Effective range of .223?

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How much would a 223 drop every 100 yards? I was trying to hit a steel plate about 1'x2' about 400yds with my ar with a red dot and I couldnt even tell if I was getting close.
 
Don't quote me: My memory has it that after Vietnam, the Army started testing for a bullet that would penetrate the then-new Kevlar helmet at a range of either 500 or 600 meters; don't recall which.

I believe that's when the 63-grain bullet began to be used.

Art
 
I just bought a bunch of 68gr black hills ammo. Even though the velocity is a little lower, it should push the range a little, right? (vs, 55gr and 62gr)
 
The 200M combat range is a nuymber for reliable fragmentation. Sure you can hit someone at 400M., but the bullet won't fragment at that range. 200M and closer gives you a high percentage of frag, which is what does the damage.
 
For that kind of shooting, higher grains will work better. IIRC, Camp PErry has 100o yard shooters running 77 to 80 grain bullets.
 
" The Maximum effective range of the M-16A2 rifle is 550 Meters Sergeant"
I am a little dissapointed in you guys! Your Drill Instructor must've pounded just a little too hard! As for the M-16A1 460 meters Was the correct answer! A rifle with longer barrel may give you a little more reach and you can probably make a hole in paper at over a mile if you fire it like an Artillery piece!
 
SilentArmy - That was the number I remembered as well. Maybe the Marines have a longer effective range because they are "By-God-Marines".

Don't flame me, marines! I have tremendous respect for the Corps. Having worn a uniform for over 20 years, I know it is a tough, thankless job that must be done.

I know I will say a word as I am sneaking around the woods this year for all our folks still stuck in the sand in harm's way.
 
Dtmoss14 said:
When does it start to falter?
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Depends almost entirely on the bullet chosen and not the rifle type (semi vs bolt etc, a good quality barrel in either is assumed). Ballistic coefficient must be high for longer range, but long bullets have to be spun faster in rifling so the barrel effects whether you can use this approach.

75 grain Hornady ELD Match bullets at 2650 FPS out of 1:8 rifling 20” barrel in an AR15 can stay supersonic out to 800 yards, remain transonic (maybe stable, maybe not) out to 1000 yards. Stability directly relates to accuracy. Once unstable, it is inaccurate.

90 gr ELD bullets may stay supersonic passed 1000 yards. These require at least 1:7 rifling so I haven’t used them.



Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / CRPA / FPC / USCCA member
 
mountainclmbr said:
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There are High-Power match rifles used out to 500-600 yards in the AR-15 configuration. Never fired one of these, but it seems that it is more the limitations of the individual rifle than the round.
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Yes but these are shot single-fed at 600 yards prone so longer than magazine length cartridges are commonly used with high BC overweight bullets. That is why there are limits discussed for standard military loads that can be beaten with single-fed hand load ammo.



Andrew - Lancaster, CA
NRA Life Member, Calguns.net contributor, CGF / SAF / CRPA / FPC / USCCA member
 
About 800 yards for the 75-77 grain bullets that are fed through the magazine, much further for single loading. The new Hornady 88 grain ELD should reach out to 1400 yards. But a 50 grain will not make it to 600 yards effectively, we had to disqualify a shooter that was bouncing his light weight bullets off the target frame and back into the pitts at 600 yards.
 
If it's an inanimate object and you can shoot more than one shot to find the hold-over, can tell how much you missed by, and don't care whether you wound or kill, perhaps 600 yards. However, seeing misses is very difficult with such a small round, depending on the terrain.

I limit my shots on critters with the .223 to those that are close enough for me to make a relatively good guess or laser distance...and with reasonably-decent wind conditions that may not cause .223 bullets to deviate considerably, say more than 1/3 the width of the intended quarry.

Personally, I'd tend to limit my field shots on varmint critters to about 200 yards with the .223, thus minimizing aiming, wind, mirage or distance estimating errors and variations in rests, if any.

If people, livestock, or pets were being threatened by the critter(s), that's a whole different situation. In that case, I say shoot, as long as bystanders wouldn't be in danger of being struck.
 
For combat the objective is to kill or disable the enemy. It doesn't have to be a kill shot. Prolly 500 yards on a man if the shooter knows what hes doing. Seem to remember we shot out to 500 meters in the army.
.223 isn't ideal for deer hunting, some states don't allow it.
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