Hey all -

I just got done reading through MOST of the articles posted on the "Wound ballistics" Thread

And I know I might be steering up the bees hive here - But I'm just wondering if anyone ever worries about the "put down" power of the .223 round

Ive never been in a war  - Nor in a Defense situation where ive had to pull the trigger - So ive never shot an AR with the intent of bringing something down -

Just wondering what everones thoughts were . . . .

Also I know we has some Ex-Military and Current Military guys in here - I would like to hear what there training told them about bullet placement and lethality of .223 round . . .

Personally, in BCT my DSes stressed the 5.56N was not meant to kill, it was meant to wound, because a wounded soldier can be used to gather intelligence, or to slow down other enemies trying to help them.

I don't believe this is true, I believe it was an accidental effect.  The 5.56N round was designed to kill, it just was better at wounding.  The velocity of the 5.56N is high enough to incude shock in most people given a good hit, the shock will kill you.  The military is also moving up to higher weight ammunition as it's been discovered that the heavier stuff is far more lethal.

In my opinion and experience, if you want more lethal 5.56N, go with 62gr or better.  It WILL work.  As always though, shot placement is key, and your mileage may vary.

Sigh......here we go again.



You both need to read the Ammo Oracle.....it's not the end all be all but it's a great start.

The 5.56 round can be very lethal when using the right ammo, like HP's.  Shot placement is almost everything and when a 5.56 round is placed in the right spot it will kill.

A couple of days ago I read an article/story in American Handgunner about the lethality of the 5.56.  A federal agent was going on a raid with a military team in Iraq in which he was armed with a M4 loaded with 5.56 federal 55gr hp's.  The agent was sent to guard a back door while the military team went in the front.  As the team entered the house some of the terrorist starting going out the back where the federal agent was waiting.  At different times 6 terrorists came out the back door and the agent pumped two rounds into each one as they came out.  He ended up killing all 6 with no more than two shots to eack terrorist and a couple of them where killed with one shot.

People who say the 5.56 is not a deadly round are either ill informed of just plain clueless.

Quoted: Sigh......here we go again. You both need to read the Ammo Oracle.....it's not the end all be all but it's a great start.

To anyone that would argue with Drill Sergeants:
Half right, FACE!  Front leaning rest position, MOVE!

Quoted: Personally, in BCT my DSes stressed the 5.56N was not meant to kill, it was meant to wound, because a wounded soldier can be used to gather intelligence, or to slow down other enemies trying to help them. I don't believe this is true, I believe it was an accidental effect.  The 5.56N round was designed to kill, it just was better at wounding.  The velocity of the 5.56N is high enough to incude shock in most people given a good hit, the shock will kill you.  The military is also moving up to higher weight ammunition as it's been discovered that the heavier stuff is far more lethal. In my opinion and experience, if you want more lethal 5.56N, go with 62gr or better.  It WILL work.  As always though, shot placement is key, and your mileage may vary.

You DS is a DF.

Quoted: The 5.56 round can be very lethal when using the right ammo, like HP's.  Shot placement is almost everything and when a 5.56 round is placed in the right spot it will kill. A couple of days ago I read an article/story in American Handgunner about the lethality of the 5.56.  A federal agent was going on a raid with a military team in Iraq in which he was armed with a M4 loaded with 5.56 federal 55gr hp's.  The agent was sent to guard a back door while the military team went in the front.  As the team entered the house some of the terrorist starting going out the back where the federal agent was waiting.  At different times 6 terrorists came out the back door and the agent pumped two rounds into each one as they came out.  He ended up killing all 6 with no more than two shots to eack terrorist and a couple of them where killed with one shot. People who say the 5.56 is not a deadly round are either ill informed of just plain clueless.

And that's not even the good stuff!

Right or wrong, they wore the Ranger scroll, I didn't.