5.45x39 Ammo Comparison

[MadDuner]

I decided to test a couple of different ammo brands in my 5.45x39 AR today - at 200 yards.
I tried a few weeks ago, but I was shooting so badly then I knew it was a waste of time.
I didn't do 3-rounds at a time.
Full 20 round mag at a time.
It's too damned far to walk back and forth while making everybody else stop shooting for me to take a picture. LOL

Olympic Arms AR74 Carbine 5.45x39 with 1x8 twist.
Weaver 4x scope.

First up was the Wolf 55gr FMJ.

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Next was the Silver Bear 60gr boat tail FMJ.

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There looks to be a pretty big difference between ammo when it comes to accuracy.
Or is it precision? LOL

Silver Bear be mo better. Hahaha

And then, just because it was fun....
I shot at it with my AR47 Carbine 7.62x39.
Millet Red Dot, no magnification at 200 yds.

<broken image removed>

And yeah, I know.
Not trying out for the sniper team anytime soon.....

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[Joe Link]

Sounds like a fun comparison. For whatever reason the Photobucket pics won't load, so I'll have to check back later.

 

[DunRanull]

In your experience does the 5.45 upset or tumble? They called it the Poison Bullet in Afghanistan. Wondering if lethality on say deer is same or greater than the 5.56?

 

[MadDuner]

In your experience does the 5.45 upset or tumble? They called it the Poison Bullet in Afghanistan. Wondering if lethality on say deer is same or greater than the 5.56?

I would expect it to be less prone to tumble than the 5.56 rounds simply because the projectiles are longer in length. I've not seen anything that makes me think it's unstable at all. As for a hunting round, I'd expect it to be about the same as 5.56 too.

The Russian 7N6 stuff punches through manhole covers....
No green tip.

 

[Joe Link]

In your experience does the 5.45 upset or tumble? They called it the Poison Bullet in Afghanistan. Wondering if lethality on say deer is same or greater than the 5.56?

Poison Bullet huh? interesting.

 

[MadDuner]

This is simply re-hashing an old thread.
I wasn't able to edit the original to fix the broken links,so I just quoted myself to do so.

I decided to test a couple of different ammo brands in my 5.45x39 AR today - at 200 yards.
I tried a few weeks ago, but I was shooting so badly then I knew it was a waste of time.
I didn't do 3-rounds at a time.
Full 20 round mag at a time.
It's too damned far to walk back and forth while making everybody else stop shooting for me to take a picture. LOL

Olympic Arms AR74 Carbine 5.45x39 with 1x8 twist.
Weaver 4x scope.

First up was the Wolf 55gr FMJ.



Next was the Silver Bear 60gr boat tail FMJ.



There looks to be a pretty big difference between ammo when it comes to accuracy.
Or is it precision? LOL

Silver Bear be mo better. Hahaha

And then, just because it was fun....
I shot at it with my AR47 Carbine 7.62x39.
Millet Red Dot, no magnification at 200 yds.



And yeah, I know.
Not trying out for the sniper team anytime soon.....

 

[11Charlie]

Looks like you are doing good to me!!! Rifles like this are a defensive weapon in my mind and if you are minute of man that is all you need

 

[MadDuner]

Thanks,
The main goal was to see which steel cased Russian ammo shot a better group, and the Silver Bear was the winner by far. Next time I think I'll try a bipod or bench. LOL.

Shooting off-hand - at least for me - is "get it when it comes around the next time." Hahaha

 

[nvshooter]

Your target has a humanoid shape. I have become so stressed-out that you shot at it with an evil gun, I've wet myself. I feel the need to sue the manufacturer of your rifle...

 

[wildcat455]

Quick! someone get that man a fidget spinner!!

 

[MadDuner]

Quick! someone get that man a fidget spinner!!

A reloading press makes better use of nervous energy!

 

[nvshooter]

A reloading press makes better use of nervous energy!

You've got that right! Still have 48 Stomper brass to trim, then chamfer the inside of the flash hole and finally to anneal. Just not feelin' that tsunami of ambition to get my schumer together and get it done. Already have maybe a hundred sized-up and ready to load, so no real urgency to get my nose to the grindstone and make something of myself. I just bought the last box of 50 to have something to do over the Fourth weekend. As fate would have it, several things from near the warning track of left field have popped-up and have kept my attention away from my reloading bench. It's always like that: Plan a weekend for yourself, and things go all to hellsinki because you know a young lady who needs help. I'd help her a thousand times before I'd attend to my own interests beforehand. Some females are worth the sacrifice...

 

[11Charlie]

I'm to damn tired to do anything. The kids are coming from Phoenix next weekend and the honey do list is sweltering

 

[MadDuner]

I'm to damn tired to do anything. The kids are coming from Phoenix next weekend and the honey do list is sweltering

We have 2 sets of family coming to stay for a couple of weeks each - so for the next month I'll be on entertainment duty.... even after pretty much spending the entire 4th holiday weekend on honey-do's. I did manage to get to the range this morning for some "therapy" though. All is good!

 

[MadDuner]

You've got that right! Still have 48 Stomper brass to trim, then chamfer the inside of the flash hole and finally to anneal. Just not feelin' that tsunami of ambition to get my schumer together and get it done. Already have maybe a hundred sized-up and ready to load, so no real urgency to get my nose to the grindstone and make something of myself. I just bought the last box of 50 to have something to do over the Fourth weekend. As fate would have it, several things from near the warning track of left field have popped-up and have kept my attention away from my reloading bench. It's always like that: Plan a weekend for yourself, and things go all to hellsinki because you know a young lady who needs help. I'd help her a thousand times before I'd attend to my own interests beforehand. Some females are worth the sacrifice...

I have to go buy more projectiles again. I have been seriously lazy and have neglected my Dillon.

 

[11Charlie]

We have 2 sets of family coming to stay for a couple of weeks each - so for the next month I'll be on entertainment duty.... even after pretty much spending the entire 4th holiday weekend on honey-do's. I did manage to get to the range this morning for some "therapy" though. All is good!

I have a range day scheduled and there will be nothing that keeps me from it.

 

[Old18C]

I have shot a couple of live meat targets (80+ lbs moving) with Russian 7N6, it was VERY effective causing much more meat damage than I expected. Out of an Alexander Arms upper at 100 yards, it outperformed M193 LC Ball out of a DOD issued A-2 for accuracy. The only other 5.45x39 I have tried was Hornady, ACCURACY great out of the Alexander arms but no meat targets test.

5.45x39 on an LMT Lower.

 

[MadDuner]

I will have to do a compare between the 7N6 and the Silver Bear.
I don't think I've ever seen any Hornady in 5.45x39.

 

[nvshooter]

I have a range day scheduled and there will be nothing that keeps me from it.

I hope you get there and accurately expend every round you brought. Do it for us who 1) can't get to our local ranges and 2) can't hit a dam-ned thing...

 

[nvshooter]

. . . Russian 7N6, it was VERY effective causing much more meat damage than I expected.

I may be talkin' out of school here, but I've read the Russian bullet is "backweighted," meaning it has a void behind the tip. When it hits a soft target the rear end tumbles forward, and there is massive tissue damage. It is not a hollow-point, which are illegal under the Geneva Convention. Seems the Russkis figgered-out a way to get hollow-point damage while adhering to international law. Them batsards are pretty smart...