The 5.56 NATO is a cartridge in which I am very familiar. The reason why, is because it is the primary cartridge used by the individual rifleman of my beloved Marine Corps. Granted, that was more than 20 years ago now but I still own a few boxes of it.
Wow, I’m getting old. And no, I was not an infantryman, but Motor T with a B Billet as our platoon’s machine gunner. But that’s besides the point because every Marine is a rifleman.
5.56 NATO History:
The military wanted a lighter weight cartridge that the average serviceman could carry into battle. A lighter cartridge meant that he could carry more rounds of ammo into battle.
Of course, that came at an obvious loss of downrange power when compared to the old 30 caliber military cartridges like the .30-06 Springfield of the M1 Garands and others.
But I do believe that this was a good decision in the end, because future wars would start to take place in very close quarters where a lighter weight cartridge would work fine.
Plus, the rifles that shot these lighter cartridges, like the M16 and later variants, were easier to maneuver in battle due to reduced weight.
The 5.56 NATO is a cartridge that got its start as the .223 Remington. The 223 Remington was originally introduced to the commercial market in 1964 and then later standardized as 5.56 NATO for use of the new M16 rifles.
The two cartridges are very similar in dimensions but not identical. In the end, the 5.56 NATO is loaded to higher pressures than the .223 Remington is.
5.56 NATO Ballistics:
This first 5.56 NATO Ballistics Chart shows 62 Grain Hornady Black FMJ:
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | 300 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 3060 | 2714 | 2394 | 2095 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1289 | 1014 | 789 | 604 |
| Drop (Inches) | / | +1.6 | 0 | -7.7 |
This next 5.56 NATO Ballistics table shows 55 Grain Federal XM193
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | 300 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 3165 | 2772 | 2412 | 2080 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1223 | 939 | 711 | 528 |
| Drop (Inches) | / | 0 | -3 | -12.1 |
This last 5.56X45 NATO ballistics chart shows 68 Grain Hornady Frontier BTHP (boat tail hollow points):
| Muzzle | 100 YDS | 200 YDS | 300 YDS | |
| Velocity (FPS) | 2960 | 2697 | 2449 | 2215 |
| Energy (FT/LB) | 1323 | 1098 | 906 | 741 |
| Drop (Inches) | / | +1.7 | 0 | -7.5 |
5.56X45 Bullets
The most common grain weights for the 5.56 NATO are 55 and 62 grains, with some heavier bullets maxing out at about 75 grains. The heavier bullets are fantastic for longer range shooting and matches.
Hunting with the 5.56 NATO
There are several animals that can be hunted with the 556 rifle cartridge, and many hunters do it with their AR-15, regardless of what the anti-gun media and politicians will tell you.
Animals like deer, hogs, and varmint sized animals are all popular here. And, anything a .223 Remington can do, the 5.56 can also do.
Green Tip 5.56
This blog post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t at least meantion the M855 green tips. Those are the rounds we’re issued in the Marines and a few ammo makers produce commercially as well.
The green tips have a green tip that signify that the round has a steel core and is better for use against light armor.
They are not “armor piercing rounds” as some would claim, but they do better against some armor than the regular M193 55 grain rounds do.
5.56 NATO Uses
The primary use for the 5.56 NATO cartridge is as a self-defense round. Yes they can be hunted with and used for target practice, but they were bred for uses like self-defense.
When coupled with their AR-15 counterpart, they excel in this regard and serve as excellent self-defense tools.
Conclusion:
The 5.56 NATO is a great cartridge, all be it a bit under powered for many circumstances. It has a great following and should be in every gun cabinet across the country.
