223 or 556?

[ReeferMac]

I've read several articles that talk about the differences between the two, and own a 5.56 chambered rifle, so I'm capable of shooting both. Is there a ral-world difference between the two rounds performance-wise? Is there a reason I should choose one over the other? I've read pressures are greater on 5.56 rounds, and that .223's have a different head-spacing... but does any of that really matter, or for the average user, are they functionally equivalent?

(The reason I'm asking is I'm going to start buying boxes of ammo, and frankly am unsure what to buy? Do I just get whichever is on sale at the time, and it's safe to mix and match my supply, or should I try to stick with one or the other religiously? Is there a cost-savings to one? My initial preference is to 5.56 NATO ammo, or possibly heavier projectile rounds. I'm guessing there will be a performance difference in my given setup, so for accuracy, should pick one and stick with it.... but which one?)

Thanks.

 

- K

[xsubsailor]

 This might help with the bullet weight question.

http://info.stagarms.com/blog/bid/371861/How-Barrel-Twist-Rate-Affects-Ammunition-Choice

[ReeferMac]

Thanks! Barrel in question is a 24" 1:7 twist rate, so I should be good for the heavier projectiles.

 

- K

 

[Garufa]

Way long story short:

- 5.56 ammo will perform marginally better  in a 5.56 chamber.

- Don't use 5.56 in a .223 chamber.

That's really all there is  to go on without writing a novel as there are so many variables...like ".223" ammo loaded to 5.56 specs.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Garufa

[ReeferMac]

1 minute ago, Garufa said:

Way long story short:

- 5.56 ammo will perform marginally better  in a 5.56 chamber.

 

THANKS!

That's what's missing from the 20-or-so articles about the differences that I've read.

 

[Garufa]

1 minute ago, ReeferMac said:

 

THANKS!

That's what's missing from the 20-or-so articles about the differences that I've read.

 

BTW, some excellent foreign brands like Wolf Gold made in Tawain are in fact loaded to NATO 5.56 specs.  

[btq96r]

I only have 5.56 chambered ARs, and couldn't see a use for a .223 one with the limitations in ammo selection.  I used to shoot 62gr 5.56, but I've switched to 55gr .223 for reasons of economy.  I can get more ammo for practice/training, and I have 55gr .233 Speer Gold Dot for my HD ammo.  The biggest reason for keeping my HD and range ammo the same grain load is that I have an adjustable gas block for my HD SBR, but the 55gr shoots well from my 16" AR as well.  I've found it to be the best all purpose round for my needs, and would recommend people try it, but wouldn't sell it as the end all solution.

[krunchnik]

I am another one that has never fired 556 in my rifles-I really can't say why I have only used .223 other than it was available and cheaper-mostly available.I have saved my .223 brass with the idea of setting a set of dies on my Lee one day.So far I only load .300 BLK in rifle rounds so .223 should not be much harder to get right.

[mikegideon]

44 minutes ago, ReeferMac said:

Thanks! Barrel in question is a 24" 1:7 twist rate, so I should be good for the heavier projectiles.

 

- K

 

That barrel twist will handle anything that will fit in an AR magazine. The real light varmint bullets could fly apart. 1:7 is military so they can stabilize tracers

[xsubsailor]

 If memory serves me right, you just got into reloading? If so, this might the the area you have a problem.

 If I'm not mistaken, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, the 5.56 is thicker brass. Using the same bullet and same powder charge in a 5.56 and a .223 will result in different loads. You should get a bigger bang,more velocity and possibly a different impact point out of the 5.56.

[Omega]

51 minutes ago, xsubsailor said:

 If memory serves me right, you just got into reloading? If so, this might the the area you have a problem.

 If I'm not mistaken, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, the 5.56 is thicker brass. Using the same bullet and same powder charge in a 5.56 and a .223 will result in different loads. You should get a bigger bang,more velocity and possibly a different impact point out of the 5.56.

I only buy 1/7 5.56 barreled weapons, as opposed to. 223, but fire any or both.  I find that both shoot about the same give or take bullet weight.  As for reloading, I haven't found any real difference between brass except when converting it to 300 Blk.  But the issue is loading, thicker brass tends to make the round too thick to load.  Of course I usually separate my headstamps so wouldn't really notice a shift.

[ReeferMac]

6 hours ago, xsubsailor said:

 If memory serves me right, you just got into reloading? If so, this might the the area you have a problem.

 If I'm not mistaken, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, the 5.56 is thicker brass. Using the same bullet and same powder charge in a 5.56 and a .223 will result in different loads. You should get a bigger bang,more velocity and possibly a different impact point out of the 5.56.

 

Ah-hah, good to know. Yes, I have been trying my hand at re-loading 9mm pistol rounds, and was finding my coconut being challenged by these rifle rounds!

 

[gregintenn]

12 hours ago, xsubsailor said:

 If memory serves me right, you just got into reloading? If so, this might the the area you have a problem.

 If I'm not mistaken, and please someone correct me if I'm wrong, the 5.56 is thicker brass. Using the same bullet and same powder charge in a 5.56 and a .223 will result in different loads. You should get a bigger bang,more velocity and possibly a different impact point out of the 5.56.

It's the same stuff. Brass will vary as much, if not more, between brands as it will between 556 and 223 headstamps. I reload it interchangeably, and am able to shoot sub moa groups routinely, with my cheap plinking loads from several rifles.

 

To the OP,

Buy small lots of as many different kinds of ammo as you can, and shoot them. Find out which performs best, or at least acceptably, in your rifle and then buy large lots of it.

Edited August 20, 2016 by gregintenn

[musicman]

Ditto pretty much all the posts above.  For plinking, I simply get what's cheapest, which is usually 223.  I don't plan on hunting with a 22, so I don't bother with many HP designs.  Maybe I'm naive, but for TEOTWAWKI I just have a bunch of Federal XM193, and some green tip.  

I have experienced zero funtional difference between 223 or 5.56 across all of my rifles.

[hipower]

I used to be a bit hyper on the 223/556. Always wondering which to use or buy. Finally realized that my ARs are marked "multi" and quite worrying about it.

[94user]

I usually shoot .223 because it's cheaper and easier to get. I zeroed my rig with Federal XM193, I use an EoTech 517 that co-witnesses my irons, not a scope.  Most any ammo I use produces the same groups. 

[KKing]

If you need ammo to stock, look no farther than Wolf Gold. It's loaded to 5.56 specs, and it's accurate enough out of every AR I own. In my experience it is one of the cheapest brass case rounds so I load up on it and buy "match" rounds in smaller quantities for when I want to shoot small groups.


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[Spiffy]

I see alot of people using Federal Fusion for "meat" and whatever FMJ for plinking if they have to buy their own ammo.

[KKing]

I see alot of people using Federal Fusion for "meat" and whatever FMJ for plinking if they have to buy their own ammo.

I actually like how the fusion performs in meat, but I just couldn't get it to shoot accurately enough for me to rely on it.