Barrel Barrel VELOCITY (ft per sec)

5.56x45mm NATO
Twist Action Barrel Length Source
Bullet / Load data 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16.5 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
55gr, Remington-UMC 223 Remington (U223R3) 1:12 Bolt 1955 2135 2296 2403 2489 2579 2646 2694 2808 2968 2922 3006 3028 3071 3090 3111 3132 3211 3221 3182 https://rifleshooter.com (Dec 2015)
55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 1:12 Bolt 2202 2410 2520 2662 2767 2834 2919 2974 3039 3187 3151 3202 3259 3306 3305 3366 3350 3409 3426 3431 https://rifleshooter.com (Dec 2015)
55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 ? AR-15 2172 2339 2476 2591 2689 2775 2851 2918 2978 3106 3129 3172 3211 3247 3281 3318 3343 3371 Low Visibility Carbine website ?
62gr, Winchester M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:12 Bolt 1955 2135 2296 2403 2489 2579 2646 2694 2808 2992 2972 3052 3060 3097 3117 3158 3169 3188 3229 3280 https://rifleshooter.com (Dec 2015)
62gr, Federal M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:7 AR-15 2035 2200 2375 2450 2585 2640 2600 2660 2690 2810 2845 2895 2925 2990 2855 2885 2960 2975 http://www.sadefensejournal.com - barrel-length-studies-in-5-56mm-nato-weapons (2012)
68gr, Black Hills 223 Remington Heavy Match 1:12 Bolt 1865 2007 2121 2223 2314 2369 2424 2474 2524 2632 2652 2679 2699 2740 2762 2774 2775 2804 2828 2849 https://rifleshooter.com (Dec 2015)
77gr, Black Hills 5.56x45mm NATO OTM 1:8 AR-15 Bolt 2016 2115 2222 2328 2406 2473 2533 2627 2691 2713 2750 2798 2836 2844 2845 2827 2807 2811 2817 https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/barrel-length-vs-velocity/247991

5.56X45MM NATO MUZZLE VELOCITY VS BARREL LENGTH

3500
MUZZLE VELOCITY (FEET PER SECOND)

3000

2500

2000

1500
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16.5 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
BARREL LENGTH (INCHES)

55gr, Remington-UMC 223 Remington (U223R3) 1:12 Bolt 55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 1:12 Bolt 55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 ? AR-15 62gr, Winchester M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:12 Bolt
62gr, Federal M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:7 AR-15 68gr, Black Hills 223 Remington Heavy Match 1:12 Bolt 77gr, Black Hills 5.56x45mm NATO OTM 1:8 AR-15 Bolt
 Muzzle Velocity (ft per sec)
5.56x45mm NATO XM193 55gr FMJ
Barred Barreled Barrel Length
Bullet / Load data Twist Action 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16.5 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 1:12 Bolt 2202 2410 2520 2662 2767 2834 2919 2974 3039 3187 3151 3202 3259 3306 3305 3366 3350 3409 3426 3431
55gr, Federal XM193 5.56x45mm NATO M193 1:7 AR-15 2172 2339 2476 2591 2689 2775 2851 2918 2978 3106 3129 3172 3211 3247 3281 3318 3343 3371
Target Distance Avg Muzzle Velocity 2187 2375 2498 2627 2728 2805 2885 2946 3009 3147 3140 3187 3235 3277
0 584 689 762 842 909 961 1016 1060 1105 1209 1204 1240 1278 1311
25 548 647 717 794 858 907 960 1002 1045 1144 1139 1174 1210 1242
50 514 608 675 748 809 856 907 946 988 1082 1078 1111 1145 1175
75 481 571 634 704 762 807 856 894 933 1023 1019 1051 1083 1112
100 450 535 596 662 718 760 807 843 881 967 963 993 1024 1052
125 421 502 559 622 675 716 760 795 931 913 909 938 968 994
150 393 469 524 584 634 674 716 749 783 862 858 886 914 939
175 367 439 491 548 596 633 673 705 738 813 809 835 863 886
200 344 412 461 515 561 596 635 665 696 768 764 790 816 838
225 321 385 431 483 526 559 596 625 655 723 720 744 769 790
250 299 359 403 452 492 524 559 587 615 680 677 700 724 744
275 279 335 376 422 461 491 524 550 577 640 637 658 681 701
300 261 313 351 394 431 460 491 516 541 601 598 619 640 659
325 244 292 328 368 403 430 460 483 507 564 561 581 601 619
350 228 272 306 344 376 402 430 452 475 528 526 545 564 581
375 214 255 286 322 352 376 403 424 446 496 494 512 530 547
400 201 238 267 300 329 351 376 396 417 465 462 479 497 512
425 189 223 250 280 307 328 351 370 389 435 432 449 465 480
450 179 209 233 262 286 306 328 345 364 406 404 419 435 449
475 169 196 218 244 267 286 306 322 339 379 378 392 407 420
500 160 185 205 229 250 267 286 301 317 354 352 366 380 392

LEGEND
BLUE* = energy ≥ 600 ft-lbs * above the average .357 Mag muzzle energy
GREEN = 375 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 599 ft-lbs
ORANGE = 250 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 374 ft-lbs
RED** = 200 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 249 ft-lbs ** average range of .380 ACP muzzle energy
RED = energy ≤ 199 ft-lbs
 Muzzle Velocity (ft per sec)
5.56x45mm NATO M855 62gr GREEN-TIP
Barred Barreled Barrel Length
Bullet / Load data Twist Action 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16.5 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
62gr, Winchester M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:12 Bolt 1955 2135 2296 2403 2489 2579 2646 2694 2808 2992 2972 3052 3060 3097 3117 3158 3169 3188 3229 3280
62gr, Federal M855 5.56x45mm NATO 1:7 AR-15 2035 2200 2375 2450 2585 2640 2600 2660 2690 2810 2845 2895 2925 2990 2855 2885 2960 2975
Target Distance Avg Muzzle Velocity 1995 2168 2336 2427 2537 2610 2623 2677 2749 2901 2909 2974 2993 3044 2986 3022 3065 3082
0 548 647 751 811 886 938 947 987 1040 1159 1165 1218 1233 1276
25 522 617 718 775 848 898 907 945 997 1112 1118 1169 1184 1225
50 497 589 686 741 811 860 868 905 956 1066 1072 1121 1136 1175
75 473 561 654 708 776 823 831 867 915 1022 1028 1075 1089 1128
100 450 535 624 676 742 787 795 829 876 980 985 1031 1045 1082
125 428 509 596 645 709 752 760 793 839 938 944 988 1001 1037
150 407 485 568 616 677 719 726 758 802 899 904 947 960 994
175 387 461 541 587 646 686 694 725 767 860 865 907 919 953
200 369 440 516 561 618 657 664 694 735 825 830 870 882 914
225 350 418 492 534 589 627 633 662 702 789 794 832 844 875
250 333 398 468 509 561 598 604 632 670 754 759 796 807 838
275 317 378 445 485 535 570 576 603 640 721 725 761 772 801
300 301 359 423 461 509 543 549 575 610 688 693 728 738 766
325 286 342 403 439 485 517 523 548 582 657 661 695 705 732
350 272 325 383 417 461 492 498 522 554 627 631 664 673 700
375 260 309 365 398 440 470 475 498 529 599 603 635 644 669
400 248 294 347 378 418 447 452 474 504 571 575 605 614 639
425 236 280 329 359 398 425 430 451 480 545 548 577 586 609
450 225 266 313 341 378 404 409 429 457 519 522 550 558 581
475 216 254 298 325 359 384 389 408 434 494 497 524 532 554
500 206 242 283 308 342 365 369 388 413 470 473 499 507 528

LEGEND
BLUE* = energy ≥ 600 ft-lbs * above the average .357 Mag muzzle energy
GREEN = 375 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 599 ft-lbs
ORANGE = 250 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 374 ft-lbs
RED** = 200 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 249 ft-lbs ** average range of .380 ACP muzzle energy
RED = energy ≤ 199 ft-lbs
 Muzzle Velocity (ft per sec)
5.56x45mm NATO Mk262 77gr OTM
Barred Barreled Barrel Length
Bullet / Load data Twist Action 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 16.5 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
77gr, Black Hills 5.56x45mm NATO OTM 1:8 AR-15 Bolt 2016 2115 2222 2328 2406 2473 2533 2627 2691 2713 2750 2798 2836 2844 2845 2827 2807 2811 2817

Target Distance Avg Muzzle Velocity 2016 2115 2222 2328 2406 2473 2533 2627 2691 2713 2750 2798 2836 2844 2845 2827 2807 2811 2817
0 695 765 844 927 990 1046 1097 1180 1238 1258 1293 1339 1375
25 664 732 809 888 950 1004 1053 1134 1190 1210 1243 1288 1323
50 635 700 775 852 911 963 1011 1089 1144 1163 1195 1238 1273
75 606 670 742 816 873 924 970 1046 1099 1117 1149 1190 1224
100 579 640 710 782 837 886 931 1004 1055 1073 1104 1144 1176
125 552 611 679 748 802 849 892 963 1013 1030 1060 1099 1130
150 527 584 649 716 768 813 856 924 972 989 1017 1055 1086
175 502 557 620 685 735 779 820 886 932 949 976 1013 1042
200 479 532 593 656 704 747 787 851 896 911 938 974 1002
225 455 507 566 627 674 715 753 815 859 874 900 934 962
250 433 483 540 599 644 684 721 781 823 837 863 896 923
275 411 460 514 571 615 654 690 747 788 802 827 859 885
300 391 437 490 545 587 625 659 715 755 768 792 823 848
325 371 415 466 520 560 597 630 684 722 735 758 788 812
350 351 394 443 495 534 569 602 654 691 704 726 755 778
375 334 375 422 472 510 544 576 626 662 674 696 724 746
400 316 355 401 449 486 519 549 598 632 644 665 692 714
425 299 337 381 427 463 494 523 571 604 616 636 662 683
450 282 319 361 406 440 470 499 544 577 588 607 633 653
475 267 302 342 385 418 447 475 519 550 561 580 604 624
500 252 285 324 365 397 425 452 494 524 535 553 577 596

LEGEND
BLUE* = energy ≥ 600 ft-lbs * above the average .357 Mag muzzle energy
GREEN = 375 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 599 ft-lbs
ORANGE = 250 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 374 ft-lbs
RED** = 200 ft-lbs ≤ energy ≤ 249 ft-lbs ** average range of .380 ACP muzzle energy
RED = energy ≤ 199 ft-lbs