Which would you prefer 5.56MM or 7.62MM?

Heart of Darkness

Depends on what kind of rounds they are and if I had to hump them for any length of time.

Both NATO and the Warsaw Pact converted from the 7.62 for individual weapons. NATO went with 5.56mm and the WP went with 5.54mm. There's a significant weight difference between a combat load of 5.56mm/5.54mm to 7.62mm.

But I'm ex-Army Recon...I look at everything in terms of weight (how much I'll have to hump).

As far as crew-served weapons go, I'd much rather have a 7.62mm (M240B) over 5.56 (M249 SAW). I wouldn't even mind carrying the extra weight. A decision I've made in real world situations.

Jason W

for the rest of your life definitely the 762, it's got power, one obviously makes the assumption that what you're really asking is which is better, the ak or the m-16. for which after ten years, if you still have bullets, the ak will still fire, and after you run out of bullets, at least you still have a club.

mindworms

well, just with respect to the >black hawk down< BOOK, where a remark onto 5,56 poor hit-kill probability,
and due to my 7,62 carreer- long using, i say 7,62

i ave never had opportunity to personally compare the two..

Kaz

It all depends on the situation/mission and the firearm that you are using. The 7.62 MM has more stopping power necessary to take out your target with one shot. The problem is that it may go through your target causing collateral damage and if your using an AK-47, it isn't accurate at a long range. The 5.56 MM can cause internal damage but the first shot kill rate is pretty low especially at long ranges. Overall I would go with the 7.62 MM.

Slowblinker

It really depends on what your weapon is and what it will be used against.
In my opinion, if you want to place fairly precise shots against personnel or small point targets, I would use the 5.56 because the M16A2 shoots it.
If I want to place a lot of rounds downrange on a crew -served weapon, like the M60, I would go with the 7.62. Larger round, more knockdown power.
I carried the M16A2, the M249 SAW and the M60. The M249 is a nice mix in between but sometimes the extra weight and rounds-per-minute are not an advantage.
If you have a 7.62 single-shot or 3 round burst type of weapon, I'd go for that.

Sam J

It depends both rounds are different. For me it would depend on what gun i liked best the round that fit that gun would then be my favorite.

Ryan T

definetly the 7.62mm i think it is much better and more powerful.

Mr Puma

5.56mm is good for 'anti personnel' purposes where 7.62mm would be useful against vehicles, like mom's mini van or most civilian type cars and trucks or residential buildings.

Mark F

7.62mm what? 7.62x39? 7.62x45? 7.62x51? 7.62x63?

For what purpose are they being used?

Mr. Smith

7.62mm

Bigger bullet, better chance of taken out the bad guys..............

RekonDog

7.62mm...packs more kinetic energy...more punch! 5.56mm are squirrel ammo...like how 9mm are worthless, .45-cals are better! Except 5.56 is lighter and smaller than the 7.62, so you can carry more and not be weighed down as much.

Alex 90 ``Malvinas ArgentinasÂ´Â´

The question is; best for what?

The 5.56mm has tremendous speed but little power to topple. This means more rounds to stop the threat of the target. The ammunition is less expensive. It's also easier to handle and lighter to carry and conceal.

The .7.62 caliber has more power. It has a little less speed than a 5.56mm. But it has more power to do harm. It's harder to hide, more expensive to shoot further, since (as stated above) kicks a lot, more backward and less than a 5.56mm round.

I personally am left with the 5.56mm. (my favorite rifle are the M16 and G36)

Regards.

7.62 mm is a one shot take him down bullet.

Tom

I would probably choose the 5.56 round it may be a smaller round but it is also a lot lighter in bulk to carry around all day.

jarrett n

Well, I guess it depends on what you plan to use them for. The 5.56 is a great varmint round. The 7.62 is an excellent long range round with good knock down power. I own an AR-15 with a match grade barrell and a 7x scope so 700m chest shots are not a problem for this round. If you plan on engaging targets any further than that I would recomend the 7.62. If it were a matter of a fun round to shoot 5.56. If it were a matter of survival, 7.62. Seeing as the 5.56 is more designed to be a casualty round rather than a kill round. About the largest this I would attempt to engage with a 5.56 would be a white tail deer. With a 7.62 I wouldn't hesitate to engage an elk or a moose.

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