5.56x45mm – 69 gr OTM – Black Hills (D556N12) – 500 Rounds

A good AR-15 can shoot far smaller groups than bulk ball ammunition allows, and a quality 69 grain match load is often the first step in finding out what a rifle can really do. This listing is Black Hills 5.56x45mm NATO 69 grain open tip match ammo, MPN D556N12, sold as 500 rounds for service rifle competitors, precision AR shooters, and anyone tuning a new optic.

Black Hills lists this load at 2,875 fps with 1,266 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The 69 grain open tip match bullet has a long ogive and boat tail for a better ballistic coefficient than 55 grain ball, which means less drop and wind drift at 300 to 600 yards. The open tip is a result of how match bullets are made, with the jacket formed from the base forward. It is built for accuracy, not controlled expansion, so this load is for targets rather than hunting.

This ammunition fits rifles chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and 223 Wylde, including AR-15 rifles from Colt, Daniel Defense, Noveske, Rock River, Bravo Company, and Aero Precision, as well as bolt guns such as the Ruger American Ranch and Savage 110 in 223 with 5.56 approved chambers. A common question is what twist rate a 69 grain bullet needs. A 1:9 twist is generally enough, and 1:8 or 1:7 barrels handle it easily, while 1:12 barrels usually will not. Another common question is whether a 5.56 load can go in a 223 Remington bolt gun. Only if the manufacturer approves 5.56 pressure for that chamber.

Black Hills D556N12 is new production ammunition, not reloads, made in Rapid City, South Dakota. The cases are reloadable boxer-primed brass and the primers are non-corrosive. This listing contains 10 boxes of 50 rounds for 500 total, packed from one lot so your recorded dope from the first match still applies at the end of the season.