16" barrel velocity

MPFD

MPFD

Well-known member
what is a good velocity to shoot for from a 16" AR barrel. I'm think about either going with my good old 55 grain load if I can get it to fly fast enough but I wanna have enough velocity to still have the bullet fly fairly flat. I have a box of 40 grainers I am gonna try but I wanna have enough knock down power to drop a yote. What are your experiences 16" barrel owners.
 
If you are getting the accuracy out of the 40gr'ers, don't worry... The velocity will be enough to take out a coyote..mine are around 3400fps..

You don't say what twist rate you have on the barrel and that will be more of a determining factor for shooting 40gr bullets, than barrel length.

My 16" is a 1/9 twist and it handles the 45gr to 64gr pretty well... For the 40gr bullets, I usually stay with my 20" 1/14 twist for the best accuracy, more for the twist rate than the barrel length..My 50 and 55gr Hornady SEs have to be kept at 3300fps or below.
 
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how about .223 1-9 trist 53 grain what would the velocity be.just rough guess


That would depend on the powder used but a rough estimate would be 2700-2800 fps. I have the same dilemma and just started testing. Right now I am trying H4198 with 55 grain bullets and getting about 2700 but I would like to get up to about 3000 fps for a flatter shooting round. When I tried to increase the load with H4198 I lost my accuracy so my next test will be with 50gr bullets and maybe H322. We will need a fast burning powder for this short barrel.
 
im using win 748,ill chrony next outing and see,im still working up loads and putting in a timney trigger in my dpms
 
Win 748 is a great powder for the 223 but I don't think it will have a fast enough burn for a 16" barrel. It will be interesting to see your chrony and accuracy results.
 
My 16" barreled AR has accounted for quite a few yotes. They typically say that you lose around 50fps for every inch less than 24" barrel on published factory ballistics. So in that respect you should lose around 400fps, but I have yet to test that theory. My AR will shoot 52-55 grainers in a inch with a 3X9 scope all day with factory loads. That's all I need to shoot out to maybe 250 yards. It's my close cover critter getter. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
400 fps is a pretty big number....

I have heard the 50 fps per inch before myself. But, there are those that claim the pressure spike as the bullet leaves the barrel is less than optimal past the first 16" of any barrel.

Again, the real time results depends on the burn-rate of the powder you are using.

I know that when I was shooting an M-16 20" barrel in full auto, the powder that was blowing back in my face & on my clothes...(Down my collar...) still had plenty of grains of powder that was still burning....(me..). But, that was a few years ago... Powders & mechanics have changed.
 
My 16" 8 twist with 50 gr bullets and blc-2 wsa running around 3000fps. 55gr's over Varget were pushing 2900fps. Im now using 68gr over varget . Don't know how fast they are running, but it sure puts the stomp on critters so far.
 
worked up 3 loads for the dpms .223 using w748
26.4 2986,2951,2930 avg. 2955
26.6 2994,2978,2964 avg. 2978
26.8 3011,2988,2974 avg. 2991 this one grouped .325 at 100 yards.
its weird how all of them start out good and drop after each shot!any ideas why? bullet was 53 hp sierra,cci 450 primer,lapua brass
 
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worked up 3 loads for the dpms .223 using w748
26.4 2986,2951,2930 avg. 2955
26.6 2994,2978,2964 avg. 2978
26.8 3011,2988,2974 avg. 2991 this one grouped .325 at 100 yards.
its weird how all of them start out good and drop after each shot!any ideas why? bullet was 53 hp sierra,cci 450 primer,lapua brass


Great velocities, how was the accuracy?
 
I am getting 3350fps with the 52gr hp bullet from a 22inch barrel with a faster burning powder than WW748 so the 50fps drop per inch is not too far off.
 


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