Description
If you shoot an AR-15 regularly, the sensible way to buy ammunition is by the can. The PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT is the plain, range-legal, everywhere-welcome version of that: 55 grain ball, clipped, bandoleered and sealed.
- Why 55 Grain Ball Is Still the Default
- PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT Specifications
- Honest Notes on Buying by the Can
Why 55 Grain Ball Is Still the Default
The 55 grain full metal jacket boat tail is the load the AR-15 was designed around, and sixty years later it remains the most sensible thing to feed one for volume practice. It is the cheapest 5.56 that is still made to specification, every range on earth allows it, and every barrel twist rate from 1:12 to 1:7 will stabilize it.
The PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT leaves a 20 inch barrel at 3270 feet per second with 1306 foot-pounds. That is genuinely fast, and it gives the flattest trajectory of any common 5.56 load: with a 100 yard zero the bullet is only 2.6 inches low at 200 and 10.6 inches low at 300. For carbine work inside 300 yards that is about as forgiving as rifle ballistics get.
PMC manufactures this in Korea and packs it the way the military packs service ammunition: ten-round stripper clips, cloth bandoleers, a magazine loading spoon, and a sealed metal can. Clipped ammunition fills magazines several times faster than loose rounds, which matters more than it sounds on a busy range day.
PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT Specifications
Boat tail construction is the one refinement over plain flat-base ball. Tapering the rear reduces base drag, which improves the ballistic coefficient to 0.243 and keeps velocity up slightly better downrange. It is a modest gain and it costs nothing, which is why nearly all modern 5.56 ball ammunition uses it.
Accuracy expectations should be realistic. The PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT is service-grade ammunition, and a typical AR-15 will group somewhere in the 2 to 4 MOA range with it. That is entirely adequate for training, plinking, carbine courses and steel inside 300 yards, and it is not competitive with match ammunition for precision work.
The sealed can is the real long-term argument. Stored dry at reasonable temperature, this ammunition will still be perfectly serviceable decades from now. Loose cardboard-boxed ammunition in a humid garage will not be.
- Cartridge: 5.56mm NATO
- Bullet weight: 55 grain
- Bullet type: full metal jacket boat tail
- Muzzle velocity: 3270 feet per second from a 20 inch barrel
- Muzzle energy: 1306 foot-pounds
- Ballistic coefficient: 0.243
- Sectional density: 0.156
- Packaging: stripper clips in bandoleers, sealed metal can
- Rounds per can: 840
- Total rounds: 1680, two metal cans
- Manufacturer item: 5.56X M/B
- UPC: 020741569010621
Honest Notes on Buying by the Can
Buy the PMC X-TAC 5.56 NATO 55gr FMJBT if you train with an AR-15 and want ammunition that stores indefinitely and loads fast. This is the correct default purchase for volume 5.56, and the can pack is the cheapest way per round to get it.
Skip it if you need barrier performance or want ammunition that behaves well against intermediate cover. The 62 grain green tip load in the same packaging is the choice there, though many ranges restrict it.
Skip it for precision shooting or hunting. Fifty-five grain ball is a training round. For accuracy work a 68 or 77 grain match load is the answer, and for game a purpose-built expanding bullet.
Want the barrier load instead? The PMC X-TAC 5.56 62gr green tip can pack uses the same packaging. For a smaller quantity, see the American Gunner 5.56 55gr can of 247. PMC publishes complete X-TAC ballistic data on its own site.
MAG5 Firearms sells 5.56 by the box and by the pallet. If you are buying in volume, ask about freight before you order rather than after.
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