** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Gallery
1 of 1
Very Similar
Externally, there is no difference in the .223 Rem. and the 5.56 NATO cartridge. The difference is found in the pressure each cartridge generates and in the way the chambers are cut into the barrel.
1 of 1
Popular Load
The .223 Rem. is arguably the most popular center-fire rifle cartridge in American right now. It might also be the most versatile.
1 of 1
Options
Ammunition options vary widely with .223 Rem. Ammo is available loaded with varmint bullets or bullets that will work on deer. You can even get both loaded with green—environmentally friendly—bullets like these.
1 of 1
The Standard
The 55-grain bullet is the most popular bullet weight for the .223 Rem. Most all rifles have a fast enough twist to stabilize this bullet so that it will deliver good accuracy.
1 of 1
Variety
Bullets for the .223 Rem. can vary in weight and length. Shown here are Nosler's 35-grain Lead Free bullet and Berger's half-inch longer, 82-grain Target bullet. The Nosler will work with a 1 in 14 twist; the Berger needs a 1 in 8 twist.
1 of 1
Winchester
Some .223 ammunition is specifically designed for tactical applications like shooting through auto glass. This Winchester Ranger load uses the Winchester 64-grain Power Point bullet, which also works great for deer.
1 of 1
Superformance
Hornady has stepped up the velocity for .233 Rem. match-grade ammunition with the introduction of its Superformance Match line of ammo.
1 of 1
AR Reloading Dies
If your .223 Rem. is an AR, RCBS now offers reloading dies specifically tailored for those type rifles to insure reliable feeding and excellent accuracy.
1 of 1
Nosler Ballistic Tip
This gelatin block shows the destructiveness of the fast moving, 40-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip when fired from a .223 Rem. No wonder it makes short work of varmints.
The North-South Skirmish Association keeps Civil War history alive through competition shoots using Civil War-era arms at its Fort Shenandoah home base, as well as at regional shoots across the country.
We’re told AI could eventually eliminate every job, and the trades will just be the last to go. But a pair of experts dedicated to training gunsmiths have a different opinion on the fate of their graduates.
Late last year, Pietta announced it would be re-introducing their Starr revolver in both its double-action and single-action form, and now, the guns are finally arriving stateside.
If the gun-control Left is to be believed, then the murder rate in the U.S. should be going up. After all, gun sales and ownership rates have been rising for the last few decades and anti-gun groups claim that gun ownership is the cause of violent crime. This, of course, is nonsense.
From cutting-edge precision rifles designed for competition or hunting to traditionally styled guns that emulate designs from yesteryear, 2026 saw the introduction of an incredible array of bolt-action rifles.
The Italian-designed-and-manufactured Chiappa Rhino remains unique today as the only current revolver with the barrel mounted at the bottom of the frame, firing from the chamber at the 6-o’clock position.