Looking to take a DMR type course later this year. I’d like to have a decent quantity of 77gr with me. Anyone have any go to vendors for it that won’t break the bank? Do y’all buy a few boxes here and there over time or just suck it up and order in bulk?
I’m not in a position to roll my own as it were. Preferences lean toward Black Hills (blue box is fine), Corbon, SSA, and Asym. Fiocchi is a no-go.
Thanks!
I heard PPU is supposedly decent and not to expensive. Also Southwest Ammunition has good prices.
Do you want 5.56 loadings or .223 loadings?
I believe only SSA and BlackHills (the red box mk 262 or white box “seconds”) make 5.56 pressure loadings with 77 gr SMK bullets.
All other 77 gr loaded ammunition from BlackHills (and others) is .223 pressure.
And how set are you on 77 gr? If I were to be taking a DMR class, I would seriously consider Hornady’s steel case 75 gr .223 load.
500 rounds of Blue Box 77GR from BH is going for $325 at ammunitontogo.com right now.
Never heard of Southwest Ammunition until now. Good stuff. Thanks for the info.
I would start with SSA, Corbon, and BH. The Corbon is listed as 223 but Ive always heard that its a bit hotter than traditional 223.
The plus side with corbon is they use Lapua brass so if you can save it that brass is TOP quality and you can earn some of your money back. SSA has their own stamped cases now and AFAIK BH uses LC brass in their loads.
Not that your guns would duplicate your stuff but I found the accuracy between the 3 mentioned to be Corbon, SSA, and then BH. All the BH stuff Ive shot was white box cosmetic 2nd’s, though, but I never got the consistency from it I had from other brands.
Thanks guys! Checking out those sites now. I’m still very new at the long distance thing. I’ve used a couple boxes of the Corbon, SSA, and BH. Have some Asym, but haven’t shot it yet. During a recent course with Kyle Defoor, we shot at 200 but I was using 55gr (and still getting nice groups). I used some heavier stuff at 300 and 400, but we were shooting steel, so I couldn’t tell you which brand was better.
I’m looking at 77gr just because it’s got a great reputation, and it’s what KD recommended beyond 150 or so. The class I plan to take is the McPhee/Grey Group offering and it includes shooting out to 600. I figure, the heavier the better.
As for chamber pressure, the gun has a .223 Wylde chamber so it’ll work with the hotter stuff. Do you notice a difference with NATO/5.56 pressures over the .223 stuff at longer ranges?
As I said, buying “premium” ammo in large quantities is still new to me. I’ve always been able to get a case of 55gr ball and train with it for the closer work.
It is highly likely that the .223 will group better than the 5.56. There’s no way to be sure without trying both in your particular rifle, but it’s almost universally true.
Now, the 5.56 will have a bit less drop, be a bit less affected by wind, and have a bit better terminal performance. It’s a trade off.
Having said that, I shoot the .223 Black Hills 77GR Blue Box out of my rifles. In mine, the difference is 1/2 MOA vs 1 MOA for .223 vs 5.56. I’ll take that extra bit of accuracy every time.
I shoot Asym now
Why is Fiocchi a no go? Just wondering I have never used it.
the OP and another guy we shoot with have been plagued with popped primers from Fiochi, in multiple guns of various manufacture.
Amen brother!
Good to know - thanks! From what I’ve seen and shot, I am confident any of the four manufacturers I listed in the first post will be fine. But I need to buy enough of one to make it through a course. If one was significantly cheaper than the others, that would most likely drive my decision.
Another one where if you’re willing to run slightly hot .223 instead of 5.56, the ASYM is really impressive for the price, when it’s in stock.
I’ve had truly excellent results with Hornady Steel match 75gr…
The price is right too. Only downside is that there is no brass to reuse if that’s your bag.
OP, just be advised that if you go with one of the Hornady 75GR variations, you really need to buy small quantities first to see if it shoots straight in your gun. While this is true for all ammunition, it is especially true for this stuff. Myself and many other precision oriented people I know have been all around less than impressed with the accuracy of these rounds through a wide range of platforms.
Also, the advertised BC of 0.395 is a joke. Use 0.352 for more accurate long range calculations.
Thopkins22, it’s good that they work for you. You are definitely saving some good money especially with the steel case stuff. But in my experience your findings are the exception not the rule.
Perhaps I got a lucky 2k. But in my 18" White Oak barrel they put five rounds(yeah yeah just 5) into 3/4" reliably. I’ve shot them to 1k yards with decent results as well.
ETA: You’re spot on about the BC though. The data I initially put into my calc had me many MOA low at 1K.
I would shoot NONE of those loads. 
Come over to the house, and we’ll put some good ammo together for you. 
lol! You have another house in Florida??
No. If you lived here, I’d hook you up big time though.
No one should shoot the ammos mentioned in this thread.