223 Ammo

Overview of .223 Remington Ammo

.223 Remington was introduced in 1964 as the commercial designation for the cartridge adopted by the U.S. military as 5.56x45mm NATO. It fires a .224-inch diameter bullet in weights from 40 to 90 grains, with 55gr and 62gr FMJ being the most widely used range loads. .223 Remington is the most popular centerfire rifle cartridge in the United States and the standard chambering for AR-15 pattern rifles, bolt-action varmint rifles, and a broad range of semi-automatic platforms.

One important note for buyers: .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO are closely related but not identical. 5.56 NATO is loaded to higher pressure and should not be fired in a rifle marked .223 Remington only. Rifles marked 5.56 NATO or .223 Wylde safely accept both cartridges. If your rifle is marked .223 Remington only, use .223 Remington commercial loads. For a full breakdown of the pressure and chamber differences, see our 5.56 vs .223 guide. If you need 5.56 NATO ammunition specifically, see our 5.56 NATO ammo page.

Popular .223 Remington Brands We Carry

• Federal .223 Ammo: American Eagle 55gr and 62gr FMJ in 400 and 500-round cases for range training, plus Federal LE TRU 55gr Hi-Shok soft point for law enforcement and defensive use.
• PMC .223 Ammo: Bronze 55gr FMJ in 1,000-round cases and Battle Pack sealed waterproof packs, plus an 840-round M2A1 ammo can bundle with stripper clips and bandoleers.
• Fiocchi .223 Ammo: 55gr FMJ and 40gr V-MAX varmint loads in 1,000-round cases. Brass-case, boxer-primed, reloadable.
• Hornady .223 Ammo: V-MAX varmint loads and 75gr BTHP Match for precision shooting applications.
• Wolf .223 Ammo: Polyformance 55gr FMJ and HP steel-case loads in 500 and 1,000-round cases at the lowest cost-per-round we carry for .223 range training.
• Black Hills .223 Ammo: 62gr Barnes TSX and 75gr BTHP OTM for precision and barrier-blind applications. Small-batch quality used by military and law enforcement precision teams.

Best .223 Remington Ammo for Specific Uses

Why Buy .223 Remington Ammo from BulkMunitions?

• In stock and ready to ship. We only list ammunition that is physically in our warehouse. No backorders.
• Next-business-day shipping from our Knoxville, TN warehouse on orders placed before our daily cutoff.
• Bulk pricing across brass and steel. PMC Bronze and Fiocchi in 1,000-round brass cases, Wolf steel-case for the lowest cost-per-round option, and PMC Battle Packs for weatherproof storage.
• We tithe 10% of profits to Christian-based, 2A-supporting organizations every quarter, and our customers vote on where it goes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I shoot .223 Remington in a 5.56 NATO chamber?

Yes. A rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO safely fires .223 Remington loads. The reverse is not always true: 5.56 NATO should not be fired in a rifle marked .223 Remington only, as 5.56 is loaded to higher pressure. Rifles marked .223 Wylde accept both safely. For a full breakdown of the differences, see our 5.56 vs .223 guide. If your rifle is chambered for 5.56 NATO specifically, browse our 5.56 NATO ammo page.

What is the difference between 55gr and 62gr .223 Remington?

55gr M193-spec loads run approximately 3,200-3,250 fps, fragment reliably at close range, and are compatible with all .223 and 5.56 chambers. They are the most widely available and affordable range option. 62gr loads run slightly slower but include a steel penetrator core for improved barrier penetration. 62gr is sometimes restricted at indoor ranges. For general range training 55gr is the practical choice. For barrier penetration, 62gr is the step up.

Is .223 Remington good for deer hunting?

.223 Remington is legal for deer in most states and adequate inside 200 yards with a 60-77gr soft point or bonded load and precise shot placement. Verify your state regulations before hunting, as some states have minimum caliber or energy requirements. Varmint loads and FMJ are not appropriate for deer. For larger hunting calibers, browse our full rifle ammo selection.

More About .223 Remington Ammo

.223 Remington was developed in 1957 by Remington Arms and Fairchild Industries in collaboration with the U.S. Continental Army Command, which was evaluating small-caliber, high-velocity cartridges to replace the 7.62x51mm NATO in infantry rifles. The project produced a cartridge firing a .224-inch bullet at approximately 3,300 fps from a 20-inch barrel, which ARPA testing demonstrated produced significantly better hit probability than the M14's 7.62x51mm in simulated combat conditions. The cartridge was submitted to SAAMI as .223 Remington in 1962 and commercially introduced in 1964.

The U.S. military adopted a slightly modified version of the cartridge as 5.56x45mm NATO in 1964, chambered in the M16 rifle. While .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO are closely related and share the same bullet diameter and case dimensions, they are loaded to different pressure specifications, a distinction that has practical consequences for chamber compatibility that every AR-15 owner should understand before purchasing ammunition.

In the civilian market, .223 Remington became the dominant varmint hunting and target shooting cartridge through the 1970s and 1980s, chambered in bolt-action rifles from Remington, Ruger, and Savage before AR-15 platform rifles became widely available to civilians. The introduction of affordable AR-15 pattern rifles beginning in the 1990s dramatically expanded the .223 buyer base, and the cartridge has been the best-selling centerfire rifle caliber in the United States for most of the past two decades. Today more factory ammunition is produced in .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO combined than in any other centerfire rifle caliber in the world.