Caliber 5.56 is a whole family of ammunition, both military and civilian. The very first representative of the legendary caliber appeared in 1950. It was the 222 Remington, which differed from all subsequent modifications by a shorter 43.18 mm sleeve. The experience of armed conflicts of those years, primarily the US war with North Korea, showed that the US Army needed a new ammunition, the caliber of which would be smaller than the caliber 7.62 (30-06) then in service, with less recoil, for more accurate firing bursts of automatic weapons. This cartridge became the basis for the development of various modifications of 5.56 caliber ammunition and weapons for it, both military and civilian. Weak recoil, excellent flatness of the trajectory and great lethality made the 5.56 caliber a very popular type of ammunition for hunting, shooting sports and the needs of the police, not to mention the army. Cartridges of this type are produced all over the world, including in Russia. One of the most common types of 5.56 ammunition for hunting is the caliber 223 Rem, which differs from the caliber 222 in a slightly longer sleeve - 45 mm. When choosing, they usually compare two calibers - the 30th and 5.56, as well as their modifications. The use of 5.56 caliber cartridges for hunting has its own specifics, advantages and a number of limitations.
Background
During the fighting, the leadership of the Pentagon came to the conclusion that the army needed a new ammunition for small arms. The cartridge 30-06, which was in service, was not suitable for creating new systems for manual automatic weapons, since it had too much power. When firing bursts from a light rapid-fire rifle, this cartridge produced too much recoil, and the accuracy of fire with an automatic burst turned out to be too low. The US Army needed a new light assault rifle chambered in a smaller caliber and with less muzzle energy. Remington Arms developed such an ammunition, which was called the 222 Remington. The sleeve length is 43.18 mm, the bullet weight is up to 4 g, the muzzle velocity is up to 1100 m/s, the muzzle energy is up to 1590 j. The cartridge was not adopted by the army due to insufficient penetration, but it became the first representative of a whole class of 5.56 caliber, which is still popular due to its inexpensive price, low recoil, low shot noise and relatively gentle effect on barrel of the weapon. Subsequent modifications of the 5.56 caliber were also created for the needs of the army, the 223 caliber became the standard cartridge for the armies of NATO countries, but almost all of these modifications have found the widest application in the civilian sphere, including hunting.
Caliber 5.56 for the army
For military purposes, all varieties of caliber 5.56 were used at different times. In the 50s, ammunition for military purposes appeared in the United States with various markings - 22, 221, 224, 223, etc. But it was still the same caliber 5.56. The US military was trying to find a universal version of the small arms cartridge that could be adopted by all US NATO allies. There was only one question - which caliber 223 is better for this purpose. All available variants were versions of the 222 Remington cartridge, but the case was generally slightly longer, and the bullet weight, amount of powder, and case thickness varied. The further development of new light automatic rifles for the army depended on the final choice of the desired option.
5.56 caliber Stoner rifle cartridge
Various competitions for the adoption of a universal cartridge for the US and NATO armies were closely associated with the development of a promising rifle based on the Stoner AR-10 rifle chambered for 7.62 NATO. The reduced caliber of this rifle was designated A longer version of the 222 Remington cartridge was developed for this rifle. The new ammunition became known as caliber 223 Rem. It was adopted by the US in 1964.
1. Caliber - 5.56 mm.
2. Bullet - 3.56 g.
3. Initial speed - 990 m / s.
4. Energy - 1745 J.
5. Twist 305 mm.
Differences military options 5.56 caliber
In 1970, a 5.56 caliber variant appeared, which gradually became the unified standard for the armies of NATO countries. This is a 5.56X45 NATO cartridge, which has 2 differences from the caliber 223 Rem:
1. Bullet - 4 g.
2. Twist - 178 mm.
These differences changed the ballistics of the bullet:
1. Initial speed - 860 m / s.
2. Muzzle energy - 1767 J.
Interchangeability of 5.56 caliber ammunition
Both cartridges are interchangeable, and they can be used when firing military weapons with the wrong twist, but the shooting results in this case will be noticeably different. The 223 Remington caliber is less stable in flight, while the 5.56 NATO standard has a higher penetrating power. The wounds inflicted by the 223 Rem are very devastating as the lighter bullet travels faster and is less stabilized due to the longer twist. Once in the body of the victim, this bullet begins to randomly rotate and move along a broken path. But for the fighting, a different ammunition was needed to pierce helmets and bulletproof vests. The modern NATO standard 5.56X45 was developed in Belgium for the next modification of the M 16 rifle, which received the designation M 16A2. The barrel was heavier and the twist became shorter. The heavier bullet gained better stabilization, which increased its penetration ability.
Civilian military ammunition career in 5.56 caliber
Both variants of the 5.56 caliber ammunition adopted for service have found wide use in the civilian sphere. Caliber 223 "Rem" is considered a civilian version of the standard NATO cartridge, but in fact both of these ammunition are designed for war and are designed to fire weapons with different rifling pitches. When choosing a 223 caliber hunting weapon, you should pay attention to its twist, which will determine which of the two 5.56 caliber military options will be more appropriate to use for shooting from this weapon on a hunt.
How to choose the best weapon option for Caliber 223 Remington
Civilian weapons that use caliber 5.56 have the designation 223 Rem. This marking is usually applied to the magazine nest. Such weapons can be fired with any modification of 5.56X45 caliber cartridges. But optimal results in shooting, as well as the safe operation of civilian weapons, require compliance with the technical characteristics of the weapon and the type of ammunition. If various types of military cartridges for certain weapons, armor-piercing, tracer, etc., are unified in terms of mass and size of the bullet, then ammunition for civilian weapons can differ significantly in the mass of bullets used. But the heavier the bullet, the shorter the twist should be for it. When choosing a weapon for hunting in caliber 5.56, there is a problem of choosing a barrel with an optimal twist, which would ensure the effective use of the widest range of bullets of various weights.
Two options with optimal twist
In an attempt to meet the various demands of buyers, gun manufacturers offer one model with several twist options, such as the Remington 700 223 caliber. Feedback from owners of this weapon indicates that the Tactical model is more suitable for heavy 75-77 grain bullets, due to the shorter twist of 229mm. (9"), while the Varmint model is more suitable for light 50-60 grain bullets, since it has a longer twist - 12 inches. The heaviest 80-90 grain bullets require an even shorter twist of 6.5-7 inches. For 223 Rem cartridges, barrel length plays a big role in choosing a weapon. The shorter the barrel, the shorter the twist should be. The ballistic capabilities of the 223 caliber drop sharply with a barrel length of less than 40 cm.
Imprint of the military past - 223 Rem
In the United States and Europe, this cartridge is used primarily for sporting events, as well as for shooting small rodents for recreational purposes. Europeans have a negative attitude towards the use of this cartridge for hunting larger game due to the expansive effect of its bullet. In our country, these cartridges are widely used for hunting, including fox, wolf and wild boar. The caliber 223 Rem has one significant feature. These cartridges were developed for the war, to incapacitate the enemy. On the battlefield, the use of small arms is not aimed at killing, but at leaving "wounded animals" that are not capable of resistance. On the hunt, there is another goal - to cause the animal a quick death without crippling its body. Many hunters talk about the terrible damage that 223 caliber does. Reviews indicate that when it hits a crow from a distance of 100 m, the bird literally explodes and nothing remains of it except feathers. Bullets of 223 caliber are not stabilized, when they hit the body of an animal, they begin to randomly somersault, turning the body of the animal into solid minced meat.
Benefits of 223 Rem
This cartridge has a number of significant advantages. He is very precise. At a distance of up to 200 m along a flat trajectory, the bullet drop is only 12-14 cm, and the bullet energy is 650 J, which is 50% higher than the muzzle energy of the Makarov pistol. Experts talk about the excellent comparative ballistics that the 223 caliber has. Reviews indicate that it is almost the same compared to caliber 30-06 and 308. But the recoil of caliber 223 is five times weaker, which increases the likelihood of hitting a second and subsequent shots. Cartridges 223 Rem are almost twice cheaper than Win. They are produced by several domestic enterprises, including the city of Tula and the city of Barnaul. Imported options on our market are predominantly Czech-made.
Guns for caliber 223 Remington
The 223 caliber carbine is one of the fastest growing types of hunting weapons. The domestic manufacturer offers a range of models, mainly semi-automatic and bolt-action repeating rifles. Of the domestic developments, it is worth mentioning, first of all, "Saiga". This is a universal self-loading carbine 223 caliber, which can be called "omnivorous". Thanks to a well-chosen barrel length ratio of 52 cm and a rifling pitch of 240 cm, this weapon is suitable for using 223 caliber cartridges with a bullet weight of 3.5 to 4.5 grams. The optimal bullet weight option for him is 4 gr. At a 100-meter distance, a bullet of 4 gr. easily fit into a five-centimeter circle. The Vepr self-loading carbine is a whole line of models developed on the basis of the RPK barrel and mechanisms. The variability of the Vepr models has been expanded due to variants with different barrel lengths. Among the imported weapons, 223 caliber should be singled out. Reviews testify to the unsurpassed accuracy of this weapon. For optimal results, you should choose ammunition for the twist of your Remington, since the manufacturer produces several variations of this weapon with 9 and 12-inch twists. Czech 223 caliber traditionally take pride of place among the models of such weapons. Model CZ-527 in various modifications is an excellent option for a sporting bolt-action repeating rifle. The high accuracy of the shot ensures the first places in any shooting competition. But for running hunting for small birds and animals, this Czech weapon will be an excellent option. Light weight and high reliability with amazing shot accuracy will make hunting an easy and exciting walk. High accuracy is due to the barrel manufacturing technology - rotational forging. The popularity of the 5.56 caliber for hunting is increasing every year in our country due to the high accuracy, availability and low cost of these ammunition.
