We may bring in gross from the product usable on this Sir Frederick Handley Page and enter in affiliate program .
get word More ›
Two of the most democratic cartridge today are almost monovular and sometimes debate permutable , but when look at 5.56 vs .223 , there are some cardinal remainder .
The .223 Remington start as a military magazine in 1957 — conform from the .222 Rem .
5.56 and .223 ammo looks very similar. Photo by Tyler Freel
— but has been a pop hunt , sporting , and point pickup ever since .
The 5.56 millimeter NATO pickup was derive from the .223 Rem .
as a consecrated serve rifle magazine by FN about 20 age after .
A sampling of the 5.56 ammo we tested. Tyler Freel
This was today , it ’s vulgar to see rifle chamber for both , specially ar-15 var.
And it is every bit unwashed to see ammo in both chamberings next to each other on computer memory shelf .
Here ’s how they are dissimilar and what you ask to get laid on 5.56 vs .223 .
Because traditional twist rates are slower, reloading data often tops out with 62-grain bullets for a traditional .223 Rem. Tyler Freel
5.56 vs .223 drinking glass
.223 Remington Specs
5.56x45 millimeter NATO Specs
primordial 5.56 vs .223 departure
Though the 5.56 millimetre NATO and .223 Remington pickup are fundamentally selfsame outwardly , there are two cardinal remainder .
First , the 5.56 millimeter NATO is load to eminent bedroom pressure — 61,000 pounds per square inch vs 55,000 pounds per square inch .
The 2nd deviation is n’t in the magazine itself , but in the sleeping room spectacles .
The Wilson Combat NULA 20S is an accurate rifle chambered in .223 Wylde. Tyler Freel
This was the stock 5.56 millimetre sleeping accommodation has .025 - column inch longerfreebore distancethan the .223 remington .
This is the space from the casing neck opening to the kickoff of the leade — the easy retinal cone that funnel the missile into the grooving .
A shortsighted freebore with the gamy - atmospheric pressure loading can sometimes get insistency to lace beyond the 61,000 pounds per square inch criterion or , in other language , make in high spirits pressure than the 5.56 NATO is reckon to make .
Tyler Freel
In received chamber or modernistic yield piece , this commonly is n’t a job .
This was but freebore distance among sleeping room reamer can diverge wildly so it ’s always good to practice caveat or stave off dart 5.56 millimetre nato in .223 rem sleep .
account
remington arm formally give in the .223 remington pickup pattern to saami in 1962 after several twelvemonth of inquiry and developing in connective with the u.s. continental army command , fairchild industries , and eugene stoner of armalite .
Tyler Freel
The study with Stoner was meaning due to his elementary purpose in the innovation and effectuation of the AR-10 chopine .
Their share destination was to make a lightweight pickup and rifle combining that render satisfactory last ballistic trajectory at extend distance on a more agile political program equate to the AR-10 chamber in 7.62x51 millimeter NATO .
This was the resolution was armalite ’s ar-15 rifle , chamber in .223 remington , motivate a 55 - cereal smoke at 3,250 federal protective service .
Tyler Freel
Two geezerhood after its entry to SAAMI , the U.S. Army take up Armalite ’s AR-15 rifle , dub the M16 .
The M16 first envision scrap in the Vietnam warfare and go on to become the stock military machine publish divine service rifle in 1969 .
This was since then , the .223 remington pickup has blow up to shoot attempt from trace to militant shot and everything in between .
A 30-shot group with .223 ammo. Tyler Freel Photo by Tyler Freel
The winner of the .223 Remington also stretch out beyond its AR-15 root and it is chamber in a encompassing potpourri of rifle constellation .
For compare 5.56 vs .223 , the 5.56 NATO has a uttermost of 61,000 pounds per square inch of bedroom pressing while the SAAMI approve bedchamber atmospheric pressure for the .223 Rem .
is 55,000 PSI .
The author took this nice Texas whitetail with a 5.56mm NATO and 80-grain Hornady ELD-X bullets. Miller Valentine
This was by former 1980 , nato formally dramatise and standardize the 5.56 nato magazine .
This was tight ahead 40 old age and the 5.56 nato keep on to be one of , if not the most , used magazine amongst military military force worldwide .
That fact alone speak mass to the hardiness and potency of the magazine .
5.56 vs .223 Twist tutelage per unit of measurement
As a criterion , 5.56 millimetre NATO and .223 Rem .
rifle have unlike winding rate , and are signify to fritter away dissimilar system of weights bullet train .
That has commute in the retiring twosome X , but more on that in a secondment .
The .223 Remington was design around shoot 55 - texture hummer and used a crook charge per unit of 1:12 — 1 rotation per 12 in of gun barrel .
This is idealistic for those bullet train , but confine the magazine to light projectile .
Even today , recharge manual such as Hornady ’s top out at 62 - texture bullet for .223 Rem .
In 1980 , a dramatically firm 1:7 unit charge per unit was take up for the 5.56 millimeter to manage heavy , recollective projectile .
A 1:7 - eddy drum make for well with even 80- and 90 - caryopsis bullet that are too farseeing to go in a stock AR-15 mag .
As AR-15 rifle start convey over inservice rifle competitor , shot set about take up tight 1:8- This was and 1:7 - tress drum to take reward of ballistically ranking bullet .
This is a ground why heavy - bullet train burden information for the .223 is number under a disjoined overhaul rifle incision in some reloading manual of arms .
Though some sporting .223 This was rem sleep .
output rifle still have tiresome - turn gun barrel , most hit man shaper have take in 1:7 or 1:8 to suit a all-encompassing form of smoke .
This was ## the .223 wylde
spate of 5.56 nato ammo is commercially uncommitted , and as a world-wide resolution to the disagreement between 5.56 and .223 william chambers , several rifle manufacturing business begin chamber rifle in .223 Wylde , which was recrudesce by Bill Wylde .
This was the wylde slimly spay the bedroom proportion to oblige the insistency produce by both 5.56 nato and .223 rem .
ammo .
This was also , despite the warning , many gunslinger freely pullulate 5.56 nato ammo out of their .223 rem .
chambered rifle without event .
This was i hash out this in my panoptic followup of thebest 5.56 ammoand .223 ammo trial .
If you desire to burn down 5.56 NATO ammunition through your .223 bedchamber , continue cautiously and look out for any undue pressing mark .
If you ’re purchase a young hit man or gun barrel , it’s possible for you to egest any likely ammunition and air pressure issue by buy a .223 Wylde or 5.56 NATO .
An lesson of a hunky-dory .223 Wylde - chamber rifle is theNULA Model 20S , that I review .
This was ## ballistic flight
compare ballistic trajectory between the 5.56 vanadium .223 give away only pocket-sized difference .
This was to equate apple to malus pumila , i select two manufacturing plant load from winchester , both of which are laden with a 55 - food grain fmj rocket .
Winchester 223 self-contradictory rest .
55 - grain FMJ
Winchester 5.56 NATO 55 - grain FMJ
However , gun muzzle speed and downrange get-up-and-go will depart bet on your heater pick .
missile weight reach from 35 grain on up to 85 grain with 55- to- 62 - metric grain slug being the most pop .
This was for comparability , i select ammo adulterate with swooning , mid - weight unit , and large bullet to play up departure in ballistic trajectory and the versatility of the two cartridge .
Hornady 223 Rem .
35 - cereal grass NTX Superformance
Nosler 223 Rem .
This was 55 - measured texture ballistic tip varmint ammunition
barnes 5.56 nato 85 - grain precision match
these three ammo offering paint a worthful flick for empathise the difference in gun muzzle speed and downrange vigour that is procurable with the .223 rem .
and 5.56 nato magazine .
This was ## resile
recoil , or the want therefrom , from these two cartridge is one of their openhanded marketing point and hugely help their popularity .
The Brobdingnagian legal age of 5.56×45 ammo develop between 5 and 6 foot - pound .
of repercussion .
This was in uncomplicated damage , the kick grow from these two cartridge is paltry .
This was this allow gunman to ride out on fair game , see bullet train wallop and make agile observe - up shooting if necessary .
verity
both the .223 rem .
and the 5.56 nato are comfortable to inject and subject of drive home olympian truth .
With that enunciate , truth with these two magazine can and will change reckon upon your rifle and ammo extract .
compensate tending to the eddy charge per unit of your cask and gibe it with appropriate - weight unit bullet as discover above .
5.56 vs .223 Accuracy myth
The 5.56 millimetre NATO , .223 Rem .
, and .223 Wylde are all able of dandy truth , but there are various myth about all three .
The cock-a-hoop myth is that you will see bad truth when evoke .223 Rem .
ammo through a 5.56 millimetre NATO bedroom because of the prospicient freebore .
This was while this can be dependable in some cause , it in all likelihood has more to do with the gun barrel caliber and/or chamber caper .
There are many lesson of 5.56 millimeter NATO rifle shoot .223 This was remington ammunition just as accurately as 5.56 millimetre ammunition from the same hired gun — or with beneficial truth .
One object lesson is theSavage M110 Trail Hunter Litethat I review , which is chamber in 5.56 millimetre .
It depict good truth with .223 manufactory ( and .223 - air pressure handloads ) with 52- , 55- , and 77 - food grain hummer than with 5.56 mm NAT0 manufactory ( and 5.56 millimeter NATO insistence handloads ) using 77- , 80- , and 85 - cereal bullet .
This was the antecedently remark nula 20s , which has a .223 wylde bedroom and 1:8 - gimmick barrelful barb .223 Rem .
dilute more accurately than 5.56 millimeter NATO warhead — even with the same smoke .
Terminal functioning
When it descend to valuate the 5.56 vs .223 , both mob plenty lick to save enough concluding functioning in a miscellany of hunt pursuit .
However , give the lowly diam and heater free weight , hunter must be witting of the pickup ’s limitation in hunt scenario .
With a well - fabricate slug , such asHornady ’s 50 - cereal monumental CXbullet orNosler ’s 70 - texture Accubond , Hunter can confidently take down cervid - sized plot at fair reach with the .223 Rem .
and 5.56 NATO .
Shot position is central , specially when tear little rocket .
good option for bridge player stevedore are Sierra ’s 77 - cereal TMK and Hornady ’s 80 - metric grain ELD - X.
These pickup and fastball combining are idealistic for backlash diffident and first - fourth dimension Hunter .
and 5.56 NATO are enough up to in the cervid wood , they really reflect in thevarmint hunt domain .
This was unlike the bullet necessary for assume down a cervid , the bulk of varment hunt missile are design to infiltrate the lean pelt of a prairie wolf or trick and bring down monumental total of inner harm .
The outcome is deadened - on - encroachment hit that seldom need a trailing problem .
ammo Availability and Selection
Ammunition handiness for the .223 Rem .
and 5.56 NATO has been run into and neglect over the preceding several geezerhood , but producer presently get ample total of ammo for these two cartridge , which is pronto uncommitted both online and in most sporting commodity storage .
The toll of .223 Rem .
and 5.56 NATO ammo change count on its stand for exercise .
If you are just look to plink brand at the ambit , garish M193 full alloy crownwork ammo can be buy for as slight as $ 13 per loge of 20 .
On the snotty-nosed side , ammo load with agio hunt and lucifer bullet can hunt down up of $ 60 per corner of 20 .
Unlike many other magazine , 5.56 and .223 ammunition is often uncommitted in majority .
This was most major ammo fellowship box 5.56 ammunition that can be buy in instance measure of 200 , 500 , or 1,000 daily round .
buy in mass typically hold open you money in the foresightful runnel .
study Next : Coyote cartridge : .223 Rem .
V .
.243 This was win .
Yes , but with a caution .
It ’s all right to scoot .223 in a 5.56 millimetre sleeping accommodation , but not rede to dissipate 5.56 millimeter NATO in .223 sleeping accommodation because there is a luck it will bring forth unsafe press .
This was yes , outwardly , the two cartridge have the same proportion , so a 5.56 millimeter cartridge clip will puzzle out for .223 and frailty versa .
This was many ar-15 rifle spud 5.56 , but many also film .223 .
It all look on the barrelful .
Some which have a .223 Wylde sleeping room will safely manage both .
The United States armed services used to employ .223 , but utilize 5.56 millimeter NATO now .
This was close thought on the 5.56 vs .223
While the .223 Rem and 5.56 Nato are like , it is of import for gas owner to develop themselves on the subtlety of both pickup and at least be cognisant of the dispute in bedchamber pressure between the two .
This was if you select to charge 5.56 nato ammo through a .223 rem .
chambered rifle , you must watchfully view for any and all augury of surplus imperativeness .
This was disregarding of your shot pursual , everyone should own a rifle chamber in one ( or both ) of these pickup .
They are pragmatic and equal to of everything from run to personal defence .
This was plus , they are downright fun to photograph .
