American Eagle .223 is a consistent round that is a perennial favorite among high-volume target shooters, competitors, and plinksters.
Here are all the top questions rounded up and answered.
Where Is American Eagle 223 Made?
American Eagle 223, like all Federal Premium and American Eagle ammo, is made in America. It is manufactured at the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP) in Independence, Missouri, alongside a wide range of small arms ammo including .22, 5.56, .45, and .50 caliber cartridges.
What Ballistic Performance Specifications Does It Offer?
This Federal American Eagle .223 ammo is loaded with full metal jacket, 55gr bullets. It produces 3240 FPS at the muzzle, muzzle energy of 1282 ft-lbs, and drops roughly 1.75” at 100 yards.
Is It Reloadable?
This American Eagle ammunition is loaded into high-quality, virgin brass cases that can be reloaded several times.
Is It Corrosive?
This ammunition is loaded with non-corrosive Boxer primers. These primers, while affording the benefit of not being corrosive, are also easier to punch out and replace, making them friendlier to reloaders than Berdan primers which are used in many 5.56 cartridges.
Is It Accurate Enough for Long-Distance Shooting?
American Eagle ammunition is designed as a cost-effective target ammunition that delivers ballistic performance, consistency, and accuracy on par with much more expensive brands. This, paired with the flat trajectory and high muzzle velocities of the .223 Remington cartridge, makes this a suitable ammunition for long-range shooting.
Is It Suitable for High-Volume Target Practice?
High-volume target practice is one of the most appropriate uses for this Federal American Eagle ammunition.
It produces low recoil, is highly affordable, and is very light, making it an optimal choice for training, competition, and high-volume shooting.
The fact that it is reloadable, consistent, and accurate even at long ranges also makes it an excellent choice.
Is It Suitable for Hunting?
While .223 may be a suitable cartridge for some game, especially predators and for varmint control, this American Eagle 223 is not suitable for hunting.
It is loaded with FMJ bullets that will present a risk of over penetration as well as sub-optimal performance with respect to energy transfer and stopping power.
In general, the best types of bullets for hunting are either hollow point or soft point bullets. If you hunt with a rifle chambered in .223, consider a different option like Fedkeral’s Tactical Hi-Shok Soft Point rounds.
While these were not developed expressly for hunting, they are more appropriate than FMJ rounds. Just be sure to adhere to all state and local regulations regarding season, caliber and ammunition type before use.
Is American Eagle .223 the Same as 5.56?
While .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO are practically indistinguishable from each other, they are not the same exact cartridge.
There are a few distinct differences between these cartridges. The 5.56 has different throat dimensions from .223, and also is loaded with a larger powder charge. This produces higher chamber pressures, up to 58,000 PSI for 5.56 compared to 55,000 PSI for .223.
They both offer similar performance, but if a generality must be drawn, we might say that 5.56 is a little more reliable, whereas .223 produces slightly lower muzzle velocities but better overall accuracy. The difference in ballistic performance is negligible, though.
The safe way to go about this is to fire only the exact cartridge through your rifle that it is chambered in, as indicated by the barrel stamp.
Why Is .223 Remington Such a Popular Centerfire Cartridge?
There are numerous reasons that .223 Remington is such a popular, and ubiquitous, cartridge.
One is its performance. Under normal circumstances, both 5.56 and .223 can penetrate 3.4mm steel plate at 500 yards, and exhibit similar accuracy and ballistics to .30-06 Springfield, a much larger, harder-kicking cartridge, at the same distance.
Conversely, .223 Remington is much lighter and much more affordable. It is easier to carry, less expensive to shoot through a lot of it, and it produces a lot less recoil than virtually all other centerfire rifle cartridges.
Its power, flat trajectory, and affordability have made it a popular cartridge for target shooting, competition, training, defensive applications, and hunting.
Why American Eagle Rifle Ammo Over Other Brands?
Federal American Eagle .223 is loaded in the United States and is an affordable alternative to many other more expensive brands while offering similar if not superior performance, reliability, consistency, and accuracy.
Stock Up on Bulk American Eagle 223 Ammo Here
Whether you’re looking for American Eagle 223 Rem 55 grain rifle ammunition or another brand, we carry a variety in this caliber as well as 5.56 and other centerfire cartridges, all at competitive prices.
Get them here while they’re in stock and bookmark our hot deals and police trade-in specials so you never miss a sale or a good buy.