Ammo for AR15

[Emptymag]

yes they are one and the same. just different name.

Why would you tell him that when you probably know it isn't true?

"Almost" the same, or "virtually" the same do not make them "the same".

[39flathead]

yes they are one and the same. just different name.

No, no they are not one in the same.


Are they interchangeable?
In most instances yes, but there are some known problems, like early Mini-14's chambered in .223 firing 5.56.

This is why there is a .223 Wylde chamber, safe for both.


Info on the differences:
http://www.americanrifleman.org/arti...hats-in-a-name

[39flathead]

1) Good luck finding and buying true 5.56 ammo.

2) You will never, ever notice the difference between .223 and 5.56 ammo.

1), Is the Israeli 5.56 that Wideners has and the Danish 5.56 that AIM has not "true" 5.56?

2) Leade can make a difference in accuracy and pressure.

[39flathead]

Now to the OP,

If your rifle is chambered in 5.56 you can shoot either out of it with no worries.
In some .223 rifles, pressures can be a problem when firing 5.56.


Just buy whatever you can find on the cheap.
If you do not reload, brass can be sold to those that do.

Or if the rifle will run with steel cases, you can save a bit there.
Be aware that some rifles do not like steel and that steel cased ammo is usually dirty and not very accurate.

As EM said, that 30rnd box of ZQ at Walmart is hard to beat for the price for plinking ammo.

Watch the Sportsmans guide, they have been running free shipping specials.
Just figure out the cost per round and go from there if you are buying bulk.


This is one of those subjects that require a flamesuit.

[ARay]

There ARE are some differences between .223 and 5.56, most notably the pressure developed by the powder charge, .223 is lower. I have seen quite a few ARs that run like sewing machines on 5.56 that would not tolerate (not function correctly, often short stroking) some of the lower pressure .223 offerings.

A decent discussion on the topic of 5.56 vs. .223 can be found here:

http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/5-56-vs-223/

I would wait until you have the gun in hand to verify that it functions on .223 before buying a bunch.

Hope this helps.

[ShaulWolf]

The chamber pressures are what differentiate .223 and 5.56. .223 chambers aren't meant to double as 5.56mm, but 5.56mm chambers can double as .223.

Otherwise, find whichever ammo is cheapest for plinking. You won't notice any serious between the two. The only thing that may affect how things work for you is bullet weight, and that's primarily because the heavier bullets are longer, and will work with different twist rates better.

1:9 twist rates work best with bullets around 55 grains.

1:7 twist rates work best with bullets 69-77 grains.

The longer the bullet (generally heavier bullets with copper jacketed lead), the faster the twist rate (to a point).

GunBot.com is also a good source for looking up prices for ammo. You can find ammo for as low as $0.32 per round before shipping. Factor in shipping and it'll probably be around $0.35-38 per round. Still pretty cheap.

GunBot - .223
GunBot - 5.56

[jthrelf]

Unless you're trying to go for serious groups, any cheap brass case 223 or 556 will serve you well.

[Fred762]

For plinking I just buy whatever brass cased factory ammo is cheapest. I stockpile a mix of 55 grain 193 clone and 62 grain 855 clone. There will be a slight POI difference with each different weight and sometimes between brands of the same weight.

Best thing to do is check yer barrel twist rate..some can still be the "older" 1-12 twist which can cause 62 + gr bullets to not be stable enuf for accuracy. These need about 1-8 or 1-7 I'm told.
We tried this out a few years ago..shooting M855s in older AR barrels..some projectiles were tumbling by 40 meters or so...which is crap for accuracy but hell on flesh if you actually HIT someone with them! ;-)

[PA1936MN]

I bought 193/855 and some other random brass cased ammo.

[raxar]

http://www.classicfirearms.com/wolf2...oxerreloadable