What weight bullet to choose

[Lee Persons]

I have a ruger american ranch chambered 5.56 with 16in barrel and 1:8 twist. I am trying to figure out what weight of bullet might give me the best groups and stabilization out further. I have but more then 300 rounds in the gun so im sure the barrel is most likely broke in. I have put cheap ammo and ammo up to $.55 ammo thru it. I never used soft points or deer rounds because i dont need that for a prairie dog. One ammo i found that I liked was hornady steel match ammo. Cabelas carried it and i bought a box. I believe the first box was the 75gr weight and i liked how it shot but never actually put groups on paper, it just hit on the dogs better. Bought another box and if memory serves me right it shot a little worse but i always told myself i was a fault. Last week I finally got to the range and put some groups on paper. Frontier 55gr fmj shot under one minute groups consistently. It seemed to like the frontier but another 55gr brand, monarch i think, did not do to well. Probably 1.25 MOA. All that to say, I believe front what I have tried to learn thru research is that my 1:8 twist should in theory like heavier bullets. I am going to go to academy and get some Black 75gr and 64gr ammo and see which the gun likes better. Am I headin in the right direction or is there a 55gr round that can shoot good. I do not reload so im left with box ammo and i want to find one round that can shoot consistently and i can buy for a while. For deer i will just get soft points and dial in my scope accordingly but I take far more dogs then anything.

thanks for any advice

 

[TMill308]

I have that same rifle and it liked the 75 grain Hornady match bullet very well, well under MOA. It also shot the 60 grain V-max into decent groups, right at MOA. Both were loaded with 8208XBR powder.

 

[45steve]

When I had a 5.56 with the same barrel you have, 75 gr. Hornady A-MAX worked awesome

 

[Greyfox]

Federal GM Match 69gr.

 

[TAJ1911A1]

Not being a reloaded (yet) you need to pick up as many flavors that you can afford, find ANY post like thing that will let you hang a PC of yarn or ribbon from it ( coat hanger to get it away from the post) even a round nosed shovel stuck in the ground at an angle and some bags of something to shoot from to do your testing. That caliber/chambering combo is very much susceptible to wind.
Also clean at close intervals. Copper build up in factory bbls is the norm for mass produced bbls. Carbon fouling hurts as well.
Without paying close attention to the above is similar to trying to turn in consistent hot laps without checking/setting tire pressures and using different tire sizes at random.
When you do find something acceptable, buy all you can afford OF THAT LOT. Lot #s usually found inside a flap if not on the outside.
Reloading is something to consider when affordable.
My ADL started w 2 boxes of 80 gr factory .243, RCBS dies, a pound of IMR 4895, 100 primers, a scale loaded by a teaspoon and the Lyman 310 Tool ( affectionately called the nutcracker). Quite a few ground hogs tallied. Then a Rock Chucker which I still have.....plus others of course over the last 54 yrs.

 

[MQ1]

l

I have a ruger american ranch chambered 5.56 with 16in barrel and 1:8 twist. I am trying to figure out what weight of bullet might give me the best groups and stabilization out further. I have but more then 300 rounds in the gun so im sure the barrel is most likely broke in. I have put cheap ammo and ammo up to $.55 ammo thru it. I never used soft points or deer rounds because i dont need that for a prairie dog. One ammo i found that I liked was hornady steel match ammo. Cabelas carried it and i bought a box. I believe the first box was the 75gr weight and i liked how it shot but never actually put groups on paper, it just hit on the dogs better. Bought another box and if memory serves me right it shot a little worse but i always told myself i was a fault. Last week I finally got to the range and put some groups on paper. Frontier 55gr fmj shot under one minute groups consistently. It seemed to like the frontier but another 55gr brand, monarch i think, did not do to well. Probably 1.25 MOA. All that to say, I believe front what I have tried to learn thru research is that my 1:8 twist should in theory like heavier bullets. I am going to go to academy and get some Black 75gr and 64gr ammo and see which the gun likes better. Am I headin in the right direction or is there a 55gr round that can shoot good. I do not reload so im left with box ammo and i want to find one round that can shoot consistently and i can buy for a while. For deer i will just get soft points and dial in my scope accordingly but I take far more dogs then anything.

thanks for any advice

Lee,

Your rifle will tell you what it likes...you'll have to test some different weight bullets. I've got a friend that swears by Fiochi with 55's for squirrels.

MQ1