Did you know the .223 Rem is almost identical to the military 5.56x45mm NATO? This cartridge, once developed for military use, pairs excellently with a wide range of modern rifles and handguns and remains popular to this day.
There’s a large selection of once-fired or reloading Rifle brass, but let’s take a closer look at the .223 Rem’s ballistic profile. How do its chamber pressure, bullet weight, and shape contribute to where the round will impact down the range?
Keep reading for a deep dive into this sort of ammunition.
Quality of Brass
The quality of the brass is probably the foremost trait you’ll want to pay attention to.
If you want rifle bullets with a consistent spread, you’ll want to make sure you’re sourcing your brass from a reputed supplier. Many overseas manufacturers produce substandard quality brass, making for inconsistent ammo.
If you’re sourcing from random suppliers, watch out for brass that runs too hot or strips rims (leaving its case in the chamber). Watch out for brass casings that are uneven, as this can lead to gun malfunction and jamming.
Why Brass
Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. Thanks to metallurgical science, we have the perfect material for hard, durable casings.
Brass sets the standard for bullets because of its great corrosion resistance. It’s better than steel because it’s more malleable, creating a better chamber seal as it expands to snugly fit in the chamber. This contributes to less blowback when firing.
Brass casings work well for rifles, because you get very few stuck cartridges, if any. If you’re looking for reliability–and to an extent reusability–brass is the way to go.
.223 Rem Accuracy
The consensus is that .223s are pretty accurate, even if their manufacturing is inconsistent due to popularity.
Here’s a note for those that are concerned about accuracy.
You’ll get the best accuracy if you pay attention to two things.
- Using good-quality brass ammo (reduces spread more consistently)
- Properly working up your rifle
You can learn more about working up a rifle here.
The quality of your ammo directly affects your reloading technique, such as whether it strips rims or reloads cleanly.
Barrel Length
Your rifle’s barrel length affects ballistics for .223 rem bullets. This is done primarily in terms of muzzle velocity. So yes, the speed at which your bullet leaves the gun affects its final trajectory.
The shorter your barrel, the more velocity loss you can expect when shooting these bullets. You can expect an average velocity loss of 25 feet per second, per one less inch on the barrel.
As a general rule, a greater muzzle velocity results in a flatter trajectory for these bullets. This means there is less bullet drop over a greater distance, proportional to velocity and barrel length.
Of course, there are many factors affecting a bullet’s velocity and flight path, such as weather conditions, bullet material, bullet design, etc.
That said, if all is controlled, a longer barrel length has been shown to produce more velocity with .223 bullets, and should result in a straighter flight path.
The shorter barrel has its advantages as well. These are improved mobility, faster handling, and a lighter rifle, all at a very minor velocity loss.
Use Case Note
Please note that if you have an AR with .223 on the barrel, you should only shoot .223 rem through that gun, even if many modern rifles can shoot both .223 and 5.56 NATO. This has to do with the difference in how these two calibers are chambered.
.223 Case Capacity
Compared to cases like the 22 Hornet, the .223 rem has a higher case capacity. This leads to outperformance in muzzle velocity, kinetic energy, and flatter trajectories.
This means that compared to many bullets, the .223 ammo will simply get to the target faster, due to the flatter trajectory and muzzle velocity. For comparison, at a range of 200ft, the .223 may have half the bullet drop of a 22 Hornet.
Note that the .223 Rem usually carries light .22-calibre bullets. Users report that the recoil they feel is comparably minimal.
Manufacturer Variation
Perhaps the most important factor to keep in mind when measuring .223 rem ballistics is manufacture and usage variation.
Different casing designs, materials used, and the quality of those materials definitely influence ballistics and aerodynamics in cases.
Likewise, user variation exists. More proficient gun handlers will have more consistent results. Improperly stored ammo will also behave differently from that of institutional organizations like SAAMI.
Bullet Ballistics
There are two main measures of a bullet’s particular ballistics. This has to do with how these bullets launch, their flight path, and their impact trajectories.
The ballistic coefficient (BC) of a bullet determines how aerodynamic it is and how effectively it resists wind deflection.
Sectional density (SD) is a method of determining a bullet’s penetrating capabilities based on its outward dimensions, design, and weight.
A round with a greater BC can fire larger bullets at a higher muzzle velocity. This usually means less bullet drop and a straighter flight path.
.223s are considered small-caliber, high-velocity rounds. Small wonder they are excellent for rifle shooting.
.223 Rem Velocity
Here are some .223 Rem ammunition statistics for velocity from SAAMI.org, at various bullet weights.
- A bullet weight of 35g corresponds to a velocity (feet per second) of 3,800 at 15 feet
- 40g = 3,650 fps
- 42g = 3,450 fps
- 45g = 3,550 fps
- 50g = 3,410 fps
- 53g = 3,305 fps
- 55g = 3,050 fps
- 60g = 3,080 fps
- 62g = 3,000 fps
- 64g = 3,000 fps
- 69g = 2,985 fps
- 74g = 2,775 fps
- 77g = 2,785 fps
When you’re looking at a .223 Remington cartridge, the general trend is that a heavier bullet weight results in a lower velocity. However, it’s noteworthy that bullet weights from 55g to 64g have a similar velocity. Bullets in this weight range are more versatile.
Users will find that heavier bullets in this range pair better with bolt-action rifles.
Due to its faster velocity, the .223 will have less wind drift even with rounds of the same weight.
You can see that .223 cases travel with impressively high velocities. This translates to greater accuracy and straighter trajectories. They are excellent in performance settings, and for hunting, they ensure your shots result in ethical and clean kills.
SAAMI cautions that ammo storage conditions will affect measured velocity, so users should not try to replicate their data.
.223 Rem Pressure
Generally .223 rem ammunition fires at a lower pressure than its military counterpart. Peak pressure is usually when a bullet has moved about 3 inches.
Greater pressure usually corresponds to more energy available to a bullet at its firing. Given a pressure/time graph, the area under the graph shows the energy available. Not all of that energy is used efficiently, though; much is lost in things like heat transmission, bullet rotation, and chambering.
SAAMI recommends the piezoelectric transducer system, with the transducer flush-mounted in the test barrel chamber, to test pressure.
The pressure created by the burning propellant exerts stress on the transducer via the cartridge case wall, causing the transducer to deflect and generate a quantifiable electric charge.
The pressures measured by this technology are represented in “pounds per square inch” (abbreviated psi).
For the .223, SAAMI has recorded a maximum average pressure (MAP) of 550, psi/100. The MAP indicates the maximum recommended loading pressure for commercial use sporting ammunition.
General Ballistic Profile of a .223 Rem
Let’s take the 5.56 for comparison.
The trajectory of a bullet is critical to a shooter’s ability to land a shot.
The 5.56 NATO will most likely drop around 3″ from 200 yards and can drop up to 11.25″ at 300 yards.
At 200 yards, the .223 Remington will drop 4.2″.
While the .223 has a higher velocity, the 5.56 has a flatter trajectory over longer distances, which may be beneficial for hunters and long-range shooters.
For medium-range shooting, the .223 may be a better choice for greater accuracy. There has been a lot of comparison between the two in the community, and data is pretty widely available.
Many Factors When it Comes to Ballistics
Many factors influence bullet trajectory understanding, including air resistance, angle, air pressure and temperature, muzzle velocity, bullet shape, and drag coefficient.
All of these elements contribute to the bullet’s accuracy in striking the intended target. The .223 sports light caliber rounds and a high velocity, so it makes for accurate firing.
In general, it matters more “who” and “what” go into the load you are firing. The manufacturer for your cases and an individual’s firing skill should be considered when we’re talking ballistics.
Manufacturers Matter
For .223 Rem bullets, you’ll want to source from a reputable manufacturer to guarantee consistent and reliable shooting results.
Speaking of great quality casings, we’ve got a bunch. Create an account with us today and fill up your wishlist!
