[Nomosendero]

I have heard that myself, that they had some issues when the rifles were first introduced but I thought they had most of that worked out.

My Wife has a 20" Predator & my brother has one as well. I load for both of these. It may be because these were not early production rifles, but feeding is a non-issue period!

 

[Nomosendero]

Lets take a look at this chamber info, BTW the external dimensions of the case is the same, but the leade in the chamber is not.

Here is a good article on the 223 & 5.56x45 & 223AI, the differences, etc.
223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide

For those who won't take the time to read the complete article, here are relevant statements on the 223 vs 5.56
" While the external cartridge dimensions are essentially the same, the 223 Remington is built to SAAMI specs., rated to 50,000 CUP max pressure and normally have a shorter throat. The 5.56x45 is built to NATO specs, rated to 60,000 CUP max pressure and has a longer throat, optimized to shoot long bullets. THAT said, there are various 223 Match Chambers, including the Wylde chamber, that feature longer throats.

And they said "Should YOU be worried about shooting 5.56x45 ammo in a 223 Remington, THE ANSWER REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR CHAMBER.

Well, now, hmmm! Of course one has to measure the chamber & plenty of gauges are available & now the design capabilities of your rifle even if it has a long throat.

But it is not a special figure 8 chamber with switchbacks and U turns.

Anyway, I have the 223 chamber, the Wylde & the 5.56 in different rifles. Somebody said something about advise, well No way would I shoot 5.56 in my Contender barrel for example, it has a short throat & not overly strong. And don't assume your chamber to be the exact same as another identical model and spec rifle , sometimes they aren't.

But in the Ruger Am. Predators I have heard about so far, the throat has been ample & the rifle is build very strong, esp. if compared with a MIni and such. But measure yours when you get it.

As far as steel cased stuff, I don't know why bolt guns are singled out for not using that stuff, I have a RRA Varmiter (Wylde Ch) that I would not shoot that stuff in.

Anyway, to the OP, just do your research & I look forward to shooting 75 A-Max in mine when it arrives.

I am posting this again because for the 2nd time someone is saying bad advise is given, may not be in reference to my post but if you see a bad problem you need to be specific and point out the actual error, QUOTE IT. If you think my post is in error I will also contact 6mmbr and ask if their great 223/5.56 article can be 'adjusted" for you, but I rather doubt they do.

Again it's not just the "leade", the 5.56 is often loaded to a higher pressure.
So, if a person just shoots factory ammo and does not know the length of their chamber, you are ADVISED to only shoot 223 in a chamber so marked and with a 5.56 or Wylde chamber he can do both. If however he loads ammo and can measure the chamber beforehand & sees it has a long throat as in throated for long Match bullets, then again he is fine. It is not Rocket Science for a experience loader who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

However, if anyone wants to explain how using a OAL gauge is done differently for a 5.56 chamber than others, please chime in and straighten this out.
Thanks
,

 

[rfd]

to each their own. i carefully handload for all my rifles and handguns, so i could care less about any 5.56 warnings. guess i'm lucky.

 

[2ndGen]

Mossberg MVP, uses AR mags too.

+1, I want one......

 

[Maddmax]

My Mini's say .223

My 181 Mini 14 is stamped 5.56 and also has it in the manual.

 

[Rampant]

Guess they changed it later to 5.56....Maybe throat was lengthened or chambers chromed?
Mine are all 180 series. They sometimes jam with 5.56 nato, shell sticks in chamber, wont extract without force
They never jam w .223

 

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

To the OP:

1 - If you want to shoot cheap ammo, get setup to reload.
2A - Buy a Mini-14 and shoot any kind of brass cased ammo you can find and save all your brass (5.56, 223, doesn't matter)
2B - just make sure you buy a "223" die set to use with in your reloading
3 - buy your Predator in 223 and make all of the ammo you shot with it; it will be as cheap as the steel-case stuff and exponentially more accurate!!

Plus, you get two Rugers to shoot!!

 

[stevenkids]

The 5.56 chamber has a longer throat to accommodate the different NATO ammunition manufacturers, case lengths vary. This is similar to a stock .22 barrel and a match grade barrel, the match grade will not chamber CCI Stingers because the case length is longer.
The .223 Rem maximum case length is shorter than the 5.56 NATO case, hence if you shot 5.56 NATO in a firearm chambered in .223 Rem you run the risk of a over pressure condition.

 

[Telecaster]

WOW, a bunch of bad info in here.

Agreed. Completely.

No one buys a bolt gun to shoot cheap ammo.

Apparently, some people DO buy a cheap bolt gun and mount a cheap scope to it in order to shoot cheap steel-cased ammo. I know they're out there, because I see them at the public range I shoot on. What I don't see them doing a lot of is shooting tiny groups on paper targets.

I don't understand them; why they want a cheap gun, or a cheap scope, or think that shooting steel-cased ammo is a good idea..... But they're out there, never the less. Even when I don't see them, I know they've been there from the veritable sea of steel cases they seem inclined to leave behind them.

 

[Maddmax]

Lets take a look at this chamber info, BTW the external dimensions of the case is the same, but the leade in the chamber is not.

Here is a good article on the 223 & 5.56x45 & 223AI, the differences, etc.
223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide

For those who won't take the time to read the complete article, here are relevant statements on the 223 vs 5.56
" While the external cartridge dimensions are essentially the same, the 223 Remington is built to SAAMI specs., rated to 50,000 CUP max pressure and normally have a shorter throat. The 5.56x45 is built to NATO specs, rated to 60,000 CUP max pressure and has a longer throat, optimized to shoot long bullets. THAT said, there are various 223 Match Chambers, including the Wylde chamber, that feature longer throats.

And they said "Should YOU be worried about shooting 5.56x45 ammo in a 223 Remington, THE ANSWER REALLY DEPENDS ON YOUR CHAMBER.

I guess some people just need to find out the hard way. It's not a matter of if it will be damaged and blow up, it's a matter of time and when will your luck run out. I won't buy anything chambered in 223. Everything is 5.56 and reloading I stay with-in NATO specs. I've seen what happens when and what a rifle (or hand gun) can do when pushed past its limits and blows up in some ones face or hand. Whether it be too hot of a load or barrel obstruction.

I push my loads to their design limits, but don't push my luck. Knock on wood. I've never had an accident shooting or reloading in 53+ years of shooting. But have seen many that could have been prevented if people would have just followed the guidelines.

 

[Nomosendero]

I guess some people just need to find out the hard way. It's not a matter of if it will be damaged and blow up, it's a matter of time and when will your luck run out. I won't buy anything chambered in 223. Everything is 5.56 and reloading I stay with-in NATO specs. I've seen what happens when and what a rifle (or hand gun) can do when pushed past its limits and blows up in some ones face or hand. Whether it be too hot of a load or barrel obstruction.

I push my loads to their design limits, but don't push my luck. Knock on wood. I've never had an accident shooting or reloading in 53+ years of shooting. But have seen many that could have been prevented if people would have just followed the guidelines.

And then some never learn at all!!

 

[Joewisc]

Well, many of us don't reload for any number of good reasons and because ammo prices are skyrocketing, we're looking for a less expensive option. I run steel-case through my scoped SKS and get 2-inch groups at 100 yards. Yes, a bolt action is designed for better accuracy but the question is not whether cheap ammo will achieve that result. For me the overriding issue is that the Predator or any other rifle stamped .223 only can't use steel-case nor .556 which limits its appeal as an all-purpose gun. I'm not into match shooting so I don't care if I can't make ragged holes.

 

[rfd]

in all honesty, if yer in this shooting/hunting game for life, there is no good reason not to get into reloading ... for all the right reasons, from far more accurate round potential to saving dollar$ per box of cartridges. ymmv.

 

[trigger creep]

in all honesty, if yer in this shooting/hunting game for life, there is no good reason not to get into reloading ... for all the right reasons, from far more accurate round potential to saving dollar$ per box of cartridges. ymmv.

My thoughts exactly.... It's fun maximizing accuracy and killing power in your gun by reloading. I have never been happier than when I shot animals with rounds I crafted in my own house.... There's no better way to making your rifle as accurate and deadly as possible.

 

[Joewisc]

in all honesty, if yer in this shooting/hunting game for life, there is no good reason not to get into reloading ... for all the right reasons, from far more accurate round potential to saving dollar$ per box of cartridges. ymmv.

A. You need an ample work space, which I don't have. You also need patience and mechanical skill and attention to detail. Dittoes.
B. The rising cost of equipment, including powder, dies, bullets, is not only climbing but availability of components is shrinking.
C. If you shoot a modest amount of ammo, it will take a couple of years to recoup your investment. By then, I'll probably be dead.
D. Shooting/hunting is fun but not the most important thing in life. I gave up golf because of physical problems, the expense and the waste of 5 hours of precious daylight time. As Mark Twain said, "a good walk spoiled."
E. When you get old things that used to matter a lot don't matter as much. It's called perspective.

 

[SouthSideScubaSteve]

A. You need an ample work space, which I don't have. You also need patience and mechanical skill and attention to detail. Dittoes.
B. The rising cost of equipment, including powder, dies, bullets, is not only climbing but availability of components is shrinking.
C. If you shoot a modest amount of ammo, it will take a couple of years to recoup your investment. By then, I'll probably be dead.
D. Shooting/hunting is fun but not the most important thing in life. I gave up golf because of physical problems, the expense and the waste of 5 hours of precious daylight time. As Mark Twain said, "a good walk spoiled."
E. When you get old things that used to matter a lot don't matter as much. It's called perspective.

Given all of the above, I'd say buy a Mossberg MVP and blast away!

 

[rfd]

A. You need an ample work space, which I don't have. You also need patience and mechanical skill and attention to detail. Dittoes.
B. The rising cost of equipment, including powder, dies, bullets, is not only climbing but availability of components is shrinking.
C. If you shoot a modest amount of ammo, it will take a couple of years to recoup your investment. By then, I'll probably be dead.
D. Shooting/hunting is fun but not the most important thing in life. I gave up golf because of physical problems, the expense and the waste of 5 hours of precious daylight time. As Mark Twain said, "a good walk spoiled."
E. When you get old things that used to matter a lot don't matter as much. It's called perspective.

you know very little about handloading, and that's ok 'cause we're all ignorant about lotsa stuff, definitely me included.

SO, unless there is no desire whatsoever to handload, for the Very most part ...

• there can be no space requirements other than a comfy easy chair (no table even needed).
  
• the larger cost of reloading is the brass which for the most part you will reuse many Many MANY times in most cases (pun intended).
  
• in terms of component availability - powder, primers, bullets (assuming you have been smart to save yer brass) - that's changing for the better daily and will return to "normal" sooner than later, promise.
  
• you don't understand the cost of reloading components at all, and it does run a spectrum of calibers and specific cartridges, but the savings can be ungodly substantial ... which will typically create another problem - shooting lots more that you usually would, and burn up ammo lots faster.
  
• i have MANY interests and shooting firearms is but one of nearly a dozen "hobby vocations", but i shoot every week for at least 50 weeks per year. again, depends on yer wants and needs.
  
• do whatever you enjoy most. if one of those things is firearms, and yer burning commercial ammo, then do at least consider the joy of reloading.

what you might gain is the diy joy of handloading, far more accurate rounds, and a goodly savings over a reasonable space of time.

again, lots depends on yer needs - in essence, how often you shoot, why yer shooting, and what you expect from yer shooting.

 

[Maddmax]

A. You need an ample work space, which I don't have. You also need patience and mechanical skill and attention to detail. Dittoes.
B. The rising cost of equipment, including powder, dies, bullets, is not only climbing but availability of components is shrinking.
C. If you shoot a modest amount of ammo, it will take a couple of years to recoup your investment. By then, I'll probably be dead.
D. Shooting/hunting is fun but not the most important thing in life. I gave up golf because of physical problems, the expense and the waste of 5 hours of precious daylight time. As Mark Twain said, "a good walk spoiled."
E. When you get old things that used to matter a lot don't matter as much. It's called perspective.

A: It don't take much space. Don't need a high skill level and just pay attention to what you're doing.

B: Cost isn't bad and things can be found easy enough.

C: Paid for my first loading equipment in less than 6-8 months (back when I started) and just kept adding from there.

D:I never did like Golf. A Golf Coarse ain't nothing more than a waist of a good shooting range.

E: I'm no spring chicken (by a long shot). And not giving up on anything. At the end, I'm coming in, in a cloud of dust under full throttle kickin' and screaming.

 

[Nomosendero]

A. You need an ample work space, which I don't have. You also need patience and mechanical skill and attention to detail. Dittoes.
B. The rising cost of equipment, including powder, dies, bullets, is not only climbing but availability of components is shrinking.
C. If you shoot a modest amount of ammo, it will take a couple of years to recoup your investment. By then, I'll probably be dead.
D. Shooting/hunting is fun but not the most important thing in life. I gave up golf because of physical problems, the expense and the waste of 5 hours of precious daylight time. As Mark Twain said, "a good walk spoiled."
E. When you get old things that used to matter a lot don't matter as much. It's called perspective.

any of us could be dead tonight for that matter, but if you feel you will probably be dead in 2 years, why are you on this forum? Might want to sort out other details.

 

[Joewisc]

any of us could be dead tonight for that matter, but if you feel you will probably be dead in 2 years, why are you on this forum? Might want to sort out other details.

I live day to day and buy no green bananas. Fact is, life is fragile and something you become aware of when you get on the wrong side of 70 like me. I'm on this forum to answer probing questions such as yours.