.223 advantages of 62gr. vs 55gr.

S

Smiley

New member
From a bushmaster 16in w/AK muzzle brake platform.........

Are there any advanteages to using a 62gr bullet over the regular 55gr.

I have used 55gr exclusivly so far for no particular reason and found it good for paper punching.

which is better for
-combat
-paper punching (100yrd.)
-CQB
-ditance paper punching/combat

Also any information on the .223 would be appreciated since I am fairly a novice to rifle craft.
 
I don't see that there would be much of a difference in combat between a 55gr and a 62 gr bullet, both are small rounds compared to a 7mm or .30 cal. As far as target, you really need to try both bullets in your rifle at different loads to see what is best. I get good results with 69gr and 77 gr bullets in my .223's.

pwiz
 
Your questions generally apply to the even more powerful hot .22s as well as the .223.

The heavier bullets don't expand as much, and thus penetrate to greater depths. They behave more like the hunting bullets of deer-hunting cartridges.

Heavier bullets work better at longer ranges insofar as accuracy, since they retain their velocity better (higher CD) and are a little less affected by crosswinds.

The muzzle velocity is less, so there is come loss of the explosive effect which has made this family of cartridges effective in varmint hunting. The other side of this coin is that the heavier bullet, with its better penetration, is more effective if hunting deer. (Not that I'm in favor of selection of a centerfire .22 as a deer cartridge.)

Art
 
For paper punching find out what YOUR rifle likes best. With milspec ammo as a general rule the USGI M855 (62gr) is a little bit less accurate than the M193 (55gr) because of the penetrator in the nose. There seems to be a bit less concentricity in the SS109 bullet. For the military this is an acceptable trade-off for the extra long-range penetration. From what I have seen in my rifles and those of my acquaintances, commercial and handloads are the most accurate. My most accurate rifle with the most accurate load, a 20” Bushmaster with Fed Gold Medal, will do about MOA (with a scope, of course). The same rifle/sight combo will group about half again as large with the better milspec stuff.

For “combat” the 5.56’s (M193 and M855) effectiveness is directly correlated to terminal velocity. With a terminal velocity of over 2700 fps the bullet will start to yaw immediately and after about 4-6 inches will have rotated 90 degrees, at which time it will break at the cannelure and fragment. This effect is most likely at over 2700 fps and by the time the terminal velocity is down to 2500 fps it is unlikely to fragment in soft tissue. At the longer ranges (200yds +/-) the M855 will offer superior penetration in both hard and soft targets.

I’m not knowledgeable at all about varmint and target bullets in the .223, though there are some folks on this forum who awe me with their knowledge and acumen.
A good basic primer is http://www.ecis.com/~mraudio/AR15_Ammo_FAQ.htm This was put together by Troy, the moderator on the Ammunition forum at AR15.com. The info is geared specifically toward the AR.

http://www.ecis.com/~mraudio/AR15_Ammo_FAQ.htm
 
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