Do You Know What The Best Scope For The .223 Cartridge is?

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The .223 is often referred to as the .223 Remington or the 5.56*45 mm NATO ammunition. It is the standard ammunition that was produced in 1957 mainly for the army service.

The design of the .223 Remington was in continuous development due to its popularity among the primary rifle usage.

In 1980, to catch up with modern demand for better army weapon, the .223 Remington was redesigned into the 5.56x45 mm NATO.

The new design of the cartridge uses a 62-gram full metal jacket bullet that can provide better pierce through the lightly armored targets.

It is important to know that the .223 round nowadays in the commercial offer is not the same round as the 5.56x45 mm NATO.

The NATO rounds are reserved for military usage, which has better long-range performance and less fragmentation on impact.

Today, the .223 is one of the most popular ammunition for the majority of seme and full automatic action rifles. The AR-15 has seen a lot of action with this particular cartridge.

In the US, the .223 Remington for commercial purchase dominates the entire market for combat rifle ammunition. The second runner up is the .22 centerfire cartridge.

The official measures for the .223 bullet are 0.224-inch diameter with weights around 35 to 85 grains.

Due to the round being made for the combat rifle, the best scope for the .223 is usually target at medium to short range usage. The users have been using the round for hunting as well as sports shooting.

Great Tips Before Buying The Scope For The .223 Cartridge

The main reason why the .223 becomes popular for the primary action rifle is the cost efficiency of the ammunition.

The cartridge runs on no more than thirty grains of powder, which you let you purchase more rounds and fire them off comfortably without worrying about the cost.

Also, the round offers very low and tolerable recoil. No matter if you are a veteran or the amateur that never fires a rifle before, you can get used to the recoil of the .223 within a concise time.

Since the round is made for the combat rifle, you will be looking at the range from the 400 to 600 yards. This means the round functions the best for mid range.

Moreover, as we have already discussed, the .223 Remington that is manufactured for civilian use is different than the NATO version for the army.

The standard .223 round often leave fragmentation or splinter after the initial impact, which provides little to no extra penetration against the target.

That is why it is essential to equip your combat action rifle with a scope to provide additional accuracy if you want to deliver a deadly aim to the target quickly.


The List Of Three Fantastic Scopes For The .223 Primary Rifle

The Nikon P-223, like its name suggests, is the most no brainer choice for the .223 cartridge. There could be no wrong with the respectable Nikon brand and their specific scope for the most popular action rifle cartridge.

The first remarkable feature of the Nikon P-223 is the reliable Eye Relief which reduces the pressure while you are aiming downrange. It also helps to keep the aiming consistency with the recoiling effect from the .223 cartridge.

Furthermore, the unique technology BDC 600 Reticle-Developed is manufactured for the trajectory of the .223 round.

This brilliant reticle technology will enhance your shooting experience immensely. It provides the shooter with an open circle aiming points which they can deliver an accurate shot from 100 to 600 yards.

If the shooter wants to have a dead-on precision for the low range around 100 yards, they will be fond of the 100-yard Parallax removal setting, which completely removes parallax effect.

The entire tube scope is also produced with high-quality material that is waterproof, shock proof, and fog proof.

Pros

  • Manufactured specifically to equip with the rifle that uses .223 ammunition

  • Parallax removal at 100 yards for maximum accuracy

  • BDC 600 Reticle-Developed - the fantastic feature to offer precise aim from 100 to 600 yards

Cons

  • BDC dots might be a bit smaller for users who are not used to this type of reticle.


The Bushnell AR Optics is another excellent alternative to the Nikon P-223. This scope is also produced specifically for the .223 round.

The first noticeable feature of the scope is the multi-coated lens that allows more light transmission within the scope. The target’s image is a lot brighter and clearer even under poor lighting environments.

The 3 - 9x power magnification is also versatile for short range to medium-long range. The shooter can adjust the zoom settings with a few precise finger clicks.

The Drop Zone-223 BDC Ballistic Reticle is developed to deliver the .223 cartridge with weight around 55 - 62 grain. The scope is deadly accurate within the range up to 500 yards.

The eyepiece design is solid which lets the users acquire and keep a track on target quickly. The scope also features side focus parallax that can be turned on for the long-range configuration.

Furthermore, this scope is made to fit in all type of hunting and combat action rifle. It should not require any additional rail installation on your rifle to equip this scope.

Pros

  • The Drop Zone-223 BDC that is made for the .223 cartridge. Along with the 3-9x magnification, the scope’s performance is excellent at the range of 100 - 500 yards.

  • Side scope parallax that can be adjusted for long range.

  • Rapid target acquisition with the great eyepiece design.

Cons

  • Some users do not like the small BDC reticle for their scope.


If you plan to center your shooting game around the short range, there are the Primary Arms with a 2.5x power magnification that is worth your money investment.

To start of the benefits, this scope offers a perfect and versatile mount that can be equipped to the majority of the rail on your action rifle.

Even the full-size ACOG mount can be used to fit this scope nicely. You do not have to spend any extra cash on the rail or mount.

To rival other adversaries on the market for the .223 scope, Prism also develops their ACSS CQB reticle technology.

This brilliant reticle can raise the first hit ratio while at the same time reduce the engagement time.

That means that you can aim fast under 300 yards and switch to the accurate aim from 400 to 600 yards effortlessly.

With this type of patented ACSS reticle, there is also a bullet compensation feature that allows auto-adjustment for the drop bullet effect when firing long range.

Furthermore, the scopes use a single CR2032 battery to power the illumination within the tube. 

The lighting inside the tube is illuminated brightly in any lighting environments. There are also 12 different brightness settings that the users can adjust depending on their needs.

The material of this scope is the 6061 black matte, which delivers a sleek design for the entire scope. This material is also waterproof, fog proof and shockproof.

Pros

  • Very easy to install on any kind of primary rifle

  • The ACSS CQB reticle that offers comfortable aim for both short and medium range

  • Battery powered illumination for crisp and bright target’s image.

Cons

  • Some user might prefer a longer range zoom  than 2.5 power magnification


Final Verdict

By now you should have all the best reviews for the best .223 scope that offers the most bang for your buck. There are a lot of good options on the market to consider.

If you are still hesitant of picking a scope for your action rifle, do not worry. We can help you with some great advice on the scope.

If you want the no brainer purchase that will just work right out of the box for the .223 cartridge, there is nothing that could go wrong with the Nikon P-223. This scope is manufactured specifically for this round, and it is packed with rich features.

The Bushnell AR Optics Drop Zone 223 is a great alternative to the P-223. There is also no noticeable difference in the performance of these two scopes, only the brand preference.

Last but not least, if you want to experience other types of reticle beside the smaller BDC reticle, then head on for the Primary Arms 2.5X Prism scope that provides an enhanced ACSS CQB reticle.

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