surplus 5.56 ammo ????????

I have a few thousand or so of 5.56 surplus ammo they are 55gr and my 1--9 twist ruger mini 14 will not shoot them well past 100yd. I have reloaded some with 62gr and 68gr bullets and they shoot well out to 200yd (that's as far as I have shot them). I would like to pull the bullets dump the powder and work up a load with new powder and bullets but keep the primer ( FL resize without decaping) would this work or should I just shoot them and load from there?

It would work and I'd suggest doing it over just shooting it all up. James had a video series he called "Mexican Match" but I couldn't find the first couple videos, just the last one.

my only other suggestion would be not wasting the surplus powder. measure the powder from each case to get an average and then rework the load.

yea it will work fine shouldn't be an Issue at all. I wouldn't even think that you would need to resize them just maybe neck size them to take the crimp out.

I wondered about using the powded and droping back 10% or so on the load. I pull 6 rds and the powder is a ball type (little discs) and they all were 27gr. My speer book shows a FMJ BT 55gr with 27 gr of varget. Hodgdon shows varget with a 69gr HPBT starting at 24gr and max at 26 gr Compressed. I think I will start at 24gr with my 68gr HPBT and work from there.

Reload3006 wrote:yea it will work fine shouldn't be an Issue at all. I wouldn't even think that you would need to resize them just maybe neck size them to take the crimp out.

sdsviper wrote:I wondered about using the powded and droping back 10% or so on the load. I pull 6 rds and the powder is a ball type (little discs) and they all were 27gr. My speer book shows a FMJ BT 55gr with 27 gr of varget. Hodgdon shows varget with a 69gr HPBT starting at 24gr and max at 26 gr Compressed. I think I will start at 24gr with my 68gr HPBT and work from there.

Varget is extruded, so I'd be carefull in following Varget loads as a guide for your unknown ball/flake powder...just keep that in mind.

This is Just a guess and only a guess so take it for what its worth. If it is us manufacture 5.56 it could be Bl-c I would check and see if its close to that. but still if your going to a heaver bullet dont think id use that powder unless I knew for absolute certain it is bl-C

hawcer wrote:

sdsviper wrote:I wondered about using the powded and droping back 10% or so on the load. I pull 6 rds and the powder is a ball type (little discs) and they all were 27gr. My speer book shows a FMJ BT 55gr with 27 gr of varget. Hodgdon shows varget with a 69gr HPBT starting at 24gr and max at 26 gr Compressed. I think I will start at 24gr with my 68gr HPBT and work from there.

Varget is extruded, so I'd be carefull in following Varget loads as a guide for your unknown ball/flake powder...just keep that in mind.

Will do. I'm still looking up info I like my body parts to much to get crazy with a unkown powder.

Reload3006 wrote:This is Just a guess and only a guess so take it for what its worth. If it is us manufacture 5.56 it could be Bl-c I would check and see if its close to that. but still if your going to a heaver bullet dont think id use that powder unless I knew for absolute certain it is bl-C

It's LC brass so it maybe Bl-C. I will keep checking on info I may go with a known powder an store this powder I may end up with a rifle that likes 55gr some day.

You could always get you a thing of Bl-C and do a taste test???

Just joking, could not resist that one....

Just be careful as I know you will. Your grandchildren will appreciate it.....

Daywalker wrote:You could always get you a thing of Bl-C and do a taste test???

Just joking, could not resist that one....

Just be careful as I know you will. Your grandchildren will appreciate it.....

Powder it's what for dinner. LOL

LOL Nice....