Best 200 YD Plus Ammo For Daniel Defense 18"

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peeplwtchr

peeplwtchr

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Hi All-

I was just testing American Eagle 55gr, M855 62 gr, Frontier 55 and 62 gr, Hornady Black 75 gr ammo in my new V7 Pro, and they were all pretty close @ 100 yds. The Eagle grouping was a mess, but I may blame that on me because that was my first group test, and this was my first 20 shots through the new gun/scope/trigger. I will retest that. Anyway, I am wondering if any of you have tested different brands, weights through this gun, and can offer pics or recollection of your results. I know the "Mine eats everything" response comes up alot, but not what I need please. It better fire everything for $1600, I am looking for user test results. I want to buy some bulk ammo, and need direction for more long range testing. I was surprised what varying results an 18 inch barrel vs. 16 inch, by different brand yields. I have a 16 inch S&W AR, and the bullet drop scope exactly matches all 55gr brands I tested at 200 yds. The DD is a different animal, likely because it is such a high quality barrel/trigger I guess. I also need to learn this scope. Forgive the scribbling on my target, I changed my group calculations after I watched a couple vids on how to calculate group size.

Thanks!
 

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That seems about right for the American Eagle, maybe a bit on the tight side from the nice barrel. A redo should look the same or worse...

If you want a “longer range” bullet, keeping in mind mid-range starts at 600, a heavier, longer, higher BC bullet is it.
FMJ is only for headache and aggravation, if needed.

When I bought ammunition it was Hornady. Now that I make ammunition, use Hornady bullets.

When evaluating ammunition, all shots count.
 
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All 100 yards, same rifle, same day.

I've pretty much settled on the 69gr SMK remanufactured from Black Hills as my ideal balance between cost and accuracy. It's usually around US$0.70/rd. The third target is a handload I worked up that's great, but time consuming, as I match brass carefully, sort the bullets by weight, and triple weigh each charge.
 
I've had some pretty good results with fiochi 223 55 fmjbt 1.12-1.5 with my psa 16" at 100. Win white box 5.56 was similar.
 
Demi-human said:
When evaluating ammunition, all shots count.
Click to expand...

That's what I have always thought too, but not what "Experts" said. They both said to throw out worst 2 shots. What is BC?

I am looking to get out to 500 yds if possible.
 
peeplwtchr said:
What is BC?
Click to expand...

Ballistic Coefficient.
For long flights a bullet with a high Ballistic Coefficient will “sail” through the air better than one with a lower coefficient number.
It will also be pushed less sideways by the wind when shooting.

This is less important than a bullet that is accurate.
Especially so at shorter range, wherein 200 yards resides.

For accuracy, Full Metal Jackets are not where it’s at. That is not to say some are not pretty good for their price. Just better bullets are better. I assume, dangerously, you are here because you are not happy with what you have displayed?
Then a quality bullet is in order.
 
Demi-human said:
Ballistic Coefficient.
For long flights a bullet with a high Ballistic Coefficient will “sail” through the air better than one with a lower coefficient number.
It will also be pushed less sideways by the wind when shooting.

This is less important than a bullet that is accurate.
Especially so at shorter range, wherein 200 yards resides.

For accuracy, Full Metal Jackets are not where it’s at. That is not to say some are not pretty good for their price. Just better bullets are better. I assume, dangerously, you are here because you are not happy with what you have displayed?
Then a quality bullet is in order.
Click to expand...

Thanks. What's the alternative to FMJ?
 
I have .223’s from 10” to 26” in all kinds of twists and have thrown bullets from 35 grains to 80 out of different ones.

What is great for one might not work in another at all. FMJ’s never have given the best results but at least they don’t come apart like some “thin skinned” bullets designed for 1:14, 1:12 barrels in 1:7 barrels. A lot more common back before AR’s with 1:9, 1:8 and 1:7 barrels were the most prolific.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to have a lighter weight match JHP flat base out shoot bullets with better BC’s even out to two hundred yards or beyond, because I have seen it so many times before.
 
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200? About anything will do 200 yards easily. That's not even a challenge. Start at 500 and 600.
 
OTM= Open Tip Match, the more accurate equivalent of a hollowpoint.

Literally any thing is more accurate than a Full Metal Jacket, though Hornady makes some very good ones.

Just as an aside, at two hundred yards all of your shots would have been inside an area the size of a human head, so all the rest is academic.

Can it shoot tighter? Probably.

Can you get a ton of quality shooting done with the cheap stuff? Absolutely.

My first strike to steel at six hundred was with a 50 grain Vmax.
I still remember the tiny golden dot of the base glinting the sun, as it arced out into the swamp.

"Plink."

The seventy-fives hit with decidedly more authority...

"PLANK!":)
 
tomrkba said:
200? About anything will do 200 yards easily. That's not even a challenge. Start at 500 and 600.
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You know, funny you should say that. I am used to S&W M&P 15 16 inch. With this gun and different BDC scope at 200 yds, I couldn't test ammo, because I can't hit the small targets accurately using the BDC reticle with each brand. At first I thought my scope rings were loose. At 200 yds. AE was on using the center reticle zeroed at 100 yds, others were 10 inches high. With the S&W 16 inch barrel, the different BDC scope was right on with all brands, at the 200 yd hashmark. It seems I have more variables here, I just gotta figure them out.
 
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Ramone said:
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All 100 yards, same rifle, same day.

I've pretty much settled on the 69gr SMK remanufactured from Black Hills as my ideal balance between cost and accuracy. It's usually around US$0.70/rd. The third target is a handload I worked up that's great, but time consuming, as I match brass carefully, sort the bullets by weight, and triple weigh each charge.
Click to expand...
That handload is damn good. I am waiting a few years till the kids are out of the house to start reloading, as I will need something else to do. Saving brass now though
 
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peeplwtchr said:
Thanks. What's the alternative to FMJ?
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In addition to the OTM (Open Tip Match) mentioned, I like an all copper bullet, like the 50gr Varmint Grenade from Barnes I used in the handload above.

Because copper is lighter than lead, you get a lighter (faster moving) bullet that's longer (better BC) than an equivalent weight lead cored bullet. Being all one piece, it eliminates the chance of an unbalanced bullet.

A side note, which you may or may not be aware of is that a tighter twist in rifling does not call for a heavier bullet, but a longer one. Usually, longer does mean heavier, but in the case of the rounds I used in the photos above, the 62gr m855, the 69 grain SMK, and the 50gr Varmint Grenade, are all about the same length.
 
peeplwtchr said:
That handload is damn good. I am waiting a few years till the kids are out of the house to start reloading, as I will need something else to do. Saving brass now though
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I'm pretty pleased with it.

I really enjoy working up a load like that, but as I said, it's really time consuming. I match the cases by manufacturer/year, and sort them by weight (which gives a good indication of interior volume), clean, resize and trim them painstakingly. I weigh and sort the bullets, run small 25 round batches, and triple check my charges. I try different LOAs to get the jump to the lands just right.

If I factor in my time, I figure they cost me close to US$5.00 each, so i do most of my shooting with the Black Hills Blue Box.
 
Ramone said:
A side note, which you may or may not be aware of is that a tighter twist in rifling does not call for a heavier bullet, but a longer one. Usually, longer does mean heavier, but in the case of the rounds I used in the photos above, the 62gr m855, the 69 grain SMK, and the 50gr Varmint Grenade, are all about the same length.
Click to expand...

I didn't know this, thanks! The frontier ammo zi am shooting is probably longer too, because it has the same groups as the M855. Daniel's website said to shootv62gr. and above, maybe due to the length and not weight?
 
peeplwtchr said:
At 200 yds. AE was on using the center reticle zeroed at 100 yds, others were 10 inches high.
Click to expand...

Showing the AE to be less powerfully loaded than the others.


peeplwtchr said:
With the S&W 16 inch barrel, the different BDC scope was right on with all brands, at the 200 yd hashmark. It seems I have more variables here, I just gotta figure them out.
Click to expand...

That the BDC reticle was even close is a feat. Different loads will have different drops. Your new one may not match, as I suggest a heavier more aerodynamic bullet to match your rifle better.

I can see feeding the S&W the most inexpensive cannon fodder, but if you bought a DDV7Pro it deserves a fine feast. Find a kind of bullet it likes, then look around for the best deal on a case or two. Resign yourself to that as the price for satisfaction.

peeplwtchr said:
I didn't know this, thanks! The frontier ammo zi am shooting is probably longer too, because it has the same groups as the M855. Daniel's website said to shootv62gr. and above, maybe due to the length and not weight?
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Because that is what it was designed for. The tighter twist can stabilize longer bullets, which are more aerodynamic, which lets them retain speed better (ballistic coefficient), which lets them hit harder. 55 grain is Vietnam stuff. M4s use 62 and heavier. I like Hornady’s 75 bthp because they can be loaded at mag length.

But none of that has anything to do with group size. That is rifle dependent.
 
peeplwtchr said:
I didn't know this, thanks! The frontier ammo zi am shooting is probably longer too, because it has the same groups as the M855. Daniel's website said to shootv62gr. and above, maybe due to the length and not weight?
Click to expand...

Yes. The critical factor with regards to twist rate is going to be the length of the projectile which _usually_ means heavier is longer, but different materials and construction will lead to some exceptions.

Another factor is the velocity of the bullet in flight. The faster it moves through the air to the target, the less time wind and gravity have to work on it. A lighter bullet will drop less because it's faster moving (within a given range), but will be more affected by wind, because it's lighter.

There are a lot of factors to consider when trying to get really small groups, and like most things in life, there's a lot of trade offs.
 
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