How much money does shooting 5.56/223 save you over 6.5cm or 308?

[LJT88]

I was recently have a discussion with a friend about the cost of shooting our guns, I have a 6.5 and he shoots a 308. He said he was thinking about picking up a 223 "trainer" to "save a bunch of money".

So I headed to the inter-webs to check prices and match 223 ammo is not that much cheaper than 6.5cm match ammo.

So I guess my questions is this...Is there any significant financial benefit to shooting 5.56/223 primarily and saving 6.5 for matches? If so what factory loadings are easier on the pocket and still shoot ok?


Thank you

 

[diggler1833]

Sorry about factory offerings, but at this point last year I was saving about 20 cents/round when reloading.

 

[stello1001]

Under normal circumstances, meaning pre-covid, I was finding Hornady Black 75 BTHP for about $12-$13 for a box of 20 rounds. Or, I was finding Hornady Match 73 ELDM for around $15-$16 a box of 20 rounds. At that time, 20 rounds of CM from either Hornady or FGMM were going around $22-$24 and Berger was $26 for 20 rounds.

 

[TxWelder35]

223 costs me roughly 30c per round to load with a hornady 75gr bthp, and 35c per round with a 77smk assuming free range pick up brass. this price does not include any equipment needed to load it. That is strictly component cost.

IMI razorcore 77gr was 1.20 each at midway earlier this week.

my 260 ammo costs me 60 per round but I got a hell of deal on bullets. Retail my loads would cost 80c per round. This is with a Berger 140 hybrid and assuming 15 reloads out of Peterson brass

once again this does not include any equipment costs.

berger factory ammo is 1.50 a pop

 

[ma smith]

Under normal circumstances, meaning pre-covid, I was finding Hornady Black 75 BTHP for about $12-$13 for a box of 20 rounds. Or, I was finding Hornady Match 73 ELDM for around $15-$16 a box of 20 rounds. At that time, 20 rounds of CM from either Hornady or FGMM were going around $22-$24 and Berger was $26 for 20 rounds.

What's that now do you rekon?

 

[whatsupdoc]

Magtech 77OTM was 29.99 for 50 rounds last time I was able to find it and was a few dollars cheaper
around $27 when I first tried it.

Went through a few thousand rounds of it and wish I had bought more of the first lot.

 

[stello1001]

What's that now do you rekon?

Right now, all this is unfindable...

 

[hlee]

Warning, normal prices and out of stock items below...

You can get a lb of varget for about $31, which will load 269 223rem or 155 308win at max charge. That’s $0.115 for 223 and $0.20 for 308. Primers are a wash, but can be had for about $0.04 each. Lapua brass for 223 rem can be had for $0.64 per, while the same for 308win runs $0.86 per piece. 70 grain RDF sourced at 0.33 per while 175 grain SMK runs $0.42. These numbers are all for small quantities-1lb jug or 100 piece box, but the prices (and volume discounts) scale mostly linearly. Anyway, you can load 223rem into virgin Lapua brass for $112.50 per 100, or 30win for $152 per 100. That’s a savings of $39.50 per 100.

Figure that we’re building a trainer for precision competitions and we may be looking at a $2000 gun + a $2000 optic and you’ve got quite an investment to recoup. At a difference of $40 per 100, you’d need to load and shoot 10,000 rounds to break even...

Further, figure that if you’re already shooting 308 or 6.5 then you already have brass, but would need to invest in 223 brass and your differential evaporates.

Ok, you’d probably invest in a substantially lower quantity of brass, which lowers the barrier, right? We call it reloading for a reason. No. Apples to apples, if we discount the cost of brass for both cartridges, now the difference is ~$20 per 100. Now, to recoup that $4000 investment in a “trainer” you have to load 20,000 rounds...

Build a new rifle because you want a new rifle. But, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re going to save money.

 

[S197]

I was recently have a discussion with a friend about the cost of shooting our guns, I have a 6.5 and he shoots a 308. He said he was thinking about picking up a 223 "trainer" to "save a bunch of money".

So I headed to the inter-webs to check prices and match 223 ammo is not that much cheaper than 6.5cm match ammo.

So I guess my questions is this...Is there any significant financial benefit to shooting 5.56/223 primarily and saving 6.5 for matches? If so what factory loadings are easier on the pocket and still shoot ok?


Thank you

if you are only looking at .223 for a trainer / budget, I would stay away from it right now. Currently I am looking at BA .22 for a budget trainer.

 

[chevy_man]

Warning, normal prices and out of stock items below...

You can get a lb of varget for about $31, which will load 269 223rem or 155 308win at max charge. That’s $0.115 for 223 and $0.20 for 308. Primers are a wash, but can be had for about $0.04 each. Lapua brass for 223 rem can be had for $0.64 per, while the same for 308win runs $0.86 per piece. 70 grain RDF sourced at 0.33 per while 175 grain SMK runs $0.42. These numbers are all for small quantities-1lb jug or 100 piece box, but the prices (and volume discounts) scale mostly linearly. Anyway, you can load 223rem into virgin Lapua brass for $112.50 per 100, or 30win for $152 per 100. That’s a savings of $39.50 per 100.

Figure that we’re building a trainer for precision competitions and we may be looking at a $2000 gun + a $2000 optic and you’ve got quite an investment to recoup. At a difference of $40 per 100, you’d need to load and shoot 10,000 rounds to break even...

Further, figure that if you’re already shooting 308 or 6.5 then you already have brass, but would need to invest in 223 brass and your differential evaporates.

Ok, you’d probably invest in a substantially lower quantity of brass, which lowers the barrier, right? We call it reloading for a reason. No. Apples to apples, if we discount the cost of brass for both cartridges, now the difference is ~$20 per 100. Now, to recoup that $4000 investment in a “trainer” you have to load 20,000 rounds...

Build a new rifle because you want a new rifle. But, don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re going to save money.

6.5 barrel is 2-3k rounds. .223 will run 6-12k rounds.

$500/barrel, that doesn't take many barrel changes to recoup.

I figure I'm half price to load 223 vs my 6.5. I shoot enough it's only 3-4 years I could pay for a $1500 barreled action and swap rifles between the comp chassis.

 

[mtrmn]

Just face it....NOTHING is cheap to shoot nowdays. IF you find any ammo at all it will be at least double what it was year or two ago. I just saw a 333rd box of 22LR hps for $85.00-limit 2. Last year it was about $18.00 no limit at all. .223/5.56 FMJ shootemup crap ammo is .75 to 1.00/rd and is barely cheaper than .308.

 

[jinxx4ever]

Just face it....NOTHING is cheap to shoot nowdays. IF you find any ammo at all it will be at least double what it was year or two ago. I just saw a 333rd box of 22LR hps for $85.00-limit 2. Last year it was about $18.00 no limit at all. .223/5.56 FMJ shootemup crap ammo is .75 to 1.00/rd and is barely cheaper than .308.

yea , told my brother the other day, fired 223 brass is going for more than loaded rounds 6 months ago. Crazy

 

[bschneiderheinze]

They good back up rifles to my sons GT went down on the last two stages of a match and he finished with the 223

 

[TurboTrout]

Pre paranoia pandemic

I could get 7.62x51 M80 for 50 cents a round, spark munitions tipped match king 308s for a buck a round

fed 223 FMJ didn’t seem THAT much less compared to shooting 7.62, though 7.62 starts become apparent it’s not 308 as you pass 400yrds in my experience.

I think for a trainer 22LR is where it is at.

For me 223 wylde is my 0-500yrds gun
My 308 is my 200-1k gun
Saving money with 7.62 for the closer ranges, and switching to 308 when it matters and for the longer distances.

With the same reticle, same slings, bipod, bags, same or near same stock and trigger, 22LR makes heaps of sense even pre Covid.

 

[kentuckyMarksman]

I can load very accurate 223 rounds for $.34 per round. My 308 or my 6.5 cost me about $.67 per round to load. You do the math.

 

[ma smith]

I can load very accurate 223 rounds for $.34 per round. My 308 or my 6.5 cost me about $.67 per round to load. You do the math.

I'm not following this vs the earlier example. what is the disconnect in cost estimates?

Anyway, you can load 223rem into virgin Lapua brass for $112.50 per 100

 

[theLBC]

before the hoarding, i could get prvi partizan m80 for less than $0.45 per round, which made it relatively affordable.
for the price, it works very well in my rifle, but if you can find it is might be close to a buck a round these days.

 

[kentuckyMarksman]

ss


I'm not following this vs the earlier example. what is the disconnect in cost estimates?

I'm using Hornady 75gr BTHP bullets that cost me $.19 a piece, a $.04 primer, and $.11 in powder, so $.34 per round. I'm using once fired brass that I get for free from the local range, alot of it is Federal brass, which I'm happy to use. I use the brass more than once, I'm not calculating a brass cost into my cost.

 

[MarshallDodge]

I roll my own 223 with a 77 Nosler Custom Competition for 24 cents and have shot it to 1000. A 77 TMK or 75 ELD does a touch better but ends up costing a bit more. Bergers add a lot but if you are competing...

223 and 223AI are my favorite calibers to shoot. Accurate, challenging in the wind, low recoil, easy to load, and offers a lot of bullet choices.

You won't win a lot of matches with it against the bigger calibers but the fun factor is what does it for me.

 

[theLBC]

lol, i drove past the local ammo store at ~2pm and there was 25+ people waiting in line outside.

 

[Shoots 700's]

The only reason i would think about a trainer is to save the match barrel.

 

[DellaDog]

223 will run 6-12k rounds.

I’m definitely doing something wrong. I swapped mine out at 2500.

 

[chevy_man]

I’m definitely doing something wrong. I swapped mine out at 2500.

Was it actually shot out?

I have seen them missing a staggering amount of rifling and still shoot well. The bigger calibers tend to not be so forgiving of a 4" throat.

 

[hlee]

“Shot out” is a matter of perspective. Pro comp shooters will ditch barrels as “shot out” showing accuracy that hobby shooters are perfectly content with.

 

[vinniedelpino]

I've been shooting off hand with a pellet gun lately and I'm getting pretty damn good. I've also been practicing a lot more dry firing on the pistol with a laserlyte.

I think I've made more progress during covid than I did when I actually had ammo.....