Anything new in the world of 5.56mm defensive loads?

[Hunter Rose]

Doc's sticky has not had an update in about 2 years and I didn't see anything in the first couple pages of the ammo section, so figured I'd ask.

Anything new or on the horizon in the world of 5.56mm defensive loads? I'm currently using Black Hills 50gr TSX. I'm perfectly happy with it, but discovering the new Gold Dot Gen 2 ammo in the 9mm thread got me wondering if maybe 5.56 had new loads coming as well.

[Rich]

Doc's sticky has not had an update in about 2 years and I didn't see anything in the first couple pages of the ammo section, so figured I'd ask.

Anything new or on the horizon in the world of 5.56mm defensive loads? I'm currently using Black Hills 50gr TSX. I'm perfectly happy with it, but discovering the new Gold Dot Gen 2 ammo in the 9mm thread got me wondering if maybe 5.56 had new loads coming as well.


I started using BH 50gr TSX when it first came out and haven't switched yet.
Really as far as the 223rem and 5.56mm I'm more than happy with the current loads we have now.

[Wondering Beard]

Has there been any testing of Black Hills 5.56mm 62gr TSX?

[Rich]

Has there been any testing of Black Hills 5.56mm 62gr TSX?

I bet Black Hills tested all different weights of the TSX when they developed the 5.56mm Optimized Brown Tip 70gr and the 50gr TSX.

Like doc stated before if you are shooting Long Range use the 70gr TSX.





Doc has stated before that he has no use for the 62gr TSX.

[Wondering Beard]

I bet Black Hills tested all different weights of the TSX when they developed the 5.56mm Optimized Brown Tip 70gr and the 50gr TSX.

Like doc stated before if you are shooting Long Range use the 70gr TSX.





Doc has stated before that he has no use for the 62gr TSX.

Can you point me to where he wrote that?

[Chuck Haggard]

Doc has told me pretty much the same thing, the 62gr penetrates quite a bit for CONUS LE, but not as much as the 70gr loadings.

That 62gr has been around quite awhile, loaded by Cor BOn at first, and has been tested in a number of places. Makes a decent deer hunting load. I'd carry it if I couldn't get my preferred ammo, but it is hardly new.

[Unobtanium]

77gr TMK is new.

[Wondering Beard]

Doc has told me pretty much the same thing, the 62gr penetrates quite a bit for CONUS LE, but not as much as the 70gr loadings.

That 62gr has been around quite awhile, loaded by Cor BOn at first, and has been tested in a number of places. Makes a decent deer hunting load. I'd carry it if I couldn't get my preferred ammo, but it is hardly new.

I'm not talking about the 62gr bullet as used by Cor bon or in .223, but rather this (http://blackhillsammo.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/black-hills-ammunition-new-for-2013-the-optimized-5-56mm-62-gr-tsx/) load in 5.56. It's not new, that's true, and it also penetrates quite a bit but I'm still curious if other tests, like against auto glass, had been done and what people thought about it.

[Chuck Haggard]

That might be a new bullet, not sure.

If it's the same as the older 62gr bullet then it might shed petals on impact at close range sometimes, in bare gel, and will act like a solid after auto glass.

[Rich]

I'm not talking about the 62gr bullet as used by Cor bon or in .223, but rather this (http://blackhillsammo.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/black-hills-ammunition-new-for-2013-the-optimized-5-56mm-62-gr-tsx/) load in 5.56. It's not new, that's true, and it also penetrates quite a bit but I'm still curious if other tests, like against auto glass, had been done and what people thought about it.

The BH 5.56mm 62gr has been out for awhile now.

You can do a search under BH 50gr TSX or TSX over at AR15.com (Its been a few yrs. ) The doc and I and the BH guy himself and others(Sierra Straight -I think is his AKAI could be wrong) were discussing the new 50gr TSX bullet that Barnes made for BH.
Its not a standard 50gr TSX bullet. Doc also talked about other TSX weights over at AR15.com and Im sure over on M4car forum as well.


I like the BH 5.56mm 50rg TSX because it did very well on Auto Glass.

I also would use the standard 223rem 55gr TSX by BH or Federal if I couldn't find any 5.56mm 50gr / 70gr

[Wondering Beard]

That might be a new bullet, not sure.

If it's the same as the older 62gr bullet then it might shed petals on impact at close range sometimes, in bare gel, and will act like a solid after auto glass.

The announcement talks about an "Optimized™ 5.56mm 62 Gr. TSX load", so I would assume it's a new bullet and they seem to imply that the changes are similar to what they did for the 50gr TSX. That's what got me interested.

If it's the same old 62gr bullet as you describe it then there really isn't any new information of interest.

[Wondering Beard]

I do really like what I saw on the 50gr TSX. I think DocGkr said that it worked best inside 200 yards and one thing I was curious about was if that 62gr bullet is different from the old one whether 1) we get the same type of barrier blind qualities and 2) perhaps keep doing well at long ranges.

In any case, this is just me being curious is all :)

[Rich]

I do really like what I saw on the 50gr TSX. I think DocGkr said that it worked best inside 200 yards and one thing I was curious about was if that 62gr bullet is different from the old one whether 1) we get the same type of barrier blind qualities and 2) perhaps keep doing well at long ranges.

In any case, this is just me being curious is all :)

Inside 200Yards ?

I bet the farm that I wont be shooting BG at over 50Y with my carbine.

W. B. Maybe I will send a IM and ask if Barnes design a new 62gr TSX for them. Even so , since my carbine only has a 14.5 barrel I will use the 50gr and take advantage of the higher velocity.
Have you looked at Federals 55gr TSX gel testing at the LEATK website? The 223rem does a good job also.


I forgot at BH website they show a bare gel using 5.56mm 62gr TSX

[Wondering Beard]

Inside 200Yards ?

I bet the farm that I wont be shooting BG at over 50Y with my carbine.

W. B. Maybe I will send a IM and ask if Barnes design a new 62gr TSX for them. Even so , since my carbine only has a 14.5 barrel I will use the 50gr and take advantage of the higher velocity.
Have you looked at Federals 55gr TSX gel testing at the LEATK website? The 223rem does a good job also.


I forgot at BH website they show a bare gel using 5.56mm 62gr TSX

I'm with you, I can't imagine having to defend myself with my carbine at a range longer than 50 yards, but never say never. As I wrote, I'm simply curious what sorts of capabilites this 62gr load and bullet bring to the table that is different from the other loads.

I have a couple of hundred rounds of the Black Hills .223 55gr TSX which, I believe, are pretty much equivalent to the Federal load, and when these are gone, the 50gr TSX was top of my list, though I have to say the 77gr TMK looks interesting too.

[jstone]

The new 62 tsx load from black hills is a standard tsx. It is the same bullet available as a component. So it will not perform like the 50 grain load.

[Rich]

I'm with you, I can't imagine having to defend myself with my carbine at a range longer than 50 yards, but never say never. As I wrote, I'm simply curious what sorts of capabilites this 62gr load and bullet bring to the table that is different from the other loads.

I have a couple of hundred rounds of the Black Hills .223 55gr TSX which, I believe, are pretty much equivalent to the Federal load, and when these are gone, the 50gr TSX was top of my list, though I have to say the 77gr TMK looks interesting too.

Unfortunately I still have a bunch of MK262 & 223rem BH 75gr that I bought in 2005. I`m going to stick with BH 50gr TSX and 223rem 55gr for training. I will never again buy cans of LC M855.

[Hunter Rose]

77gr TMK is new.

What's the literature on 77gr TMK? Is it better terminal performance or barrier performance than MK262?

[jstone]

What's the literature on 77gr TMK? Is it better terminal performance or barrier performance than MK262?

A better bc and more consistent terminal performance. With the tip the 77 has the same bc as the 80. It is also fragmenting down to 1900 fps .

[Unobtanium]

A better bc and more consistent terminal performance. With the tip the 77 has the same bc as the 80. It is also fragmenting down to 1900 fps .

Pretty much that.

Consider it a non-yaw dependent MK262 with about 200% the fragmentation range.

[JLM]

How does the 77gr TMK do out of SBR's? Anyone know?

[Unobtanium]

How does the 77gr TMK do out of SBR's? Anyone know?

It will probably run around 2450-2550fps at the muzzle. Figure the frag range with that, and a BC of 0.42, and you should arrive at the "effective" range.