A good .223 Round??

[rdsii64]

I am on a quest for a general purpose .223 round. this round must work with a right hand 12 twist 24" barrel and both serve plinking duty and varmint killer duty. When performing varmint killer duty, shots will be no more than 300 yards.

So far my choices are as follows:

Hornaday 55 grain softpoint = 3240 fps
Black hills 55 grain softpoint = 3240 fps
ultramax 50 grain spear point =3100 fps
ultramax 52 grain hollowpoint =3000 fps
Fiocchi 55 grain softpoint = 3240 fps
Fiocchi 40 grain vmax= 3650 fps

Opinions please.
If you think that a choice not listed is a better one please chime in

 

[Stormrider]

All will get both jobs done. Pick the one that gives the best accuracy in your rifle and be happy.

 

[Ring]

40 or 50gr Vamx, nothing beats it

 

[Fitch]

My favorite .223 varmint load for my CZ527 American is the 40g Nosler BT seated 0.020" off the lands, FL sized Win brass, 28.0g AA2460, CCI400 primer. Bullet leaves the barrel at 3685 fps average, shoots into dime sized groups at 100 yards, and has a point blank range +/- 3/4" from line of sight from 27 to 208 yards. Terminal performance on ground hogs is truly outstanding. It turns their insides to jello.

Fitch

 

[laportecharlie]

My favorite varmint load is not that different than what Fitch uses: Any good brass, Rem 7 1/2 primer, 28 grs of TAC or a little less of Benchmark and a 40 gr V-Max. This load works in at least a half dozen different rifles and has taken many thousands of Prairie Dogs as well as Fox and Coyote.
Nice thing about the 223 Rem is that it's not in the least fussy. Lots of different loads work very well and barrels seem to last forever.
Charlie

 

[cpttango30]

I run a 50gr V-max and either H335 or VV N133 both loads are sub 1/2" at 100 yards. I have hits out to 450 on ground hogs in a Remmy 700VLS.

 

[Fitch]

Nice thing about the 223 Rem is that it's not in the least fussy. Lots of different loads work very well and barrels seem to last forever.
Charlie

Well said.

I've also found BenchMark to shoot well with both the 40g Nosler BT and the 40g V-MAX. In fact BenchMark was the other really good candidate powder. If I had to contend with bigger temperature swings, I might have gone with BenchMark.

That said, you might try AA2460 with those 40g pills some time when you are in the mood to experiment. One of the things I like about it is that it meters so well in about any measure - it's never a line width off when I set the thrown charge from my Redding BR or the Lyman 55 on the scale. It looks like tiny shiny ball bearings and doesn't require any shearing by the the measure so it meters like a dream. 28.0g of AA2460 will "just" go in the .223 case with a normal funnel, but it goes in better with a 6" drop tube. It's a slightly compressed load which may be part of why it shoots with a low ES.

Fitch

 

[terrydactyl]

Personally my choice is the Hornaby 55grn SP with Vargant powder

 

[dorton]

I use Fiocchi 50gr v-max in my Bushmaster Predator AR15 for Rabbit Hunting and they are excellent. I have also used Hornady 55gr v-max but the fiocchi are heaps cheaper and their doesn't seem to be any difference in accuracy.

 

[tracker12ga]

Guess ill be the odd one out here. I have had excellent success with the Sierra varminter HPs on everything from ground sqruirrels , to feral cats to large coyotes. My gun likes the 60gr HPs but I have a 1x9" twist. I bet the 55gr HPBT would work for you.

 

[terrydactyl]

Thanks formthe help only problem is restricted to max 55grn heads due to having both my Tikka T3 being 1 in 12 that includes my new Heavy Barrell versiongun)

 

[Love Gun]

I am on a quest for a general purpose .223 round. this round must work with a right hand 12 twist 24" barrel and both serve plinking duty and varmint killer duty. When performing varmint killer duty, shots will be no more than 300 yards.

I've had some awsome results with this load:

40gr Nosler Ballistic tip or 40gr Hornady V-MAX

24gr VihtaVuori N120.

2.260" OAL

Brass used was Winchester, with a Rem 71/2 primer.

This load has proved excellent for rabbits and fox out to 300m. gun)

Chronographed at 3900fps muzzle from 26" barrel.

Quickload indicates 3800fps.

This is a hot load so I'd suggest starting at 22gr's and working your way up to 24gr.

Was developed by a friend originally for his 26" 1:12 Rem 700 but i have been using it through my 12" 1:14 Rem 700, incurring a reduction in muzzle velocity but still well over 3000fps.

 

[Chopaka81]

The comments about the 223 being easy to reload for, were not overstated. This cartridge is well behaived and very accurate.

This past June my son and I used Rem 50gr HP bulk bullets, Benchmark powder, Rem Match Primers, and Surplus Mil LC brass on a pd shoot to SE WYO. We went thru over 1500 rds on the shoot. Both Rifles were Rem M700's Varmint rifles, and both shot sub 1/2 moa @ 100 yds.

My thinking was economically based, we wanted inexpensive ammo, but it had to be accurate. We were not disappointed. The only premium component we purchased were the primers and that is only because that was al that was availible.

Good Luck,

 

[NJCOP]

25.5 Gn H335 55gn Sierra meduim vel Blitz (Not BlitzKing) Has shot sub 1/2" groups in 4 out of 5 of the 223s that I've owned. The one it didn't shoot under 1/2" was a Mini 14 and it shoots at 1" with a cold barrel in the 14 (580 series.

Here's another load for 223 that duplicates a 22 Hornet for when you don't need all the horsepower: 10 gns 800X 40gn Sierra Blitzking. It shoots 3/4" groups out of my 700.

I sight in 1" high for the full boat load at 100yds and reduced load shoots dead on at that distance.

Its two guns, two guns, two guns in one! lightbulb