Topic: AR15 DMR, 1:8 twist...suggestions for accuracy load?

[mjmcmahon]

Hi all,

picked up a POF 18" DMR rifle over the weekend and I'm looking forward to chasing accuracy with it.  I wanted to get some suggestions on accuracy loads for it, as I understand 1:8 will stabilize up to 80gn bullets.  Anyone got any hints?

Thx!

Mike

[ekuo]

What is the intended purpose?  3-gun shooting, long distance accuracy, varmint?  Might help, otherwise you'll get everyone's pet loads. 

[Grumblecakes]

I would stick with 75s for cost and mag length. I think defacto you cant go wrong with varget

[Nomad]

 Varget and RL-15 will both work very well in the heavier 68- 75gr bullets
 60gr Vmax works with H335 benchmark and the new 8208 powders....

[mjmcmahon]

What is the intended purpose?  3-gun shooting, long distance accuracy, varmint?  Might help, otherwise you'll get everyone's pet loads. 

Good point, ekuo!  For starters, it'll be long distance accuracy and some varminting.  At some point I may take the 3-gun plunge, but I'd likely just shoot factory ammo for that.

[ekuo]

That'll help narrow the range, but I probably won't be able to add much input since my loads are primarily geared towards 3-gun type shooting. 

Based on the type of shooting I do, I primarily run two loads out of an 18" 1:8 twist JP barrel:  55 gr FMJ's for <200 yd shooting, and 69 gr SMK's for longer distances.  Win748 has been a great powder for the 55 gr bullets and somewhere between 25.5 and 25.9 grs ought to give you good results. For the 69 SMK's I've been using RL-15 between 24.4 and 25.0 grs.  I have some 75 gr Hornady bullets, but I haven't worked up a load yet for those.  Not sure about the 80 gr bullets, but I wonder if you'll have OAL problems with that load and AR mags.  I'm sure people have shot those in AR's, but I was under the impression those were more for bolt guns...?

As far as OAL, I load to 2.250" as that length seems to work the best with PMags.

Cheers

 

[Grumblecakes]

for 55/62gr i have had great results with benchmark. For what its worth ive found the 'most accurate load/powder/charge" in the nosler book to be almost dead on even substituting bullets of the same weight but different brands. H335 being the most accurate for '223' 55gr, benchmark 60gr. for '5.56' aa2230 69gr, and rl15 77/80.

For cost hornaday match bullets are hard to beat. SMK's seem to be more popular. Im not a good enough shot most of the time to even notice.

If your looking to have a 'dmr' 77gr smks are the bullet used by the marines

[mjmcmahon]

awesome information guys!  Thanks much...now just to see if I can get the world to leave me alone long enough to get some loading done!

[Boise_Tactical]

sierra 69 bthp match

Horday 75 gr match

both work great with rl-15 for me