Maximum range of projectiles?

[Deadman]

As we all know even the humble .22lr is capable of being fired out to one mile/2km. Or so it says on the packaging.

My question is, what is the absolute maximum range of larger calibres such as .223 and .308?
For simplicities sake we'll consider mil. type fmj cartridges (ie 62grn 5.56 and 147grn 7.62x51).

I ask purely for the information, there wouldn't much point doing so in practice of course.

 

[taliv]

max range for the 50bmg is supposed to be around 7000m. (with max effective range around 4000m) iirc

 

[Titan6]

Deadman- I am not trying to mean but that is kind of like asking how far a car will drive on a tank of gas.

Every round is different and the same brand and type shot through a different length barrel or a different type of rifiling will go a different distance. It really depends on too many different factors to consider a standard maximum range.

 

[Car Knocker]

Q: M60 effective range is listed as 1100 meters but a 7.62mm range is 3735 meters. Why the difference?
A: Barrowing from military experience within the NATO arena MMG's are primarily employed from their integral bipod mount, i.e. as a light support weapon, and firing techniques are effective out to 800 meters. The 800 meters of "effective range", when an MMG is used as a light support weapon is a good method of evaluation, as 800 meters is about the maximum range a 7.62 ball round will penetrate an M1, U.S., steel helmet. Helmet penetration is a common aspect of determining effective maximum effective range. For U.S. 7.62mm NATO ammunition the maximum range of ball projectiles is 3,725 meters. However at this range, the projectile is not considered lethal by military definition.
http://www.usord.com/FAQ_USORD.html

 

[Tony Williams]

Figures I have for the maximum ballistic range of the 5.56mm are 2,650m for the M193 and 3,300-3,600m for the M855. These figures can be drastically affected by head or tail winds.

These ranges will be achieved by elevating the barrel to the optimum angle for maximum possible range - usually in the region of 30-35 degrees.

The practical or effective range is that at which you stand a reasonable chance of (1) hitting and (2) damaging the target. For the 5.56mm, this is generally regarded as being around 600m.