What is your longest shot with a 5.56 rifle?

...to say nothing about the effective range of a Mk.12/SPR/S-DMR...

500 meters, iron sights.

Ive made shots in Iraq out to a little over 400 meters in Iraq with my M16 SDMR using M262. I've also shot target such as vehicles out to around 800 meters using the rifle. Ive shot Iraqi military trucks with a SAW out to around 1200 meters.

I've shot my 16" AR with an 3x ACOG to 600 using 62 grain. I've also shot my 18" SPR to 1k with 77gr. Shooting steel, mostly 12x18" or so. It's not that difficult, but the wind is the real issue.

Hunterdad said:

That's obviously an opinion. Perhaps you shouldn't make it sound like a fact for all the inexperienced guys on here looking for "good" information. Its comments like that, that will make a forum lose credibility.

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Yes, it is my opinion based on my experience, just as I'm sure you have an opinion. I have owned a few 5.56 rifles, how about you? Sure, you can kill paper and cardboard at 600 yards with a 5.56 but how about game? I've used the 5.56 for groundhog hunting and my experience is 300 yards. I probably should have been more specific.

Now, tell us about your longest shots with the 5.56 and then you'll have credibility, you never even admitted to firing a 5.56. Noticed you had nothing to offer but disagreement.

500 yards
Open sights
thank you USMC

C'Thulhu said:

500 meters, iron sights.

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Yep!

A bunch of X ring hits at 600 yards prone with iron signts. Some guys on the line (and probably on this forum) can shoot a very humbling 10 shot group at 600 yards.

At best the 5.56 is a 300 yard cartridge, beyond that it's a crap shoot.

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Well then you're not familiar with the U.S. Marine Corps 500m firing line. If you know what you're doing, you can easily and confidently hit man-sized silhouette targets. 300 yards is no where close to the 5.56's potential.

If you search "blackwater al Najaf sniper" or some similar combinations, you'll come up with a video or two of Travis Haley making hits on insurgents out to 800 meters, according to the spotter.

The 223 in a decent long-range loading has more energy at 500 yards than a typical 230 grain 45 acp load at the muzzle. It also has more energy than a 22 WMR at the muzzle shot out of a rifle. Therefore it ought to be at least good enough to kill a house cat out to 500 yards.

I have shot targets at 500 yards and they were MOA range, best was 3 7/8" for 5.

I have a 700 sps in 223 that I have shot out to 400 yards with decent results.

I’ve shot in rifle matches out to 1000yds with my bolt gun equipped with metallic sights. I’ll be the first to admit it is not the ideal cartridge but then it gets there.

My farthest decent hit ratio was 575 meter, 24 in square plate. I was able to get 7 out of 10 on the plate, slow fire with 4X12 scope. My farthest shot at a critter was 325 yard shot on Pdog in Montana. That was a real rush for me. Only did it once but it was great fun.

On my ranch we have a 1000 yard rifle range, but more often than not our big " can you hit that rock over there" target is Paiute Rock.

From my Line Shack (in the fore ground) Paiute Rock measures at 900 yards with my Bushnell Range Finder.



It's roughly the size of a very small refrigerator - just big enough for a man to hide behind - and it has been shot at and hit with everything from 5.56 rifles to 44 magnum revolvers.

Tellya what, shooting at Paiute Rock with a 223 is a waste of ammo... PERIOD. Personally, I wouldn't own a 223 if I didn't already have the one I bought for my late wife.

Now, what really takes chunks out of the rock at 600- 900 yards with AMAZING regularity is my Shiloh Sharps. The venerable 45-70 is so heavy and consistent that once I dial in the sights, anyone who can lift it decided they're Matthew Quigley - I have to ration 45-70 ammo.

My youngest with my Sharps - you can see that Soule Sight is half way up the staff... :

400y is as far as my range goes. I've only shot that distance 3 times but shot sub-moa each time with 69g Matchkings. Groups were 3,4 and 5 shots.

1000yds the gong at the end looked to be about 24" (I was not about to walk down there and check in a new mexico summer heat). Pretty consistently ringing it with a mini-14 1:7 twist and a 4x scope. Once you got the hold over it was pretty fun. Also hit it once or twice with a 1911 carbine conversion .45acp (I think we were holding at least 25 degrees above the target). That darn conversion has sat in the safe since we got home (illegal to assemble here).

I read somewhere the 5.56 was originally created to go through a Russian helmet at 500 meters, out of a 20 inch barrel.

500 yards at a US Air Force Range when I was an ROTC cadet.

I read somewhere the 5.56 was originally created to go through a Russian helmet at 500 meters, out of a 20 inch barrel.

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I dunno about all that. I'm not going to sit here and knock the terminal effectiveness of it, because I certainly wouldn't like to be shot at with it at any range. That said, from my experience and readings, it's RELIABLE casualty causing range seems to fall in line with other intermediate calibers, which is best around 300 meters.

Now this isn't a slight against the cartridge. 300 meters is the farthest most engagements occur, so it's perfectly suited for that. And different ammo selection such as the Mk262 can change that by a good bit. And again I should state that this is a generalized experience, not a scientific statement (though if anyone wants to help with a grant, I can make it one).

right around 1000 yds with an ACOG from an M4. We were having a little fun after some training overseas. It took a shots to get on target but we could consistently hit 3x3 hesco barriers.

Really long shots are taken in places you wouldnt wanna go to verify them.

That being said, the M1A2 I shot worked just fine out to 500m.

I can tell you that I have routinely hit e-type silhouettes at 300 with irons.

My farthest hit on a prairie dog was at about 420, give or take a bit. It was paced off, but my pace count has always been pretty good.