# Questions for people loading for 223/5.56 AR15's



## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I'm going to be ordering the upper for the AR15 that I'm building and can't decide on barrel length. I'm looking for someone that might have chronographed some loads shot out of 16 and 20 inch barrels. If you have, what was the difference in velocities? I'm just wondering how big of a difference there is between them. If its not much of a difference I'll probably go with the shorter barrel, but then if it is, I might opt for a longer one. I'll probably be loading 50 or 55 grain bullets.


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## Sasha and Abby (May 11, 2004)

I have a 16 inch barrel. It is TWICE as loud as a 20"... just saying... and I ALWAYS wear ear plugs, but it is still loud.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

My loads come out of my 22 inch Featherweight at 3398 fps. They came out of my 20 inch DPMS at 3250 fps. I have not chronographed the 16 inch barrel yet. Our range should be up in a week and I will do that. Like Sasha and Abby says they are twice as loud. I could get by with one or two shots without ear protection if I jumped a coyote. With the 16 if I don't have ear protection the coyote can just run away. I will not pull the trigger ever again without protection. 
If you PM me in a week or so I can give you the answer. If you don't I'll never remember this thread.


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## ac700wildcat (Oct 30, 2006)

I guess I never even thought about the noise difference between the two. Just that could make me decide on the 20". If it drops 150fps every 2 inches from 20" to 16", I think I'm definitely going to go with the 20" barrel. I'll be interested to see the results. Plainsman, what powder and bullet are you using?


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I am using H335 with 50 gr Hornady V-Max. I am using the same load as Blackhills ammo.
I had a Missulek (spelling maybe be off) compensator on the 16 inch and muzzle blast was like someone slapped you in the face, and that is for the shooter, not to the side. I now have a Lavang linear compensator on it, and I actually think it has less noise than no compensator at all. Perhaps because all those individual little holes are porting all the noise forward. It's not nearly as good for keeping the crosshairs on target. The Missulek would keep the crosshairs on an egg size rock at 200 yards. You could rapid fire and stay on target.


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## Savage260 (Oct 21, 2007)

Matt, what barrels are you looking at? I just ordered a 20" AR740 with threaded muzzle from Lilja. It looked pretty sweet in the site pix. I hear they are a decent barrel.

I do agree that the muzzle blast is very much louder from the 16" barrel than the 20". That 16" Sportical was probably the loudest I have ever shot.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

I have been loading 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips with H-4895 Powder for the past several years. In the 20" DPMS Panther Bull 20 Fluted I had this load averaged 3169FPS and would print 1/2" 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench.

I didn't like the weight of the DPMS so I sold it and replaced it with a 16" Bushmaster M4 Optics Ready Carbine. One of the first things I did was remove the Flash Hider and that helped a bunch with the muzzle blast. The same exact load out of this 16" Bushmaster averages 2949 FPS and now that I replaced the M4 Handguards with an Aluminum Free Float Tube will shoot 5/8" to 3/4" groups from the bench at 100 yards.

I also used the same load in a 14" T/C Contender Handgun. This Contender really liked this load and when I was having a really good day shooting it would put 5 of them into 3/8" at 100 yards from the bench. Velocity was right at 2850 FPS.

A buddy also uses the same load in his DPMS AR. My buddies has a 11 1/2" Barrel with a permanently attached 5" Flsh Hider. His AR wears an Aimpoint Red Dot and it will still print MOA groups at an average velocity of 2812 FPS.

Also chronographed this same load in a 16" Olympic Arms Plinker Plus. Average Velocity came in at 2994 FPS.

All of these .223's with the exception of the T/C Contender Handgun have 1 in 9" Twist Barrels.

Larry


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## HARRY2 (Jul 26, 2004)

Plainsman said:


> I will not pull the trigger ever again without protection.


 Did that with a 16 inch AR, forgot to replace earplugs after returning from downrange, i even fired 3 or 4 rounds before it dawned on me that it was way to loud. Never again, my ears hurt for the rest of the day.


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## hagfan72 (Apr 15, 2007)

Not to hijack the thread, but if i EVER target shoot without hearing protection again, I hope someone is there to slap me silly!!!  You only get one set of hear-holes!!


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