.223 Remington vs .308 Winchester
Hey all, today we are going to talk about two popular rifle cartridges, the .223 Remington and the .308 Winchester. Both of these popular commercial loadings have NATO adopted relatives which have helped bolster their reputation.
Both cartridges have persisted in common use with shooters for decades and will serve you well in this day and age. Today we are going to give a brief overview of the two calibers while also discussing their use cases and other traits. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
.223 Remington
The .223 Remington, often referred to as the .223 Rem, is one of the most common rifle calibers in the United States. As an intermediate rifle cartridge, .223 Rem loadings will produce a light recoil impulse and feature a light projectile. The rounds will typically yield a high velocity and feature a flat trajectory.
While the cartridge and its NATO cousin have seen duty use, the .223 Rem has also established itself as a capable round as far as target shooting and hunting go as well. The round is enjoyed by shooters, both new and experienced, due to the light recoil and overall performance afforded by the cartridge.
.308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester is a long-standing rifle cartridge which is very common in the United States. As a full-sized rifle cartridge, the .308 Winchester will feature a heavier projectile and produce a stout recoil impulse. Generally, one will see flat trajectories and high velocities with this caliber.
The round has seen widespread use in military and law enforcement applications and has established itself as a capable battle rifle and marksman cartridge.
Firearms That Use .223 Remington
Many firearms can be found in a .223 Rem chambering in today’s market. One thing to consider with this caliber is that one can utilize .223 Rem in firearms chambered in the 5.56x45mm cartridge. Put simply, if you are shooting a rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm, you can shoot .223 Rem in it as well.
The inverse, however, is not true. 5.56x45mm ammunition cannot be used in .223 Rem chambered firearms. While there are not as many semi-automatic firearms chambered in .223 Rem as there are in 5.56x45mm, there are still some options which only accommodate the .223 Rem on the market today. One will typically find .223 Rem chambered rifles in the form of bolt action rifles.
Firearms That Use .308 Winchester
One can find a variety of firearms on the market today that are chambered in the .308 Winchester cartridge. These offerings can range from semi-automatic offerings to common manual action styles such as bolt action and lever action forms.
Something to note is that firearms chambered in .308 Winchester will also accommodate the 7.62x51mm cartridge. This allows users of these firearms to benefit from two different ammunition pools. While one can fire 7.62x51mm in a .308 Winchester chambered firearm, one cannot utilize .308 Winchester ammunition in 7.62x51mm chambered firearms.
Availability of .223 Remington Ammunition
One can find a wide variety of .223 Rem ammunition on the market. One can typically find .223 Rem in a grain range of 55 to 77 grains. One will find common projectiles such as full metal jacket (FMJ) and jacketed hollow point (JHP) options alongside more exotic and specialized offerings such as Hornady V-Max projectiles.
One can easily find purpose-built ammunition to fill roles such as hunting, precision shooting, and self-defense. All in all, one will be able to consider a wide scope of ammunition when wanting to stock up on ammo.
Availability of .308 Winchester Ammunition
When it comes to .308 Winchester ammunition, one will encounter a considerable number of options on the market. Typical grain weights for the .308 Winchester will often range from 147 to 180 grains. The round is very common and can easily be found in most places one can find firearms.
Projectiles include the typical FMJ and hollow point examples along with other offerings such as Hornady ELD Match bullets which are meant to enhance the round’s accuracy. Whether you’re looking for hunting ammunition or target loads or something else, you will find what you need.
Usage of .223 Remington
The .223 Rem is a versatile cartridge that can be employed in a number of roles. One can utilize bulk ammunition, often in FMJ form for plinking and general target shooting purposes. If the proper load is utilized, the .223 Rem excels when it comes to small game hunting and varmint hunting. With the right loadings, the round is particularly popular and useful when it comes to dispatching feral hogs.
As far as target loads go, one will often find heavier grain projectiles, such as 77 grain Open Tip Match (OTM) projectiles, which are well-suited to shooing at extended distances.
Usage of .308 Winchester
The .308 Winchester has often been used for target shooting and hunting purposes for decades. Throughout the 20th century, many “marksman” type rifles were chambered in the caliber and employed by military and law enforcement personnel.
When properly optimized firearms are paired with specialty ammunition, the .308 Winchester can be utilized to produce exceptional and repeatable accuracy at extended ranges. The round excels in when it comes to hunting as it is capable of dispatching larger game.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, both the .223 Rem and .308 Winchester cartridges will serve you well. One can consider a variety of firearms and loads in both calibers to best suit their particular needs. No matter which caliber you shoot, we here at True Shot have you covered and offer a good variety of both .223 Rem and .308 Winchester ammunition to feed your guns.
At the end of the day, we want everyone to be the best shooter they can be and stand ready with ammunition and information to help you in this regard. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at [email protected] for more ammo options.
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One Response
Useful info I didn’t know you could use 7.62 in the 308 good article thanks