.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

I got some thermal gear on loan recently and took the monocular on a walk with my .223 varmint rifle. I haven't mounted the scope yet so I just put a torch on top of the rifle and went out. I had a good time on the pigs and got about 15 for the walk over a few hours. All using Fiocchi 55gn soft point factory loads. After I get a heap of brass I'll load 55gn Sierra Gamekings.





 
I got some thermal gear on loan recently and took the monocular on a walk with my .223 varmint rifle. I haven't mounted the scope yet so I just put a torch on top of the rifle and went out. I had a good time on the pigs and got about 15 for the walk over a few hours. All using Fiocchi 55gn soft point factory loads. After I get a heap of brass I'll load 55gn Sierra Gamekings.





Fiocchi\GFL is good brass.
Well done on the pigs.
Lithgow rifle?
 
Fiocchi\GFL is good brass.
Well done on the pigs.
Lithgow rifle?

I'm sure the brass is OK but the primer pockets on half have that annoying crimp or whatever you call it in them and I can't be bothered cutting that out at the moment. Red Earth have made some bulk .223 ammo for the Australian market that comes with either 55gn Vmax or 55gn Hornady soft point, so I might buy 250 or 500 of those and then use that brass instead.

I loaded up 20 rounds in random brass the other day that I have laying around - maybe 5-6 varieties all up. I was hoping I'd fluke something good. Of course, the accuracy wasn't great, and I only have about 50-60 of any one kind of brass, which is annoying.

Yes, a Lithgow La102 Varmint with a ZeroTech 3-18x56mm scope.
 
2562 with ADI brass and XBR in a RAR.
That's about what I get for velocity with factory 73eldm ammo in my RAR G1. Seems like most 73/77 grain bullets in a 16" 223/5.56 are in the 2550 fps zone. My daughter loves to shoot that rifle with that ammo. She chooses that rifle for everything but elk where she goes up to the big 6.5CM...

Jay
 
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Fiocchi\GFL is good brass.
Well done on the pigs.
Lithgow rifle?
I wouldn't call it good brass. But I would call it good enough brass. I dont think ive ever seen 223 gfl brass with a centred flash hole. Like not even one. One of my universal decappers doesnt like it due to this but its minor. I found not difference in precision vs the lapua and starline i have here though. I annealed all mine since I have access to an Amp at the range and need to kill some time between strings.
 
I'm sure the brass is OK but the primer pockets on half have that annoying crimp or whatever you call it in them and I can't be bothered cutting that out at the moment. Red Earth have made some bulk .223 ammo for the Australian market that comes with either 55gn Vmax or 55gn Hornady soft point, so I might buy 250 or 500 of those and then use that brass instead.

I loaded up 20 rounds in random brass the other day that I have laying around - maybe 5-6 varieties all up. I was hoping I'd fluke something good. Of course, the accuracy wasn't great, and I only have about 50-60 of any one kind of brass, which is annoying.

Yes, a Lithgow La102 Varmint with a ZeroTech 3-18x56mm scope.
You may be suprised the the crimp is so light you can seat primers fine unless its different to my "crimped" g.f.l brass. By the second seating I couldn't tell with the hand primer (never could seating on the dillon) and a few i just gave a quick spin on my vldchamfer tool and it was done in a 5 seconds maybe including picking up and putting down the brass
 
What kind of velocities are you guys getting with the 16” with tmk?


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16" Tikka Lite Profile 8 Twist Blued Barrel. All shots have been suppressed with a Dead Air Nomad 30 suppressor and all shots have been with 77 TMK factory black hills 5.56 ammo.

Velocity stabilized right around 75ish rounds or so. I remember it being somewhere around halfway through the second 50 round box...

This barrel is fast, very fast. Around the speeds I've seen from multiple 20" Tikka barrels.


Screenshot 2025-07-22 093405.png


IMG_1154.jpg
 
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