-
If you are being asked to change your password, and unsure how to do it, follow these instructions. Click here
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
woodnut
Well-Known Member
Gary, I too have a Cooper in the 223A.I.; as wll as an AR15. But, my cooper isn't stocked in beautiful walnut like yours. I have the synthetic stock. But it still shoots lites out!
Varmintnv
Well-Known Member
I built a .223AI 10+yrs ago strictly for killing coyotes. Mine was built on a Rem700 with a PacNor 24" SS super match tube, #4 contour with a 1-14" twist. It pushes 50gr Sierra Blitzkings at 3615fps with 30gr of W748. 1/2" or less groups if I'm on my game that day. It's nipping on the heels of a factory .22-250 which means it hell on coyotes. You can find a faster round, or one with more umph, but you won't find a better coyote cartridge than the .223AI.
Shotsafterdark
New Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2024
- Messages
- 134
Amen to that ....and today it's about shooting economically ...it does so much with so little ...that's the beauty ...and the small amount of powder makes for a better audible signal to suppress with those long barrels...
Gary in MD
Well-Known Member
I now have 3 of the those Arken 6-24x50 and they are pretty darn good especially for the money.
Gary in MD
Well-Known Member
I'll bet it does shoot! They are sweet little rifles and a pleasure to carry in the field
Huckleberry75
Well-Known Member
I went with a 7tw and run the Berger 80.5's just under 2900 with 8208xbr from a 20" rock creek. It has dropped deer and coyotes with authority. The hardest part is keeping it away from my son, so I can shoot it a little too.
A-Tip
Well-Known Member
The 223 Improved is something that's on my bucket list with a 40 gr vmax, I already have a 22-250 Improved but I'm going to use that as my thermal rig. Keeping speed in mind, im hoping to get about 3850 with that tiny little guy and possibly keep the weight down as much as possible with that build. I would absolutely recommend the 223 Improved for yotes.
223 Ack is a fun and cute little rig! I've been around more than a few of them. IMO the reason to AI the 223 is to avoid trimming as best as one can. Speed wise, IMO one will pick up 100 fps. Course one can make them do or as some say "Push" them to as fast as they want.....
The 55g Hornady Sp with the cannelure is a fairly tough bullet and we have found exceptional accuracy. I consider the 55g Hornady as tough as the Sierra 55g BTHP. I killed two does with the 55g Hornady lead tip Sp, fell in their tracks, lung shot at 80-100 yds.
223 AI with 55's, you can get 100 more fps with N135 with cci BR4 compared to benchmark, and my 26" 12T is running right at 3700 fps. With Benchmark(3550-3600 fps), I blow coyotes up due to the velocity envelope with the 55g Sierra lead tip blitz which on par with a 30/06. I swear, some things you have to see to believe, and the 55g Sierra lead tip blitz at 3500-3600 Massacres a coyote! I don't know if the 55g Lead tip blitz will take the rpm of an 8T, nor the 3600 fps velocity in a rough factory barrel.
AA2230 will work in spades with the 50s and 55's, and I use Rem 7 1/2 primers, and I would sure buy some 60g TMK that shot one heck of a lot better in my 9T shilen vs the 69g tmk. The 60g tmk shoots groups the size of a pencil eraser at 3350 while the 69's were bug holing at 3150...barrels can sure be different.
With 26", 12-14T with very short freebore, 50g bullets, 3800 fps with H335 using Rem 7 1/2 primers seems to be a load that shoots in a LOT of rifles. For coyotes, I switched out the 50g V max for a 50g Sierra lead tip, which is a high-velocity bullet, and hit a real home run with coyotes as the bullet penetrated well and broke bones all the way.
In the 14T, zero freebore chamber, I shoot the 40g Nosler bt at 4130 fps with N133 with cci br4 which has a thick cup, accuracy is a bug hole, literally.
223 AI with 55's, you can get 100 more fps with N135 with cci BR4 compared to benchmark, and my 26" 12T is running right at 3700 fps. With Benchmark(3550-3600 fps), I blow coyotes up due to the velocity envelope with the 55g Sierra lead tip blitz which on par with a 30/06. I swear, some things you have to see to believe, and the 55g Sierra lead tip blitz at 3500-3600 Massacres a coyote! I don't know if the 55g Lead tip blitz will take the rpm of an 8T, nor the 3600 fps velocity in a rough factory barrel.
AA2230 will work in spades with the 50s and 55's, and I use Rem 7 1/2 primers, and I would sure buy some 60g TMK that shot one heck of a lot better in my 9T shilen vs the 69g tmk. The 60g tmk shoots groups the size of a pencil eraser at 3350 while the 69's were bug holing at 3150...barrels can sure be different.
With 26", 12-14T with very short freebore, 50g bullets, 3800 fps with H335 using Rem 7 1/2 primers seems to be a load that shoots in a LOT of rifles. For coyotes, I switched out the 50g V max for a 50g Sierra lead tip, which is a high-velocity bullet, and hit a real home run with coyotes as the bullet penetrated well and broke bones all the way.
In the 14T, zero freebore chamber, I shoot the 40g Nosler bt at 4130 fps with N133 with cci br4 which has a thick cup, accuracy is a bug hole, literally.
Last edited:
308win
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2017
- Messages
- 485
Built one for an economical long range practice rifle and for when friends want to try long range. 26" 7twist Wilson on a Ruger American action sitting in a Bell and Carlson stock.
By far my favorite load is 85gr Berger pushed with Varget 2852fps. Have had it up to 2950 with RL-17. Single feed at a COAL of 2.622. No yotes with it yet, but it has taken 3 deer (farthest at 279yrds) and a milk jug at 1769yrds.
I did load up some 53gr V-Max running 3400fps, just in case I need to go find a song dog?
Pics of the Buck at 279yrds (He had a broke leg so I put him down). Second pic is the feeder leg the bullet hit on exit. Love those 85.5gr LRHT bullets on deer!
By far my favorite load is 85gr Berger pushed with Varget 2852fps. Have had it up to 2950 with RL-17. Single feed at a COAL of 2.622. No yotes with it yet, but it has taken 3 deer (farthest at 279yrds) and a milk jug at 1769yrds.
I did load up some 53gr V-Max running 3400fps, just in case I need to go find a song dog?
Pics of the Buck at 279yrds (He had a broke leg so I put him down). Second pic is the feeder leg the bullet hit on exit. Love those 85.5gr LRHT bullets on deer!
Teekerguy
Well-Known Member
When a guy could apply for a hunting permit and gun permit to hunt in a particular state in Mexico, we hunted there at least 8 weeks out of the year for predators, that ended around 1991 or so when their new president passed a law that Gringos had to have a "guide" with them at all times.
The predator hunting was incredible to say the least with weekend hunts ranging from 13-56 tails taken. We did a lot of bullet testing. Some bullets are just ok, while others really shine on energy dump, putting the animal down in it's tracks.
Bullet choice really matters when it comes to hunting vs target.
I will never forget one of my first really bad bullet/velocity combo's. I was using a Weems Wild call, duo tone hand call. A big coyote came in and stood broadside to me around 150 yards, he had caught a whiff of something he did not like, stopped in his tracks. I was shooting a custom 22/250 with Sierra 60g HP loaded to 3450 fps. I hit him solid behind the front leg in the lungs, he trotted off without a care in the world at bullet impact. He stopped again on a broadside shot around 200 or so, and I hit him again, lung shot. Again, he trotted off. I figured that I had lost him, but he showed up again around 300 yards licking blood running out of the entrance holes, I made the decision that I needed to shoot him through the shoulders, and he collapsed at the shot.
When we retrieved him, he had two holes through the lungs about 2" apart, but they had not broken the diaphragm. The shot through the shoulders killed him. I carried a Buck Lite knife on my belt and immediately just unzipped the coyote right down the middle of the spine under the skin, and peeled the hide back. The bullets looked like they had never expanded.
So, on the rest of the hunt that weekend, I knew to shoulder-shoot the animal or head if possible.
I gave the rest of those 60g Sierra to a friend who was shooting them in a 22 Cheetah at 4000 fps.
My 60g Problems ended when I switched to a 60g Berger which is just an incredible bullet for coyotes in 22/250-22/250 AI speeds, blowing a teacup size hole on the off side. The 60g Berger proved to be a bullet worth building a rifle around, 12T zero to .020 Freebore.
The predator hunting was incredible to say the least with weekend hunts ranging from 13-56 tails taken. We did a lot of bullet testing. Some bullets are just ok, while others really shine on energy dump, putting the animal down in it's tracks.
Bullet choice really matters when it comes to hunting vs target.
I will never forget one of my first really bad bullet/velocity combo's. I was using a Weems Wild call, duo tone hand call. A big coyote came in and stood broadside to me around 150 yards, he had caught a whiff of something he did not like, stopped in his tracks. I was shooting a custom 22/250 with Sierra 60g HP loaded to 3450 fps. I hit him solid behind the front leg in the lungs, he trotted off without a care in the world at bullet impact. He stopped again on a broadside shot around 200 or so, and I hit him again, lung shot. Again, he trotted off. I figured that I had lost him, but he showed up again around 300 yards licking blood running out of the entrance holes, I made the decision that I needed to shoot him through the shoulders, and he collapsed at the shot.
When we retrieved him, he had two holes through the lungs about 2" apart, but they had not broken the diaphragm. The shot through the shoulders killed him. I carried a Buck Lite knife on my belt and immediately just unzipped the coyote right down the middle of the spine under the skin, and peeled the hide back. The bullets looked like they had never expanded.
So, on the rest of the hunt that weekend, I knew to shoulder-shoot the animal or head if possible.
I gave the rest of those 60g Sierra to a friend who was shooting them in a 22 Cheetah at 4000 fps.
My 60g Problems ended when I switched to a 60g Berger which is just an incredible bullet for coyotes in 22/250-22/250 AI speeds, blowing a teacup size hole on the off side. The 60g Berger proved to be a bullet worth building a rifle around, 12T zero to .020 Freebore.
Last edited:
