Green Tipped 5.56 NATO Vs. 5.56 55gr

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TGW1979

TGW1979

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Hello everybody. I hope you're all well. So I picked up an AR-15 about a week and a half ago. First one I've ever had. It came with three magazines. A 10 round magazine and a pair of 30 round magazines. One of those 30 round magazines is full of green tip 5.56 ammo. The other one has 55 grain 5.56 ammo and the 10 rounder has. 223..

I've read that the green tipped ammo is good for better penetration all around. I've also heard that there's almost no difference ballistically with the amount of damage that the 5.56 55 grain versus the 5.56 62 grain green tip does. I'm looking for individuals that have fired both that can perhaps tell me if they are so close ballistically that it doesn't matter or if there is a substantial difference between the two overall.
I'm new to the AR-15 platform and both 223 and 556 ammunition. This is my first rifle that's fired both. So I'm a bit green behind the ears if you know what I mean. Very familiar with firearms I mean I grew up around them. I've got quite a few but none of them other than my new AR-15 fires the above mentioned calibers. Thank you in advance to anybody that responds. And as always... Stay safe and God bless.
 

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There is significant difference in exterior ballistics as range increases. Pick one weight, stick to it. Choose that based on what your gun shoots well. Buy some more, be all zeroed enough, fire a number of 10 shot groups at close and long ranges. See which it likes better.

Green tip has a penetrator. Do NOT shoot it at steel plates. You will bang them up and eventually make holes then people will hate you. Maybe ban you from the range.

There is plenty of 62 gr ball (no penetrator).

For terminal ballistics, buy something that is actually designed to perform properly. Here's a discussion and some tested good loads (the poster is an unmatched expert in the field who does much work on his own dime so he can share it, vs what is secretly inside ammo makers or government testing centers) https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4344-5-56-mm-Duty-Loads

I shoot not especially high performance 62 ball, but have a quantity of 62 gr Gold Dot for self defense purposes and would use if I had to go say... hog hunting with that gun as a backup.
 
shoobe01 said:
There is significant difference in exterior ballistics as range increases. Pick one weight, stick to it. Choose that based on what your gun shoots well. Buy some more, be all zeroed enough, fire a number of 10 shot groups at close and long ranges. See which it likes better.

Green tip has a penetrator. Do NOT shoot it at steel plates. You will bang them up and eventually make holes then people will hate you. Maybe ban you from the range.

There is plenty of 62 gr ball (no penetrator).

For terminal ballistics, buy something that is actually designed to perform properly. Here's a discussion and some tested good loads (the poster is an unmatched expert in the field who does much work on his own dime so he can share it, vs what is secretly inside ammo makers or government testing centers) https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?4344-5-56-mm-Duty-Loads

I shoot not especially high performance 62 ball, but have a quantity of 62 gr Gold Dot for self defense purposes and would use if I had to go say... hog hunting with that gun as a backup.
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Thank you for the response I do appreciate that greatly. Like I said I'm new to this. I wouldn't shoot a steel tip bullet at a steel target that's just got bad news written all over it. You did answer my question though. And again thank you very much.
 
My favorite AR is set up and sighted in for 62 gr fmj. No penetrator. It is accurate and reliable, and does better with 68 to 77 gr bullets. Others are set to work with 55s, which are less expensive and as accurate at shorter ranges.
 
TGW1979 said:
Hello everybody. I hope you're all well. So I picked up an AR-15 about a week and a half ago. First one I've ever had. It came with three magazines. A 10 round magazine and a pair of 30 round magazines. One of those 30 round magazines is full of green tip 5.56 ammo. The other one has 55 grain 5.56 ammo and the 10 rounder has. 223..

I've read that the green tipped ammo is good for better penetration all around. I've also heard that there's almost no difference ballistically with the amount of damage that the 5.56 55 grain versus the 5.56 62 grain green tip does. I'm looking for individuals that have fired both that can perhaps tell me if they are so close ballistically that it doesn't matter or if there is a substantial difference between the two overall.
I'm new to the AR-15 platform and both 223 and 556 ammunition. This is my first rifle that's fired both. So I'm a bit green behind the ears if you know what I mean. Very familiar with firearms I mean I grew up around them. I've got quite a few but none of them other than my new AR-15 fires the above mentioned calibers. Thank you in advance to anybody that responds. And as always... Stay safe and God bless.
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Mag capacity is irrelevant to what we need to know to answer your question. Rate of twist is what's most relevant, then barrel length.

Terminal performance is about the same, but your rifle's rate of twist, and to a lesser extent, barrel length, will determine which of these rounds will be better for your rifle.

55 gr. M193 ammo worked fine in the 1:12" twist 20 inch barrels of the M16A1. When the M16A2 replaced the A1, the rate of twist was increased to 1:7, to better stabilize the 62 gr. M855 (and 855A1) ammo. When the M4 replaced the A2, they kept the 1:7 twist, finding it worked as well with a 14" barrel as a 20" barrel within 400 meters or so. An AR with a 1:7 barrel can still shoot M193 ammo accurately, but an AR with a 1:12 barrel will keyhole M855 within 200 meters. (I have experienced this firsthand, firing both rounds through both M16A1's and A2's.)
 
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denton said:
Since our area is seriously lacking in Russian military helmets to worry about, it's a non-issue for me.
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HEY!...Day ain't over, yet.

More seriously, all the posts here are spot on. Not that I'm a fan of either the AR or the caliber. But one thing I've noticed shooting Service Rifle, is that the AR guys all shoot heavier bullets (72 grns) at 300 and 600 yards. I'm now seeing guys shoot F Class at 600 yards with scoped ARs using the heavier bullets. I think the heavier bullets buck the wind better. Under 300, it must not matter much. (I shoot a 30 cal so, for me...meh.)

I think the green tip ammo, in general, is just not as accurate as the others, and one theory I've heard a few times is that the extra material inside (that makes it a "penetrator") is never going to be truly concentric, which is going to introduce wobble in flight. Note: I've never seen anything to prove that, but it sounds plausible.

I think for general plinking, any of it is fine, and the 55 grn is cheaper. For match shooting, neither is preferred.
 
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entropy said:
55 gr. M193 ammo worked fine in the 1:12" twist 20 inch barrels of the M16A1. When the M16A2 replaced the A1, the rate of twist was increased to 1:7, to better stabilize the 62 gr. M855 (and 855A1) ammo.
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Actually it isn't the 62Gr M855 (SS109) that needs the 1-7 twist to stabilize. The 1-7 twist is required for the M856 tracer to properly stabilize since it is a bit longer than the M855.

For the OP, shoot both and see which bullet weight your rifle prefers. Just remember that M193 and M855 ammo is not the most accurate.
 
TGW1979 said:
Hello everybody. I hope you're all well. So I picked up an AR-15 about a week and a half ago. First one I've ever had. It came with three magazines. A 10 round magazine and a pair of 30 round magazines. One of those 30 round magazines is full of green tip 5.56 ammo. The other one has 55 grain 5.56 ammo and the 10 rounder has. 223..

I've read that the green tipped ammo is good for better penetration all around. I've also heard that there's almost no difference ballistically with the amount of damage that the 5.56 55 grain versus the 5.56 62 grain green tip does. I'm looking for individuals that have fired both that can perhaps tell me if they are so close ballistically that it doesn't matter or if there is a substantial difference between the two overall.
I'm new to the AR-15 platform and both 223 and 556 ammunition. This is my first rifle that's fired both. So I'm a bit green behind the ears if you know what I mean. Very familiar with firearms I mean I grew up around them. I've got quite a few but none of them other than my new AR-15 fires the above mentioned calibers. Thank you in advance to anybody that responds. And as always... Stay safe and God bless.
Click to expand...
Nice rifle. I was also late to the AR party and now have, well.....more than a few, lets say. :D

Who made you lower receiver? Its unusual because it has a QD swivel mount machined directly into the forging.
 
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My ARs generally shoot 55 gr. lighter and a hair more accurately, but I prefer the little heavier weight of the 62 grain. The accuracy difference isn't enough to worry about.
 
12Bravo20 said:
Actually it isn't the 62Gr M855 (SS109) that needs the 1-7 twist to stabilize. The 1-7 twist is required for the M856 tracer to properly stabilize since it is a bit longer than the M855.

For the OP, shoot both and see which bullet weight your rifle prefers. Just remember that M193 and M855 ammo is not the most accurate.
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<Ed McMahon voice> You are correct, Sir!</Ed McMahon voice> Since most civilian shooters don't use M856, I used the ball round as a comparison. I do know M855 does keyhole from the A1's 1:12 twist barrel. I suspect it requires at least 1:9 to properly spin them.
 
entropy said:
<Ed McMahon voice> You are correct, Sir!</Ed McMahon voice> Since most civilian shooters don't use M856, I used the ball round as a comparison. I do know M855 does keyhole from the A1's 1:12 twist barrel. I suspect it requires at least 1:9 to properly spin them.
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1:9, especially with a 20 or 24 inch barrel can stabilize a lot of the heavier bullets. Even 1:10 with the absurdly long barrel on the sg 550-1 can handle 69 gr bullets.
 
Here's what I know. My rifle does not shoot 62gr ammo well. It's not horrible, but it's meh at best. 55gr does just fine, and it really loves 77gr. But I can afford, or find, 77gr Match Kings to feed it on a regular basis. So I stick with 55gr and it works just fine.
 
The biggest variable is the manufacturer of the specific ammunition in question, and what a particular gun "likes". With a difference in bullet weight, you will need to adjust zero, no matter the other factors. US mil green tip (M855) tends to have significant inconsistencies in performance lot # to lot # from an accuracy standard, in my experience. US mil 55 grain (M193) tends to be more consistent but not loaded as hot. Regarding penetration (the ability to put a hole in a "soft target") any 5.56/223 will accel at this.
 
55gr M193 penetrates windshield glass slightly better than 62gr M855. One explanation is M193 is propelled about 100 fps faster.

Another explanation is the tip of M855 bends when it hits windshield glass, due to the small steel penetrator tip, causing the bullet to yaw as it passes through the glass, exposing more surface area to the glass, which slows it down and causes it to fragment. This characteristic of the M855 bullet was discovered by Liberty Ammunition and they designed a better bullet. The Army more-or-less stole Liberty's bullet design and it's now the M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round ("bronze tip").
 
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Asking a rather dumb question, but if one has a rather large stash (like 3 full spam cases of it), of M855, 62 gr, green tipped ammo, what is the best use for it with the exception of just plinking?
 
loadedround said:
Asking a rather dumb question, but if one has a rather large stash (like 3 full spam cases of it), of M855, 62 gr, green tipped ammo, what is the best use for it with the exception of just plinking?
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Penetrating lightly armored targets at a distance with reasonable accuracy. At least that's what it was designed for.
 
loadedround said:
Asking a rather dumb question, but if one has a rather large stash (like 3 full spam cases of it), of M855, 62 gr, green tipped ammo, what is the best use for it with the exception of just plinking?
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I'd sit on them and wait and shoot commercial bullets while I'm waiting. People used to have similar quantities of the old black tipped .30 cal projectiles laying around and they got bored and shot them into refrigerators and abandoned cars and other such things-plinking. And now they're significantly more valuable. Maybe the ss109s become more valuable, maybe they don't but I don't see any reason to shoot my stockpile of them into the dirt.
 
TGW1979 said:
Hello everybody. I hope you're all well. So I picked up an AR-15 about a week and a half ago. First one I've ever had. It came with three magazines. A 10 round magazine and a pair of 30 round magazines. One of those 30 round magazines is full of green tip 5.56 ammo. The other one has 55 grain 5.56 ammo and the 10 rounder has. 223..

I've read that the green tipped ammo is good for better penetration all around. I've also heard that there's almost no difference ballistically with the amount of damage that the 5.56 55 grain versus the 5.56 62 grain green tip does. I'm looking for individuals that have fired both that can perhaps tell me if they are so close ballistically that it doesn't matter or if there is a substantial difference between the two overall.
I'm new to the AR-15 platform and both 223 and 556 ammunition. This is my first rifle that's fired both. So I'm a bit green behind the ears if you know what I mean. Very familiar with firearms I mean I grew up around them. I've got quite a few but none of them other than my new AR-15 fires the above mentioned calibers. Thank you in advance to anybody that responds. And as always... Stay safe and God bless.
Click to expand...
Barrel length will play a part in any comparison of the external ballistics of either projectile. The .223/5.56 has always been highly dependent on velocity for maximum terminal effects. It doesn't rely on bullet mass like a 7.62x39. That's why the original M16A1 had a 20" barrel, not a 14.5" barrel. Somewhere along the line, longer barrels fell out of favor. Everyone wanted an M4. I never did. I like more velocity. It might not be completely necessary but more velocity is just better than less with 5.56mm. This will be especially evident with heavier bullets like the ss109 green tipped bullet and no matter what you do, the longer barrel is always going to be capable of achieving a higher velocity and, thus, better terminal effects at longer effective ranges. These effects could include penetration capability or fragmentation effects or both. I'm building an AR15 right now with a 20" barrel. Velocities that fall less than published reloading data are just disappointing.
 
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