The Captain's Journal » Variations in 5.56mm Ammo

Variations in 5.56mm Ammo

BY Herschel Smith

10 months, 3 weeks ago

Outdoor Life has a great article on various sorts and bullet weights and types of 5.56 ammo. I won’t lift a lot of prose out of the article, and you’re recommended to read his view of .223 and 5.56mm interchangeability. The summary list of ammo follows.

Best Overall: Black Hills Ammo 5.56mm NATO MK 262 MOD 1-C
Best Value: Freedom Munitions .223 69-grain HPBT Match
Most Accurate: Nosler Match Grade .223 77-grain Custom Competition BTHP
Best for Larpers: Lake City 5.56mm NATO M855 Ball, 62-grain Green Tip
Best for Varmints: Freedom Munitions .223 55-grain V-Max
Best for Deer: Remington Premier .223 55-grain Accutip
Best Lead-Free Ammo: Nosler .223 55-grain Expansion Tip
Best Ball Ammo: Winchester USA Target .223 55-grain FMJ
Best for Shooting Steel: Freedom Munitions .223 42-grain Zinc-core FMJ

Match Ammo

Hunting and Defensive Ammo

I don’t necessarily agree with everything on the list (e.g., I find Winchester ammunition to be quite dirty). I would also add to the list (e.g., I find PMC ammunition to be relatively inexpensive and good range ammo, and it’s not on the list).

However, this is shooter’s choice. If you have a favorite for some purpose, drop a comment including a URL.

Ammunition

Comments

On June 4, 2023 at 10:01 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:

Prvi Partisan (PPU) are a Serbian firm which has been making ammunition for more than a century. They offer an excellent value for the dollar in all of their lines of ammunition, whether for self-defense, competition, plinking and recreation, duty use, or hunting.

Their match-grade 69-grain and 75-grain loads in .223 Remington are excellent, and perform on par with Sierra Match Kings, but for substantially less cost per round. Their 55-grain FMJ/Ball is made to NATO specifications for M193 and is also an excellent performer which doesn’t break the bank.

As an aside, though this article is about .224-caliber loads, PPU makes outstanding .308 loads such as their 145-grain M80 FMJ/Ball round and their match-grade 168- and 175-grain loads, which nearly equal Federal and Black Hills in accuracy and consistency, but cost much less than either of them.

The Korean firm of PMC (“Precision Made Cartridges”) is a South Korean company which makes ammunition for that nation’s military, amongst other buyers. If you haven’t heard of them, check them out. They offer a lot of quality for the money, and while some people find some of their loads under-powered, using loads which are not at absolute max pressure prolongs the life of your firearm and also allows – in some cases, anyway – better accuracy and quicker follow-up shots.

If you are target-shooting at 25, 50 or 100-yards, the target paper sure as heck isn’t going to notice that the slug was traveling a bit less fast than the mil-spec load you might have used before. And your shoulder will thank you.

On June 5, 2023 at 7:12 am, Joe Blow said:

I am amazed at the difference in bullet weights? From 47 gr up to 72? Maybe its just me… when I got my AR, a friend told me buy every box/brand of ammo you can find and take it to the range – your gun should ‘like’ one combination (or you’re stuck handloading). I did find a good combo for my rifle (Wolf 62gr), and it shoots that round very well for me (2″ group at 100yds). ANYTHING else, is easily 1-2″ out-of-accuracy (vs the 62gr). Other manufacturers of similair weight shoot acceptably, but it seems its the bullet weight that kills it. Remington match grade 77gr never even made it onto the paper at 100yds, it was that far ‘off’ vs. the wolf rounds.

On June 5, 2023 at 7:32 am, HouseWolf said:

I’m fond of the IMI m193 for general purpose use. Accurate, reliable, affordable.

On June 5, 2023 at 8:38 am, BigCountryExpat said:

I find it pretty offensive that he calls the M855 the best for “Larpers” which if you don’t know is the term for Live Action Role Players i.e. wannabes.

Doesn’t he take into account a guy like me and tens-of-thousands others who used the M855 (as THAT was the standard DotMil round for oh, what? 30? 40+ years) and is what I’m most familiar with, having shot it damned near exclusively in the DotMil for 10 years…

Guy may have a good read on the rest, beyond that he’s an offensive chucklehead high on the stink of his own smug, like oh so many other ‘gunguys’ out there (coff!Garandthumb!!!coff!coff!)

On June 5, 2023 at 8:46 am, Herschel Smith said:

You’ve gotta learn to ignore things like that and benefit where and when you can. Throw the rest to the curb.

On June 5, 2023 at 11:21 am, Houston said:

Australian Outback. Two .223 offerings. I have shot 1 inch groups with their 55 grain sierra bullet in a Ruger American topped with a red dot sight. Pictures to prove it. Their 69gr good too. I also have a stock of their 308 168 gr HPBT. I have a good stock of IMI 77 gr Sierra HPBT for AR. Equivalent to Black Hills. Works good for me.

On June 5, 2023 at 1:09 pm, Salvatore said:

I have found M193 ball to be generally affordable, accurate, storable and lethal. It does what it’s supposed to do without any bells and whistles and associated price tags.

On June 5, 2023 at 2:16 pm, Paul B said:

Cheapest stuff I can find. Moves the point of aim, change sights. Pretty easy over all.

On June 5, 2023 at 6:13 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:

“Best for LARPers”….

What? I don’t get why this is even a category to begin with… but then, I’m an old dude and at times don’t understand the ways of the young.

M855/SS109 ammo – especially made by Lake City – is probably reliable and hard-hitting, but the problem with it isn’t per se who made it, but the design of the round in the first place. When NATO adopted 5.56x45mm as one of its standard small arms cartridges, it was decided to update/change from M193 55-grain Ball/FMJ to what eventually became SS109/M855, the now-familiar “green-tip” 62-grain cartridge.

NATO decided that it needed to be able to penetrate a standard Warsaw Pact helmet at 500 meters. It was thought that something heavier than 55-grains was needed, and to assure the desire level of performance, a steel “cup” was embedded in the lead matrix of the bullet. Contrary to popular legend, this design change does not make M855 an “armor piercing” round. That’s an old wives tale… and the U.S. military and NATO themselves do not classify this as an armor piercing or AP cartridge.

What the core or cup was designed to do was help the projectile retain momentum out to 500m, sufficient to penetrate that Warsaw Pact helmet. Which is why SS109/M855 is termed “enhanced penetration” ammunition and not AP.

Nothing comes for free, though, and part of the cost of including this change is that the M855 green-tip tends to be of mediocre consistency and accuracy. This is because the cup/core is often slightly off-center, which upsets the gyroscopic stability of the bullet in flight, and can degrade accuracy.

Paradoxically, however, especially at close-to-near-medium ranges, M855 tends to over-penetrate – in particular against human targets (enemy soldiers) – instead of shattering/fragmenting as it is supposed to do. The result is “ice-picking” or through-and-throughs on target, rather than an incapacitating wound. This was seen most-notably in Somali during the 1993 intervention there, the famous “Black Hawk Down” incident.

Although M855 does fairly well against some barriers, others – such as tempered automotive glass and auto sheet metal – can cause the cup, core and jacket to separate. Such fragmentation reduced the performance of the load, and led to calls for something better.

The inconsistent performance of SS109/M855 led to the development of M855A1 and other more-modern designs, which are in use today.

In summary, then, SS109/M855 has had a checkered past as a military round. Some personnel liked it, and others did not. It is obviously somewhat effective, but it has – at least according to some sources – an inconsistent record. In plain terms, it is more useful and reliable for some tasks than others.

Civilian-legal and available XM855 – pull-downs and surplus military rounds released to the civilian market, tend to be of indifferent accuracy, 3-5 moa. Since these are often lots which have failed final inspection for military sale, this should not be surprising. Anyway, that was the scuttlebutt when I worked in the retail FA business some years back. Perhaps some of our current/former military can set us straight on the facts.

On June 6, 2023 at 10:18 am, Latigo Morgan said:

That’s a lot of info for a round that is, to me, still not much more than a plinking and varmint round. Albeit, it is a lot of fun to shoot.

On June 6, 2023 at 3:41 pm, =TW= said:

“You’ve gotta learn to ignore things like that and benefit where and when you can. Throw the rest to the curb.”

I concur.
The internet is full of opinion- ranging from expert through infotainment to ignorant amateurs, charlatans, shills and lunatics.
Many can be safely ignored. Others can supply valuable information, even if one disagrees with the content.
Carry on, sir.

On June 6, 2023 at 7:48 pm, SFC-MAP said:

I have shot alot of Black Hills MK262 and that stuff is very accurate. I shot it at Camp Perry in 2019 at all yard lines in the first day of the CMP cup. It was a 1000pt aggregate with 2 20 Shot 600 stages. I had just over 50% X Count in the 600 yd stages and I suck at wind reading. That stuff is great. Mine was straight out of the issued ammo can in 20 count brown boxes with BH lot numbers. If you can find it, buy it. I would choose it for both best overall and for accuracy.

On June 6, 2023 at 10:50 pm, Heywood said:

@Latigo Morgan Plinking ammo? Why don’t you take your ego (bring the rest of you along for fun) and stand in front of one traveling down range. Then get back to me.

On June 12, 2023 at 12:25 pm, Phillip Bromley said:

M993 is supreme for fedbois.

On June 4, 2023 at 10:01 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:

Prvi Partisan (PPU) are a Serbian firm which has been making ammunition for more than a century. They offer an excellent value for the dollar in all of their lines of ammunition, whether for self-defense, competition, plinking and recreation, duty use, or hunting.

Their match-grade 69-grain and 75-grain loads in .223 Remington are excellent, and perform on par with Sierra Match Kings, but for substantially less cost per round. Their 55-grain FMJ/Ball is made to NATO specifications for M193 and is also an excellent performer which doesn’t break the bank.

As an aside, though this article is about .224-caliber loads, PPU makes outstanding .308 loads such as their 145-grain M80 FMJ/Ball round and their match-grade 168- and 175-grain loads, which nearly equal Federal and Black Hills in accuracy and consistency, but cost much less than either of them.

The Korean firm of PMC (“Precision Made Cartridges”) is a South Korean company which makes ammunition for that nation’s military, amongst other buyers. If you haven’t heard of them, check them out. They offer a lot of quality for the money, and while some people find some of their loads under-powered, using loads which are not at absolute max pressure prolongs the life of your firearm and also allows – in some cases, anyway – better accuracy and quicker follow-up shots.

If you are target-shooting at 25, 50 or 100-yards, the target paper sure as heck isn’t going to notice that the slug was traveling a bit less fast than the mil-spec load you might have used before. And your shoulder will thank you.
On June 5, 2023 at 7:12 am, Joe Blow said:

I am amazed at the difference in bullet weights? From 47 gr up to 72? Maybe its just me… when I got my AR, a friend told me buy every box/brand of ammo you can find and take it to the range – your gun should ‘like’ one combination (or you’re stuck handloading). I did find a good combo for my rifle (Wolf 62gr), and it shoots that round very well for me (2″ group at 100yds). ANYTHING else, is easily 1-2″ out-of-accuracy (vs the 62gr). Other manufacturers of similair weight shoot acceptably, but it seems its the bullet weight that kills it. Remington match grade 77gr never even made it onto the paper at 100yds, it was that far ‘off’ vs. the wolf rounds.
On June 5, 2023 at 7:32 am, HouseWolf said:

I’m fond of the IMI m193 for general purpose use. Accurate, reliable, affordable.
On June 5, 2023 at 8:38 am, BigCountryExpat said:

I find it pretty offensive that he calls the M855 the best for “Larpers” which if you don’t know is the term for Live Action Role Players i.e. wannabes.

Doesn’t he take into account a guy like me and tens-of-thousands others who used the M855 (as THAT was the standard DotMil round for oh, what? 30? 40+ years) and is what I’m most familiar with, having shot it damned near exclusively in the DotMil for 10 years…

Guy may have a good read on the rest, beyond that he’s an offensive chucklehead high on the stink of his own smug, like oh so many other ‘gunguys’ out there (coff!Garandthumb!!!coff!coff!)
On June 5, 2023 at 8:46 am, Herschel Smith said:

You’ve gotta learn to ignore things like that and benefit where and when you can. Throw the rest to the curb.
On June 5, 2023 at 11:21 am, Houston said:

Australian Outback. Two .223 offerings. I have shot 1 inch groups with their 55 grain sierra bullet in a Ruger American topped with a red dot sight. Pictures to prove it. Their 69gr good too. I also have a stock of their 308 168 gr HPBT. I have a good stock of IMI 77 gr Sierra HPBT for AR. Equivalent to Black Hills. Works good for me.
On June 5, 2023 at 1:09 pm, Salvatore said:

I have found M193 ball to be generally affordable, accurate, storable and lethal. It does what it’s supposed to do without any bells and whistles and associated price tags.
On June 5, 2023 at 2:16 pm, Paul B said:

Cheapest stuff I can find. Moves the point of aim, change sights. Pretty easy over all.
On June 5, 2023 at 6:13 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:

“Best for LARPers”….

What? I don’t get why this is even a category to begin with… but then, I’m an old dude and at times don’t understand the ways of the young.

M855/SS109 ammo – especially made by Lake City – is probably reliable and hard-hitting, but the problem with it isn’t per se who made it, but the design of the round in the first place. When NATO adopted 5.56x45mm as one of its standard small arms cartridges, it was decided to update/change from M193 55-grain Ball/FMJ to what eventually became SS109/M855, the now-familiar “green-tip” 62-grain cartridge.

NATO decided that it needed to be able to penetrate a standard Warsaw Pact helmet at 500 meters. It was thought that something heavier than 55-grains was needed, and to assure the desire level of performance, a steel “cup” was embedded in the lead matrix of the bullet. Contrary to popular legend, this design change does not make M855 an “armor piercing” round. That’s an old wives tale… and the U.S. military and NATO themselves do not classify this as an armor piercing or AP cartridge.

What the core or cup was designed to do was help the projectile retain momentum out to 500m, sufficient to penetrate that Warsaw Pact helmet. Which is why SS109/M855 is termed “enhanced penetration” ammunition and not AP.

Nothing comes for free, though, and part of the cost of including this change is that the M855 green-tip tends to be of mediocre consistency and accuracy. This is because the cup/core is often slightly off-center, which upsets the gyroscopic stability of the bullet in flight, and can degrade accuracy.

Paradoxically, however, especially at close-to-near-medium ranges, M855 tends to over-penetrate – in particular against human targets (enemy soldiers) – instead of shattering/fragmenting as it is supposed to do. The result is “ice-picking” or through-and-throughs on target, rather than an incapacitating wound. This was seen most-notably in Somali during the 1993 intervention there, the famous “Black Hawk Down” incident.

Although M855 does fairly well against some barriers, others – such as tempered automotive glass and auto sheet metal – can cause the cup, core and jacket to separate. Such fragmentation reduced the performance of the load, and led to calls for something better.

The inconsistent performance of SS109/M855 led to the development of M855A1 and other more-modern designs, which are in use today.

In summary, then, SS109/M855 has had a checkered past as a military round. Some personnel liked it, and others did not. It is obviously somewhat effective, but it has – at least according to some sources – an inconsistent record. In plain terms, it is more useful and reliable for some tasks than others.

Civilian-legal and available XM855 – pull-downs and surplus military rounds released to the civilian market, tend to be of indifferent accuracy, 3-5 moa. Since these are often lots which have failed final inspection for military sale, this should not be surprising. Anyway, that was the scuttlebutt when I worked in the retail FA business some years back. Perhaps some of our current/former military can set us straight on the facts.
On June 6, 2023 at 10:18 am, Latigo Morgan said:

That’s a lot of info for a round that is, to me, still not much more than a plinking and varmint round. Albeit, it is a lot of fun to shoot.
On June 6, 2023 at 3:41 pm, =TW= said:

“You’ve gotta learn to ignore things like that and benefit where and when you can. Throw the rest to the curb.”

I concur.
The internet is full of opinion- ranging from expert through infotainment to ignorant amateurs, charlatans, shills and lunatics.
Many can be safely ignored. Others can supply valuable information, even if one disagrees with the content.
Carry on, sir.
On June 6, 2023 at 7:48 pm, SFC-MAP said:

I have shot alot of Black Hills MK262 and that stuff is very accurate. I shot it at Camp Perry in 2019 at all yard lines in the first day of the CMP cup. It was a 1000pt aggregate with 2 20 Shot 600 stages. I had just over 50% X Count in the 600 yd stages and I suck at wind reading. That stuff is great. Mine was straight out of the issued ammo can in 20 count brown boxes with BH lot numbers. If you can find it, buy it. I would choose it for both best overall and for accuracy.
On June 6, 2023 at 10:50 pm, Heywood said:

@Latigo Morgan Plinking ammo? Why don’t you take your ego (bring the rest of you along for fun) and stand in front of one traveling down range. Then get back to me.
On June 12, 2023 at 12:25 pm, Phillip Bromley said:

M993 is supreme for fedbois.

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Variations in 5.56mm Ammo

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