The .223 Remington is a rimless, bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge with a .224-inch (5.56 mm) bullet diameter, introduced commercially by Remington in 1964 as the civilian counterpart of the 5.56x45mm military round, and it is loaded today for varmint hunting, target and match shooting, training and defensive use.
This guide gives the velocity, energy and drop that Hornady and Fiocchi publish for their 223 Remington loads, each tied to an item number. It then sets SAAMI’s figures for 223 Remington beside 5.56x45mm NATO, a round SAAMI does not standardise, so you can see what the standard does and does not cover before you buy for a particular rifle.
223 Remington ballistics chart
Each row is one load, with the muzzle velocity and muzzle energy its maker publishes for that item number. Read the test barrel column first: the Hornady loads are all measured from a 24-inch barrel, and the Fiocchi row publishes none, so its figures should not be lined up against the Hornady rows as if they shared a basis. Ballistic coefficients need the same care. Hornady publishes G1 values, and adds a G7 value of .200 for the 73 gr ELD Match; Fiocchi’s .200 comes with no drag model stated, so it cannot be read against Hornady’s G7 .200. The application column is each maker’s own label for the load, not a ranking.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady NTX® | 83266 | 35 gr | NTX® | 4,000 fps | 1,243 ft-lb | .177 G1 | Superformance® Varmint; Varmint < 50 lbs | 24″ |
| Fiocchi Hornady® V-Max® | 223HVB50 | 40 gr | Hornady® V-Max® | 3,650 fps | 1,183 ft-lb | .200 not stated by maker | Field Dynamics™ Varmint; Varmint | Not published |
| Hornady V‑MAX® | 8025 | 53 gr | V‑MAX® | 3,465 fps | 1,413 ft-lb | .290 G1 | Superformance® Varmint; Varmint < 50 lbs | 24″ |
| Hornady V‑MAX® | 8327 | 55 gr | V‑MAX® | 3,240 fps | 1,282 ft-lb | .255 G1 | Varmint Express®; Varmint < 50 lbs | 24″ |
| Hornady FMJ | 80234 | 62 gr | FMJ | 3,100 fps | 1,323 ft-lb | .274 G1 | Hornady BLACK®; Personal Defense | 24″ |
| Hornady ELD® Match | 80269 | 73 gr | ELD® Match | 2,790 fps | 1,262 ft-lb | .398 (G1) / .200 (G7) G1 and G7 | Match™; Target/Match | 24″ |
| Hornady BTHP Match™ | 80267 | 75 gr | BTHP Match™ | 2,790 fps | 1,296 ft-lb | .395 G1 | Hornady BLACK®; Target/Match | 24″ |
Velocity and energy downrange
Velocity and retained energy at each 100 yd step from the muzzle out to 500 yd, the last range any of these makers publishes. Read across a row to see how quickly a load sheds speed, and down a column to compare loads at one range. The lightest and heaviest Hornady rows show it best: the 35 gr starts at 4,000 fps and is still ahead at 300 yd, at 2,302 fps against 2,139 fps for the 75 gr, but by 400 yd the 75 gr is ahead at 1,943 fps against 1,861 fps. The Hornady rows share a 24-inch test barrel; the Fiocchi 40 gr row publishes none, so read it on its own.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 35 gr (24″) | 4,000 fps / 1,243 ft-lb | 3,353 fps / 874 ft-lb | 2,796 fps / 607 ft-lb | 2,302 fps / 412 ft-lb | 1,861 fps / 269 ft-lb | 1,483 fps / 171 ft-lb |
| Fiocchi 40 gr (barrel not published) | 3,650 fps / 1,183 ft-lb | 3,117 fps / 863 ft-lb | 2,644 fps / 621 ft-lb | 2,217 fps / 437 ft-lb | 1,832 fps / 298 ft-lb | 1,498 fps / 199 ft-lb |
| Hornady 53 gr (24″) | 3,465 fps / 1,413 ft-lb | 3,106 fps / 1,135 ft-lb | 2,776 fps / 907 ft-lb | 2,470 fps / 718 ft-lb | 2,183 fps / 561 ft-lb | 1,916 fps / 432 ft-lb |
| Hornady 55 gr (24″) | 3,240 fps / 1,282 ft-lb | 2,855 fps / 995 ft-lb | 2,502 fps / 764 ft-lb | 2,175 fps / 578 ft-lb | 1,873 fps / 429 ft-lb | 1,602 fps / 313 ft-lb |
| Hornady 62 gr (24″) | 3,100 fps / 1,323 ft-lb | 2,751 fps / 1,042 ft-lb | 2,428 fps / 811 ft-lb | 2,127 fps / 623 ft-lb | 1,849 fps / 471 ft-lb | 1,597 fps / 351 ft-lb |
| Hornady 73 gr (24″) | 2,790 fps / 1,262 ft-lb | 2,563 fps / 1,065 ft-lb | 2,348 fps / 894 ft-lb | 2,143 fps / 744 ft-lb | 1,949 fps / 616 ft-lb | 1,766 fps / 505 ft-lb |
| Hornady 75 gr (24″) | 2,790 fps / 1,296 ft-lb | 2,562 fps / 1,093 ft-lb | 2,345 fps / 916 ft-lb | 2,139 fps / 762 ft-lb | 1,943 fps / 629 ft-lb | 1,759 fps / 515 ft-lb |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop only means something with its zero range, so the zero sits in each row. Every load here is zeroed at 200 yd, which is why each reads 0 in at 200 yd, and each starts 1.5 in below the line of sight at 0 yd. At 100 yd the bullet is above the line of sight; past 200 yd it falls below it. The Fiocchi 40 gr has no row: the trajectory data on its page could not be matched to one stated zero, so no drop is charted for it, though its velocity and energy by range are in the table above.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 0 yd | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 35 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +0.8 in | 0 in | −5.3 in | −17.3 in | −39.6 in |
| Hornady 53 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.1 in | 0 in | −5.6 in | −16.9 in | −35.6 in |
| Hornady 55 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.4 in | 0 in | −7 in | −21.4 in | −45.8 in |
| Hornady 62 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.6 in | 0 in | −7.5 in | −22.7 in | −48.2 in |
| Hornady 73 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.9 in | 0 in | −8.2 in | −24 in | −49 in |
| Hornady 75 gr (200 yd zero) | −1.5 in | +1.9 in | 0 in | −8.2 in | −24.1 in | −49.3 in |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Weight and speed pull against each other. The Hornady 35 gr NTX and the Hornady 75 gr BTHP Match are both published from a 24-inch test barrel, which makes them a fair pair: at the muzzle the 35 gr shows 1,243 ft-lb and the 75 gr shows 1,296 ft-lb. By 500 yd the 35 gr is at 1,483 fps and 171 ft-lb, while the 75 gr is at 1,759 fps and 515 ft-lb. The light bullet leaves faster, at 4,000 fps against 2,790 fps, and the heavy one is the faster of the two at both 400 yd and 500 yd.
Drop does not rank the loads the way energy does. With the 200 yd zero, the 35 gr is 0.8 in above the line of sight at 100 yd and 5.3 in below it at 300 yd; the 75 gr is 1.9 in above and 8.2 in below. At 500 yd the 35 gr is 39.6 in below and the 75 gr is 49.3 in below, even though the 75 gr carries the most energy there. The lowest drop at 500 yd among the loads in the trajectory table belongs to the Hornady 53 gr V-MAX, at 35.6 in.
Muzzle energy is a poor guide to what is left downrange. The Hornady 53 gr V-MAX has the highest muzzle energy in the table at 1,413 ft-lb, but at 500 yd it holds 432 ft-lb, behind the Hornady 75 gr at 515 ft-lb and the Hornady 73 gr ELD Match at 505 ft-lb. The ballistic coefficients lean the same way: .395 G1 for the 75 gr and .398 G1 for the 73 gr, against .290 G1 for the 53 gr.
The application column shows what each maker built the load for: varmint for the 35 gr, 40 gr, 53 gr and 55 gr, personal defense for the Hornady BLACK 62 gr FMJ, and target and match for the 73 gr and 75 gr. The tables report speed, energy and drop. They do not report accuracy or how a bullet performs on a target, and your rifle’s barrel may not match a 24-inch test barrel, so your own velocities may differ.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI’s standard for 223 Remington sets a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi and measures velocity in a 24.000 in test barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in and a groove diameter of .224 in. That twist belongs to the standard’s test barrel; it is not a statement about your rifle. Your rifle’s own twist is given in its manual and is often stamped on the barrel, and the tables do not say what twist any load needs, so check it against the bullet weight before you buy, starting with the heaviest loads charted here, the 73 gr and 75 gr match loads.
The 55,000 psi figure is the ceiling for cartridges built to the 223 Remington standard. 5.56x45mm NATO is a NATO specification that SAAMI does not standardise, so this page has no SAAMI pressure for it. If your rifle is chambered for 223 Remington and you are thinking of ammunition marked 5.56x45mm NATO, confirm in the rifle maker’s manual that it accepts that ammunition before you fire it.
Winchester is stocked but not charted
Winchester makes 223 Remington ammunition that we stock, but Winchester’s own item pages for those loads publish no ballistics data. With nothing published by the maker for a given item, no Winchester row appears in the tables above rather than one carrying a figure from anywhere else.
223 Remington vs 5.56x45mm NATO: what SAAMI publishes for each
Two makers’ catalogue tables cannot be set against each other directly: each maker measures on its own test barrel, and some publish none, as the muzzle table above shows. SAAMI is the one shared basis, because it fixes one test barrel, one way of measuring velocity and one pressure ceiling for each cartridge it lists.
That is also where this comparison stops being symmetrical. 5.56x45mm NATO is a NATO specification, not a SAAMI one, so there is no SAAMI column to set beside 223 Remington. The missing column is the central fact in any 223 Remington versus 5.56x45mm NATO question, and the table below shows the gap rather than filling it.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 223 Remington | 5.56x45mm NATO |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | None |
| Maximum average pressure | 55,000 psi | No SAAMI figure |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | Not standardised by SAAMI |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 12.00 in | Not standardised by SAAMI |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .224 in | Not standardised by SAAMI |
| Common 55-grain reference load | 55 gr — 3,050–3,215 fps / 1,136–1,262 ft-lb | Not listed |
| Heaviest reference load | 77 gr — 2,670–2,785 fps / 1,219–1,326 ft-lb | Not listed |
For 223 Remington, SAAMI publishes a maximum average pressure of 55,000 psi, a 24.000 in test barrel with a twist of 1 turn in 12.00 in, and a groove diameter of .224 in. Its 55 gr reference load is listed at 3,050–3,215 fps, which works out to 1,136–1,262 ft-lb, and its heaviest, 77 gr, at 2,670–2,785 fps, or 1,219–1,326 ft-lb. Each row is a span because SAAMI lists more than one reference velocity at that weight, and the energy is computed, since SAAMI publishes velocity but not energy.
The 5.56x45mm NATO column is empty in every row: no SAAMI standard, no pressure figure, no test barrel, twist or groove, and no reference loads. That is a fact about the standards, not a verdict on the ammunition, and it means this table cannot say which round hits harder or shoots flatter.
It also cannot settle bullet shape. SAAMI publishes no ballistic coefficient for either cartridge, so drop and retained energy at range still have to be read from a maker’s table for the specific load, as in the tables above.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 5.56 ammo.
223 Remington ballistics questions
How much does 223 drop at 200 yards?
That depends on the zero, and every drop figure in the trajectory table uses a 200 yd zero, so each load reads 0 in at 200 yd by definition. With that zero the bullet is above the line of sight at 100 yd (0.8 in for the Hornady 35 gr, 1.9 in for the Hornady 75 gr) and falls below it beyond 200 yd: at 300 yd the 35 gr is 5.3 in low and the 75 gr is 8.2 in low. If you zero at 100 yd, the drop at 200 yd is not in these tables, which carry only the 200 yd zero.
Is 22-250 better than 223?
This page cannot say. It charts 223 Remington only, and its SAAMI comparison sets 223 Remington against 5.56x45mm NATO rather than the 22-250, so nothing here puts the two cartridges side by side on one test barrel. On the 223 Remington side, the fastest load charted is the Hornady 35 gr NTX at 4,000 fps and 1,243 ft-lb from a 24-inch test barrel; a fair comparison needs the 22-250’s own published figures on the same basis.
What is the effective range of a 223 bullet?
None of the tables gives an effective range. They give velocity, energy and drop out to 500 yd and stop there. At 500 yd the Hornady 75 gr BTHP Match still shows 1,759 fps and 515 ft-lb and is 49.3 in below a 200 yd zero, while the Hornady 35 gr NTX shows 1,483 fps and 171 ft-lb and is 39.6 in below. Which range is effective depends on the target and the load, and the tables do not decide that.
Does 223 hit harder than 5.56?
This page cannot show that. SAAMI standardises 223 Remington but not 5.56x45mm NATO, so the comparison table has no 5.56x45mm NATO velocity or energy to set against the 223 Remington rows; SAAMI lists its 55 gr 223 Remington reference load at 3,050–3,215 fps and 1,136–1,262 ft-lb. What the maker tables do show is that energy follows the load, not the name on the box: the Hornady 53 gr V-MAX is at 1,413 ft-lb at the muzzle and the Fiocchi 40 gr is at 1,183 ft-lb.
Which is better for home defense, .223 or 5.56 ammo?
Neither the maker tables nor SAAMI rank the two for home defense, and this page does not either. The only load charted here that its maker files under personal defense is the Hornady BLACK 62 gr FMJ, item 80234, at 3,100 fps and 1,323 ft-lb at the muzzle from a 24-inch test barrel. What your rifle can fire is a separate question: SAAMI standardises 223 Remington and not 5.56x45mm NATO, so check your rifle’s chamber marking and manual before you choose.
Why is 223 cheaper than 5.56?
The tables and the SAAMI comparison carry no prices, so this page can neither confirm nor explain a price difference between the two. What it does show is what each 223 Remington load is published to deliver, so you can read the load you are considering against its own figures.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 223 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
