16" Barrel for calling

AKBman

New member
Looking for suggestions for bullet and powder for a 16" Ruger AR 5.56? Right now I have it zeroed 1.5" high at 100 with 50gr Nosler Ballistic Tips and Ramshot X-Terminator. I am using a 2 MOA Red Dot from Aimpoint, and this rifle is for 200 and in shooting, I can hit reliably out to 300, but shooting at paper is different than the excitement of shooting a called in predator. Just wondering if anyone suggests a better powder/bullet combination, haven't loaded much for .223, it's been a 22-250 until now.
 
Looks plenty good as is, imho.
Have you tried heavier stuff like Sierra 69 gr TMK over 8208 XBR, just to be different..
Your eyes are better than mine, I need about 6x to hit anything at 200!
 
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Those days are coming, and faster than I'd like to admit! I am seriously thinking of building another AR with predator calling in mind, maybe an 18" or 20" barrel and a decent scope. My 22-250 is a Rem 700 with a bull barrel, and kills a long way out there, but it is HEAVY! I have given thoughts to the heavier bullets, the rifle has a 1:8 twist, so it should handle the heavier stuff with no problem, and I do happen to have a pound of the 8208. Thanks!
 
Have you considered the .25-45 Sharps caliber?
Also i have an 18" dpms mark 12 hbar. Its great on my calling rifle, but the 18" .25-45 Sharps i have is alot lighter.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob_AtlLooks plenty good as is, imho.
Have you tried heavier stuff like Sierra 69 gr TMK over 8208 XBR, just to be different..
Your eyes are better than mine, I need about 6x to hit anything at 200!

+1 on the 69 tipped SMK. I like the heavier bullets because my AR (16" BCM 1:8 stainless) serves multiple roles. The 69 SMK is my choice for a SD/HD round, the 69 tSMK for my coyote round (same POI & dope), and a 70gr Barnes TSX for an under 200yds deer round with the same POI.

Others may disagree with several points, but this works for me...
 
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There might be slightly "more right" options on the market, but there's nothing "wrong" with what you have going. I've used 50grn V-max's out of 16" carbines for a long time, been satisfied with them as much as any bullet. I haven't ran Ramshot, but if you're getting good velocities and repeatable ignition, what could there be to complain about?

For a calling rifle in normal calling environments in the midwest US, a 16" is plenty. I don't like the balance of carbines as much as 20" models, but the carbines have enough range to do that job just fine. If a dog hangs up at 500-600yrds, holding a carbine can be frustrating, but holding any 223rem when they hang up at 800yrds is frustrating too, so there's not a lot of difference in real world application.

My "ideal" coyote hunting AR wears a scope, in this case, a Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50mm Mil-dot on a Burris PEPR QD so I can swap it between 3 matching uppers in 18" 6.8SPC, 20" 223rem, and 22" 204Ruger. I suppose I could easily be convinced that a 6-6.8 20" would eliminate the 6.8spc and 223rem. Having the PEPR QD, I can swap out for folding iron sights or a Burris FastFire III or Bushnell TRS-25 in a matter of seconds. I also have a cheaper Bushnell AR 3-9x40mm in a Nikon M-223 mount to be able to run two uppers at the ready.
 
I am thinking about getting a scope with QDs, I have a QD setup on my 375 Ruger, and it returns to zero very well. It would be nice to switch between the red dot and a scope. I am going to try the heavier bullets, I know they will carry the energy further downrange.
 
I have a twin pair of 16" DPMS heavy barreled ARs that shoot 60 VMax bullets into cloverleafs. Nothing wrong with the 16" tube. In my opinion (which ain't worth much) a 16" heavy barreled gun is more accurate than a 20" thin barrel. Benchmark is my powder of choice in these rifles.
 
Im running a palametto st premium barrel and a 60 gr nosler bt with 23.5 gr of benchmark and it will shoot a 5 shot group with all the holes touching. My barrel is just a standard profile barrel and I honestly wasn't expecting it to shoot that good but I guess you get lucky sometimes.
 
Originally Posted By: Fullcontact86Im running a palametto st premium barrel and a 60 gr nosler bt with 23.5 gr of benchmark and it will shoot a 5 shot group with all the holes touching. My barrel is just a standard profile barrel and I honestly wasn't expecting it to shoot that good but I guess you get lucky sometimes.

What kind of optics are you using?
 
If your rifle likes the 50 gr bullets, try the Hornady sx. You will have more seating depth range(no polymer tip). Less fur damage and they shoot great at 223 velocity.
 
I see nothing wrong with the bullet and powder. I'm curious about your zero though. What's the distance between your bore and optic? With a 2moa dot you're already covering 2 inches at 100yds, and the drop isn't that significant at 200 yards. I've found that on my ar's I'm better off zeroing for a hundred and holding off or turning knobs for distance, otherwise I tend to shoot over their backs.
 
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