Why 5.56?

[Sam7sf]

I think it comes down to if you don’t stock up when you can afford to do so, it’s no one’s fault but yours.

I don’t think other cartridges have an advantage. It’s not like 6.5 Grendel or 224 Valkyrie is in every store like 5.56x45 or 223 is. Only using those as examples because they are two I would use if I got another ar.

 

[A1Oni]

people who dismiss 5.56mm don't understand the finer points of the cartridge, out of a 20-18 inch barrel it is quite accurate and lethal, and for barrels 16-14 inches its pretty good for most rifle ranges as well, you can kill anything from small varmints to deer and hogs with 5.56mm if you use the right bullet weight, bullet design, and loading. plus with the size of 5.56mm you can carry more ammunition and have a lighter rifle, which means you can carry more ancillary supplies. the 5.56mm cartridge is very much a jack of all trades, as is the AR15/M16 platform or rifles.

 

[leVieux]

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Being ancient, I can recall when most Texas deer were shot with a 30-30 or 30-06.

Then the .270Win & 243Win became extremely popular.

But,

When those seeking even smaller tried “varmint cartridges”, especially the .222; that was used a few years, then everyone decided it was inadequate for even small whitetails like those in the Hill Country.

Then, shortly afterwards, NATO announced adoption & mandating of the 5.56. We old timers just scratched our heads.

Answers came slowly. Some were: Inexperienced recruits (DRAFTEES) couldn’t hit anything, so they needed more ammo. The jungle overgrowth in VN made riflery skills less important. A soldier could carry almost twice the ammo for the same weight. They even tried to say that if an enemy were wounded, it took 3 out of the fight, as 2 had to help remove the wounded; but if killed, only one were out, so it was better to wound an enemy than to kill them. None of those proved very important.

Then the damned “Stoners” “Black Rifles” kept malfunctioning. . . . . . . . . .

We Old Guys were like: “OK, but let me keep my M14!“‘

The rest of the story is well known here.

leVieux

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[seeker_two]

I think so. for me, both ammo and parts can be found anywhere, and I don’t just mean in the stores. How many people do you know/encounter who have 5.56 AR’s vs other calibers?

In .300 Blackout, more than a few. And .300B is showing up more on shelves than when this thread first began.....

.....and you can't swing a dead cat with hitting a stack of .350 Legend.

 

[A1Oni]

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Being ancient, I can recall when most Texas deer were shot with a 30-30 or 30-06.

Then the .270Win & 243Win became extremely popular.

But,

When those seeking even smaller tried “varmint cartridges”, especially the .222; that was used a few years, then everyone decided it was inadequate for even small whitetails like those in the Hill Country.

Then, shortly afterwards, NATO announced adoption & mandating of the 5.56. We old timers just scratched our heads.

Answers came slowly. Some were: Inexperienced recruits (DRAFTEES) couldn’t hit anything, so they needed more ammo. The jungle overgrowth in VN made riflery skills less important. A soldier could carry almost twice the ammo for the same weight. They even tried to say that if an enemy were wounded, it took 3 out of the fight, as 2 had to help remove the wounded; but if killed, only one were out, so it was better to wound an enemy than to kill them. None of those proved very important.

Then the damned “Stoners” “Black Rifles” kept malfunctioning. . . . . . . . . .

We Old Guys were like: “OK, but let me keep my M14!“‘

The rest of the story is well known here.

leVieux

<>

you damned old guys couldn't hit shit with the m14 either
the issues the M16 faced in Vietnam were due to mismanagement by the brass and ordnance department not issuing cleaning kits and not having bores or bolts chromed the first time plus not using the correct powder for the ammunition didnt help either.

 

[Otto_Mation]

I like the AR pistol in 9mm for inside the home almost as much as I like a suppressed subsonic 300BO pistol. I need to do some more research on 45ACP AR pistols.

My house gun is an SBR in 9mm with a Hellfire Linear Flash Suppressor.

 

[leVieux]

Hold on, I’m not faulting the cartridge itself, just the B-S we were fed to justify its being mandated.

We all have our own popguns, too. In fact, I’d recommend that all folks keep one or two carbines in 5.56, mainly b/c of availability of ammo more than any inherent quality.

I don’t hunt with mine, however.

What am I now hearing about the development of a new 6.8 to replace your 5.56’s ?

leVieux

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[A1Oni]

Hold on, I’m not faulting the cartridge itself, just the B-S we were fed to justify its being mandated.

We all have our own popguns, too. In fact, I’d recommend that all folks keep one or two carbines in 5.56, mainly b/c of availability of ammo more than any inherent quality.

I don’t hunt with mine, however.

What am I now hearing about the development of a new 6.8 to replace your 5.56’s ?

leVieux

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the new sig .277 fury is gonna be a flash in the pan because of the retardedly high chamber pressures they need when you can just use 5.56mm black tips to defeat armor.

 

[Sam7sf]

Hold on, I’m not faulting the cartridge itself, just the B-S we were fed to justify its being mandated.

We all have our own popguns, too. In fact, I’d recommend that all folks keep one or two carbines in 5.56, mainly b/c of availability of ammo more than any inherent quality.

I don’t hunt with mine, however.

What am I now hearing about the development of a new 6.8 to replace your 5.56’s ?

leVieux

<>

There will always be a difference in ball ammo vs current bullet manufacturing for hunting.

The .223, 22-250, and a few others have taken deer. Under 300 yards and an accurate rifle, I wouldn’t give anyone a hard time for hunting with one.

A lot of hunters also use a 300 win mag on deer. Unless it’s a dang grizzly, most critters in North America aren’t hard to kill.

 

[craigntx]

Interesting points.....

As to cost, why not a PCC in 9mm or .45ACP instead? Ammo costs less for the pistol rounds, and 5.56 doesn't seem to be any more effective on paper targets, steel, or perps than the pistol rounds in a carbine-length barrel.....

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Far greater range for rifle rounds

 

[leVieux]

the new sig .277 fury is gonna be a flash in the pan because of the retardedly high chamber pressures they need when you can just use 5.56mm black tips to defeat armor.

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Pray tell, what exactly is wrong with the .243 Win. or the .270 Win. ?

They have about the same ballistics with heavier bullets, don’t they ?

Is the particular rifle/carbine cartridge really that decisive ?

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[A1Oni]

There will always be a difference in ball ammo vs current bullet manufacturing for hunting.

The .223, 22-250, and a few others have taken deer. Under 300 yards and an accurate rifle, I wouldn’t give anyone a hard time for hunting with one.

A lot of hunters also use a 300 win mag on deer. Unless it’s a dang grizzly, most critters in North America aren’t hard to kill.

hell an AR15 would be good for bear defense too, sure you might have to shoot a few more times, but it does the job

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Pray tell, what exactly is wrong with the .243 Win. or the .270 Win. ?

They have about the same ballistics with heavier bullets, don’t they ?

Is the particular rifle/carbine cartridge really that decisive ?

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the barrel life is worse for .277 fury that the new sig xmwhatever is using, plus the rifle is heavier than the BAR from ww2, while in contrast a fully loaded M16A4 weighs less.

 

[Sam7sf]

hell an AR15 would be good for bear defense too, sure you might have to shoot a few more times, but it does the job

Maybe. Been around plenty of black bears and I never worried about them. Most would fall to a 9mm. Unless it’s an old trophy bear they aren’t that tough.

Now a brown bear…without experience and just looking at YouTube, I don’t know man.

I think I’d rather have my ptr91.

 

[zackmars]

Since the times have changed and we're all dead anyway, I figured I'd revive this zombie.....

Considering affordability and stock is tightening up and more options are becoming available and affordable, is 5.56 still the best choice?.....

Considering the only intermediate round that is competitive price and availability wise with 5.56 is 7.62x39, yes, it still is

 

[zackmars]

Maybe. Been around plenty of black bears and I never worried about them. Most would fall to a 9mm. Unless it’s an old trophy bear they aren’t that tough.

Now a brown bear…without experience and just looking at YouTube, I don’t know man.

I think I’d rather have my ptr91.

Didn't some dude in Alaska kill a grizzly with an ak74? Took 11 rounds iirc

 

[Sam7sf]

Didn't some dude in Alaska kill a grizzly with an ak74? Took 11 rounds iirc

That’s the unknown though. A brown bear is a serious concern. Data can show this or that put x amount down but as you mentioned with that example: took x amount of rounds.

Plus we don’t know other factors that could make that person lucky.

 

[zackmars]

Hold on, I’m not faulting the cartridge itself, just the B-S we were fed to justify its being mandated.

We all have our own popguns, too. In fact, I’d recommend that all folks keep one or two carbines in 5.56, mainly b/c of availability of ammo more than any inherent quality.

I don’t hunt with mine, however.

What am I now hearing about the development of a new 6.8 to replace your 5.56’s ?

leVieux

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The only people who think the 6.8 common is going to replace 5.56 have crack pipes hotter than the sun.

Nobody wants a gun heavier than a BAR, that will have a low pressure training round (that you know will become the standard issue round)

 

[zackmars]

Hold on, I’m not faulting the cartridge itself, just the B-S we were fed to justify its being mandated.

We all have our own popguns, too. In fact, I’d recommend that all folks keep one or two carbines in 5.56, mainly b/c of availability of ammo more than any inherent quality.

I don’t hunt with mine, however.

What am I now hearing about the development of a new 6.8 to replace your 5.56’s ?

leVieux

<>

The only people who think the 6.8 common is going to replace 5.56 have crack pipes hotter than the sun.

Nobody wants a gun heavier than a BAR, that will have a low pressure training round (that you know will become the standard issue round)

 

[leVieux]

The only people who think the 6.8 common is going to replace 5.56 have crack pipes hotter than the sun.

Nobody wants a gun heavier than a BAR, that will have a low pressure training round (that you know will become the standard issue round)

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They surely as Hell didn’t ask me !

My M14 was heavy, but I didn’t complain. . . . . . . .

Thanks for the details.

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[zackmars]

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They surely as Hell didn’t ask me !

My M14 was heavy, but I didn’t complain. . . . . . . .

Thanks for the details.

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It's one thing to go from one 10lb rifle to another 10lb rifle.

Big difference going from an 8lb carbine to a 12lb rifle, that has a combat load of half the ammo for almost double the weight