Cheap 5.56 Ammo: How to Make Your Ammo Search More Fruitful
In the world of centerfire rifle cartridges, 5.56 is one of the cheapest out there. Add to this the fact that the majority of AR-15 rifles in the country are chambered in it, and you have some pretty steep demand.
Of course, that also means there is pretty steep supply, which produces widespread availability that keeps things cheap. But that’s not always enough to keep the prices down, and over the last few years, we’ve seen historically high ammo prices.
With that being the case, if you landed here because you want to elevate your hunt for a deal to an art form, here are some things you can do to keep prices down on already cheap 5.56 ammo.
Buy Surplus
This is a NATO standard cartridge, which means manufacturers have government contracts to produce it for official sources. This means there is a huge amount of production of this cartridge for the military.
Not all of it gets used. Some of it gets sold secondhand to the civilian market, and often at steep discounts because either manufacturers or sellers want to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
Be flexible with the loads you buy, too, unless you need it for some niche shooting discipline. Beggars can’t be choosers, and with respect to surplus ammo, we’re all sort of beggars.
Buy Unpopular or Niche Loads
Keep your boat-tailed open-tip match grade 5.56 ammo for competition and long-range shooting. For plinking and range therapy, you don’t need the fancy stuff. You just need ammo that goes off when you drop the hammer.
Consider specialized or niche loads you may be able to get in bulk or as surplus, such as green tip 5.56 or frangible bullets. If you can get these as surplus or in a bulk deal, then you just found your ticket to cheap 5.56 ammo.
Of course, be aware there are limits to some of these things. For instance, you might get a really good deal on green tip 5.56 ammo, but it’s not good for hunting or defensive applications, and some ranges won’t even allow it because of the risk of ricochet or damage to steel targets and target frames.
Buy Steel-Cased 5.56
One way to secure cheap 5.56 ammo is to get virgin-brass cased loads, save the brass, and reload it. Another is to skip that and to go straight for steel-cased 5.56 ammo.
Granted, brass-cased ammo generally exhibits higher quality, but if all you’re doing is plinking, who cares? Steel-cased ammo is cheaper and if you don’t reload, it shouldn’t make that much of a difference if it makes a difference at all.
One more thing: there is a myth that steel-cased ammo can damage your gun. It is just that - a myth, and a myth only. Steel-cased ammo is made with annealed steel, which means it is softened. It will not damage your gun or your chamber.
Buy in Bulk
Lastly, the best way to get a good deal on cheap 5.56 ammo is just to buy bulk ammo. The more of anything you buy (ammo included) the more the per-unit cost will go down. Whether you prefer to shoot FMJ to save money, shoot frangible bullets at steel targets, or need that boat-tail ammo for long-range shooting, buy bulk 5.56 and you’ll save on your shooting hobby.
Just be strategic about your purchases, and if you do put good money into bulk ammo, make sure you store it properly so that when you need it at the range, it performs as expected, and consistently at that.
A Few Extra Things to Know
Before you pull the proverbial trigger on a good deal on cheap 5.56 ammo on our website, here are just a few more things you should know to make sure you are satisfied with the overall purchase, and not just with the price.
5.56 Is Not .223
The most important thing to know here is that 5.56 is not .223, even though the two cartridges are visually indistinguishable (and can be loaded with identical bullets). The 5.56 chamber is different, as is the load data for the two cartridges; 5.56 cartridges are loaded to higher maximum chamber pressures.
The last thing you want to do is buy a ton of 5.56 ammo if you have a .223 rifle. Stick to the ammunition for which your gun is chambered to keep things not only simple, but safe.
5.56 Cartridges Usually Feature Crimped Primers
The other thing to be aware of with 5.56, if you are planning on reloading, is that the casings usually featured a crimped primer pocket. This feature helps prevent the primer from backing out of the cartridge during the stress and inertia of fully automatic firing.
It also makes getting the primer out a little bit difficult. Most shooters can disregard this, but if you reload it will make cleaning and preparing the casings for reloading a little bit more difficult.
Spent 5.56 Casing Can Be Used to Load .300 BLK
Lastly, 5.56 cartridges aren’t just useful for reloading new 5.56 ammo. You can also reload .300 BLK from old 5.56 cartridges; you will just have to neck them out and convert them, but it can be done. This might prove valuable to you if you have a .300 BLK rifle or you’re having a hard time finding that ammo.
Shop Cheap 5.56 Ammo and Deals Here
In the market for a bulk deal on cheap 5.56 ammo? Get it online here, and if you have any questions that we didn’t answer in this post, get in touch with us directly. We will be more than happy to help.