Hornady Frontier 5.56 Ammo Review: Great Value or Hot Rounds?

Hornady's Frontier ammo line has a well-deserved reputation for accuracy, reliability, and consistency. Better yet, it's sold at a competitive price point.

Despite all its blessings, you might rightly wonder if Hornady Frontier is a good choice of ammo for your AR-15, Ruger Mini-14, SIG Sauer MCX, or other favorite 5.56x45mm NATO firearm. This article will shed light on the matter for you.

In this ammo review, we will take a look at Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo and help you decide if taking the plunge on a 500-round box of Hornady Frontier ammunition is a good investment.

If you’re ready to buy, then you can order Hornady Frontier ammo from us right now with fast shipping. Otherwise, keep reading!

Hornady Frontier 5.56 Ammo Overview

Introduced in 1964 (and rereleased in 2018), the Hornady Frontier label was conceived as a way of providing shooters with low-cost yet dependable ammo, and intended to compete with comparable American brands like Federal American Eagle, Winchester USA, and Remington UMC.

Since its foundation in 1949, Hornady Manufacturing Company has established itself firmly in the shooting community. Frontier Ammo was the brainchild of Joyce Hornady, the company's founder who theorized that shooters would appreciate factory cartridges loaded with his own high-quality bullets (which were intially only available to handloaders as reloading components). It was a gamble, as Hornady faced stiff competition from Federal, Winchester, and Remington, but it was a gamble they ultimately won.

Hornady Frontier was initially released in 30 Carbine, 30-06 Springfield, and 308 Winchester, thereby meeting the needs of shooters using older WWII and Korean War surplus rifles.

The Frontier brand slowly grew and added more cartridges to its arsenal, including 243 Win, 22-250 Rem, 38 Special, 9mm Luger, and 7mm Remington Magnum. However, as the company grew into an ammunition manufacturer (as opposed to one that only makes bullets, which it initially was), newer ammo labels were released such as Precision Hunter, Match, Superformance, Custom, BLACK, Varmint Express, LEVERevolution, and Critical Defense.

These newer brands of ammo made original Frontier line virtually obsolete. In 2009, the Frontier label was discontinued (with the exception of specific Cowboy Action cartridges) until its resurrection nine years later.

Hornady came to understand that their ammo fills niche sections of the market. Business was good, but they did not have a brand of ammo that filled the needs of everyday shooters who just wanted to do some plinking or target shooting and not spend a ton of money on ammo.

Hornady wanted a piece of the action in the low-cost/high-volume sector of the market. Their Frontier label was selected to fill that role.

Hornady partnered with the U.S. government's Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, utilizing part of their excess production capacity for Frontier ammo. Hornady also sourced propellant through Lake City, which is why Frontier ammo has military-grade powder in addition to mil-spec brass cases.

Hornady Frontier is currently available in 223 Remington, 5.56x45mm NATO, 6.5 Grendel, and 300 AAC Blackout.

Our Hornady Frontier 5.56 Ammo Review

If you’ve read any of my other Hornady reviews, you’ll probably remember that I’m a big fan of the company. Hornady bullets always fly true for my handloads, and their ammo has always been reliable and accurate for me.

However, there is an elephant in the room that we need to discuss, because Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo got off to a bit of a rocky start.

If you dig a little on the interwebs, you’ll easily find stories of shooters reporting that Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo damaged their rifles due to "overcharging" (i.e. they claimed Hornady had sold them "hot rounds," which are unintentionally loaded to generate a higher-than-standard chamber pressure). If you dig into it a bit deeper, you’ll note that most of these reports popped up around 2018 immediately after the Frontier label was relaunched.

This definitely sullied the brand’s reputation a bit, as Hornady ammo has for the most part always been regarded as reliable and safe. These reports all but disappeared after 2018, which leaves me to assume Hornady worked out all the kinks early on.

From what I’ve run through my AR-15, I’ve not had any issues or concerns about overcharged rounds. They functioned flawlessly, just like I’ve come to expect from Hornady.

Frontier label rounds' heavier 68gr and 75gr match-grade bullets are great for long-range shooting and competition. These won’t cost you as much as traditional match ammo, so it’s a great option for some long-distance plinking or if you simply don’t have time (or reloading components) to prepare for a match. I also like how Hornady offers multiple packaging sizes which fit every budget.

Although the Hornady Frontier brand got off to a rocky start, the company seems to have rectified any production issues and is now putting out safe, reliable ammo for the everyday shooter. I’d have no problem heading to the range with a couple of boxes anytime.

What’s It Best For?

Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo is best used for plinking and target shooting with your AR-15 carbine or other 5.56 rifles/handguns. These rounds will work fine for varmint hunting, although you might have better results firing Hornady V-MAX ammo for this purpose.

Hornady Frontier can be used for self-defense if necessary, but it isn’t the best option. However, it is an excellent option for 3-gun or other competitive rifle shooting events – particularly the 68gr or 75gr boat tail hollow point (BTHP) match loads.

Disadvantages

As I just mentioned, Hornady Frontier isn’t the best self-defense ammo, as the full metal jacket bullet offers little in terms of terminal expansion. Aside from that, it's stellar stuff (assuming you don't have the misfortune of chambering one of those purported overcharged loads from 2018).

Take care thatr 5.56 ammo is not safe to use in 223 Remington rifles. You can read more about that in this article: 223 vs. 5.56.

Pros and Cons

We understand that no ammo is perfect. Here are some of the pros and cons of Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo you should be aware of.

Pros

American-made
Inexpensive
Great for reloading
Reliable

Cons

Early lots had a few overcharged rounds that damaged some rifles
Not ideal for self-defense

Specifications

The 223 Remington was released in 1962, and replaced the 308 Winchester as the frontline cartridge for the U.S. military in 1964. The original 223 Rem mil-spec ammo was named "M193," which fires a 55gr full metal jacket (FMJ) bullet at a muzzle velocity of 3,260 fps with a muzzle energy of 1,294 ft-lbs.

The new 223 Remington cartridge had sufficient long-range capability out to 500 yards while maintaining accuracy. The 223 Rem was released to the civilian market one year before its adoption by the U.S. Army. Varmint hunters valued the new cartridge’s low recoil, extreme accuracy, and lower pressure.

The 223 Remington M193 cartridge served the U.S. Army all the way through Vietnam; however, in 1980, Fabrique Nationale (FN) Herstal changed the game.

In 1980, the Belgian firearm and ammo manufacturer FN Herstal submitted their design for the 5.56x45mm SS109 cartridge to NATO for approval. The SS109 fires a 62gr FMJ bullet with a mild steel penetrator core at 3,110 fps, and has a muzzle energy of 1,325 ft-lbs.

The U.S. Military designation for the 5.56mm NATO SS109 is "M855."

The new 5.56mm NATO cartridge had identical external dimensions to the 223 Remington; however, the NATO cartridge can handle a higher maximum pressure than the 223 Rem. It accomplishes this by having a slightly longer throat, thereby allowing for more freebore space. This additional space allows for higher-pressure rounds to be utilized and slightly increases reliability. However, it also decreases accuracy slightly, as the bullet has more “jump” before it reaching the barrel rifling.

This is why you should never fire 5.56 NATO ammo in a rifle chambered for 223 Rem, as the 223 Rem rifle is not designed to take the increased pressure of the 5.56 round. So long as you bear that in mind, military surplus 5.56 NATO ammo is a plentiful and inexpensive option for plinking with your AR-15.

Variants

Hornady Frontier 5.56 NATO M193 55gr Review

These are the bread-and-butter Frontier cartridges: loaded to military specifications and with classic 55 grain FMJ projectiles. They have low recoil, are more than accurate enough for plinking and target shooting, and provide a day of fun at the range without breaking the bank.

The M193 round was the staple load used by the U.S. Armed fForces in Vietnam, and can be used for self-defense in a pinch. However, for home defense, I’d be a little concerned about over-penetration. Make sure you know what’s behind your target if you need to employ these rounds to defend your family or home.

Hornady Frontier 5.56 NATO 55gr BTHP Match Review

If you need a low-recoil match-accurate round, then this is what you should be loading into your AR-15 mags. It's loaded with a Hornady 55gr boat tail hollow point which flies true and excels at target shooting.

These projectiles have a slightly higher ballistic coefficient than the M193 alternative. That indicates that conserves velocity more efficiently (flatter trajectory, higher striking energy), and also that it resists wind deflection better.

Hornady Frontier 5.56 NATO 62gr FMJ Review

This is Hornady’s clone of the 62gr FMJ M855 load currently used by the American armed forces (as well as NATO). However, it lack's the M855 bullet's partial steel core, having an all-lead one instead. That means these rounds are safe to use in indoor shooting ranges. These rounds' slightly heavier bullets will exhibit their best accuracy in conjunction with a 1:8", 1:9" or 1:10" rate of twist.

Hornady Frontier 5.56 68gr BTHP Match Review

If you’re looking to stretch your reach and shoot long range, then this load would make a great addition to your ammo cans. The Hornady 68gr BTHP Match bullet has a high ballistic coefficient of 0.355, and is more than accurate enough for a 3-gun competition or any type of long-range shooting you want to do.

Hornady Frontier 5.56 75gr BTHP Match Review

Rounding out the Hornady Frontier 5.56 line of ammo is the heaviest bullet of them all: the 75gr BTHP match. If you want to maximize your long-range potential, then this is the round for you. If you need a match bullet but don’t have time to reload your own, grab a few of these boxes and hit the range. You won’t be sorry!

Ballistics for Hornady Frontier 5.56 Ammo

Below you’ll find the ballistic table for the ammunition reviews above. These ballistics data were taken from Hornady’s website. They were collected using a 20" barrel. Performance will vary, especially out of a barrel of a different length.

Parting Shots

Hornady Frontier 5.56 is a great choice if you’re looking for some reliable, low-cost ammo that’s amazing for plinking, target shooting, or stockpiling for an SHTF situation. It may not be the most glamorous or technologically advanced ammo Hornady ever desinged, but it goes ‘bang’ every time you pull the trigger. Nice.

If you’re looking for some Hornady ammo, check out what we have in stock to always keep your ammo cans and mags full.

Frequently Asked Questions

I've taken the liberty of answering a few of the most commonly asked questions about Hornady Frontier 5.56 ammo.

Is Frontier the same as Hornady?

Yes. The Frontier label was released in 1964, and was Hornady’s first entry into the market of loaded ammunition.

Is Hornady Frontier ammo reloadable?

Yes. Hornady Frontier ammo is loaded with high-quality brass cases that are Boxer-primed and reloadable. This 5.56 ammo has crimped primer pockets. The crimp needs to be removed before a new primer is seated.