Why you should consider a 223 for a LR rifle

[buckbrush]

Where are the reasons for shooting a 223?

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

We have a RRA .223 AR 20" barrel 1:8 for Yotes, Hogs, PD. shooting 65 gr SGK for Yote & Hogs and 50 gr ZMax-55 gr SBK for PD. Last year we got a few 26" barrels 1:7.5 with White Oak Uppers to shoot LR -1K with 69, 77, 80 gr SMK and 77 Berger OTM Tac & 85.5 Berger.
The person to talk to about .223 in ARs for LR & 1K is Nez "bamban".

 

[Browninglover1]

Where are the reasons for shooting a 223?

I actually probably didn't do a great job of explaining it cause I'm just so dang enamored with the rifle.

The 223 is stupid efficient. I'm burning 25.5 grains of powder to drive a 75 grain bullet over 3k fps. Recoil isn't a thing, barrel heat is hardly a thing, and downrange ballistics are still awesome. It's also just plain fun, it's the rifle I continue to reach for almost every trip I go on. Everyone I know that has a precision 223 setup for the fast bullets seems to feel the same.

Here is a video of my first day in the field with a long range 223. Back then I was shooting 80 grain ELDM before I found a bunch of 75 ELDM for a good price.

Last spring was when I had my eyes opened wide to the potency of a good 223 when I killed two chucks over 1200 yards away with mine. At the price per shot, I'm not sure it can be beat. Here's the story of the long chucks: https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/1200-yard-rock-chucks-with-a-223.332524/#post-2833604

 

[Chrsm]

The 223 556 is truly addictive!
And the best thing you have more trigger, scope and range time! It's a fundamental tool to say the least.......did I say addictive!

 

[436]

.223 Rem and LR... I've been rocking one for quite a few years now, the fun is 600 yards out to 1k I built one many years back on an M700 27" 1-8 twist I use 80gr Berger and Sierra MKs I'm sure the accuracy will outlast me. Cheers

 

[Hydra6]

Bolt 223 rifles really shine with fast twist barrels - 1 in 7 - plus a reamer that allows seating the heavy projectiles like 75 ELDM, 80 ELDM, 80SMK, 85.5 Bergers "long" - way past the AR mag length standard. I built a Savage based 223 trainer then a Tikka based 223 trainer. No issues getting impacts past 800 yards on steel - issue for PRS becomes "seeing" the impacts at extended ranges (impact indicators help). I have seen some Tactical class competitors do well with 223 and 75ELDMs in PRS.

 

[sable tireur]

We were shooting the .223 for Palma at 1,000 yards long before this.

John added to the popularity!

 

[epoletna]

Sabletireur: That's a mighty fine looking rifle. Can you tell me what stock is on it?

 

[sable tireur]

As noted above, the rifle was designed and built by John Whidden for Palma competition.

John has used some of the Anschutz chassis for the last few years on some of his competition rifles. Here though he is using a distinctly different manufacturer. The quote is John's:

Given all of this interest in the .223 Rem, I decided to build one myself and see if all of these theories about wind performance held water. Starting with my Barnard P action, I worked with Tec-Hro in Germany to use one of their Fanatic stocks for the project. The Fanatic is a modern aluminum stock suitable for prone or Three Position use. The stock uses adapter blocks to work with a wide variety of rimfire actions such as Anschutz, Walther, and Feinwerkbau. As far as I know we were the first to test it out for centerfire use. After shooting the stock with my .308 Win barreled action installed to refine a few details and ensure the stock would stand up to recoil, I then mounted my .223 Rem barreled action and went to the range.

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2021/09/sunday-gunday-john-whiddens-new-223-rem-palma-rifle/

Enjoy!

 

[redneckbmxer24]

223 bolt guns have been my favorite to shoot at distance for a long time. I've almost always had a fast twist 223 of some variety. You really have to load to get the most out of it though, with factory ammo it's pretty worthless beyond about 700-800 yards because of the restrictions of what can fit in an AR mag which is what all but a handful of loads go by. You can buy any one of a number of factory 8 twist rifles (bolt or gas gun) and Norma, IMI, Federal or Black Hills 77gr match ammo and put in work out to 800 yards. Beyond that you need to load a long high BC bullet and you need flashers on targets or fresh paint, low mirage, and high end glass to spot hits and a dry environment to spot misses. With the right load and conditions it's effective to beyond 1000 yards.

 

[Spud61]

I use a 26" 9 twist savage to practice at 450 yards when I am letting a barrel cool while working loads on other guns. Long throat for 2.420 COAL 75 BTHP. Fun ringing steel during load development.

 

[R. Cram]

I shoot highpower which is standing at 200yds, rapid fire sitting at 200 yds, rapid prone at 300 yds and slow fire prone at 600 yds. I shoot a bolt gun in 260 but if you go to a match at least 80 % of the shooters are shooting AR's. The shooters using longer barreled, 24 to 26 inch rifles in 223 I believe have a easier time with the wind at 600 yds. I have been beaten more than once at 600 yds by service rifle AR's which have 20 inch barrels and you have to be lucky or very good at reading the wind to win at 600 but the good wind readers do very well at 600 with the 223 and usually 80 gr mk's. The 260 I shoot is easier to beat the wind with at 600 but the AR's have an advantage shooting rapid fire and I think the 223 might get twice the barrel life than the 260. I know the 308's get twice the barrel life over a 260. The 223 uses 1/2 the powder, bullets are 60 % of 6.5 bullets, right now primers are 60% of large rifle primers, whats not to like. A year ago I took a young fellow who read too many stories on the computor to a 1000yd match so he could see the realities of contending with the wind and a fellow wqs shooting f class with a 223 bolt gun and he did very well, he was a talented and well practiced wind reader and with a cartridge that doesn't eat barrels and if economical to shoot a person would be more inclined to shoot more at long range which is the most important thing to become proficiant at hitting your target.

 

[Stadoc]

I have never had a 223 bolt action until recently, PSA had a close out sale on Steyr pro hunter 2 with 20in barrel 1-9 twist really cheap so I picked one up and find it to be awesome. Not a pretty rifle, but very accurate. Though I haven't shot past 200 yards yet, looks promising.

 

[rdsii64]

A good shooting rifle that's dirt cheap to shoot is hard to beat. When I finally shot out the factory barrel on my 223 Howa 1500 varmint, I replaced the barrel with a 7.7 twist 26 inch McGowen. MAN DOES THIS THING HAMMER. My 308 Howa 1500 which also wears a McGowen barrel, used to be my favorite rifle until my 223 got a new barrel.
Lake city brass
Any available primer
77 grain TMK
a proper does of Leverevolution