20" AR15 shooting factory Hornady Match 75?

[RFutch]

Thinking of ordering a WOA 20" barrel and shooting factory ammo. Am I being realistic to think that I can get to 900 with this setup consistently?

JBM numbers look good estimating 2700 FPS from a 20" barrel but I was wondering if anyone here has any real world experience with a similar setup?

Thanks

 

[isofahunter]

The issue will be wind. I run 75 in an 18 inch M12 clone and on a windy day 600 not to much of a problem, 750 is getting random and 800 is an occasional hit. I think it is a 600 yard set up for repeatability, beyond that you are asking a lot of it.

 

[RFutch]

Yeah I know wind is going to be a big factor. There are days where I shoot that there’s not much wind though. So I am more concerned with accuracy and if I’ll even be able to hear the steel?

 

[Billl223]

I can't speak about hits @ 900 yards but using 24.0 of RL-15 behind a Hornady 75 HPBT got 2700+ from a 20" barrel.

 

[VegasHKShooter]

I regularly get to shoot out as far as I can with my AR’s. I work at a range that has steel out to 1mile, so I have quite a bit of time on AR’s at distance. I can make VERY consistent hits at 600 with Speer 75gr Gold Dots, and 77gr Federal GMM. By 800, they are not anything I would call consistent. I’m not going to say you can’t do it, but I will say, it will be tough to do. The 5.56 just looses speed and energy too fast. It’s not heavy enough to carry the velocity to 1000.
I’m shooting in Las Vegas, at 2000’ elevation, and we have very, very shifting winds where I shoot. With my .308 and a NF 4-14 SHV, 850 yds is about the edge. With my 6.5CM and 147 ELD-M, 1000 is a cake walk. I just think consistent hits at 1000 with any 5.56 is TOUGH.

 

[RFutch]

So maybe 750 is a more realistic limit?

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I have experience with the 75gr Hornady bullet (handloaded) in a 1:8" 24" stainless bull barrel Stag Model 6) at 600yd in National level 600yd F T/R. Same-o with a Savage 1:9" 24" 11VT factory bull barrel. Solid performer, and I'm thinking it 's likely safe to say there's enough energy available from the 20" to keep it working out there OK.

But I prefer the 24" barrel.

Personally, I think the .223 is not a great choice for 900yd out of any barrel; 750 maybe as an absolute limit with the 75. The Hornady 75 Steel Match is a good factory load choice, and if you think you need brass cases, the Superformance is probably good too. Be aware that in larger chamberings, I have discovered that the Superformance primers are crimped, which can be a pain for handloading. For a brass cased load comparable to the steel Match velocities, the Hornady Match 223 75gr may be a better choice for handloading.

I have shot a bunch of steel in my good guns, and there has been no evidence of any reliability or excessive wear issues.

I have even gone so far as doing some extensive handloading experimentation with the Tulammo Boxer primed cases. In some ways, they are possibly superior to brass cases (no discernible primer pocket expansion), but I flatly refuse to endorse the practice, because the steel cases do not have comparable internal capacities, and can be dangerous to reload. I tell you flatly, don't even try it.

Now I shoot at about 4000-4500ft ASL, and the 75 looks good on paper out to near 1000, but I won't be actually trying that until I have a reliably safe 1000yd/4000+ft ASL venue for that experiment. So far, not got...; and I suspect the wind is going to be murderous out there.

For competitive F Class shooting beyond 600yd, I'm using my .260 1:8" 28" in F Open. I have an 11VT .308, otherwise identical to my 11VT .223, for F T/R at the longer distance. But going on 72 later this month, I think my LR competition days may also be drawing to a close.

Greg

 

[natdscott]

The 20" WOA will be highly effective at 5-600 yards. 700 is pretty reasonable. I think 800 could be done, maybe with the Lapua 7 Scenar-L load, maybe with Mk 262 Mod 1, or similar.

At 900, I think the wheels would fall off.

I shot a 7.7" Krieger at 1,000 with the JLK 80 loaded long. It worked, but brass got effin' killed.

I now shoot a Bartlein T-6.6 at 1,000 with 90's. It is QUITE capable at 800 and 900, and gets it done at 1,000...


...but any way you slice it, it still almost a 100" rifle.

 

[RFutch]

Thanks for the replies.

I had sold my older 18" 5.56 upper and was considering a 224V or 65G upper for it, but I wanted to wait until the 224V situation gets figured out long term before I dove into to either.

So until that happens I am just going to stick with the new 20" 223 Wylde out to about 750 and do the best I can there. I was hoping for more I guess but I can see that's not realistic.

 

[natdscott]

Well, if you elect to hand load for it, and want to load long, then it can be much more capable.

Ponder this: some/many of us load at least as much, if not more, of the same powder in our long-loaded 80 Grain loads as we do in our 73-77 grain magazine bullet loads. Nearly the same speeds too, except that the 80's are almost 100 points higher G1.

 

[RFutch]

I do hand load for some of my rifles and I also have a 223 bolt gun I shoot the 80 SMK out of. The AR's I'd like to keep feeding factory stuff from a magazine.

 

[sinister]

700-750 will get you hits on a steel E-type, but after that you won't be consistent.

A buddy I had coached from training wheels to a mile was grousing about how 75s and 77s were running out of steam by 800-875 out of an 18-incher with 10X scope (south of Las Vegas in January). I laughed at him and said, "It's all about perspective, isn't it? Last year you said 300 was far." Then we both chuckled and he agreed.