Last weekend was my first time shooting my AR 15. When I walked up to the target I couldn't believe how small the bullet holes were in the target. For some reason I was expecting much bigger holes.
Anyways this week I've been looking online at quality information on 223 & 5.56 ammunition. Found a post on another forum similar to mine but it turned into a flame fest on 223 sucks or doesn't. Just curious if anyone has a good article about the 223 and 5.56 bullet. Something of why its so popular, why the military chooses it, etc?
No links to an article, but...it's popular because it is fairly inexpensive, light recoiling, it comes in multiple platforms, and can be configured to take anything from prairie dogs to deer.
The military switched to it back in the 1960's because they found that 7.62NATO (.308 )was pretty much useless in full auto in an individual rifleman's weapon, that engagement distances were a lot closer than the 300m+ that the 7.62 was envisioned for, and that a rifleman could carry a lot more ammo in 556.
We think of the AR series of rifles as "modern sporting rifles" but they will soon be 60 years old. I think I was a sophomore in high school when I first saw pictures of, and read an article talking about army trials of the rifle. After WW2 and Korea, the armed forces began to understand that most combat shooting took place at far less distance than the service rifle calibers of the time were capable of. This being taken into account, they set about looking for a weapon that would suit the new philosophy of combat. Like Cuda said, the main attraction was the ability of the soldier to carry more ammo and the damage the light bullet would do when it "upset" at what were considered the new combat distances (likely 200 yards or less). The rifle first had a slower twist rate that made the bullet unstable at distance so it would "tumble" when it hit something. The Air Force was actually the first to try to adopt the rifle as they liked it for its light weight and quick handling. Now with heavier bullets and a faster twist rate they are considered to be very accurate out to at least 600 yards, and even shot at Camp Perry to 1000 yards, though they would have little energy left at that distance. However, there is less of the tumbling on a hit with the faster twist rates though there is still some.
It's an excellent varmint cartridge. With the right bullets, with a shooter that knows how/where to shoot it will kill deer.
It is cheaper to shoot than a .30 caliber rifle.
They (AR15) can be very accurate.
I didn't need one for about 30 years. I trained with/fired them back in the mid 70's when I was in the US Army. The accuracy/reliability did not impress me.
Then I bought one that looked cool (XM177 clone) and it's accuracy was a real eye opener (yeah, how does a rifle with a 10.5" barrel shoot such small groups?? I don't know but it does. Then I started building them and have built several over the years. Everything from 16" light weight barreled carbines to 24" bull barrel vARmint rifles. I probably won't build another one but I shoot them more than I do any other rifle I have - because they are cheap to shoot and accurate.
If you ever have to use one for serious work, remember, it's okay to shoot something more than once or twice, if necessary. I guess I'm in the habit of shooting 3 shot groups, if the target holds still long enough. That's why I put staples on all four corners of the target.
Also, I am assuming (yeah I know) that a person concerned with the size of the bullet hole is also concerned with the lack of damage done should you ever use it for defense or hunting purposes. While that is certainly a valid concern with the .223, remember also that the .223 allegedly has a tumbling effect after entering the body. Also, much of the damage is caused by turbulence, for lack of a better term, caused by the energy of the bullet.
As for popularity, Cuda covered it and it gained in popularity from the military connection.
With modern design soft point/ hollow point ammunition, it is pretty effective in a wide variety of situations. Within fragmentation velocity, the m193 is pretty devastating. Below that, not so much.
If you are like me and are too cheap to spend $.75 per round on .223 or 5.56 defensive ammo, and just keep a stock of mags always loaded for the next Michael brown/Rodney King/Russian invasion/improbable SHTF, make sure you buy the 5.56 m193, and not the .223 55 grain stuff such as federal American eagle .223. The 5.56 has is loaded considerably hotter and that extends the fragmentation range.
With modern design soft point/ hollow point ammunition, it is pretty effective in a wide variety of situations. Within fragmentation velocity, the m193 is pretty devastating. Below that, not so much.
The 5.56 has is loaded considerably hotter and that extends the fragmentation range.
Is it really tho? I have always read that 5.56 produces a higher chamber pressure, but when you look at the advertised velocities, the .223 and 5.56 are usually equal, or very close. 55gr .223 is usually rated at around 3240 fps with the major manufacturers. Same as M193.
Punching holes in steel & people, two diff things entirely. Yes the 223 is adequate, but a much better round would have been at least 243 w/ 80gr bullet wt. the 6mmx243 will fit & function in the ar platform. Greatest advantage of the 223 is low recoil, low cost & high round count. If it were really so effective, there wouldn't be rounds like the 300BO or 6.8 on the same platform.
.223 is effective. It has killed a lot of bad guys over the years. 193 fragments inside the body causing all kinds of havoc, 855 does as well, and the penetrator (teeny tiny) zips right on through like it's supposed to but doesn't really cause any more traumatic damage once through the barrier. 855a1 seems to do a better job at both, but you're not going to find brown tip on the shelves anytime soon.
I am anxious to get home and see if I have any of that ammo left to solve the mystery. What isn't a mystery is that the ammo took a small gong target that had been shot thousands of times without a mark on it and made it look like the surface of the Moon.
Somewhere along line I also heard, "shoot a combatant with 5.56, and if it don't kill 'em, you just took another 2 out the fight. The 2 it takes to carry the 1st wounded to the rear."
.300 BO was created for suppression, completely different animal. Making the argument that caliber's wouldn't be created for an already existing platform if the original didn't work goes against every new gun design ever.
The nice thing about this site, is that I don't have to go to my trusted gun shop every time I have a question. I don't have an AR, but would like to own one someday. I've trolled the AR posts on here for over a year....very useful info. Thank you.
With so many excellent choices in expanding ammunition widely available for the 556/223 platform, I think it is ridiculous to hobble oneself with ball ammo that isn't nearly as reliable at fragmentation out of the fast-twist barrels most common today.
Doing it in the name of economy is even more ridiculous.
Soft points are widely available, as are ballistic-tipped varmint rounds and hollow points. Most are right around $1/rd. Buy two boxes; one to test for feeding and accuracy, one to load in your ready magazine.
Cuda, I specifically said that ball is mediocre at best and that dedicated self defense rounds were much better. However, I don't use my AR for primary home defense. If I am going to need my AR, I am going to probably really need it. I'm not going to spend 90 dollars to have a mag for test and two ready mags. I feel comfortable just leaving six mags always in reserve with m193 for if something goes really really wrong.
There is always a lot of discussion about what is the best ammo and I usually stay clear of the topic with the exception of occasional pot stirring, but in this case I know for a fact that I have the best range/plinking ammo for my Mini 14. My buddy/reloading mentor gave me just shy of 800 rounds of .223 ammo and said, "Shoot it up. I just want the brass." I win.
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