Reloading: Favorite Bullets By Caliber- .224

[BarryinIN]

How about this, what are your favored bullets? Since this could get long otherwise, I thought I’d break it out by caliber, starting with .22 centerfire/.224.

This list could go on forever because I don’t know if there any bad .224 bullets.

Starting light…

40 grain
Hornady V-Max and Nosler Ballistic Tip
I’ve used a lot more of the V-Maxes. I don’t think I have a lot of use for this light a bullet, but they shoot nice.

50 grain
That’s my next step. Again, V-Max and Ballistic Tip.

52/53 grain
Speer. Their aerodynamics, the bc, is terrible in comparison to others, but it’s a shooter. I’ve used those for a long time.
For paper shooting, Berger FB Target.

55 grain.
So many. The Ballistic Tips have always shot well.
I don’t think they make them anymore, but I’ve shot a LOT of the Hornady 55 Spire Point and Spire Point SX. They were always available, and did fine.
Sierra BTSP and BTHP have always done well too.

60 grain.
I’ve shot more Hornady HP in this weight than any other. I don’t know that they were the best, but they were available.

63-69 grain
Sierra 69 BTHP has kind of been my standard. Several bullets have surpassed it especially in bc, and maybe accuracy, but its still a standard. I shot it in Highpower, even farther than I should have, and it has always shot well. It’s what I test new guns with, and what I try if a rifle is struggling as a last chance.
The tipped version gets a much better bc, but you have to watch your length.

70+
The 70 VLD Berger gets a pretty high bc for the weight. Like all Bergers, it shoots great.
73 Hornady ELD-M is about the best bc I can get with a bullet that will load to AR magazine length. It wins a place by default, although I’ve had to do some experimenting to get the best loads.
Berger’s 73 shoots better for me, but I don’t think it’s meant for magazine-length loading. I didn’t try that.
The 75 Hornady is the heaviest I’ve got to shoot in my old 1:9 twist Match Rifle. It seems to do OK in twists that should be too slow for it.
The 77 Sierra in all forms, standard, cannelured, tipped, shoots great.
The Berger 77 OTM shoots a little better.

I shot very few bullets of 80 grains or more. The Sierra 80 MK was about all you had in a readily available bullet when I last shot Highpower, so that was the choice.

 

[Frontiersman]

That usually means I'm loading for the .223/556. I try to emulate the NATO M855 62 grain fmj green tip as closely as possible. I buy in bulk, which means the best deal. Federal, Remington, or Winchester.

I’ll do the same if I want to pursue the old M193 ballistics. It’s a 55 grain loading and does a bit better if you have the barrel to support it. Usually a 1:9 twist rate or slower.

 

[Billybob44]

That usually means I'm loading for the .223/556. I try to emulate the NATO M855 62 grain fmj green tip as closely as possible. I buy in bulk, which means the best deal. Federal, Remington, or Winchester.

I’ll do the same if I want to pursue the old M193 ballistics. It’s a 55 grain loading and does a bit better if you have the barrel to support it. Usually a 1:9 twist rate or slower.

I’ll do the same if I want to pursue the old M193 ballistics. It’s a 55 grain loading and does a bit better if you have the barrel to support it. Usually a 1:9 twist rate or slower.
^^^
For me, I use a 55gr.. Hornady FMJ-BT with just under 25gr. of H-335 to get NATO Specs in a 1:7 or 1:8 twist.
This is my all around AR "Blasting Load".
I like a cannelure on my AR loads, with a modest roll crimp, and there is not much out there that is not 55gr. weight, that can be bought in bulk.
Most of my 40-52gr. projectiles go into my .222 Rem. and 22-250 Rem. loads...Bill.

 

[Frontiersman]

I’ll do the same if I want to pursue the old M193 ballistics. It’s a 55 grain loading and does a bit better if you have the barrel to support it. Usually a 1:9 twist rate or slower.
^^^
For me, I use a 55gr.. Hornady FMJ-BT with just under 25gr. of H-335 to get NATO Specs in a 1:7 or 1:8 twist.
This is my all around AR "Blasting Load".
I like a cannelure on my AR loads, with a modest roll crimp, and there is not much out there that is not 55gr. weight, that can be bought in bulk.
Most of my 40-52gr. projectiles go into my .222 Rem. and 22-250 Rem. loads...Bill.

Ive been playing with CFE AR the last thousand rounds or so. It does a good job. I’ll use the Hornady polymer tips if I’m thinking of coyote, otherwise it’s FMJ boat tails for general use.