Do you purposefully buy .223 or 5.56 for AR? Whatever is cheapest?

ericoak · Aug 19, 2016

molonlabe said:
Thanks for the understanding. Then I woul get whatever is cheaper.

No big deal. There is also a difference in cyclic rate between the weaker .223 and 5.56.

mopar92 · Aug 19, 2016

5.56 M193 for general range purposes 62 grain Federal Fusion SP for trunk gun and 40 grain V-Max for HD.
I get a rough zero with 193 and then finish sighting in with da good stuff so I'm not just making noise with expensive ammo.

ericoak said:
Theoretically a 5.56 has a higher velocity than .223 for the same bullet, so should be above fragmentation velocities for longer distances?

M855 only reliably fragments to 175 yards with a 20" barrel and 193 to 200ish yards. As I've said before though, unless you're .mil or LE and forced to use ball ammo for duty why not go with the good stuff?

Nay_sayer · Aug 19, 2016

ericoak said:
Theoretically a 5.56 has a higher velocity than .223 for the same bullet, so should be above fragmentation velocities for longer distances?

I've never shot either .223 or 5.56 past 100yds. I have a G2 if I want to do longer or more precise shots.

alucard0822 · Aug 19, 2016

Usually buy Lake city M193 or brass, and reload to .223 specs.

outrider58 · Aug 19, 2016

The big difference between 5.56 and .223 is their chamber pressures are measured differently.To try and compare them is like comparing apples and oranges. Many .223 ammo, now-a-days can have as high a velocity(read chamber pressure) as 5.56 NATO. Wasn't always the case, but it is now. As clandestine said, there are a lot of 5.56 chambers that are not. And, there a lot of .223 chambers that are not. If your rifle has a really short leade, you may experience a boost in chamber pressure, including popped primers and the like. Rarely would such a situation result in a catastrophic situation, as far as the AR 15 is concerned. There seem to be too many variables to make 'blanket statements' between the two rounds.

clandestine · Aug 20, 2016

outrider58 said:
The big difference between 5.56 and .223 is their chamber pressures are measured differently.To try and compare them is like comparing apples and oranges. Many .223 ammo, now-a-days can have as high a velocity(read chamber pressure) as 5.56 NATO. Wasn't always the case, but it is now. As clandestine said, there are a lot of 5.56 chambers that are not. And, there a lot of .223 chambers that are not. If your rifle has a really short leade, you may experience a boost in chamber pressure, including popped primers and the like. Rarely would such a situation result in a catastrophic situation, as far as the AR 15 is concerned. There seem to be too many variables to make 'blanket statements' between the two rounds.

fidelity · Aug 20, 2016

molonlabe said:
This. Maybe I don't explain myself well. but then I just returned from Hopkins after 8 days of heart failure and Kidney damage. I might have piss buildup in my brain.

Wow, glad you made it through this. Hope you're on the mend.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

DaemonAssassin · Aug 20, 2016

I generally buy 223, unless I am planning on converting LC brass to 300BLK. That also makes it easier when I reload just the 223 cases for my precision rifle.

But then again, I am a fan of M855/SS109...

DaemonAssassin · Aug 20, 2016

outrider58 said:
This is so true. A lesson we all have learned in SOTAR. That fancy high dollar 5.56 barrel you bought isn't necessarily a 5.56 chamber with a 5.56 leade you were expecting.

I have never shot steel cases, and barring a war, I never will because I reload all my brass.

I have shot steel cased ammo out of a Bushmaster. That did not end the way I wanted it to. For some reason the Bushmaster does not like steel cased ammo, but other AR's will eat it up. I really have no idea why that is. :shrug:

AssMan · Aug 20, 2016

I'll shoot both. I haven't found much difference in price, so I generally buy 5.56. If I know I'm going to be shooting steel all day, I'll try to grab some .223.

cb1980 · Aug 20, 2016

mostly buy .223 remington or american eagle brass, I have picked up some 5.56 but at the local shops I buy from I rarely see 5.56 available

GUNSnROTORS · Aug 20, 2016

Voted 5.56.

Used to be about 90% 5.56 (bulk) and 10% .223 (varmint). Mostly reload for varmints now & rarely buy .223.

TheBert · Aug 20, 2016

molonlabe said:
This. Maybe I don't explain myself well. but then I just returned from Hopkins after 8 days of heart failure and Kidney damage. I might have piss buildup in my brain.

Glad to hear you are on the green side of the grass!

TAstro · Aug 20, 2016

I typically buy a case of wolf gold or Federal m193, shoot a box or 4, then shoot a couple boxes of wolf steel. Then I repeat the process. It has worked out well, and I have a huge stack of cases untouched

If anyone is interested, The Ammunition Store has some nice sales going on

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=65365d48d93840eb4b55056fa&id=fda708431d&e=061dca3af1

molonlabe · Aug 20, 2016

fidelity said:
Wow, glad you made it through this. Hope you're on the mend.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Thanks I got 2.5 liters of water off yesterday with lasix and the kidney started up. My ankles are no longer swollen and I can put my shoes on. Back to tHe thread.

teratos · Aug 20, 2016

mopar92 said:
5.56 M193 for general range purposes 62 grain Federal Fusion SP for trunk gun and 40 grain V-Max for HD. I get a rough zero with 193 and then finish sighting in with da good stuff so I'm not just making noise with expensive ammo. M855 only reliably fragments to 175 yards with a 20" barrel and 193 to 200ish yards. As I've said before though, unless you're .mil or LE and forced to use ball ammo for duty why not go with the good stuff?

Civvies can load hollow point, V-max and several other projectiles with more stopping power than 193/855.

iH8DemLibz · Aug 20, 2016

teratos said:
Civvies can load hollow point, V-max and several other projectiles with more stopping power than 193/855.

Poisonous mushrooms.

AliasNeo07 · Aug 21, 2016

If it's just for training/plinking/teaching newbies, I shoot .223.

But 5.56 isn't that much more expensive (if at all) so I'll grab 5.56 to have on hand too, just for the extra velocity.

Chris · Aug 21, 2016

I try to buy 5.56 as my guns have quality barrels (RRA/Spikes/Colt) chambered in 5.56. But if the price is right 223 it is. Chris

Do you purposefully buy .223 or 5.56 for AR? Whatever is cheapest?

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