5.56 info
 

What's the point of green tip ammo?? What's about the effective range of an AR15 with 5.56 ? And what is 5.56 usually used for, hunting wise.. Thanks
-Zack

The green is just a paint to signify that the 62 grain full copper jacket has a steel core in it which aids in penetration. 5.56 is the military version of the .223 and is used by the military to hunt people .ie insurgents.

Now the .223 is used on everything from prairie dogs and coyotes when loaded with something like a 40 grain Varmagedon by Nossler to whitetail deer with a heavier V-Max bullet.

I myself dropped a 230 lb mule deer at about 50 yards with my mini 14 and a 55 grain full metal jacket. It only took 2 steps before it dropped.

Shot placement is the key if you plan to hunt with 223 or 5.56.

Effective range of the AR platform, as designated by the US Military depends on what variant you have. if it's like the old M16s with a 20" barrel, they are good for 500-ish yards on a man, or 800 on an "area" like a tent or a vehicle. they say "effective range" means "the average shooter can hit his target 50% of the time"

the M4 variants with the 16" barrel they reduce that to about 350-400 yards efective range.



Now, when you want to start talking actual energy delivered to target at distance, I can't help you there, I don't know how much velocity the round looses at those ranges, and what it will still be able to kill. A lot of what I've read has said that to drop a deer with a .223 you need to have good shot placement, and be fairly close --250 yards or less

There really isnt much of a point to the popular and prestigious green tip 62gr with penetrator Ammo.
This Ammo was introduced to the US military during the cold war so that, if fired from a M249 SAW, it could penetrate the Warsaw Pact Steel hjelmets and flak jackets of thier time at 1000 yards.

Thats the only reason the penetrator is in there:
Warsaw pact flak jackets/helmets, needed to penetrate at 1000 yds with a M249 SAW

Since none of us are using a M249 SAW and aiming at WARPAC troops with it, at 1000 yds the utility of penetrator ammo over the original M193 style (55 gr) is quite dubious.

Other than the coolness factor of being able to say you are using the "current military issue" style of Ammo.

Just a word of advice to the OP who appears to be new to some if not all guns and hunting, as TexasGunner said, if hunting larger game with 223 shot placement is important, however I wouldn't ever recommend using it elk hunting, sure it would kill the elk if you are close enough and hit it right but it isn't ideal.

As to hunting large game with a full metal jacket, this, in my opinion is not only illegal in some areas but it is also highly unethical as far as I am concerned. The fmj doesn't expand like a soft point or hollow point, it keeps its form and punches a hole through the animal therefore it doesn't transfer its energy into the animal which is what happens with hunting ammo, that energy transfer does massive damage to the animal and helps to humanely kill it. If you use fmj you run the possibility of punching a small hole and missing a vital or even if you hit something the animal most likely will still run off and you will have a minimal to nonexistent blood trail to follow. Most hunting with fmj rounds is limited to varmints or fur bearing animals, shooting a coyote and not totally wrecking the hide, for example.

So can civilians buy 5.56 ammo? And thanks for the responses. Much appreciated.

Yes, here is an example, http://www.midwayusa.com/product/865949/surplus-ammunition-556x45mm-nato-62-grain-ss109-m855-penetrator-full-metal-jacket-10-round-clips-in-sealed-battle-packs-in-ammo-can-900-rounds-3-packs-of-300

In my opinion, the reason green-tip penetrator ammo has proliferated lately is because of the attractive price over other FMJ offerings. Until recently, XM855 was only about 30 cents a round.

I, for one, bought a bunch because of the Federal ammo cans that came with it, NOT because of any penetrating capabilities.

Zack, your question is very odd. Shouldn't civilians be able to buy any and every kind of ammunition the military can? 5.56x45mm is not some amazing round that should have any controls. It is basically the 9mm of the rifle world...plain vanilla.

You can shoot 223 ammo in a 5.56x45 but do not shoot 5.56x45 in a 223. It will fit but there are pressure and chamber differences that can be unsafe. Also it you shoot steel cased ammo, clean the chamber thoroughly before shooting brass or you may stick a shell.

Seems like the people who know nothing about guns, but "have to have one now, for what reason I don't know", are showing up. Internet research is their friend.