Real-time price tracking across 7 retailers. Updated every 2 hours.
Track 5.56 / .223 ammo cost per round in real time across 7 retailers. We're monitoring 36 5.56 / .223 products (20 priced offers with CPR data) with box prices starting at $19.66. The typical cost per round is $1.02, with the best deal at $0.90/round. Broken down by use case: Hunting averages 120¢/rd and Self-Defense averages 96¢/rd. Prices are updated every 2 hours. Click any product to see its full price history and set a price drop alert.
Median 5.56 / .223 cost per round on September 24, 2026: $1.02 across 20 in-stock listings tracked by Firearm Data Lab.
5.56 and .223 ammo are among the most price-sensitive rifle searches because many shoppers compare bulk range ammo, defensive loads, and match-style cartridges in the same session. This tracker keeps current 5.56 / .223 prices, cost per round, and stock status in one place.
Use this page to benchmark cheap 5.56 ammo and .223 Remington offers against nearby rifle calibers. Related hubs make it easy to compare AR training ammo with 300 Blackout, 7.62x39, and larger rifle rounds.
M193-style 5.56 ammo is a common AR range-ammo benchmark. Use the current listings below to compare M193, .223 Remington, bulk round counts, and live CPR across tracked retailers.
Box price alone can hide the real value on .223 and 5.56 ammo. Compare CPR, round count, stock status, and use case before treating a listing as the cheapest AR ammo deal.
| Month | Median CPR | Lowest CPR | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 74.0¢/rd | 15.0¢/rd | -1.0% |
| August 2026 | 74.8¢/rd | 15.0¢/rd | -1.6% |
| July 2026 | 76.0¢/rd | 15.0¢/rd | -5.0% |
| June 2026 | 80.0¢/rd | 15.0¢/rd | +0.6% |
| May 2026 | 79.5¢/rd | 15.0¢/rd | -11.6% |
| April 2026 | 90.0¢/rd | 14.5¢/rd | — |
Median and lowest observed cost per round per calendar month, from in-stock listings tracked across supported retailers.
Want the whole market instead of one caliber? The Ammo Price Index chains these monthly medians across a fixed 12-caliber basket into a single month-over-month benchmark.
The best cost per round we're currently tracking for 5.56 / .223 is $0.90/round. A typical CPR across 20 tracked offers is $1.02/round. Prices vary by brand, grain weight, and retailer.
The typical cost per round for 5.56 / .223 is $1.02. Check our CPR trend chart above to see if current prices are above or below the 30-day average. Set a price alert to get notified when prices drop.
5.56 / .223 ammo falls into different price tiers depending on intended use. Hunting averages 120¢/rd (best deal 90¢/rd across 13 products). Self-Defense averages 96¢/rd (best deal 90¢/rd across 7 products).
Based on our real-time tracking across 7 retailers, the cheapest 5.56 / .223 ammo starting at $19.66/box. We compare prices from Bereli, Brownells, E-Commerce Arms, GrabAGun and more.
A good 5.56 / .223 ammo deal depends on cost per round, round count, bullet type, and whether the product is in stock. Bulk range ammo is usually compared differently than defensive or match ammunition.
