Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr – Superb OTM Boat Tail

Description

Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr is target ammunition, and it is worth being clear about that from the start. Barnes built its name on hunting bullets that hold together and penetrate. This is the other side of the catalog: a load engineered for consistency on paper and steel, not for what happens when it hits an animal.

What Open Tip Match Actually Means

An open tip match boat tail is made backwards compared with a hunting bullet. The jacket is drawn from the nose end rather than the base, which leaves a small aperture at the tip. That aperture is a byproduct of the manufacturing process, not an expansion feature, and it is the reason these bullets are so uniform.

Building the jacket of Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr from the nose down means the base, which is the part that most affects accuracy as the bullet leaves the muzzle, is formed in one clean operation rather than folded closed. Combined with the boat tail that reduces drag and base turbulence, that consistency is where match accuracy comes from.

The important consequence is terminal behavior. An OTM bullet does not reliably expand. The tip opening is too small and too irregular to initiate expansion the way a hollow point hunting bullet does. Some OTM designs fragment at high velocity and some pencil straight through. Neither is a predictable result, which is why this is not marketed as hunting ammunition.

Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr Specifications

Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr is 223 Remington target ammunition loaded with the 55 grain Match Burner bullet in fresh brass cases, 20 rounds to the box, from Barnes Bullets. The catalog number is 32017 and the Match Burner is Barnes’ own match projectile line rather than a bought-in bullet.

The 55 grain weight in Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr is the classic .223 weight and it stabilizes in every twist rate the cartridge is offered in, from the old 1 in 12 barrels through the 1 in 7 twists common on modern AR uppers. If you have a rifle that will not shoot heavier match bullets because of a slow twist, this is the match load that works in it.

Fresh brass rather than remanufactured cases is worth noting for anyone who reloads. These are once-fired after you shoot them, which makes the empties genuinely worth collecting. Case consistency is also part of why factory match ammunition groups better than bulk plinking ammunition.

• Caliber: .223 Remington
• Bullet weight: 55 grain
• Bullet type: Barnes Match Burner OTM boat tail
• Case: fresh brass
• Intended use: target, competition and practice
• Rounds per box: 20
• Manufacturer: Barnes Bullets
• Product line: Precision Match
• Catalog number: 32017

Twist Rates, Range and What Not to Use It For

Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr is light for long range work. At 600 yards a 55 grain bullet has slowed substantially and drifts a great deal in wind compared with a 69 or 77 grain match bullet. If you are shooting service rifle at distance or NRL22-style precision matches, the heavier offerings are the better choice. Inside 300 yards this load is entirely competitive.

Where it shines is high volume practice rifle ammunition for a fast twist AR that you also want to shoot accurately. It groups far better than bulk 55 grain ball, costs less than heavy match loads, and does not require a specific twist rate to stabilize.

Do not use Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr for hunting. That is not a marketing caution, it is a practical one. An OTM bullet’s terminal behavior is unpredictable by design, and on a coyote or a hog you may get dramatic fragmentation or you may get a clean hole and a long track. For varmints or predators, a purpose-built expanding bullet does that job properly.

Target shooters and competitors who want Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr, and anyone after genuine match accuracy from a .223 at practical distances without paying for heavy long range bullets they do not need.

A CVA Cascade Varmint Hunter in .223 is the kind of accurate bolt gun this ammunition is made for. If you need an expanding .223 for predators instead, a purpose built hollow point in the same weight is the answer, and for a lead free hunting bullet in a larger caliber the VOR-TX RR 308 Win 110gr TTSX covers deer sized game.

Store Barnes Precision Match 223 Rem 55gr indoors and dry, and keep one lot together for a match season. Match ammunition rewards that discipline more than any other kind, because the whole point of paying for it is removing variables from your group size.