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Choosing .223 Ammo

4K views 32 replies 14 participants last post by  ditto1958 
#1 ·
In was browsing around the ammo department today, and I was struck by the wide range of prices for .223/5.56 ammo. Is there any other caliber where the difference from bottom to top is so big?

There were a couple of brands of plain old 55 gr. fmj for $.37 a round. From there, you could find loads ranging up to over $1.00 a round.

I don't need anything more than the basic stuff for my purposes, and I've found it works just fine. For folks who want/need the good stuff, is it really three times better?
 
#2 ·
The big thing I notice is the cheaper you go the more likely a flyer is. But even with those at 300 yes on a standard IDPA target you are in the critical ring. Most of th cost stuff I have is PMC brass ammo.

You start pushing 400 yards plus and you would need the side of a Barn for the target to see where you it. The old "Couldn't hit the broadside of a Barn"

I have had good groups with federal 55gr polymer tipped boat tail ammo. It is not a wallet killer and performs well enough that I would need hand loads to do better.
 
#3 ·
Usually the cheap stuff is from Russia. Some guys swear by it, some guys swear at it. I think the biggest problem with it is the lack of or inconsistent quallity control. It usually goes bang, just don't use it to zero your rifle with.

On going debate about the steel cases and the coating that's used. Stories about the coating melting & building up in the chamber to the point you get a stuck round; trip to the gun smith.

Some of the combloc (Russian) stuff doesn't meat SAAMI spec.

Personally I won't put 14¢ ammo in a $2K gun. I reload.

The Korean stuff is ok. The European stuff is ok.

US Military or REAL NATO is the best. I don't bother with anything over 62g in a AR because of the barrel twist.

Obviously personal defense ammo should be the most expensive but it will all hurt.

But hey, that's just me. You get what you pay for.
 
#4 ·
I like American Eagle 5.56 that runs me $0.40-.45/locally. Comes in 55 and 62 grain and is a consistent round, reliable, and has decent brass.

I know lots of guys that swear by the Russian steel, etc. because they shoot lots of rounds at targets less than 100 yards and they are not real hung up on accuracy or reliability plus they don't care about reloading.
 
#5 · (Edited)
I think the wide range in price is pretty typical, 223 and 556 are the most common center fire rounds, so it just stands out more. I can find 243 ammo for as little as 55 cents/rd but it goes as high as $2/rd.

Out of my 1:8 barrel, I mostly shoot American Eagle XM855 as range fodder but for long distance precision I shoot 75gr OTM.
 
#7 ·
Wolf Gold 223 (brass cased ammo) and PMC are made in South Korea. Both get really good reviews and ordered by the case of 1000 rounds it tends to be in the 30-32 cent/round price range. Plus you get reloadable brass so you can shoot cheap stuff, reload better ammo than the expensive stuff and at half the cost.

Least that's what I do
 
#8 ·
I don't have a clue.
Never bought any ammo except .22lr and pellets for the air rifles.
I get bullets from Midway, brass at the range.
Looks like the primer is the most expensive factor.
.223 do not use much powder.

I have to start shooting the .223 Mini and TC Contender.
I only have about 8000+ rounds.
I keep them in kitty litter bottles not those fancy plastic boxes.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I've been perfectly happy with the cheap brass stuff. Have not tried any steel cased stuff in it yet. I've used steel in 9mm and .40 handguns, and it has worked fine for plinking. One brand I tried (Monarch, maybe?) Was really dirty. I'd get all sorts of baked on stuff that took a lot of work to clean off.
 
#10 ·
So, is the $20+ stuff just more accurate for bench rest shooters?
There are a few factors but you are on the right track. The heavier bullets typically used in competitions and SD need more lead and powder so that drives up the cost. Better made rounds with features like consistent powder charge, OTM, pointed hollow point and boat tails cost more to manufacture. On top of that they are not selling a bazillion rounds so to turn a profit the retail price is usually higher to offset the manufacturing cost.

Based on my rifle specs and experience level (noob moron) I use Federal AE (Lake City) M855 as cheap range fodder and Prvi Partisan 69 and 75 gr OTM for affordable precision ammo. Is PPU as good as Lapua, no way but it's good enough for me.
 
#11 ·
For plinking ammo I bought up a lot of the American Eagle 55 gr. FMJ before the crap of 2013 at $5.79 a box of 20. Now that same box is $8.99 everywhere I see it. As others have said I just reload most of my 223/5.56 and it' runs me right at .21 cents a round. And it's way better ammo than I can buy in the store for the most part.
 
#12 · (Edited)
On thing about steel case ammo that is a myth is the barrel getting hot and melting the coating. I have put a torch on steel case hulls to see how hot the case had to get to melt the coating. The case was literally red hot before I melted the coating. You are never going to get a barrel hot enough to turn the case red. If you do not believe me most of you have a torch at home, try it for yourself.

If steel case ammo is sticking you need to polish the chamber. You do not want to use Flitz or Never Dull to polish your chamber. The chamber gets so slick that when it gets hot it grips the shell case. 600 grit sandpaper or grinding compound is what you want to use to polish your chamber.

For choosing your 223/5.56 SD ammo you want to select ammo that will penetrate at least 12 inches. Much to your surprise most soft point ammo will not penetrate 12 inches or more. Watch some YouTube videos. Someone has already done the expensive part for you.
 
#13 ·
On thing about steel case ammo that is a myth is the barrel getting hot and melting the coating. I have put a torch on steel case hulls to see how hot the case had to get to melt the coating. The case was literally red hot before I melted the coating. You are never going to get a barrel hot enough to turn the case red. If you do not believe me most of you have a torch at home, try it for yourself.

If steel case ammo is sticking you need to polish the chamber. You do not want to use Flitz or Never Dull to polish your chamber. The chamber gets so slick that when it gets hot it grips the shell case. 600 grit sandpaper or grinding compound is what you want to use to polish your chamber.

For choosing your 223/5.56 SD ammo you want to select ammo that will penetrate at least 12 inches. Much to your surprise most soft point ammo will not penetrate 12 inches or more. Watch some YouTube videos. Someone has already done the expensive part for you.
The main issue with steel ammo is that it does not expand as brass does, letting hot gas and carbon blow back into the chamber and there are some coatings that will melt with the extra hot gas and cause sticking cases in tight chambers. I have done it, it's a range day ender sometimes. No steel case ammo will ever enter any of my 223/5.56 rifles again.

As far as sanding a chamber that is a no no in my book, if your not careful you'll take metal off and then have an out of spec chamber. If you want to shine it then use a mop with bore cleaner and a chamber brush, that will shine it right up without any possible damage.
 
#14 ·
I have mixed feelings on steel-cased ammo. I shot it out of my Mosin-Nagant all the time, never a problem but those only Russian rifles, like most military guns, can eat anything. I bought a new Savage .223 Axis bolt and am reluctant to shoot Tula because it's not recommended by the manufacturer. Brass-case is the way to go with modern guns. My 2 cents.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I won't use steel cased ammo. It just ain't natural. :)

I'm trying to stick with one brand, so I don't have to keep re-zeroing the rifle. Seems like every brand has a different POI. Fiocchi and American Eagle are the two main ones I use in .223. I can find them online for $6.49-$7.29 per 20. Midway just had the Fiocchi .223 PSP for $6.32 per box. Gel tests show it averages 12" penetration with good expansion. Bought 200 rounds for $63 plus $14.50 S&H. 39 cents a round, delivered.

For 5.56, PMC XTAC is excellent and American Eagle also. They run in the same price range as the .223.
 
#28 ·
MB, in pictures and in the movies Jessica Alba seems to be both nicer and also a tad more attractive than Eva Mendes. At least in my opinion. Did you find that to be true when you met them in person?

So, my thread kinda got off the tracks a bit, but hey- I guess I'll just roll with it. Until this turned into a debate about shooting cheap Russian ammo in AR's, I had no intention at all of shooting cheap Russian ammo in my new AR-556. Until today, that is. The store I was in had Wolf on sale for $4.99 a box. Well, for that price I said to myself, "I gots ta know."

So I got a couple boxes, and I guess the next time out at the range, we will find out how well my AR likes shooting steel cased ammo.
 
#29 ·
I don't like to kiss and tell... Sorry. Lol :p

Sorry for the thread getting side tracked...

I wish I had shot Wolf today. I just happened to grabbed TulAmmo first and ran outta time. If you get to shoot it soon, report back asap.
 
#30 ·
I will. My only prior experience with steel ammo has been with 9mm and .40 pistols. Both worked just fine with it, although I do recall that there was one brand that got my S&W SD9 really dirty. I mean it was just baked on stuff that didn't want to come off.

I hope to get out to the range with my AR-556 tomorrow. We shall see how it does with the Wolf.
 
#31 ·
Well, the AR-556 ate the Wolf like M&M's. First I shot 40 rounds of 55 grain PMC Bronze, followed by the 40 rounds of Wolf. No issues.

In addition to the afore-mentioned ammo, this rifle has also shot 55 grain American Eagle .223 and 5.56. So far, it has 220 rounds through it with no hiccups. So far, so good.
 
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