.223 Remington
Civilian twin of the 5.56 NATO. Built for varmints and coyotes; deer only with 62–70 gr bonded bullets where legal.
Good for: Varmint, Deer/hog
A typical factory load is a 55 gr soft point bullet at about 3,240 ft/s, with roughly 1,282 ft-lbs of energy at the muzzle.
Typical load
55 grsoft pointMuzzle speed
3,240 ft/sMuzzle energy
1,282 ft-lbsTypical BC (G1)
≈ 0.24typical, varies by brandTwist rate
1:91:7 for 70+ grPractical range
300 yd varmint · 150 yd deerPoint-blank range
252 yd4" vital zoneRecommended platform
Any rifle, ultralights includedVery light recoilOn the Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart
Made to hunt
Civilian twin of the 5.56 NATO. Built for varmints and coyotes; deer only with 62–70 gr bonded bullets where legal.
Typical load
55 grsoft point
Typical muzzle fps
3,240ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
1,282ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.24typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:91:7 for 70+ gr
Effective ethical range
300 yd varmint · 150 yd deer
MPBR
252 yd4" vital zone · Near zero 33 yd · Far zero 218 yd · Min PBR 0 yd · Max PBR 252 yd · Sight-in @100 1.80" high
Recommended platform
Any rifle, ultralights includedVery light recoil
Open the full Hunting Rifle Cartridges chart →
On the AR Caliber Guide chart
Listed there as 5.56 NATO / .223 Rem.
Made for
The AR-15's original chambering. Defense, training, varmints; cheapest centerfire ammo.
Typical load
55 grFMJ / soft point · 20" barrel
Typical muzzle fps
3,240ft/s
Typical muzzle energy
1,282ft-lbs
Typical BC (G1)
≈ 0.25typical, varies by brand
Twist rate for typical load
1:7–1:9
Practical range
300–500 yd
What to change
Barrel: Keep · 5.56 barrel · Bolt: Keep · Standard · Magazine: Keep · Standard 5.56
Open the full AR Caliber Guide chart →
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Speed, energy and BC are typical figures for the listed load; real numbers vary by brand, lot and barrel length. Always check the ammo maker's data for your exact load.