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M855 or ?

6K views 62 replies 23 participants last post by  halfmoonclip 
#1 ·
For a heavier bullet (62 grains) is M855 a good choice for a general purpose (target/range, self-defense, SHTF, etc...) round to have on hand and in quantity?

Other options, 62 grain (or heavier) and brass case ?
 
#11 ·
It's good for the reason's you stated, and to fill magazines. If you get into reloading, if not
already, Sierra 65gr Game King is the perfect bullet for 1-9, 1-8 and 1-7'' twist .223's.
In the process of working up a load with Varget/Lake City brass/Fed. Match primers at this time.
The 'issue' at this point is, which primer to use: CCI #41, CCI Small Rifle Magnum, or Federal
Match. This bullet and 22.2 Gr of IMR is equal to 68gr Hornady Match bullet, accuracy wise.
M855 bullet itself is greatly over rated in my humble opinion. :cheers:
 
#13 ·
I'll take M193 over M855 any day. Especially for home defense/self defense.

If you have to have 62gr or heavier them get ammo with 68gr or 75gr Hornady BTHP or 69gr or 77gr SMK bullets. There is some ammo available with 62gr FMJ bullets but it is usually steel case.
 
#18 ·
Range and practice or blasting ammo only IMHO.

.......
It will suit my needs for that.

Changed my mind, you'll get a range, practice and blasting report in due time.

Just don't hold your breath.

.......

Defense or SHTF? Uh, NO.
So then.... (addressed to GT in general) What is a good general purpose round for a shooter and a rifle that likes the characteristics of a heaver bullet, is brass cased and is available for ~30 cents a round?
 
#19 ·
You won't find a heavy round for 30 cents a round. You'd be hard pressed to find M855 for that , but if that is what you want to use, it will go bang.
I don't care for it because it flies like a corkscrew and doesn't do much on the other end. It will punch paper, but can be frustrating for some because of its character.
I don't have any experience with the linked ammo you showed an interest in, but will say some of the 109/855 is better than others, and it is probably all better than what I was introduced to it with.
As said, heavy is kind of expensive. It is worth it in many ways, but also why most folks practice with the less expensive 193 clones. Since you haven't given a rifle twist rate that I've seen, it is hard to recommend a wight for you. The SS109/M859 will be the same length as a 69 grain lead core round, and a 1:9 will stabilize that fine, as a rule. 1:8 will handle anything that is magazine length.
 
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#20 ·
Thanks. :cool:

Guess I should have mentioned - Barrel is 16" 1:7 CHF 410 stainless steel.

It is a fast twist rate and I know about the controversy of over 'stabilizing' a lighter bullet.... Actually, I haven't experimented with it enough to know what holds true for this barrel. Still need to add my free floating hand guard and good optics.
 
#23 ·
Thanks. :cool:

Guess I should have mentioned - Barrel is 16" 1:7 CHF 410 stainless steel.

It is a fast twist rate and I know about the controversy of over 'stabilizing' a lighter bullet.... Actually, I haven't experimented with it enough to know what holds true for this barrel. Still need to add my free floating hand guard and good optics.
1:7 will handle 55 grain ammo as a rule. If you get a thin jacketed 45 or 50 grain it could have problems.
All of the barrels are an entity to themselves and react differently, so best advice is get a variety of weights and experiment.
Have fun.
 
#28 ·
magic Bullets! ammoquest/shooting the bull reviewed these and said "if I had more hands,i;d give them 3 thumbs up!" View attachment 317018
Yeah, I've seen the tests on those and they look pretty good. I won't be switching from my 55gr Gold Dots anytime soon, but if I do, I'll be giving those a second look.
 
#30 ·
I have a bunch of 855, over 3,000 rounds and about the same of 55 grain 193. many ranges with steel reactive target will not allow steel core as it does punch holes in the targets and ruins the reactive 'tone'. I just have mine for the Zombies.
Shooting 193 in your home would make you downright Un-Neighborly. it will go thru at least five walls, 855 even more.
 
#33 ·
Reputedly, the older 55 gr round was more prone to tumble from the early 1:12 slow twist rifling, and in turn was a better stopper than the current 62/1:7 arrangement.
Have to wonder if my M-16A1 replica would be a better SHTF gun.
Moon
 
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#38 ·
The 'fire hazard' issue is a new one to me. Our local ranges either are unaware of it, or feel it is a non-issue. It would seem to me that there would have to be lots of stones and tindery combustibles to make it happen.
Moon
 
#40 ·
Both 9mm and .223 rounds will easily penetrate 8-10 sheets of 1/2 inch drywall--as shown in numerous YouTube videos on the subject. In the following video, both penetrate 10 sheets of drywall and still have enough steam to go several inches into ballistic gel.



In another video, not linked, a guy showed that even a .380 would penetrate at least four walls (all he tested for).

The wild card in these tests is wall studs. Very unlikely in a real world situation that one would shoot through four or five walls without hitting some stud material.

In the following video, both 9mm and .223 penetrated at least 3-4 2x6 boards.



I would conclude from these demonstrations that wall penetration is a factor to consider no matter which round one is using for HD.
 
#42 ·
In a home invasion that turns in to a firefight, you'll have more to worry about than where your rounds went. That said, those of us in the 'burbs with some cushion around our homes have an advantage over apartment/rowhouse folks. If you're that tightly packed, perhaps a shottie with birdshot makes sense. OTOH, the cops are using ARs in urban settings. Maybe we're overthinking this.
Moon
 
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#45 ·
happie', our long green hills in Westsylvania are perhaps less combustible. We do have an occasional 'no outdoor fires' notice in a dry spring or fall, but it usually isn't an issue here.
Thanks for the info,
Moon
 
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#46 ·
Reputedly, the older 55 gr round was more prone to tumble from the early 1:12 slow twist rifling, and in turn was a better stopper than the current 62/1:7 arrangement.
Have to wonder if my M-16A1 replica would be a better SHTF gun.
Moon
The twist rate is an Urban Legend for the most part. I give you the "for the most part" because there are no real absolutes. However it has been rebuked.
M193 is fast, thin(ish) jacketed, has a cannelure (weak point), and was traditionally shot from a longer barrel than widely used today. The fragmentation threshold and weak points made it a devastating round in flesh. Too good for the Army, as part of the reason it was replaced.
 
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