Choosing AR Ammo

By James Tarr

I’m frequently asked, “What kind of gun should I buy?” My immediate response is, “What do you plan to use it for? Target shooting, concealed carry and self-defense, competition, hunting?”

Whether you’re talking power tools for home improvement or firearms and ammunition, the No. 1 rule is and always has been: Use the right tool for the job. That same rule is doubly true when it comes to picking ammunition for your modern sporting rifle.

The original MSR, the AR15, was designed more than 60 years ago. Its select-fire cousin, the M16, has been the issued service weapon of the U.S. armed forces for more than 50 years in one form or another. Its adoption in 5.56×45 NATO chambering (a slightly higher pressure version of the commercial .223 Rem. load) signaled a change from the big bore cartridges of the past.

As rifle cartridges go, the .223 Rem. is on the small side. The original military load featured a .223 caliber 55-grain bullet, which exited the muzzle somewhere north of 3,000 fps, depending on barrel length.

The 55-grain round is a small, light bullet, generally one-half to one-third the weight of the average pistol bullet. There is not a lot of mass there. What …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo