Replies

In comparing the 5.56mm to the .22 cal LR, I was referring to the recoil, not the ballistics. I agree that the high speed, combined with the tumble at impact was devestating on humands, but useless on materiale.

You were correct before, actually the 5.56mm is .22 cal. there is absolutely no difference and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise does not know what they are talking about. 5.56 is nothing more than the metric measurement of a .22 cal bullet. The military usually uses 55gn 22 cal bullets in their 5.56mm cartridges. Thats a fact, Jack!

I also want to point out the facts to some of the other posters claiming that the M16 can shoot 1000 yards... well this is a true statement however you are not going to kill anything or anyone taking that shot. The measely little 5.56mm puts out a pthetic 207 ft-pds of energy at 500 yds that means out at 1000 it is hardly breaking the paper target. Comparativley a 220 swift or 22-250 is a better round, and yes these are both .22 cal cartridges.

Go ahead and ask any hunter if he would take a 500 or 1000 yard shot at a deer with a .22 cal rifle... As far as animals go a deer is about the same size/wt as a man so if you wouldnt take that shot at a deer then why at a man, and definitely why at a man who has a rifle in his hand?

As far as the tumbling comment thats a joke the 5.56m will tumble no more or no less than any other bullet, this is pure nonsense and propaganda. It does NOT tumble, it bounces off of bone because the round is too light to do anything else! There is NO design technique used in this bullet to make it tumble it is nothing more than a jacketed 55gn 22 cal bullet. No magic, nothing, nada!

While we are here lets compare the energy of other rifle rounds that the military has used over the years at 500 yds compared to the 5.56mm

5.56@500yds 207-ft-pds (yes that is 207 what a joke!)
.308@500yds 1239 ft-pds
30.06@500yds1246 ft-pds

Guess which caliber the enemy is using!
Hint: It is NOT the first one...

Want to know what I think. We should go back to the M-14 or M-1

--RebelDawg
USMC
and
Hunter

My Hornady book lists 434 Foot pounds at 500 yards.
I shoot a welding tank at 375 and it punches through one side of the tank.
I'm not sure where you had this idea that it bounces off of bone because at the short ranges 75-100 yards, it was cratering the steel plates that we use for our .45's.
Are you sure you're not writing about deflection? I have a video that was showing .223, .308, 7.62x39, and .50 BMG and they were all deflected by one inch tree branches.

"... The measely little 5.56mm puts out a pthetic 207 ft-pds of energy at 500 yds that means out at 1000 it is hardly breaking the paper target."

I think that you're being a bit misled by your data. Here's what the US Army has to say:

          5.56 NATO Ball Ammunition Ballistic Comparison
                   based on Aberdeen Proving Ground Data
       velocity (fps)    trajectory (in.)  drop (inches)  drift (inches)*
 range   M193   M855       M193  M855      M193   M855     M193    M855
(meters)
  0      3,200  3,100     -2.5   -2.5       0.0    0.0      0.0     0.0
100      2,774  2,751     +2.8   +4.4      -2.2   -2.3      1.3     1.1
200      2,374  2,420     +2.7   +5.8      -9.9  -10.2      5.8     4.9
300      2,012  2,115     -4.9    0.0     -25.1  -25.3     14.2    11.8
400      1,680  1,833    -23.0  -15.0     -50.8  -49.5     27.6    22.4
500      1,373  1,569    -56.2  -42.9     -91.6  -86.7     47.5    38.0
600      1,106  1,323   -113.1  -88.2    -156.1 -141.3     76.4    59.5
700        995  1,106   -206.8 -156.1    -257.3 -220.9    113.5    88.4
800        927  1,010   -339.9 -267.7    -398.0 -339.2    156.1   124.9

                                                   * Drift for 10 mph wind.
M193 Ball ammunition fired in M16A1 rifle with 250 meter battle sight zero.
M855 Ball ammunition fired in M16A2 rifle with 300 meter battle sight zero.

The M855 round penetrates a nominal 10 gauge SAE 1010 or 1020 steel test plate at a range of at least 570 meters (623 yards). At 500 yards, the SS109 (M855) would penetrate both sides of a USGI PASGT Kevlar helmet with your head inside it.

At 1000 yards, it would penetrate one side of the helmet, go through your head, and maybe be halted by the other side of the helmet.