CaliberAtlas › Compare › .223 Rem. vs 5.56×45mm NATO

.223 Rem. vs 5.56×45mm NATO — Ballistics Compared

Safety: do not fire 5.56 NATO ammunition in a rifle marked only .223 Remington unless the manufacturer rates it for 5.56 (or .223 Wylde). .223 Remington is generally safe in 5.56 chambers; the reverse is not automatically true. Follow the markings on your firearm.

5.56×45mm NATO shoots flatter with these representative loads: 58.4" vs 60.1" of drop at 500 yards. 5.56×45mm NATO carries more energy downrange: 333 vs 240 ft-lb retained at 500 yards. 5.56×45mm NATO drifts less in a 10 mph crosswind: 35.4" vs 43.7" at 500 yards.

Figures use each cartridge's representative load, computed with our validated G1 model at standard conditions. Full tables and every load are on the cartridge pages: .223 Rem. ballistics · 5.56×45mm NATO ballistics.

Pick .223 Rem. if…

you prefer the 55gr representative load shown here (62gr for the other cartridge)

Pick 5.56×45mm NATO if…

you want the flatter trajectory (58.4" vs 60.1" at 500 yd)
you want more retained energy at distance (333 vs 240 ft-lb at 500 yd)

Side-by-Side Specifications

	.223 Rem.	5.56×45mm NATO
Representative load	55gr Federal Power-Shok	62gr Hornady Hornady BLACK FMJ
Muzzle velocity	3240 fps	3060 fps
Muzzle energy	1282 ft-lb	1289 ft-lb
G1 BC	0.222	0.274
Case length	45 mm	45 mm
Overall length	58 mm	58 mm
Common twist	1:8"	1:7"

Drop Comparison (inches)

	.223 Rem.	5.56×45mm NATO
100 yd	0"	0"
200 yd	-3"	-3.3"
300 yd	-12.2"	-12.7"
400 yd	-30"	-30.2"
500 yd	-60.1"	-58.4"

Retained Energy (ft-lb)

	.223 Rem.	5.56×45mm NATO
100 yd	952 ft-lb	1010 ft-lb
200 yd	697 ft-lb	782 ft-lb
300 yd	498 ft-lb	597 ft-lb
400 yd	347 ft-lb	448 ft-lb
500 yd	240 ft-lb	333 ft-lb

Wind Drift — 10 mph Full-Value (inches)

	.223 Rem.	5.56×45mm NATO
100 yd	1.3"	1.1"
200 yd	5.4"	4.7"
300 yd	13.2"	11.1"
400 yd	25.6"	21.1"
500 yd	43.7"	35.4"

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