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110 grain bullet balistics

3K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  OutRider 
#1 ·
Has anybody used 110 grain bullets in their M1A? Haven't used a ballistics calculator, but theoretically, it should give a flatter trajectory and faster muzzle velocity while yielding good kinetic energy.

I only use iron sights and I thought it might improve my long range shooting over the standard 147 grain bullet.
 
#2 ·
I would assume that yes the bullet would go faster and the trajectory would be flatter, but the wind would have much more of an effect, I think. And is seems to me that with long range shooting, the wind is the big factor.

Also there may be a problem with stability due to the twist rate of the rifling, but I don't know much about that part.
 
#4 ·
Some problems with this (although a friend of mine is doing ammo testing from 110 to 185 grain bullets). Lighter bullet is more susceptible to wind and deflection. Best bet for long range shooting is to start with a bullet like the 155 Palma Match King (sierra) and work up to 175 grains. Number of companies make bullets for this and you'll find the 175 have a better ballistic coefficient for long range shooting. The guy I mentioned loaded low impulse loads for a 3 gun match competitor years ago, and warned him about using it in the winds at that range past 200 yards. It cost him when he didn't listen. Go 155 up to 175. Sierra, Nosler, Berger, etc... I've used the 155 and 175 Sierra's, heard a lot of good things about the Berger 168.
 
#6 ·
With supply's getting low I thought I would try out some bullets I had so..
I loaded up 5 110g round nose with 40g of 8208
5 125g round nose with 40g of 8208
5 125g round nose with 42g of 8208
5 125g round nose with 44g of 8208
My main concern was to see if they would feed from the magazine.
and eject properly.
I"m happy to report they performed fine.
The 125s would rock my flipping target but would not knock it over.
I can now load up more.
(150g are still my favorite.)
 
#8 ·
or shooting targets at ranges of say 200 yards or less there should be no problems. Aww if your rifle likes that wight of projectile. While the drop at closer ranges is less, as they slow down their ability to kill is also less. for longer range hunting or military applications people go to the heavier rounds.
 
#9 ·
The light weight for caliber 308 bullets are accurate and designed for shorter ranges. The 110 gr. Vmax's are shoot flat and are accurate enough to 300-400 yards. I load them for varmit / defense shooting for my use at 10 feet to 250 yards. You can duplicate Hornady TAP ammo witha bit of work. The Speer tnt 125 grs. also shoot accurately but have a bit more recoil. The issue is the 147 gr. fmj's are less expensive and have better ballistics for longer rage shooting. If you are looking at the lower cost 30 carbine bullets they would not be my choice for my M1A. That's why I have a carbine.
 
#10 ·
As others have said, the 110gr is a good varmint bullet or for competition shooting at short ranges. I developed my load for my SOCOM to be used as a varmint load, I'm not sure which I like better though, the 110gr Vmax or the 150gr SST. At any rate, the farthest I've fired my 110gr load has been a little over 400 yards and I held a group that was a little less than 3 MOA, that was field condition shooting from the prone. Past 400 yards the bullet gets pretty sloppy, I believe that even temperature inversions (layers of air with different temperatures) move the light bullet, you can't hit very reliably beyond 500 yards and the bullet has the muzzle energy of a .357 caliber pistol.
 
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#12 ·
No matter how fast you start them the really light projectiles will slow down much faster than will the heavier ones.
Within a caliber, it is much harder to make a high BC projectile in low weight as at least some of the projectile must be designed into the wall and that leaves less and less to make a tip with.
Myself, I would tend to load something like a 150 unusually slow before I would consider going down to something like a 110 in 30 caliber.
 
#13 ·
But it's fun pushing a bullet at 3000 fps out of a SOCOM...you get that red mist effect on dogs. DI5
 
#14 ·
...I used to load a lot of those as a kid to shoot woodchucks with a 30-06...

...I came to prefer a very similer 130 grn hollow point...it shot better out of my barrel and held on much better past 200yds with virtualy similer terminal ballistics...(splat)...

...unless your goal is a load that has absoulte minimal penetration in urban tactical enviornment I might consider those...
 
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