Is it a bad idea to shoot 5.56 nato in a Savage .223 LE rifle ?

I ask because I have a lot of it on hand. I'm certain the receiver will withstand the add'l pressure and I think a LE gun should be capable of firing either round safely. Thanks in advance!

5.56 in a .223, as a general rule, is okay. The opposite is not, however, due to the shoulder of the cartridge.

other way around. It is a bad idea to put 556 in a 223 chamber but it is ok to put 223 in a 556 chamber. With 308 win it is ok to put 7.62x51 in 308 chamber but bad idea to put 308 win in a 7.62x51 chamber due to higher pressures. the 556 also has different freebore than a 223

I would assume you would be fine with a 556 in a bolt gun just make sure it chambers properly when you work the bolt. But I would ask an expert which I am not.

This subject has always been ridiculously overexaggerated. I have shot both 5.56 and .223 in both bolt guns and autos and have never in any way noticed the slightest of pressure signs. The only issue that could occur is if military contractors admit to carelessly loading 5.56 ammo with ridiculously fast powder. Any careless reloader could pull this trick off.

BTW.........why shoot s**tty ammo in an accurate gun. I can see a standard AR, but not a good bolt gun.

Who said anything about low quality 5.56 NATO? The stash I spoke of is Black Hills 5.56 match.

haha well than by all means. shoot away ;D

Shoot and enjoy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveinwv

Shoot and enjoy.

---

I'm with you steve.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beradon

Black Hills 5.56 match.

---

:o


Yikes, don't forget to save the brass. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by steveinwv

This subject has always been ridiculously overexaggerated. I have shot both 5.56 and .223 in both bolt guns and autos and have never in any way noticed the slightest of pressure signs. The only issue that could occur is if military contractors admit to carelessly loading 5.56 ammo with ridiculously fast powder. Any careless reloader could pull this trick off.

BTW.........why shoot s**tty ammo in an accurate gun. I can see a standard AR, but not a good bolt gun.

---

My thoughts exactly.....the proof loads for 5.56 Nato and .223 Rem are the same.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by firemachine69

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beradon

Black Hills 5.56 match.

---

:o


Yikes, don't forget to save the brass. :D

---

I have tons of Black Hills match brass and half the primers are loose after the first firing. It doesn't get worse with subsequent reloading so I suspect that the pockets are fairly loose from the factory. BTW....my brass was not factory crimped. Crimped type may not have this problem.

>>>
other way around. It is a bad idea to put 556 in a 223 chamber but it is ok to put 223 in a 556 chamber. With 308 win it is ok to put 7.62x51 in 308 chamber but bad idea to put 308 win in a 7.62x51 chamber due to higher pressures. the 556 also has different freebore than a 223
>>>

Whatever. Get wound up about nothing and have fun. I've shot a ton of LC 556 and 762 in my FP10-LE1A's, that's one reason I bought them (cheap milsurp brass). M118 LR shoots OK in my 308, M855 shoots worse in my 223 (.9 MOA? GARBAGE!). Big deal, both have good brass and when I bought the ammo it was still cheap surplus.

I've bought and shot Black Hills blue box for years (again back when it was cheap), and the only issue I've had with reloading their LC brass is they don't always get it right as to the source - when a piece of 556 brass breaks in two about 15 mm up from the case head, I figure that round came out of a SAW. Ultramax also uses LC brass, they clearly cut their primer pocket crimps while BH seems to swage them. I shot a TINY 3 shot group with Ultramax 308/762 168 gr HPBT (I think Nosler bullets) while I was sighting in my 308 FP10 after changing rings. That was a fluke, admittedly, since I don't like reman ammo and it violates my paradigm. I like crummy remanufactured ammo that uses good brass.

I dunno what 556 brass BH uses, but their 308 Win is Winchester, or was when I bought 500 rds cheap. I did a weight comparison run of 100 pieces of Black Hills Match 308 against a 100 piece bag of virgin Winchester brass, the average was identical but the spread was higher on the commercial vs the once fired BH. Considering how much junk I take out of the primer flash holes on commercial brass, that might have been the source of the difference right there - shoot it once and the junk will burn off.

Don't shoot cheap milsurp ammo in rifles chambered for those same caliber (223 Rem and 308 Win) because you'll be running the risk of putting our ammunition makers out of business!!

Regards,
Brian in CA

I wasn't getting wound up. just saying what I have read. thats why I said I wasn't an expert because it turns out it don't really matter