PDA

View Full Version : Range Report: Winchester Q3313 FBI Training Ammunition



Molon
12 August 2015, 16:36
ignore the "Q3313" in the thread title


[B] Winchester 5.56mm FBI Training Ammunition



https://app.box.com/shared/static/e58kr23qyelpmtzsvwa2h1vrpjqns0bd.jpg



Winchester’s 5.56mm 62 grain hollow-point FBI "training ammunition" comes in a plain white Winchester 20 round box with no other identifying information other than “5.56mm” printed on it.

Contrary to erroneous information that has been posted on the Internet, the 62 grain projectile used for this load is not a bonded bullet, does not have a thick copper base and it is not a barrier-blind bullet. The bullet has a typical lead-core and reverse drawn copper jacket construction; it’s essentially a 62 grain hollow-point varmint bullet.



https://app.box.com/shared/static/b50n5e9qb2y2tz2whng5cyqywvwjsqvg.jpg




https://app.box.com/shared/static/wq6c59qu7sgsk1ai74n4ww521h6qf3m3.jpg




The 62 grain hollow-point bullet is loaded in 5.56mm WCC brass. The primers are crimped and sealed and the round is charged with “ball” powder. The case-mouth has a heavy (as in bullet deforming) collet crimp. There is just a hint of asphalt sealant at the case-mouth.



https://app.box.com/shared/static/8dlir2fwjguvqhtptlxi5t2hkkaj65ng.jpg





I chronographed the Winchester FBI training ammunition from a semi-automatic AR-15 with a chrome-lined, NATO chambered 20” Colt M16A2 barrel with a 1:7” twist.




https://app.box.com/shared/static/374vf9qhvsohvszasr6r7qef15pkrlxd.jpg





Chronographing was conducted using an Oehler 35-P chronograph with “proof screen” technology. The Oehler 35P chronograph is actually two chronographs in one package that takes two separate chronograph readings for each shot and then has its onboard computer analyze the data to determine if there is any statistically significant difference between the two readings. If there is, the chronograph “flags” the shot to let you know that the data is invalid. There was no invalid data flagged during this testing.

The velocity stated below is the muzzle velocity as calculated from the instrumental velocity using Oehler’s Ballistic Explorer software program. The string of fire consisted of 10 rounds over the chronograph.




https://app.box.com/shared/static/qecrizgcgxyzqztvq5xvb9gczasq71q3.jpg




https://app.box.com/shared/static/psjsdukng1c4p5efyw096kuka7p2aliu.jpg




Each round was single-loaded and cycled into the chamber from a magazine fitted with a single-load follower. The bolt locked-back after each shot allowing the chamber to cool in between each shot. This technique was used to mitigate the possible influence of “chamber-soak” on velocity data. Each new shot was fired in a consistent manner after hitting the bolt release. Atmospheric conditions were monitored and recorded using a Kestrel 4000 Pocket Weather Tracker.




https://app.box.com/shared/static/rwruh372al3yh9kafscx370ewe74e6el.jpg




Atmospheric conditions

Temperature: 75 degrees F
Humidity: 44%
Barometric pressure: 29.95 inches of Hg
Elevation: 950 feet above sea level




The muzzle velocity for the 10-shot string of the Winchester FBI training ammunition fired from the 20” Colt barrel was 3132 FPS with a standard deviation of 34 FPS. That makes this load a good interior and exterior ballistic match for the FBI 5.56mm duty load XM556FBIT3 (loaded with the 62 grain TBBC bullet) which had a muzzle velocity of 3119 FPS with a standard deviation 20 FPS when chronographed from the same 20” Colt barrel.



.....



I conducted an accuracy (technically, precision) evaluation of the Winchester FBI training ammunition following my usual protocol. This accuracy evaluation used statistically significant shot-group sizes and every single shot in a fired group was included in the measurements. There was absolutely no use of any group reduction techniques (e.g. fliers, target movement, Butterfly Shots).

The shooting set-up will be described in detail below. As many of the significant variables as was practicable were controlled for. Also, a control group was fired from the test-rifle used in the evaluation using match-grade, hand-loaded ammunition; in order to demonstrate the capability of the barrel. Pictures of shot-groups are posted for documentation.

All shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest from a distance of 100 yards (confirmed with a laser rangefinder.) The barrel used in the evaluation was free-floated. The free-float handguards of the rifle rested in a Sinclair Windage Benchrest, while the stock of the rifle rested in a Protektor bunny-ear rear bag. Sighting was accomplished via a Leupold VARI-X III set at 25X magnification and adjusted to be parallax-free at 100 yards. A mirage shade was attached to the objective-bell of the scope. Wind conditions on the shooting range were continuously monitored using a Wind Probe. The set-up was very similar to that pictured below.




https://app.box.com/shared/static/8ybmvvks8dyx1t1soslfzpxgah071370.jpg




The Wind Probe.

https://app.box.com/shared/static/h3eyer905xoqn6e6j0ycsmwde642x00m.jpg




The test vehicle for this evaluation was one of my semi-automatic precision AR-15s with a 20” stainless-steel Lothar Walther barrel. The barrel has a 223 Wylde chamber with a 1:8” twist. Prior to firing the Winchester FBI training ammunition, I fired a 10-shot control group using match-grade hand-loads topped with the Sierra 77 grain MatchKing. That group had an extreme spread of 0.78”.




https://app.box.com/shared/static/gd9oharrvzs6etvyugq4rn3n0jifjma5.jpg




Next, three 10-shot groups of the Winchester FBI training load were fired in a row with the resulting extreme spreads:

1.70”
2.24”
2.09”

for a 10-shot group average extreme spread of 2.01”. The three 10-shot groups were over-layed on each other using RSI Shooting Lab to form a 30-shot composite group. The mean radius for the 30-shot composite group was 0.61”.




The smallest 10-shot group . . .


https://app.box.com/shared/static/uusicn3clfpanjxzgu1d02n9u006lwzh.jpg




The 30-shot composite group . . .


https://app.box.com/shared/static/wura7xjsxzg8mwmsugbpvzi29u1jvghl.jpg




….

bfoosh006
18 August 2015, 21:18
Wow... pretty poor accuracy.

I wonder if that is why this is on the market.

As always, thank you for all your time and energy to help enlighten us.