Do you want to know the difference between 22LR and 223? Let us begin! Photography is a big part of my life. My father raised me around guns and taught me the basics when he was very young. I can't even remember the first time I shot one.
However, I remember being afraid of guns. I was afraid of going backwards. They were loud. If you were trying to get me to shoot someone I don't recognize, I'd be hesitant at the idea. So the .22LR was my salvation. A short, fun, no-kick round that made me want to shoot more than anything else in the world.
The Colt Huntsman became my best friend when I photographed it in the mountains of western Maryland where my father grew up. We wanted to visit my grandfather and take a full load of hunting rifles and the coveted "mine."Colt Hunter .22🇧🇷 I would shoot this gun for hours, spend almost no money and feel like the king of the shooting world. Later he would learn to love weapons like that.Brown BL22.22 leverage and just about every weapon I could get my hands on.
But unfortunately I was not the king of the shooting world. I was a 10 year old boy living the dream.
While I am by no means a perfect gunslinger or marksman, I have learned to like all weapons better, including the ever-popular .223 (5.56 NATO) ammo and the AR, or modern sporting rifle platform.
Available 0.223
Buy .223/5.56 ammo wholesale and in small quantities from Lucky Gunner.
But you might be wondering how anyone can compare a .22LR to a 5.56/.223. One is a "high performance" round and the other is for squirrel hunting and plinking. But it's not so easy.
Why do people say that 5.56 or .223 Remington is basically a 22LR?
Well, that's relatively easy to explain. You can see that they are quite different from a layman looking at a fully assembled .22LR cartridge and a .223 or 5.56 cartridge.
The term gauge is often misused. The gauge is actually the diameter of the slot in the hole. Calibers are expressed in 1/100th of an inch, which determines the diameter of the projectile.
Available 5.56
Buy 5.56 ammo wholesale and in small quantities from Lucky Gunner.
When they say that .223 and .22LR are the same, the cartridges have the same bullet diameter. Although the shell of the bullets is not the same and the bullets may look completely different, they are the same diameter at .223″.
So why is 0.223 called 5.56mm?
5.56mm is just the metric equivalent of 0.223″. Because the metric system is a much more popular unit of measurement around the world, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) uses 5.56 instead of 0.223 Remington.
But 0.223 and 5.56 are different, my friend says!
Well, your friend is right. BUT, and this is a big BUT, they are dimensionally identical except for minor areas. If I gave you one of each round, you probably wouldn't know the difference.
The biggest difference between .223 ammo and 5.56 NATO ammo is how hot the load is, or do you know it has more powder in it.
The biggest thing to worry about when doing this is the chamber pressures. With the introduction of the .223 Wylde, the standard .223 barrel/chamber was a thing of the past. 5.56mm NATO ammunition typically has a higher PSI chamber pressure and5.56mm should not be fired through a .223 rifle🇧🇷 But oneThe .223 cartridge shoots perfectly in a 5.56mm rifle.
The biggest conclusion is that the amount of dust is the biggest difference in the0,223 vs 5,56 mm redondo.
Why not just shoot a .22LR instead of a .223 Rem or 5.56mm?
That's an interesting question and somewhat valid after someone told you they shoot the same size.
Finally, the .22LR is cheaper, sometimes easier to find, has less recoil, is the most widely used ammunition in the world, and the guns are usually light, just like the ammo.
But although the bullets have the same diameter, they do not have the same grain.
WAIT A DANG MINUTE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, GRAIN? THEY SAID THEY ARE THE SAME SIZE.
I know that I know.We have one more part of a sphere to address. The grain of a bullet is literally related to its weight.
Again, the grain refers only to the weight of the bullet. Does not include case, powder or primer. So we're only talking about the part that flies through the barrel and hits the target.
Bullets come in a variety of grain weights, giving the bullet different trajectories, thermal ballistics, and velocity.
The choice of a grain generally depends on several factors, including but not limited to:
- What is the goal of the round?
- Is weight a factor?
- Is cost a factor?
- Do you need a lot of energy released on impact?
- Is this a round just for fun?
After asking yourself some of the questions above, finding which bale of grain to buy will become a much easier task. If all you care about is sending your balls through paper targets for fun, then cost is the biggest factor.
So what grain mints are there?
.22LR grains
available in stores,.22LR ammunitionit generally occurs in grains between 20 and 60 grains, and velocities range from 575 to 1,750 ft/s (feet per second).
We're not going to go into feet per second or trajectory or thermal ballistics or velocity because I'm not qualified to talk about them outside of lay explanations.
0.223 and 5.56 mm grain
more commercially available.223/5.56 NATO Release Ammobetween 35 to 85 grains. The different grains give the fired projectile different characteristics in flight and on impact. The most popular grain weight for the .223/5.56mm cartridge is 55g or 55 grains.
Again, let's not get into the science as I am not qualified to speak scientifically on ballistics.
Availability of 22LR and .223
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the availability of firearms has become ridiculous. Ammunition is probably the hardest thing to find in the world of firearms.
If you could find it, the price was so high you'd think it was a sniffing dog!
Only recently have 22LR and 223 ammunition been restocked. You can check out sites likeBrownells,Palmetto State Armory,lucky scorer,accurate shot, zWaffen.comfor the ammo available if you buy something.
Ammo is 22LR vs. 223
One of the main differences between the 22LR and the 223 is the quantities each ammunition is sold in.
22LR is usually sold in 50, 250 and500 round blocks🇧🇷 They are called blocks because the package is usually in the form of a block and contains a large number of 22LR cartridges.
223 is sold in boxes of 20 rounds and is typically sold in increments of500 and 1000 rounds.
center fire vs edge fire
You will see that one of the main differences between the .22 round and the 5.56 round is the rimfire and centerfire.
Each round has a playbook. When the primer is struck, it ignites a spark that ignites the powder, which expands and causes the bullet to fire.
The primer on a 5.56mm centerfire cartridge is located in the center of the case and is usually a circle. Whereas in the .22 cartridge, the primer is contained in the rim of the cartridge and can be struck anywhere on the rim to fire the powder.
Center shots are known to be more reliable and consistent when shot than rim shots, which sometimes fail to fire when hit.
Manufacturing processes are constantly being improved. Although I've had nothing but good experiences with all the .22 LR cartridges lately, it still suffers from the taint of being a less reliable cartridge than the 5.56 medium cartridge.
.22LR ammo is ideal for long range weapons like .22LR ammoKelTec CP33is inRuger SR22pistols. Conversely, you can use the 5.56 cartridge in serious service rifles like theNoveske N4 PDWand other AR-15 pattern rifles.
If you want to learn more about 5.56, check out our5.56 against 300 blackoutdecompose.
FAQs
What is the difference between a 22LR and a 223? ›
You'll notice right away that the 223 Rem is the much larger cartridge. Its case and its overall length are both greater than those of the 22 LR. Its much larger case naturally holds more propellant – the stuff that explodes to propel the projectile. The 223 Rem can easily have 12 times more powder than the 22 LR!
Are .22 and 5.56 the same? ›In Stock 5.56
223 and . 22LR are the same, the rounds have the same bullet diameter. While the casing for the rounds are not the same and the bullets may look wildly different, they measure the same diameter of . 223″.
223 drives a 55gn bullet at 3240fps and energy 1280ft/lb. Practically speaking the . 222 may have a slight edge in accuracy, but there is little difference in trajectory. When they are both sighted in 38mm high at 100 metres, the difference at 300 in velocity is only 80 foot-seconds and drop barely 25mm more.
What is the size difference between 223 and 556? ›223 Rem and 5.56 NATO are identical, the chamber dimensions are different with the 5.56 NATO chamber having a 0.125” longer leade (the distance between the case mouth and the barrel rifling). In addition to the leade difference, 5.56 NATO ammo is loaded for higher pressure based on the NATO cartridge specifications.
What is a 223 rifle best for? ›223 (and the AR-15 rifles that fire them) are not 'weapons of war'. Both the cartridge and the rifle are very popular for hunting and home defense use. The . 223 is a common caliber for bolt action and single-shot rifles in addition to semi-autos.
What is .223 good for? ›The . 223 Remington has become one of the most popular cartridges and is currently used in a wide range of semiautomatic and manual-action rifles and even handguns, such as the Colt AR-15, Ruger Mini-14, Remington Model 700, Remington XP-100, etc.
What caliber is 5.56 equal to? ›223 rounds are virtually identical in size to 5.56mm rounds. This means that the majority of the time, . 223 ammunition will chamber and fire in a 5.56mm chamber and vice versa.
Can you shoot 22LR in a 223? ›22LR projectile will shoot just fine out of a . 223/5.56 barrel since the diameter is essentially the same. The hard part is that of course the chambers are different sizes in that the . 223/5.56 cartridges are higher pressure and thus larger to hold more powder as well as centerfire primers.
What are .22 used for? ›The . 22 rifle comes in myriad iterations, such as bolt-action, pump-action, lever-action or semi-automatic. Most commonly used as a field gun for small game hunting, the rifle is also popular as an all-around utility long gun used for self-defense, pest or varmint control, target shooting, training, and survival.
Are .222 and 5.56 the same? ›The military originally used the . 222 Remington but sometime during the 1950's, the military began using metric designations. Therefore, the . 222 caliber bullet became the 5.56 x 45 mm NATO.
Do police use 223 or 556? ›
A look at the primary entry weapons used by SWAT officers today reveals most are using two calibers; . 223 caliber (5.56 NATO) and 9mm. The primary bullet used in these calibers is either the soft point ammunition for the . 223 caliber (5.56 NATO) or the jacketed hollow point (JHP) in the 9mm.
Is a 223 or 556 more powerful? ›The second and most important difference between the two is the fact that a 5.56 NATO chamber has a . 125” longer throat. This allows approximately one more grain of powder to be loaded into a 5.56 NATO cartridge; this is what gives it higher performance than its 223 Remington cousin.
Can a gun that shoots 556 also shoot 223? ›223 can be safely shot in any firearm chambered for the 5.56 NATO cartridge. However, given common differences in loads and throats, it's a good idea not to use 5.56mm ammo in a firearm with a dedicated . 223 chamber. In 1979, SAAMI cautioned that 5.56 chambers differ from those in .
Can .223 take down a deer? ›Here's the bottom line: you can kill deer with a . 223 Remington. Many hunters have done it, and ammo makers have designed loads and projectiles specifically for that purpose. If you're likely to get a clean, broadside shot within 150 yards, you can feel confident taking a deer using the appropriate bullets.
How many yards is a .223 good for? ›223 Rem. can maintain enough velocity to take varmint and medium-sized game out to 250 yards, or the distance at which the bullet is still travelling about 2,300 fps, according to Frank C. Barnes' “Cartridges of the World.” But that range doesn't apply to every bullet.
Is 223 good for deer? ›223 - it is a viable deer cartridge when the appropriate bullets are used. It is good enough when shots aren't excessively long and a broadside shot presents itself. It's not a foolproof cartridge, however. If you choose to hunt with it, be prepared to pass on an animal when the angle or distance isn't right.
Why can't you shoot 5.56 out of a 223? ›However, it is not considered safe to fire 5.56mm ammunition in a 223 rifle. A barrel marked “. 223 Remington” has a shorter throat or chamber leade, which may cause an increase in chamber pressure when firing 5.56mm. The throat or leade is the part of the barrel that tapers toward the rifling ahead of the chamber.
What is 5.56 good for? ›Self-Defense: Like the Army says, the 5.56 is effective for self-defense well beyond 500 yards. Whether you can even consider a target to be a threat at that range, however, is another matter altogether. Hunting: The 5.56 consistently fails to deliver 1,000 ft lbs of energy beyond 100 yards.
Is 5.56 stronger than 9mm? ›The 5.56 rifle cartridge is inherently more powerful than the 9mm pistol cartridge, so you might expect the 5.56 to be a lot louder than the 9mm, but that's not the case. They're actually pretty close to one another. The 9mm cartridge averages about 166 decibels while the 5.56 cartridge averages about 169 decibels.
How many mm is .22 cal? ›22 caliber, or 5.6 mm caliber, refers to a common firearms bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm). Cartridges in this caliber include the very widely used . 22 Long Rifle and . 223 Remington / 5.56×45mm NATO.
Is 308 more powerful than 556? ›
With a heavier bullet, the 308 is going to be less affected by wind conditions than the lighter weight 5.56 rifle round. Military and Law Enforcement snipers have long favored the more powerful 308 Winchester round for its accuracy and effective range.
Can I shoot 22LR in a AR-15? ›That's where the . 22lr conversion kits come in. For about $150 you can purchase a conversion kit that replaces the bolt carrier group in your AR-15 and allows the use of the much less expensive . 22lr ammunition.
Can you shoot 22LR out of a 5.56 suppressor? ›5.56 Rifle Suppressors
5.56mm Rifle Suppressors and 22 LR Firearms: Many people ask if they can shoot their . 22 LR firearms using these rifle suppressors. The answer is that we would NOT recommend it, but it could work.
22 LR is “the best” round for self-defense, or even a good choice for many firearms owners who can use a more powerful cartridge. But the . 22 LR may be the best option for certain shooters, as a primary or back-up firearm, and if this is the case, they need to choose the best ammunition and firearm for the job.
Why everyone needs a .22 rifle? ›22LR firearm is that you're able to use one round across multiple guns. This makes buying in bulk an easier choice, and being that . 22LR is a very affordable round, you won't have an excuse to not train and be prepared.
How far can a 22 LR shoot? ›According to Wiki: The . 22 LR is effective to 150 yd (140 m), though practical ranges tend to be less. After 150 yd, the ballistics of the round are such that it will be difficult to compensate for the large “drop”.
Can a 22 pistol stop an attacker? ›22 doesn't penetrate very deeply and it certainly doesn't make a big hole. That takes blood loss out of the equation. If the . 22 bullet doesn't cause CNS disruption or extensive blood loss, it won't physically incapacitate an attacker.
Is .222 bullet the same as a 223? ›222 and . 223 are 2 of a huge variety of cartridges that use bullets of a nominal . 224 diameter. While the 222 and 223 look to be the same, they are very slightly different in their dimensions and loadings.
Can you shoot .223 out of a 5.56 barrel? ›Can you shoot 223 in a 5.56 chamber? Yes. . 223 Remington ammunition may be shot safely in a 5.56mm chamber.
Is an AR-15 the same as a 556? ›The Ruger AR-556 is a semiautomatic AR-15 style rifle manufactured by U.S. firearms company Sturm, Ruger & Co. Introduced in 2014 as an entry-level AR-15 using a direct impingement action, with variants since being released such as the upgraded AR-556 MPR (multi-purpose rifle) in 2017 and the AR-556 pistol in 2019.
What rifle does Swat use? ›
A glass-bedded, scoped, bolt-action rifle with a heavy free-floating barrel is the most popular weapon used by teams. The 40XB, the Remington 700BDL, and the Ruger 77V are among popular makes. Members not required to carry a specific weapon because of their position often favor semior fully automatic weapons.
Are all AR-15s 223 and 556? ›There are three types of chambers in the M16/M4/AR-15/MSR family of rifles, but most people think there are only two. The first is the Mil-Spec 5.56mm chamber, which is used in the M16 and M4. The second is the . 223 chamber, the most common chamber in AR-15 rifles, although you can get AR-15s with a 5.56mm chamber.
Whats a hotter round 223 or 556? ›223 tends to be loaded lighter and 5.56 tends to be loaded hotter – but there are exceptions to these general rules. Summary: Instead of there being two or three or four possible chambers (. 223 Rem, . 223 Wylde, 5.56mm Noveske, 5.56mm NATO) and two possible pressure levels of ammunition (.
What caliber is 223 equal to? ›223 rounds are virtually identical in size to 5.56mm rounds. This means that the majority of the time, . 223 ammunition will chamber and fire in a 5.56mm chamber and vice versa. However, the biggest difference between the two is that 5.56x45mm ammunition is loaded to a significantly higher pressure than .
Is a .223 a .22 caliber? ›223 is, in fact, a . 22 caliber round. While the media loves to portray this as a 'huge assault bullet' and only meant for use in warfare, the truth is that a . 223 round is a relatively small and not particularly powerful.
Why is 22LR unreliable? ›22 pistol, revolver, or rifle. When we talk about . 22 LR being unreliable, there are actually two different issues we're referring to: failures to fire and failures to feed. Because of the way rimfire cartridges are primed, they are more prone to ignition failures than centerfire primers.
Why cant you shoot a deer with a 22? ›22LR cartridge is capable of killing a deer if shot placement is accurate; however, a . 22LR is not a legal cartridge for hunting deer in almost all US states because it does not have enough power to ethically hunt a deer and ensure a quick kill.
Is a 5.56 or .223 stronger? ›The second and most important difference between the two is the fact that a 5.56 NATO chamber has a . 125” longer throat. This allows approximately one more grain of powder to be loaded into a 5.56 NATO cartridge; this is what gives it higher performance than its 223 Remington cousin.
Can I use 223 in a 22LR? ›223 is “22 caliber” yes. NOW, will . 223 ammunition fit into the chamber of a 22LR firearm? Absolutely not.
Are .223 and 5.56 the same? ›While the two cartridges are modifications of the same platform, they aren't always interchangeable. A . 223 round is compatible with a 5.56 rifle in most cases. On the other hand, a 5.56 can significantly damage a barrel and chamber when fired from a rifle only designed to shoot .
What is the deadliest 22 LR round? ›
Currently the 22 LR ammo that strikes the best balance of bullet weight and muzzle velocity to achieve the greatest power is CCI's Stinger 22 LR Ammo. This round has a 32 grain CPHP bullet loaded to a muzzle velocity of 1,640 fps. The hyper-velocity Stinger cartridge boasts a whopping 191 ft lbs of muzzle energy.
What is a .22 LR good for? ›22 LR cartridge is popular with both novice shooters and experts. Its minimal recoil and relatively low noise make it an ideal cartridge for recreational shooting, small-game hunting, and pest control. .22 LR cadet rifles are commonly used by military cadets and others for basic firearms and marksmanship training.
Is 22 LR good enough for self-defense? ›22 LR is “the best” round for self-defense, or even a good choice for many firearms owners who can use a more powerful cartridge. But the . 22 LR may be the best option for certain shooters, as a primary or back-up firearm, and if this is the case, they need to choose the best ammunition and firearm for the job.
What can a 22 LR take down? ›22 LR is an excellent choice. Taking down animals and varmints — squirrels, ground hogs, prairie dogs, foxes, deer and even wild hogs — at short to medium ranges (20-50 meters) is doable with a . 22.
Can you use a .223 for deer hunting? ›Here's the bottom line: you can kill deer with a . 223 Remington. Many hunters have done it, and ammo makers have designed loads and projectiles specifically for that purpose. If you're likely to get a clean, broadside shot within 150 yards, you can feel confident taking a deer using the appropriate bullets.
Where is the best place to shoot a deer with a 22 rifle? ›The shoulder is a nonissue even with pea-shooter calibers, and that means that if you can put a bullet where it should hit both lungs or the heart, you're good. Unlike archers, gun hunters can do just fine hugging the crease of the shoulder and holding right at the equator between the top and bottom of the deer.