Accuracy Testing .223 Ammo

This was the 5 shot group from the PMC Bronze 55 gr FMJ-BT ammo and measured 5.01". The group averaged 2694 FPS with a 36.0 SD.

This was the 5 shot group from the Remington Premier 55 gr Accutip-V ammo and measured 2.60". The group averaged 2846 FPS with a 33.1 SD.

This was the 5 shot group from the Corbon .223 Remington (5.56) 55 gr FMJ ammo and measured 1.50". The group averaged 2813 FPS with a 32.2 SD.

This was the 5 shot group from the Hornady .223 Remington 55 gr FMJ-BT ammo and measured 1.11". The group averaged 2847 FPS with a 18.6 SD. This group wasn't bad at all. I could easily live with it except that I can't afford to feed my EA-15 a constant diet of this stuff.

I saved the best group for last. This 5 shot group came from the Fiocchi .223 Remington 50 gr V-MAX ammo and measured 0.78". The group averaged 2784 FPS with a 39.5 SD. As is probably the dream of most AR-15 shooter's.....getting this kind of accuracy but with budget/bulk ammo.....what more could you ask for? I was very glad to see that my EA-15 was able to deliver a sub-MOA group.

Here is an easier to view table with the same data that appeared on the previous pages. It should be noted that my EA-15 sports a 16" barrel. The chronograph sky screens were placed 15' from the muzzle of the EA-15. It is common for the factory to obtain their velocity data from barrels longer than 16". As such, the reduced velocities I recorded are most likely because of that.

Ammunition Brand and Type	Factory Vel.	Group	Velocity	Std. Dev.	$ per Round

LC 77 5.56mm M193 Military Ball	3250 FPS	5.18"	2971 FPS	35.0	-
Winchester 5.56mm 55 gr FMJ	3270 FPS	2.51"	2855 FPS	12.6	0.45
Remington (UMC) .223 Remington 55gr MC	-	2.27"	2865 FPS	15.3	0.36
PMC Bronze .223 Remington 55 gr FMJ-BT	3200 FPS	5.01"	2694 FPS	36.0	0.40
Remington Premier .223 Rem 55 gr Accutip-V	-	2.60"	2846 FPS	33.1	1.05
Corbon .223 Remington (5.56) 55 gr FMJ	3000 FPS	1.50"	2813 FPS	32.2	0.45
Hornady .223 Remington 55 gr FMJ-BT	3240 FPS	1.11"	2847 FPS	18.6	0.52
Fiocchi .223 Remington 50 gr V-MAX	3300 FPS	0.78"	2784 FPS	39.5	0.50

So what did I learn from all of this? Well, for one, I've determined that I'm not making any short range plans to replace the barrel on my EA-15. The fact that I had three groups out of the eight come in at 1.5" was good news. The fact that one of them came in at nearly 3/4 MOA made me that much happier. I've got some follow up testing to perform on these three rounds just to make certain they weren't a fluke. I have hopes for the Remington UMC ammo as this could be a viable round for me to use at Front Sight for an upcoming Practical Rifle course I plan to take in 2010.

If you are a new shooter, I'm hoping this has given you a start at how you might go about testing your own ammo for your rifle. Just because a particular brand or weight of ammo works great in your buddy's rifle doesn't mean it will do the same in yours.....even if you have the same model. Also, the most expensive ammo is not always the most accurate ammo for your rifle. The most expensive ammo will drain your shooting budget faster than the cheap stuff, that is for sure. Hopefully you can find a reasonably priced ammo that strikes a good balance between accuracy and cost.

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