Why did NATO adopt the 5.56 when it's hitting power was worse than the 7.62 ?

[Flying Pig]

It should be noted that firing it is one thing, but you're scored full marks for a hit at those ranges, and you can expect scores of something like one to four hits out of ten at 400 yards in a range situation, where you have an obvious, easily defined (standing) enemy, on a contrasting background, in a predictable location, with a nice firing point to shoot from. It's not quite the same when you're ducking behind a little mound of earth, trying first to locate and then to actually shoot at a bush with muzzle flashes coming out of it.

 

[schlaufuchs]

It should be noted that firing it is one thing, but you're scored full marks for a hit at those ranges, and you can expect scores of something like one to four hits out of ten at 400 yards in a range situation, where you have an obvious, easily defined (standing) enemy, on a contrasting background, in a predictable location, with a nice firing point to shoot from. It's not quite the same when you're ducking behind a little mound of earth, trying first to locate and then to actually shoot at a bush with muzzle flashes coming out of it.

(and all the time in the world to line up your shot, and then adjust when you miss)

 

[Flying Pig]

Not on a good range - very few scenarios or competitions allow you to take as long as you want. Normally you will be told something like 'fire ten rounds in the next minute/two minutes', or 'the target will be exposed for three seconds, fire at it. It will fall when hit, and then the exercise repeats ten times'. Similarly, you can't see the splash in the sand unless you're closer than 300m, and you can't see it at all on a wet day, or on a gravel-backed range. Nearly all military ranges also forbid adjusting the sights if that requires a tool, which it does for most military iron-sighted rifles. You just have to point it somewhere else for wind and your own errors.

 

[r16]

the only time ı ever shot anything was that 3 rounds from that G-3 in compulsory service thing back in 2000 . There were some 10 of us in position with a guy for each to make sure we didn't put our hand or finger in front of the barrel for better control . Everybody was expecting anyone else to start shooting , because the instructors had told the first shoots would startle everyone and it was better to wait for noise to begin . It took some 5 minutes or 10 until ı was like "Come onnnn!" Causing the guy next to me to miss his first round . ı emptied the magazine of three rounds , with quite deliberate motions in like 5 minutes , the shooting must have continued for an another 10 minutes . And oh yeah , my ears ringed for at least two weeks .