain load I've ever fired is a TBBC FBIT3 2011 lot that clocked in at an average of 3,200 FPS from an 18.5" barrel. That's M193 velocities from a 62 grain load! Hotter even than M855A1!

It is a decently accurate round too.

Posted: 3/2/2021 4:15:55 PM EDT

[#19]

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Quoted:

Is it really fair to compare Fusion, Fusion MSR and Gold Dot velocities to possibly the hottest M855 load?

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Winkychevelle posted, "62gr federal fusion . . . velocity closely matches typical m855". I posted data showing that this statement is false.

As to IMI M855 being "possibly the hottest M855 load" . . .

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Posted: 3/2/2021 4:29:47 PM EDT

[#20]

Federal XM556FBIT3

This ammunition is loaded with the 62 grain Tropy Bonded Bear Claw bullet.

When chronographed from the 20" Colt barrel, this load had a muzzle velocity of 3116 FPS with a standard deviation of 20 FPS. A 10-shot group fired from my Lothar-Walther AR-15 at a distance of 100 yards had an extreme spread of 3.14".

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Posted: 3/2/2021 5:24:50 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:

Winkychevelle posted, "62gr federal fusion . . . velocity closely matches typical m855". I posted data showing that this statement is false.

As to IMI M855 being "possibly the hottest M855 load" . . .

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/28568/m855_clones_chronograph_data_03-1848451.jpg

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You might need to revisit some of those M855/M193 tests. IMI and others have reduced their velocities over the last few years. Actually, I think that IMI was the one that started it