Scope of this comparison
This page covers centerfire rifle calibers used for range and target shooting. Hunting cartridge selection is a separate question with different constraints — bullet construction and terminal performance drive that choice, not cost per round — and it is covered in Cheapest Hunting Calibers. Handgun calibers are in Cheapest Handgun Calibers, and the cross-category view is Cheapest Calibers to Shoot.
Figures linked below are observed costs per round: the lowest in-stock price seen per distinct product per day, aggregated over a rolling 30-day window across tracked retailers. Observation counts and contributing retailer counts are published on each caliber page.
Why 5.56 and 7.62x39 sit lowest
5.56 NATO and .223 Remington benefit from military-scale production. Surplus and commercial lines share tooling, and the AR-15 platform's installed base sustains volume no other rifle cartridge matches domestically. The two are chambered differently and are not universally interchangeable — see 5.56 vs .223 before assuming a price on one applies to the other.
7.62x39 was historically the cheapest centerfire rifle round on the strength of imported steel-cased production. The 2021 Russian import ban removed Tula, Wolf, and Barnaul volume from the US market, and the caliber's cost position moved accordingly. It remains inexpensive relative to full-power rifle cartridges, but its former margin over 5.56 has narrowed.
Where the other rifle calibers land
.300 Blackout runs well above 5.56 despite sharing a bolt face and magazine. Production volume is far smaller and much of the market is subsonic and specialty loading. See .300 Blackout vs 5.56.
.308 Winchester is the highest-volume full-power rifle cartridge, which keeps it competitive against other .30-caliber options, but the larger case, heavier projectile, and larger powder charge place it structurally above the intermediate cartridges above.
.30-06 Springfield sits near .308 with similar material demands and lower current production volume.
6.5 Creedmoor skews toward match-grade loading. The caliber's market is precision-oriented, so the available product mix is weighted toward higher-cost ammunition — a mix effect as much as a per-unit manufacturing one. See .308 vs 6.5 Creedmoor.
.350 Legend is a straight-wall cartridge serving specific state hunting regulations, with correspondingly limited production.
What changes the ordering
- Case material. Steel-cased 5.56 and 7.62x39 price below brass equivalents; see Steel Case vs Brass Case.
- Load grade. Match-grade ammunition is a different cost class from bulk range ammunition in the same caliber — see What Is Match Grade Ammo. Comparing match in one caliber against bulk in another overstates the gap.
- Bullet type. Within 5.56, M193, M855, and soft-point loads differ in cost; see 5.56 Ammo Types Explained.
- Pack size. Case quantities reduce per-round cost at most retailers.
Current figures
5.56 NATO · .223 Remington · 7.62x39 · .300 Blackout · .308 Winchester · 6.5 Creedmoor · .30-06 Springfield · .350 Legend