at what distance does a .223 become = a 22lr?

[MyRoad]

Does anyone know at what distance (in yards) the average .223 would have the same energy as a 22LR would at the barrel? I suppose more useful would be the 22lr at about 25 yards.

All of these bull-barrel AR's and Bolt action varmint rifles are encouraging people to try longer and longer shots, and I'm wondering when .223 becomes about as effective as a 22lr, in case you're trying to hit something other than paper. I suppose if you are hunting rabbits at 400 yards, if the .223 still has the energy of a 22lr you're doing fine.

Also, what is the the ft.-lbs. needed to stop a "man-sized" target from a .223, and at what distance from say a standard 16" barrel AR using mil-surp 556 ammo would be the distance/limit of that effective energy? I understand this question is not very 'scientific', but even if we use a shot to the heart or head as the variable, is there a known or accepted effective range?

Lastly, can anyone recommend a website that shows bullet drop and energy loss per distance from various rifle calibers?

 

[yenchisks]

not sure ,but i shot a 55 gal drum at 25 yards with a 22lr hp falled to penetrate ,just went through one side and left a dent on the other,same 55gal drum @ 600yards 223rem total penetration,so it must be some were past 600 yds

 

[LiamAce]

Maybe, but a .223 bullet has a pretty tough jacket over it, so maybe a .223 at the same velocity as the .22LR would have penetrated.

 

[rcmodel]

http://www.federalpremium.com/resources/ballistics_application.aspx

rcmodel

 

[Claude Clay]

by the time a 223 gets to 100 lbs of energy it is already plowing the ground

 

[rcmodel]

A .223 55 grain A-Max started at 3,000 FPS would still have enough velocity & penetration to kill you well past 800 yards.
(979fps, 111 ft/lb)

A 68 grain BTHP started at 2,800 FPS would do the same past 1,000 yards.
(1,022fps, 158 ft/lb)

rcmodel

 

[elChupacabra!]

Here is a link to a mirror of the Ammo Oracle, one of the more helpful sources of data on .223 Rem / 5.56x45mm ammunition I've found.

http://www.razoreye.net/mirror/ammo-oracle/AR15_com_Ammo_Oracle_Mirror.htm

It's quite good reading and answers alot of questions, including some you may not have even thought of!

 

[Soybomb]

Once the bullet falls below fragmentation velocity you'll see a significant reduction in wounding capability. The distance for that to happen will depend on the round and the gun.

 

[MyRoad]

Thanks for all the info. I am trying to sift the fact from the fiction, trying to see when the so-called "poodle-shooter" round actually becomes ineffective, while keeping the discussion on measurable information.

elChupacabra! -- that link will keep me reading for days! looks like lots of good info though, thanks for that. It might just contain all the info I need...

 

[rcmodel]

Suffice it to say a .223/5.56 will kill, are make the BG leak awful bad, a lot further then most folks can hit anything with it.

rcmodel

 

[Rovi]

According to my copy of the Sierra Infinity Suite, a 55 grain .223 bullet will be going approx. 900 Ft/Sec and carrying 100 Ft/Lbs of energy out at around 800 yards.

 

[KBintheSLC]

I think it would be much farther than you or I could ever shoot accurately at. As mentioned above... 800-1000 yards-ish. Doubtful that any man could hit a rabbit at that range.

 

[MyRoad]

According to this graph from the link elChupacabra! provided, the bullet drop at 800 meters is in the neighborhood of 250+ inches! So, yes, it would be awfully difficult to imagine estimating aiming 20+ft. high in order to hit anything as small as a rabbit at that distance. If that chart is accurate, at about 500 meters you'd be aiming about 5 feet above your intended POI. As far as I'm concerned, that's about the outset of the effective range. And using this chart as a guide, I'd like to keep my shots with .223 within 300 yards.



It is a bit odd the way this chart goes from inches vertically to metric/meters horizontally. I just noticed that.

 

[jbech123]

According to this graph from the link elChupacabra! provided, the bullet drop at 800 meters is in the neighborhood of 250+ inches! So, yes, it would be awfully difficult to imagine estimating aiming 20+ft. high in order to hit anything as small as a rabbit at that distance.

A 308 has nearly 400 inches of drop at 1000yds, and people use them for 1000yd shooting all the time. Usually you don't "aim high" with those type of holdovers, you dial it in on your turret. Now that said, you'd need to be good to hit a rabbit at that range, but hitting a person size target is certainly doable.