5.56×45 – 62 Grain FMJ M855 – Winchester USA VALOR – 1250 Rounds

Description

Winchester’s 5.56×45 M855 ammo is a jack of all trades. It’s just dandy for target shooting with any AR-15 rifle, but it also offers something special for tactical and home defense applications.

On the outside, this round’s bullet is functionally identical to a conventional FMJ: lead core, gilding metal jacket that ends in a sharp, ballistically efficient tip. But the M855 bullet’s core also contains a seven-grain tip.

Known as a “penetrator,” the M855’s steel tip makes the bullet’s frontal section a whole lot harder. This is how the bullet manages to pass through 1/8” thick sheet metal at ranges up to 650 yards.

A few things to keep in mind when it comes to M855 ammunition. First, that bullet is quite obviously magnetic, so not every range is going to welcome it. Second, an M855 bullet’s ability to penetrate sheet metal means it is also pretty well equipped to damage steel targets. Finally, a heavier 62 grain bullet gets the best in-flight stability from a 1:9 or 1:8 twist barrel. (But you can get away with 1:7.)

This is military-grade ammunition. Its brass cases are new and reloadable, but they have not been polished up for cosmetic purposes. That means you can still see where the cases are discolored, which is simply the byproduct of the annealing process which strengthens brass.

Winchester donates a portion of the money they make from their USA VALOR label ammo to Folds for Honor. The nonprofit organization provides scholarships to children and family of members of America’s fallen service members.