PDA

View Full Version : AAC (PSA) 5.56 NATO 77gr SMK ammo



Former11B
14 December 2022, 08:40
I won a case of this at a match this past weekend after a solid finish in my division (Gas Tac)

Looks great. Annealing is good, the primers aren’t raised at all, the meplats are neat and even (normally the SMKs I get have very uneven tips so you’ve got to measure ogive length which sucks when loading to mag length you might have a tip that catches)

I’m debating pulling a round and seeing but I’m pretty confident it’s a ball powder

I bought some factory 77gr SMK loads (FGMM, Sig Elite) and have my Varget handloads I’m going to put it up against soon

https://i.imgur.com/1qmVT9r.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/YjhXz8m.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/OD0E1bM.jpg

I’ll update this as I test it, still waiting on the factory loads to arrive

Uffdaphil
15 December 2022, 06:56
Sweet when you win something extremely useful. Looking forward to the factory comparisons. Some factory Nosler 77 CCs would be nice in the mix.

Former11B
3 January 2023, 16:35
Ammo test is on hold, Fell 12-15ft off a ladder on the first. Broke my right wrist really badly and a bunch of stuff in my face. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot even after six months. Had two surgeries and on my second night in the hospital right now.

Uffdaphil
3 January 2023, 17:03
Praying for a full-use recovery sooner than six months. I’m guessing some phys therapy will be on your schedule. Stick with it. The pain is temporary while the benefit is permanent. Good luck.

alamo5000
3 January 2023, 19:50
Ammo test is on hold, Fell 12-15ft off a ladder on the first. Broke my right wrist really badly and a bunch of stuff in my face. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot even after six months. Had two surgeries and on my second night in the hospital right now.

Whoa. Dang man. I will definitely add you to my prayers. Hopefully you are starting to feel at least a little bit better.

UWone77
4 January 2023, 07:41
Ammo test is on hold, Fell 12-15ft off a ladder on the first. Broke my right wrist really badly and a bunch of stuff in my face. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot even after six months. Had two surgeries and on my second night in the hospital right now.

How'd that happen? Ladder slip with you on it?

Our second furnace is in the attic. I have to break out the 18ft ladder once every 4 months to swap the filter. I don't get on that death trap unless I have a buddy holding it (due to the angle) I'm slightly puckered every time [:D]

Hoping for your speedy recovery man!

Jerry R
4 January 2023, 12:40
Ammo test is on hold, Fell 12-15ft off a ladder on the first. Broke my right wrist really badly and a bunch of stuff in my face. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot even after six months. Had two surgeries and on my second night in the hospital right now.

So sorry, my Friend. Prayers and good thoughts for a speedy recovery coming your way.

FortTom
5 January 2023, 06:43
Ammo test is on hold, Fell 12-15ft off a ladder on the first. Broke my right wrist really badly and a bunch of stuff in my face. I don't know if I'll be able to shoot even after six months. Had two surgeries and on my second night in the hospital right now.

Hoping for a full and speedy recovery.

Joelski
5 January 2023, 15:18
Praying for a speedy recovery, bro. Follow orders and DON'T OVER-DO it!! You will risk damage, and setbacks if you do. Ask me how I know. ;)

PS: Never climb onto the fly section of an extension ladder without somebody heeling the ladder.

Rich: You don't have interior access for your second floor HVAC? If it's in the attic, get a scuttle hole and an attic ladder.

Former11B
13 March 2023, 11:46
Got a chrono and my ammo stash ready

Prepping a few rifles for the weekend to try to kick off the ammo test after a two month delay

Also will have my Recce 5 Mod 3 and trying to coordinate with someone who’s done the factory stack upgrade to the eco flow baffles to shoot them on identical hosts to see if the difference is noticeable to the shooter and a bystander as well as blowback/back pressure

alamo5000
13 March 2023, 13:43
Also will have my Recce 5 Mod 3 and trying to coordinate with someone who's done the factory stack upgrade to the eco flow baffles to shoot them on identical hosts to see if the difference is noticeable to the shooter and a bystander as well as blowback/back pressure

If you have a shorty while you are testing run it on different hosts. While I think you should see a difference on a longer barrel for sure, but on my 10.5 the difference was quite noticable.

Former11B
13 March 2023, 14:47
If you have a shorty while you are testing run it on different hosts. While I think you should see a difference on a longer barrel for sure, but on my 10.5 the difference was quite noticable.

Definitely will bring my 10.5” to compare also

I normally run the Mini-4 on it but will be happy to try the Recce on everything I bring

Former11B
19 March 2023, 13:37
Need to upload a bunch of pictures of the groups. I shot ten round groups with the Magnetospeed on for a larger data sample and ten round groups without it on to make there was no accuracy interference with it in place.

Rifle is comprised of a Rainier Arms forged upper and lower
20” Proof Research stainless barrel, 1:7 rifle gas w/superlative bleed off
Trijicon TenMile 4.5-30x56
CMC match 2.5lb two stage trigger
Pictured is a Nomad LT but didn’t use a can for the chrono testing:
https://i.imgur.com/1FBFhE0.jpg


The main purpose of this was seeing if this or any other factory ammo was comparable to my handloads in performance and price (or a close enough overlap) because components are getting more expensive and are still hard to come by. If I could get some factory ammo for matches since I generally lose my brass (semi auto ejection and don’t want to hold the day up looking for 5.56 brass) it’s an added cost

Here’s what the factory ammo is up against. I hadn’t shot since before my accident on 1/1, and my wrist isn’t totally healed so I had a modified grip position going on but got the job done. I fired three rounds slowly just to get my wrist and arm in a comfortable spot. Fired ten rounds to make sure I could do longer strings, adjusted my scope and sent five more to verify. We’re looking good for the test. I can send it all day.
100yds. The black square is 1/2” wide
https://i.imgur.com/94kIvi8.jpg


Federal Gold Medal Match 77gr Sierra MatchKing. $1.50/rd
Avg Velocity: 2637fps
SD: 9.6
ES: 26

Sig Sauer Elite Match 77gr OTM. $1.55/rd
Avg Velocity: 2467fps. (This surprised me immensely. It was very soft shooting and when I checked the #s I knew why)
SD: 11.4
ES: 32

Hornady white box 73gr ELD $1.35/rd
Avg Velocity: 2672fps (thought this would be in the upper 2700s)
SD: 4.1
ES: 10

AAC 77gr Sierra MatchKing $ .77/rd
Avg Velocity: 2732fps
SD: 14.8
ES: 38

AAC 75gr BTHP $ .62/rd
Avg Velocity: 2818fps
SD: 11.1
ES: 29

77gr SMK handloads $ .78/rd
24.3gr Varget, CCI BR4, 1x fired LC Nato brass
I’m loading these for cheaper than this due to price paid BUT this is current market
Avg Velocity: 2755fps
SD: 10.4
ES: 31



Already got a couple other rounds I want to test, my same handload with RE15 and Rem 7.5s, Nosler 77gr OTM, CBC 77gr OTM ammo, and 77gr IMI Razorcore

Former11B
19 March 2023, 20:46
Between these shot strings, I took the time to let the barrel cool…roughly 5 minutes each. I gathered brass, took notes, pictures etc. I didn’t blaze through each and end with a sizzling barrel. The rifle was bagged and extremely stable.

FGMM 77gr: 1”-1.25”. Solid performer but a tad slower than I thought, advertised almost 100fps faster
https://i.imgur.com/E17uv1Y.jpg


Sig 77gr (this one is odd but still a hair under 1”. The chrono group was the same size overall but didn’t have the circular dispersion). The speed of this ammo makes it a nonstarter for me. Adds 2.5mils at 800yds, and this is a “fast” barrel. This is like Mk262 from a 10.5”)
https://i.imgur.com/9Rjko3p.jpg


Hornady 73gr: The first ten round group was solidly 3/4”, I think may have messed this one up pushing the last two out to just under 1.5”. If this had about 150fps more I’d put another box downrange. It felt solid
https://i.imgur.com/Ja3huAM.jpg

AAC 77gr: 1.5” main group, 2” with flyers. Consistent among both groups
https://i.imgur.com/yNv6Y2K.jpg


AAC 75gr: Wouldve been solidly sub MOA, but the flyers pushed it out to a 1.5” group.
https://i.imgur.com/xMigUX5.jpg


And another group of my handloads with a suppressor…I was testing POI shift with three different cans (Mini-4, Recce 5, Nomad LT. All were 1” low)
https://i.imgur.com/NdNTLLm.jpg


The AAC 75gr did a lot better than I thought it would. I had some bias from the poorly performing Hornady Frontier 75gr creeping in. However, they’re a little on the warm side. All the primers are flat, unlike the AAC 77gr (75gr left, 77gr right):
https://i.imgur.com/naQsPZg.jpg

Both the AAC rounds are advertised as 2700fps on the box, and both exceeded it (the 75gr by 118fps Avg). Wonder what their test barrel lengths are?


So for about $1.50 a round, with a solid shooter you’re looking at roughly MOA ammo, I’m sure depending on the conditions, the shooter etc you could see sub MOA and greater than MOA groups. Could I have shot a little better? Probably. As the day progressed I was less “fresh” but I did have the rifle firmly rested in bags and used a brake for minimal recoil. For less than a dollar with the AAC ammo you’re getting in the 1.5 MOA or greater range. If you’re shooting in the 300-500yd ballpark recreationally or in a competition that has some decent sized steel and you don’t want to lose expensive brass…it seems like a solid alternative. However, I’d be careful with the 75gr ammo in the sun on hot days

gatordev
20 March 2023, 02:59
I'll be interested to see how the IMI compares. That's what I "invested" in (other than some Black Hills I have in reserve) for my precision guns because it would consistently match or out-perform me while also giving me consistent hits to 700 in my MK12. You're a way better shooter than I am, so seeing how it compares to your control group would be instructive.

Thanks for that data!

Former11B
20 March 2023, 06:09
Looks like AAC has some 77gr TIPPED match kings in the works also. Will have to throw those into the test pile when they’re released


Gator, Midway has IMI under a dollar a round right now. Honestly that’s probably the best deal going where quality and repeatability meet. I think your choice is solid

BoilerUp
20 March 2023, 17:21
Yeah, the IMI 77gr Razor Core is my go-to factory round for SPR-ish shooting and what I try to mimic for hand load development just so I don't have to touch my optics. EDIT: SG Ammo has it for .95-.97 cpr

Out of my 20" Rainier Ultramatch, I'm getting around 2800 fps (closer to 2750 in cooler weather), so that's a pretty hot load.



This thread has me realizing I haven't shot that rifle in way too long, and a 20" rifle gas system with suppressor and the JP SCS is just a kitten to shoot.

Former11B
27 March 2023, 08:56
And for quality ammo around $1/round:

Sierra brand Competition Ammo

77gr
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1026068546?pid=151536

69gr
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1026068437?pid=877288

$22 for box of 20rds. I bet this is some fantastic ammo.