Selling Reduced Load Bullets for People with Shorter Barrel'ed Rifles

[gunDriller]

It's becoming PRETTY DAMN CLEAR that a 16" 5.56 and a 24" 5.56 are 2 completely different rifles.

Same for 20" 308 and 24" 308. The over-powering of the rifle by the bullet was most obvious for me with the 20 inch 308. Major recoil - I grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds after about 20 rounds and let the rifle stock slam against that, because I was flinching in anticipation of the recoil and I knew that would affect my aim.

Also, WAAY louder - the short barrel 5.56 & 308, that is.

I loaded new bullets with 2.5 cc of powder instead of 2.8, the standard Lee volume measure for 308.
Worked MUCH better - in the shorter barrel. That works out to about an 89% load.

Long story short, the different barrel length rifles end up with 2 completely different sets of bullets.

So I wonder - why don't the ammo companies sell bullets that are tailored to specific length barrels ?

It wouldn't make sense for some of the less popular ammo, e.g. 45 Bushmaster.

But for the 5.56 - there are millions of AR15's out there, and most of them have SHORT barrels - but are using ammo loaded for a 24 inch barrel.

Anyway, the first possible answer, "not enough customer base" - would not apply for the 5.56.


I think one of the main reasons is, rifle owners want a "full load". If they bought a reduced load bullet (other than subsonic), they might want a significant discount - which is not super-practical. The gun-powder savings on the reduced load is a penny or less, and there would be some extra cost associated with having to design, manufacture, and market a different bullet.


But - what about the 300 Blackout ? Very popular - I do see other people shooting them, and it has a reduced load and shoots well with a 16 inch barrel. And the Ammo is EXPENSIVE - 90 cents a round for a round with a 110 grain bullet, when it's on sale. About 60 cents for heavier bullets.

So, I think there is a NEED for reduced load bullets - but very little demand, head-on.

I guess - Loud with a BIG recoil sells ?


And the way gun marketing works, a reduced load bullet sells better when it comes with a WHOLE NEW caliber - at least that's the way it worked with 5.56 & 300 Blackout. (300 BLK runs on the 5.56 lower, it just has a different upper. Even uses the same bolt.)

[hoarder]

.44 Magnum is a cartridge that is used in barrels of extremely different lengths. "Standard" .44 Magnum ammo is generally tailored for handguns. If you use it in a .44 Magnum rifle, it will kick like a mule (fast burning). I have heard that an ammo manufacturer made .44 Magnum ammo especially for rifles. But making ammo for barrel lengths differing by only 4"? I think there are too many other vatiables.

[palani]

I know a guy who was experimenting with subsonic loads in 223 with a Colt AR15 (stainless barrel). While shooting he thought he noticed something unusual with the last ejected round. Turned out he had 2-3 rounds stacked up that hadn't made it out the end of the barrel. A gunsmith told him the experience caused the barrel to actually bulge. They were able to save the barrel but had to cut 3-4" off the end.

[Jewboo]

Kinda related: Flames literally come out of the barrel of any .22 WMR Magnum or .357 revolver. Silly to waste that powder in too-short barrels...

[gunDriller]

Kinda related: Flames literally come out of the barrel of any .22 WMR Magnum or .357 revolver. Silly to waste that powder in too-short barrels...

That's what I'm talking about. Basically related to conservation of energy.

I don't see it very often, saw a guy yesterday with some serious muzzle flash, measured about 9 inches long and 2 inches diameter, consistently shot to shot.

[gunDriller]

.44 Magnum is a cartridge that is used in barrels of extremely different lengths. "Standard" .44 Magnum ammo is generally tailored for handguns. If you use it in a .44 Magnum rifle, it will kick like a mule (fast burning). I have heard that an ammo manufacturer made .44 Magnum ammo especially for rifles. But making ammo for barrel lengths differing by only 4"? I think there are too many other vatiables.

There are certainly a lot of variables. However, it is real easy to make it simple. You develop a bullet for a specific rifle with the desired barrel length.

If I did it, I would say, "24 inch barrel, DPMS upper, PSA Lower". In my case, it's the same description for my AR15 and my AR10.

Or, "Hardened Arms 5.56 x 16 inch Upper, Hardened Arms Lower".

I think 308's tend to have more longer barrels. My 20 inch is on the short end.


Where there are millions of short 16 inch barrels is 5.56 land. And they're mostly shooting ammo developed for a 24 inch barrel.

The Lyman handbook ... mostly for 24 inch barrels.

I feel the need myself because I have the 20 inch and I like and I want to make it perform. But most 308 rifles are 22 or 24, 26 inches is where it starts getting expensive (these days.)


But the market is ballpark 20 times bigger in 5.56.


If I was in the ammo business though, and pitching this to a co-worker or boss, I would not advocate spending a whole bunch of money on the project.

I suspect people LIKE the noise and the re-coil, and that there's maybe 50,000 of us who re-load with reduced loads because we don't want the noise and re-coil every single shot.