Buying a bolt action 223 but can I shoot 5.56 out of it too?

[17 squirrel]

My Rem 700 PSS has shot mostly LC 5.56 since I've owned it. Never had a problem with LC, get 3/4" - 1" groups @ 100 yds with LC.

Only problem is, @ 200 yds the accuracy w/62 gr M855 opens up to about 1-1/2 to 2 MOA and gets worse rapidly at distances beyond that.

If you have a PSS the twist in most of them was 1"-12". And with that slow twist and the long length of the M855 bullet ( because of the steel core ) you will loose yaw and tumble pretty quick.
I also have a PSS and it will loose yaw and tumble within 30' of leaving the barrel shooting SS109 ammo. ( and my Cooper is the same, it will shoot 8' group at 100 yds ) It loves Sierra 60 grainers and any other bullet down to 45 grains.
I think some of the 700P's have had a 1"-9" twist ,,.

My 700P that I described above, has FACTORY STANDARD 1/9" twist which is fine for 62gr. I shoot 68, 69 and 75gr in it also.

Ok, so you start with having a 700 PSS. And then you have a 700 P ?
Have you figured out what rifle you really have ?/
The 700 PSS is the first gen of that rifle, and has a slow varmint twist.
The 700 P that you now say you have is more modern and like I said has a faster twist. Two different rifles = two different twists.
If your rifle is loosing accuracy after two hundred yards with 855 bullets you are not pushing them fast enough. As crappy as the bullet is you should not be loosing yaw and accuracy at two hundred... After 4 to 5 hundred , yes
JMHO

 

[sloughfoot]

All 55 grain Military (5.56) or commercial (.223) ammo is identical in dimensions, pressure, and velocity. It can be used interchangeably. .223 chamber or whatever. Ever since the introduction of the cartridge 50 years ago. I was there. I have many thousands of TCAAP 1972 55 grain 5.56 ammo and also Remington 55 .223 FMC ammo. It all the same.

5.56 NATO is a completely different ammo. It was introduced in the late 1980's. It is a 62 grain penetrator bullet that is pushed to a faster speed than the 55 grain loads using crazy amounts of pressure. This ammo should never be regulary fired out of a .223 chamber unless it is a Wylde or similar modified chamber. Even so, most .223 bolt action rifles don't have a fast enough twist to stabilize the bullet, so it is a mute point.

Things were designed that way. Slow twist .223 barrels won't stabilize that heavier and longer NATO rounds. That is why only 12 twist barrels were the only barrels offered on factory .223 chambered barrels for many years. That is a way of discouraging the use of the high pressure NATO round. The action of any bolt action rifle is certainly strong enough to take the pressure, but the bullet that starts tumbling the moment it leaves the muzzle shows that it is pointless to use that ammo.

 

[ru44mag]

All 55 grain Military (5.56) or commercial (.223) ammo is identical in dimensions, pressure, and velocity. It can be used interchangeably. .223 chamber or whatever. Ever since the introduction of the cartridge 50 years ago. I was there. I have many thousands of TCAAP 1972 55 grain 5.56 ammo and also Remington 55 .223 FMC ammo. It all the same.

5.56 NATO is a completely different ammo. It was introduced in the late 1980's. It is a 62 grain penetrator bullet that is pushed to a faster speed than the 55 grain loads using crazy amounts of pressure. This ammo should never be regulary fired out of a .223 chamber unless it is a Wylde or similar modified chamber. Even so, most .223 bolt action rifles don't have a fast enough twist to stabilize the bullet, so it is a mute point.

Things were designed that way. Slow twist .223 barrels won't stabilize that heavier and longer NATO rounds. That is why only 12 twist barrels were the only barrels offered on factory .223 chambered barrels for many years. That is a way of discouraging the use of the high pressure NATO round. The action of any bolt action rifle is certainly strong enough to take the pressure, but the bullet that starts tumbling the moment it leaves the muzzle shows that it is pointless to use that ammo.

Great info!

 

[Indycar:v1.1]

Ok, so you start with having a 700 PSS. And then you have a 700 P ?
Have you figured out what rifle you really have ?/
The 700 PSS is the first gen of that rifle, and has a slow varmint twist.
The 700 P that you now say you have is more modern and like I said has a faster twist. Two different rifles = two different twists.
If your rifle is loosing accuracy after two hundred yards with 855 bullets you are not pushing them fast enough. As crappy as the bullet is you should not be loosing yaw and accuracy at two hundred... After 4 to 5 hundred , yes
JMHO

I don't know where you are getting your info, 700PSS in .223 did have a 1/9 twist and so does the 700P. Neither rifle is marked 700PSS or 700P on the gun. When I bought it, was during the transition time between the two. Go troll someone else you squirel!

 

[jwh20]

As noted a 5.56 mm rifle will safely shoot .223 but shooting 5.56 in a .223 gun is NOT necessarily safe.

Some hold that a .223 only rifle shooting .223 is inherently more accurate than a 5.56 gun shooting either round and for some, who are a lot better than I am, this may be the case.

If in doubt of the Remington 700 in .223 is safe with 5.56 ammo, your best bet is to follow Remington's advice. Check with them to be 100% sure. I know they make the 700 is many calibers and it would really surprise me if at least one of those options isn't a 5.56 model. If Remington says NO on 5.56 in their .223 700 model and you want the option to shoot 5.56, which can be less expensive than .223 ammo at times, then find a rifle that is marked 5.56 or 5.56/.223. The good news is that there are many choices.