GGG.223 Rem 69-grain Match

GGG are a Lithuanian company, who have been manufacturing ammunition since 2000. Initially, it was the Soviet 7.62 x 39mm, and in 2002 an integrated quality assurance system acc. to ISO 9001 and 14001 standards was implemented. With an eye to the future, in 2004 they started building the two major NATO rounds, the 5.56 x 45mm and the 7.62 x 51mm, to be considered for approval and acceptance by NATO member forces. Such was the quality that they were awarded the right to mark cartridges with the NATO interchangeability sign of the cross within a circle in 2005 and, as they say, the rest is history!

SS 109 Spec

With the amount of shooting done with 223 Rem AR15s in the Practical and Service Rifle sphere, GGG’s NATO spec Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) 62-grain SS 109 ball soon became popular.

I have tested this in the past and it proved to be a costeffective and accurate round of ammo and certainly fit for purpose. Plus, the brass cases are of good quality and Boxer-primed; so eminently reloadable too. But the time line moves on and in 2015 GGG became an official NRA UK cartridge supplier for 7.62 NATO and 5.56x45 and with an eye to the future, in 2016 they started to make .223 Remington and 308 Winchester Match ammo too. Importers L.E.I. (Law Enforcement International) sent me examples of both and this month I’m looking at the 223 product.

The ammo looks little different from their SS109 62-grain load, until you look at the bullet’s nose, as it’s a hollow point. In fact, GGG loads this one with Sierra’s well known 69-grain boat tail hollow point Match King, which is a personal favourite of mine and something I have been using for many years in my Southern Gun Company Speedmaster. Research showed that they also offer a standard 55-grain FMJ loading too.

Factory figures

For the testing, I used my 20- inch, 1-8-inch twist Speedmaster and a Mossberg MVP bolt action with a 1-9-inch 24-inch medium weight fluted tube. GGG quotes a muzzle velocity (MV) of 900mps, which translates to 2952fps. As always, accuracy is paramount, with velocity being a secondary concern, but I was expecting a drop from the factory-quoted speed of between 50-100fps, as this generally has always been my findings, as manufactures seem to use longer barrels for gaining data.

First up; my Speedmaster was shooting the 69s at 0.75-inches @ 100-metres, at an average speed of 2789fps and an extreme spread (ES) of 32fps. Not quite as tight as my reloads but around 100fps faster. There was no problem with primary extraction, even on longer strings to get the heat up. The MVP came in just under the ¾-inches at 0.67-inches and upped the velocity a little to 2834fps average, with an ES of 41fps. So, between the two rifles, the average ES was 45fps, which was pretty good given the barrel length and rifling twist differences. Rounds are clean, well-formed and presented and feed and chamber reliably. This 69-grain load represents an attractive, off the shelf option for those looking for a 223 Rem Match-style cartridge and offers a good deal of long-range performance and accuracy.