Over the past 2 months I have followed your guy's lead and built a cheap AR. I have no need for one, other than just to have some fun at the range. So I bought 1 of the JSE uppers, paired with a Spikes lower, and all the rest of the stuff from Pete. Anyway, I am almost to the point where I can start shooting the damn thing and have no idea where to start as far as ammo goes.

I want to someday soon start reloading as well. So basically the gun is going to be used only for target shooting. I dont know 100-200 yards maybe max! From all the reading I have gathered that the 1x9 twist is good for 55-69gr bullets. And everyone seems to run 55 when just plinking. So what do I buy!?! Wolf isn't reloadable is it? Mil surplus stuff (after reading how to reload on a budget 15 times!) says its best to buy non mil surplus at first because of a crimped primers.

So I guess 1st, is 55gr enough for shooting out to 200 yards having fun, or do I look for something in the 62 flavor? Then just buy whatever is decent name/quality for a couple hundred, get used to them, get the gun setup, reload them. Then start buying mil surplus when I feel ambitious to reload a couple thousand?

I know these have prob been covered a time or two, but I can't seem to find any definite answers.

Thanks for the help,
-Matt

Milbrass isn't all that great anyways (even after you take care of the primers). I'd avoid Federal too.

Might try Prvi

Some links for you. It looks like the Prvi 223 could be milspec brass anyways. Oh well.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Prvi_Partizan_.223_5.56x45_62grn_FMJ.html

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8451&dir=18|830|845

I can currently shoot to MOA at 850 yards with a 77gr SMK loaded in Milsurp brass, so personally I don't see a problem with it. 55gr is fine for 200 yards. Depending on what you want to accomplish, the 62gr isn't going to be a huge improvement over the 55gr. I would buy a mess of mil brass and cheap 55 gr projectiles to get you moving until you refine what you want to do and where you want to be and how to reload to accomplish those objectives.

cheaper than dirt has 223 for $0.22/rd right now. hop on some of that.

I really have no use to go out past 200 yards with this one right now. It is just my first one, and wanted to do it on the cheap and get used to AR's. With that said, Chris, you think mil brass would be the way to go? Just buy a bunch of it, shoot it, and reload that for this one? It will most likely always be my beater/plinking/dirty gun anyway!

Where can I find this deal on CTD?

-Matt

I think that until you compete or want to go really long, the only problem with mil brass is variations in weight. Unless you are loading hot, then brass is brass to me. Milbrass tends to work harden the necks faster so you get inconsistent neck tension, I don't think this is a concern for you for a while. I can shoot 1/2 MOA groups with milbrass all day long(ok, occasionally) at 400 yards and under, which is more than enough to keep me happy.

Awesome, thats all I needed to hear. Right now I don't really have a place to shoot out past 200 yards anyway at the moment, hopefully in the spring/next summer. So picking up a couple hundred rounds of Prvi in 62gr to get me started shooting should be fine then. And from there, start to reload with that brass? I know this is probably all basic to most folks on here, but the whole AR and .223 thing is all new to me! Just want to make sure I dont destroy the gun from the very start.

If I ever make it back to the range with good benches I will test loads for my upper. Right now it is pretty low on my list of things to do though.

The CTD ammo, for that price, it pretty much has to be steel cased Russian stuff.

My point regarding mil brass was that all things being equal, get commercial brass if you can. It'll last longer (unless you feel like annealing). But as was said, milbrass is perfectly serviceable.

If you can avoid crimped primer pockets, that's a nicety. Otherwise you have to remove them before reloading. I don't think the Prvi I linked has crimped pockets (some Prvi does though).

The CTD ammo, for that price, it pretty much has to be steel cased Russian stuff.

My point regarding mil brass was that all things being equal, get commercial brass if you can. It'll last longer (unless you feel like annealing). But as was said, milbrass is perfectly serviceable.

If you can avoid crimped primer pockets, that's a nicety. Otherwise you have to remove them before reloading. I don't think the Prvi I linked has crimped pockets (some Prvi does though).

If the PRVI ammo you buy has a headstamp of PPU 07 it is fucking junk, about 50% of the PPU 07 brass I had would not fit in a standard RCBS number 10 shell holder.

Wow that's pretty bad. It's been a while since I've bought any Prvi. I pretty much use LC for everything.

Well...Ok then! I guess that pretty much sums up that. Looks like for the most part I will be plinking, so I think I will go with a 500 case of the mil-spec stuff from AIM. Sounds pretty good, and then I can reload it. Hopefully it doesn't have a crimped primer, but oh well if it does!

Anybody shot any of that stuff?

-Matt

Well...Ok then! I guess that pretty much sums up that. Looks like for the most part I will be plinking, so I think I will go with a 500 case of the mil-spec stuff from AIM. Sounds pretty good, and then I can reload it. Hopefully it doesn't have a crimped primer, but oh well if it does!

Anybody shot any of that stuff?

-Matt

If it does a primer pocket swager will run you about 30 shipped. Also the RCBS swaging set needs the pin size reduced to work efficiently with any .224 cal stuff, I used a belt sander.

Sounds fair enough!

Now kind of off topic of what I first asked, but in the thread for the cheap upper deal, someone posted about the upper being dry. Well, seeing as I am new to AR's and bought the upper as a complete! Where and What might I go about oiling? Just use some CLP or what?

Thanks,
-Matt

Yes. CLP/Breakfree is good. That'll get you up and running, and then later you can experiment (if you want).

CLP is recomended, WD works too.

Milbrass isn't all that great anyways (even after you take care of the primers). I'd avoid Federal too.

Might try Prvi

May I ask how many rounds you put down the tube on average, even better if you have attended any classes.