5.56x45 Ammo For Sale
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Winchester USA 5.56x45 Ammo - 150 Rounds of 55 Grain FMJ Ammunition
$85.99135 In stock now
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Overview of 5.56x45 Ammo
Eugene Stoner developed the 5.56 NATO in the 1950s for the AR-15 platform, officially adopted by the U.S. Military in 1963 as the standard infantry cartridge. Its lightweight, high-velocity rounds allowed soldiers to carry more ammo without sacrificing effective range or accuracy.
Today, it's one of the most popular cartridges because of its low recoil, cost, and excellent accuracy, even in the hands of a relatively new shooter.
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union developed their own lightweight intermediate cartridge in response to the 5.56 NATO. The 5.45x39mm was designed with similar goals in mind: reduced recoil, higher capacity, and improved accuracy.
What are the most popular 5.56x45 brands you sell?
You can filter our entire selection using the left sidebar to see which brands we currently have in-stock and available using the Manufacturers filter. You can also filter by attributes such as Bullet Type, Bullet Weight, Casing Type, and Primer Type to find what you need.
Popular 5.56x45 Ammo Options
Best 5.56x45 Ammo for Specific Uses
| Use Case | Details |
|---|---|
| Best 5.56 Ammo For Home Defense | Best Overall: Black Hills 5.56x45 62 Grain Dual Performance. Runner-Up: Hornady Black 5.56 62 Grain. |
| Best 5.56 Coyote Ammo | Best Overall: Hornady Superformance Varmint 53 Grain V-MAX. Runner-up: Hornady Superformance 55 Grain CX. |
For range training and high-volume plinking, Winchester USA 5.56 (commonly called "White Box") offers dependable performance at a budget-friendly price. This brass-cased training ammunition has earned a reputation for reliability and reasonable accuracy, making it a go-to choice for AR-15 owners who shoot regularly. Read our Winchester 5.56 White Box review for detailed testing results and performance data from the range.
You can also check out our in-depth look at 5.56 NATO ballistics from all of the popular ammo manufacturers if you're in search of ballistics data for your favorite factory 5.56 NATO load.
For more details on choosing the best grain for 5.56 ammunition based on your shooting needs, check out our comprehensive guide to help you select the ideal bullet weight for your 5.56 rifle.
How Does The 5.56 Compare To Other Calibers?
| 5.56 vs. | Recoil | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 223 Remington | Nearly identical | 223 can be fired in 5.56 chambers (not vice versa), slightly higher pressure for better performance | 5.56 ammo is sometimes slightly more expensive |
| 277 Fury | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, cheaper ammo, and better availability | 5.56 has less stopping power and shorter effective range |
| 300 Blackout | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has flatter trajectory, higher velocity, and less expensive ammo | 5.56 has less stopping power at close range and isn't suppressor-optimized |
| 308 Winchester | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, cheaper ammo, lighter rifles, and higher capacity | 5.56 has less stopping power and shorter effective range |
| 30-06 Springfield | 5.56 has significantly less | 5.56 has minimal recoil, lighter rifles, cheaper ammo, and higher capacity | 5.56 has substantially less stopping power and limited hunting effectiveness on large game |
| 30 Carbine | 5.56 has slightly more | 5.56 has better ballistics, flatter trajectory, and more modern bullet designs | 5.56 has slightly more recoil and more expensive ammo |
| 350 Legend | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, flatter trajectory, and better long-range accuracy | 5.56 has less stopping power for deer hunting |
| 458 SOCOM | 5.56 has significantly less | 5.56 has less recoil, flatter trajectory, cheaper ammo, and better availability | 5.56 has less stopping power and limited effectiveness on large game |
| 50 Beowulf | 5.56 has significantly less | 5.56 has minimal recoil, flatter trajectory, cheaper ammo, and better availability | 5.56 has substantially less stopping power and poor performance on large game |
| 5.45x39 | Nearly identical | 5.56 has better availability in the US and more bullet variety | 5.56 ammo is generally more expensive |
| 5.7x28 | 5.56 has more | 5.56 has significantly more stopping power and better effective range | 5.56 has more recoil and requires larger rifle platforms |
| 6mm ARC | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, cheaper ammo, longer barrel life, and better availability | 5.56 has steeper trajectory, less stopping power, and worse long-range performance beyond 300 yards |
| 6.5 Grendel | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, cheaper ammo, and better availability | 5.56 has steeper trajectory, less stopping power, and worse performance for medium game hunting |
| 6.8 SPC | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has less recoil, cheaper ammo, and better availability | 5.56 has steeper trajectory and less stopping power |
| 7.62x39 | 5.56 has less | 5.56 has flatter trajectory, better long-range accuracy, and more available ammo types | 5.56 has less stopping power at close range |
| 9mm | 5.56 has more | 5.56 has much higher velocity, better range, and superior ballistics | 5.56 has more recoil, more expensive ammo, and requires rifle platforms |
Customer Reviews
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Joe said:
Really good on the range. haven't had a problem yet