458 SOCOM vs 556: Upping AR-15 Stopping Power

The standard AR-15 chambered in 5.56 NATO is truly America’s rifle and is a symbol of American ingenuity and freedom.

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The standard AR-15 chambered in 5.56 NATO is truly America’s rifle and is a symbol of American ingenuity and freedom. Although the 5.56 NATO has proven itself in the jungles of Vietnam and deserts of Iraq, some gun owners wanted something more…

They wanted more stopping power, better terminal ballistics, and a rifle cartridge that could be used for both home defense and big game hunting.

The 458 SOCOM cartridge is the answer that these gun owners were looking for, as its heavier bullets can deliver bone-crushing kinetic energy that can stop feral hogs or whitetail in their tracks.

However, is investing in a big bore 458 SOCOM upper receiver really worth it? Or is it better to stick with the AR-15 platform mainstay, the 5.56 NATO?

The 458 SOCOM makes for an amazing hog hunting and self-defense cartridge as well as just being fun to shoot in an AR-15. However, the 5.56 NATO has been the gold-standard AR chambering since its release in the 60's. 

The 458 SOCOM really helps increase the stopping power of the AR platform but it does so at the cost of magazine capacity, range, and most of all, recoil. Ammo availability is also an issue for the SOCOM round as it is not a SAAMI certified cartridge and only custom ammo manufacturers make factory ammo for it.

The 5.56 on the other hand is incredibly easy to find and is relatively inexpensive to shoot.

In this podcast, Dave and Chris take a deep look into the 458 SOCOM and 5.56 NATO to determine what is best for your next AR-15.

Read more here: https://ammo.com/comparison/458-socom-vs-556

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