Is 5.56 or 7.62 better?

7.62 retains over 1,700 foot-pounds of energy at 500-yards versus 5.56 which hits 950 foot-pounds at 500-yards. Pushing out to 1,000-yards, the 7.62 M80 loads retain over 1,000 foot-pounds of energy. That extra power makes it a more capable long-range round.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pewpewtactical.com


Is 7.62 or 5.56 deadlier?

Average Bullet Drop (Inches) at Long Range

The 7.62×39 rounds, on average, have about twice the amount of bullet drop than the 5.56×45 rounds. The 7.62×39 rounds also are at least or more than twice the weight of the 5.56×45 rounds so it is not very surprising.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on snipercountry.com


Is 5.56 and 7.62 the same?

The wider base diameter of the 7.62 allows for more case capacity than the 5.56, which is needed to push those heavier caliber bullets at an acceptable velocity to be effective at longer ranges. On the other hand, the 5.56 has a longer overall length as it is a thinner, longer case while the 7.62 is shorter and wider.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ammo.com


What is a 5.56 round good for?

The 5.56x45mm NATO cartridge was originally designed for the U.S. Military to use in the M-16 rifle. Indeed, the M-16A1, M-16A2, and M-4 rifles and carbines commonly used by the US Army and Marine Corps (as well as the other branches of the military) over the past few decades are all chambered in 5.56 NATO.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on thebiggamehuntingblog.com


Is 7.62 or 5.56 ammo cheaper?

5.56 is the substantially cheaper route. The cost of 5.56 versus 7.62 NATO is often a 50% difference in price per round. Rarely do you see 7.62 NATO below 40 cents per round.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pewpewtactical.com


5.56 vs 7.62: Why the Military Still Uses 5.56 (Marine Reacts)



Is 7.62 A good sniper round?

The 7.62×51mm NATO has proved much more effective than 5.56×45mm at long ranges, and has since found popularity as a sniping round. For instance, M14 variants such as the Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle and M25 Sniper Rifle were utilized in the United States military as designated marksman and sniper rifles.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on en.wikipedia.org


Is 5.56 A good sniper round?

There are good reasons to run each, but for most shooters, the 5.56 round is the better choice for faraway targets.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wearethemighty.com


What's better an AK-47 or an AR-15?

AR-15 rifles are lighter and have a higher rate of accuracy than the AK-47, but the AK-47 is considerably cheaper and more dependable in comparison. Both are extensively used by the military and police, as well as for general purpose hunting rifles and self-defense.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on diffen.com


Is a 5.56 good for home defense?

223 AR-15 Ammo is Safer For Home Defense (FBI overpenetration testing) We've long said that your AR-15 could be your best choice for most home defense situations, and of corse equipped with your Gripknife, to back you up.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on gripknife.com


Is 7.62 x39 a powerful round?

7.62x39 ammo fires a 123 grain weight fmj bullet with a muzzle velocity of 2,350 fps for a combat effective range of 400 yards. With the popularity of the 7.62x39 on the rise, soft point (SP) hunting ammo has become more readily available for hunting whitetail and other medium sized game animals.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ammo.com


Is 5.56 better 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.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on silencercentral.com


What does NATO mean in ammo?

Last Updated on January 16, 2022. NATO ammunition refers to the small arms cartridges used by the member-states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on minutemanreview.com


What round is best for self defense?

380 ACP. My choice of ammo for my P3AT is the Hornady 90-grain FTX Critical Defense. This is one of the few ammo choices that performed well both for penetration and expansion. The test showed 13.2 inches of penetration and 0.52-inch expansion.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on blog.cheaperthandirt.com


Is there a 5.56 hollow point?

. 223 and 5.56 hollow point (HP) ammunition is designed with a bullet that expands on contact with a target. This expansion can create a wider wound channel and contribute to making a particular round more lethal than others.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ammunitiontogo.com


What are green tip bullets?

Green-tip ammunition is most common in 5.56/. 223 Rem caliber and is mainly designed for use with the AR platform. These rounds were originally considered controversial, as they meet one of the criteria of the federal definition of armor-piercing ammunition.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on usconcealedcarry.com


Does the military use ar15s?

The US military uses the M16, not the AR 15.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on railscales.us


What does the 15 in AR-15 stand for?

The AR in "AR-15" rifle stands for ArmaLite rifle, after the company that developed it in. the 1950s. "AR" does NOT stand for "assault rifle" or "automatic rifle."
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on cga.ct.gov


Is AR or AK ammo cheaper?

The AK-47's benefits are its toughness, better stopping power (at shorter range, at least), and that both AK-47 guns and ammo tend to be less expensive than the AR-15 .
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on ammunitiondepot.com


Why is 5.56 Green Tip?

The United States Military adopted the SS109 to replace their M193 5.56 ammo in the early 1980s. It was renamed the M855 and the tips were painted green. This was done to help troops tell the difference between the new cartridge and the old M193 rounds.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on wideners.com


Is 7.62 the same as 223?

223 Remington steel cased ammo is roughly the same as steel case 7.62x39mm, brass cased 5.56 NATO has a large difference in price. While many people don't mind shooting steel cased . 223 Remington, some ARs will just not properly cycle it, and it can cause premature wear in barrels.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on pewpewtactical.com


What is the maximum range of a 5.56 round?

According to theUS Army Technical Manual, the 556 cartridge has a 547-yard range for individual or point targets with a carbine (area target range is up to 650 yards). When used in a rifle, the individual or point targets range is up to 602 yards, and the area target is up to 875 yards.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on americangunfacts.com


What ammo do Navy Seals use?

The M855A1, a 5.56 mm Ball ammunition, is an enhanced performance round for today's combat and training environments.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on military.com


Is .308 and 7.62 the same?

From an external dimension standpoint, the . 308 Winchester cartridge case and the 7.62 NATO (7.62 x 51 mm) are the same thing. In fact, the 7.62 was developed using the general design of the . 308 as its 'parent' case.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on topbrass-inc.com


What's the best caliber for concealed carry?

While many concealed carriers will swear by larger calibers or smaller calibers, the 9mm has proven itself through time to be the “one size fits all” of ammunition. Provided a good choice of carry round, the moderate recoil and accuracy of the 9mm round is such that it is the default choice and for good reason.
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aliengearholsters.com


What is the smallest caliber for self-defense?

First of the small calibers for self-defense is the . 22 rimfires, specifically . 22 Long Rifle and . 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also called .
Takedown request   |   View complete answer on aliengearholsters.com
Next question
Is there an ice Z-Crystal?