New USMC Ammo, 5.56 SOST Mk 318 62gr OT match

[Patent guy]

Has anyone tried this stuff?

Natchez SS has (had?) it here:
http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=FAXMT556JNB1

another vendor has it here:
http://usarmorment.com/federal-mk318-mod0-556-62-grain-sost-500-case-free-shipping-p-1701.html

and one write-up describing the USMC's selection process and use in the M4 is found here:
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/02/marine_SOST_ammo_021510w/

Since it was designed for better accuracy in M4 and M16 rifles, I'm hoping it will be more consistent in my mid-length AR carbine than the 62 gr green tip.

I can provide a range report eventually, but I'm wondering if anyone else has seen or used it.

[GoldFish]

All I've heard/seen of this particular 5.56x45 is good stuff, meaning it runs very well in the rifle, is quite accurate, and has decent stopping power for a .223 caliber bullet.
What is your primary use for this rifle/ammo combo?  Hunting?  Self-defense?  Target shooting?

If it's for either of the first two, this cartridge is not a bad choice, but for close-quarter (self-defense situations), I might personally choose a heavier (such as a 75 or 77 gr. bullet.  For longer ranger hunting, this round is a pretty darn good choice, in my opinion.  

If your primary use for it is target shooting, then I might go with something a bit different, such as a FMJ (over a HP), but from what I've seen, this is definitely going to be accurate if your rifle is capable.
Of course, the green-tip is working well for you weight-wise, then it's not going to matter, being that the Federal Lake City MK318 SOST is also 62 gr.  

To answer your question in short, this is good, solid ammo great for multiple applications.  

My .02.

Out of curiosity, what have you experienced using the 'green-tip' ammo, and what kind of rifle have you been shooting it out of?  

---GF

[slim]

My .02.

I'll add mine as well...

For Appleseed purposes you don't need much lethality (it's just paper, after all!) so pretty much any 5.56 (or .223) you buy is going to get the job done. Buy twice as much Wolf or Silver Bear and then shoot more!

[jmdavis]

My .02.

I'll add mine as well...

For Appleseed purposes you don't need much lethality (it's just paper, after all!) so pretty much any 5.56 (or .223) you buy is going to get the job done. Buy twice as much Wolf or Silver Bear and then shoot more!

Just as AS will test the reliability of your firearm. It will also test the reliability of your ammunition. My experience with lacquered cases such as Wolf and Silver Bear is that they are trouble in a day of shooting (particularly with the number of rounds we shoot). On the other hand I am happy to feed my AR's commercial fodder and Milsurp M855 or M193. My standard is M855 and I have found ~2 MOA accurracy from the lots that I have (tested by shooting at 2 MOA targets at 400 yards with Federal, LC, and IMI surplus).

In the old days, I would shoot many hundreds of rounds of Black Hills 69 gr. Match. But at the time I was paying around .20/round. Those days are gone.

[slim]

My experience with lacquered cases such as Wolf and Silver Bear is that they are trouble in a day of shooting

Ah, yes. Good call, jmdavis.

Make sure the Wolf or Bear you buy is polymer coated - NOT lacquer. Most of the newer stuff is polymer.... and a lot closer to $.20/round.

[ErikAnderson]

Buy twice as much Wolf or Silver Bear and then shoot more!

If you are not interested in holding consistent 4 MOA (or smaller groups), then I agree. 

I used to be a Wolf fan (pre-Appleseed).  MamaBear put the AR through it paces at the RBC and found that the Wolf wasn't consistent  I got behind it and found the same lack of consistency (edges of the square, or just outside the square).  Dropped in some Wally World bulk brass .223 and made a cloverleaf with 4/5 shots, and all of them were inside the square.

Which Wolf are you shooting?  I've tried both 55 and 62 grain 'black box' versions. 

[Leonidas]

The Special Operations Science and Technology Mk318 Mod 0 round was developed by Army special operations, to solve a long standing problem with the 5.56mm round.... You shoot people with it and feel like you are in a George Romero film because they keep getting up and fighting. It's been in development since Somalia (Many operators shot many many 5.56mm rounds into people who kept shooting back), now spec ops got it and my fellow Marines recognizing they have the same problem purchased it (since the spec ops guys with their unlimited budgets already developed it and all). The reason they didn't just go and buy hollow points from _________ < (insert major manufacturer here) is that according to some Geneva convention thing we can't shoot hollow points. The mk318 not technically being a hollow point, won't land any of us on the wrong side of a war tribunal. Most hollow points and the commercially market IMO are far superior to the mk318. When I don't have to worry about shooting abroad I chose to shoot a good hollow point. The mk 318 is as close as I can get whenever I am abroad though. My $0.02 though.
Godspeed and Semper Fidelis

[Patent guy]

Out of curiosity, what have you experienced using the 'green-tip' ammo, and what kind of rifle have you been shooting it out of?  

---GF

I have a recently assembled Bravo Company mid-length AR upper (1 in 8 twist) on a S&W carbine lower.  With `09 LC green tip on a recent windy day, at 100 yards, I was getting 5 shot groups with some flyers.  Some groups had 3 or 4 almost touching with a 5th out in the 8 ring, when shooting from a stable, supported rest and no time pressure.  I have fewer than 200 rounds through this rifle, so I'm not sure where my flyers are coming from.  I will have to do more shooting, and that is a good thing.

I'm thinking of using the SOST rounds only for targets, but I also have a nice Ruger number 1 Varmint 223 with a heavy barrel (1 in 9), and I'm thinking this SOST ammo may work well in that rifle also.

[Patent guy]

Here is a link to an interesting "accuracy report":

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=60877

[Patent guy]

Out of curiosity, what have you experienced using the 'green-tip' ammo, and what kind of rifle have you been shooting it out of?  
---GF

The M855 (Lake City) green tip shot pretty well, typically grouping about the same as 55gr XM193 (Lake City) at a 100yd test session in my Bravo Company mid-length (stainless bbl)  AR.  The Mk318 SOST did not appear to be any more accurate than M855 or XM193 at 100yds. 

All three (M855, XM193 and Mk318) functioned perfectly. (I guess ATK knows what they are doing.)

I was surprised that the Mk318 did not appear to be any more accurate than M855 or XM193 (at my 100 yd test session) in the mid-length AR.
For my uses (targets) I'm thinking there is no point in paying more for the Mk318.

Maybe worth the extra cost for a different rifle, range or application?  YMMV.