Do you 223....too?

[16Bore]

Formidilious got me thinking on another thread, and several others he's responded to on other forums...

Do you have one in your stable? My first CF was a 223 some 30 years ago. Shot the living hell out of it and a few others. Then along came heavies and dials and what I consider "long range", 500 yards (it's all the room I've got).

I've found over the years it's certainly made me a better shooter, when it comes to DOPE, especially drift. Couldn't be without one. Lots of ammo available, easy to load for, (even though I stopped hand loading) and most of all CHEAP!

I've gotten to the point where I like my hunting rigs "close" as far as bullet path goes, even though my max hunting distance is 400 and seldom need anything past 200. Anything with a .450 + BC is dandy, and plenty on the shelf.

RAR's to Tikka's to full blown customs...pick your price point. Good trigger time.

Any of you fellas playing this game?

 

[fightthenoise]

223 bolt guns are a blast. After shooting my hunting rifle a lot, 223 almost feels like it goes down the barrel for free. Trigger time has gone up ten fold at least. Mine is a T3x compact that I swapped the stock onto my wife’s T3x SL. She got a better fitting stock out of the deal.

 

[EastMT]

Right now my 2 main guns are 223/308. My 2 favorite calibers. I have a 300 WSM inbound for large angry critters.

All the new this, new that, little faster, blah blah. My user name is 22-250 because 223 is always taken.

223 is the best bang for your buck besides 22lr. I picked up an old VSSF, crazy one hole groups from min to max load with H322 and 55gr at max magazine length.




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[Backpack Hunter]

Most of my "practice" is done with a 22 or 223.....though very little with a bolt.

Esse quam videri

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I have a cheap savage youth 223 bolt gun for the kinds to shoot cheaply while they're learning. Most states I hunt don't allow 223 for big game so I've got some other calibers lined up for them but the 223 will be a good practice caliber esp. for the money.

 

[16Bore]

One of the warm and fuzzy take-aways since I've scaled waaaay back on things is 75's in my 223, 100's in my 243, and 130's in my 270 damn near share the same dope.

Simple.

 

[Trr15]

Picked up a .223 Weatherby Vanguard w/bull barrel a few years ago. I love that rifle. Fun to shoot and its a tack driver.

 

[LazyV]

I put together a Remington 700, Manners EH1, 20 MOA rail, Timney trigger and a SWFA fixed 10X. Hands down my favorite rifle to shoot and cheapest by far to shoot. The number of rounds I put down range since putting that together has dramatically increased. Wish I would have done it years ago instead of messing around with larger rounds so much.

 

[Scoony]

I have an Ruger AR556 that I have modified (free float barrel, brake, trigger, etc...) and set up for hunting. Worked up a 77 TMK load that shoots great out of the factory barrel, and have been shooting out to 200 yards and a little plinking out to 300. That little 2-7 Vortex Diamondback has enough magnification, but clearness is lacking, and I am not sure I am even going to try dialing that thing. Would like to find a 1" scope that would work well enough for dialing. Looking at the SWFA SS 6x, but that would mean having to find a 30mm scope mount, and I have another rifle project starting to take off. I plan on taking a long range shooting class this year with my 308, but would like to get a lot of practice with the 223 before attending.

 

[Beendare]

I love my .223's. A Rock River AR in the 556/223 chamber and a Savage bolt. I don't rifle hunt...but do use a rifle for coyotes and such.

This THE most underrated game rifle calibers IMO. You can really put stuff on the ground with the right bullet. We bumped a hog while coyote calling and the 55 gr Vmax blew a 2" hole out the other side of that 180# hog at 200yds- impressive. Those same rounds just drop yotes on the spot.

On bigger animals like hogs I would bet those 75gr Vmax just pummel them.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I do....

currently it's mostly pieced together MSR's in a few different configurations... no bolts but would love another one sometime down the road. My first centerfire experience was a 700 in 223 w/ a 4-16 redfield. Loved that little rifle.

 

[JollyRoger]

I do. I’ve shot a ton of M4/M16 variants over the last 15 years or so.

Recently I got a Tikka SuperLite and put a SWFA 3-9 on it. I shoot the crap out of it from all sorts of distances. It’s lightweight, easy to shoot, and extremely accurate with blue box Black Hills 77gr SMKs and Federal GMM.

I’ve got other rifles that I really like, but this thing is just so perfect and I love taking it out.

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[skywalkr]

I’m very interested in this as I have a precision AR already and it would make for a fun hog rifle (and deer rifle when I wouldn’t have to carry it far).

What would you guys recommend for bullets? I have seen on here the 77gr TMKs but when I was looking at those on the Sierra Bullets website it said, “While they are recognized around the world for record-setting accuracy, MatchKing® and Tipped MatchKing® bullets are not recommended for most hunting applications.” Am I looking at the right thing or is there a different bullet I should be looking at?

Product - Sierra Bullets - The Bulletsmiths

 

[16Bore]

Hornady HPBT 75's for me. I don't AR so that may not work for you. 62gr Barnes are pretty hard on deer they say. We have a .23 cal restriction here or else that's all I'd use.

 

[skywalkr]

Hornady HPBT 75's for me. I don't AR so that may not work for you. 62gr Barnes are pretty hard on deer they say. We have a .23 cal restriction here or else that's all I'd use.

Thanks, if I can’t run them in my AR I was thinking of getting a bolt gun too (the AR is on the heavier side with an 18” ultramatch barrel and who needs an excuse for another rifle?) but figured I’d try to shoot out the barrel on that AR anyways to improve my shooting and could possibly use it hunting too.

 

[Brado16]

Tikka T3X Varmint 223 cut and threaded to 18'' with Yo-Dave Trigger shooting Black Hills 77 SMKs shoots lights out and is supper fun with a suppressor for positional practice but not as fun as my CZ 455 Tacticool also with Yo-Dave Trigger. Shooting subs with a can is just stupid giddy fun. Both are great practice and cheap to shoot compared to my 6.5 SAUM and 338 Lapua.

 

[robtattoo]

I have a pawn shop Savage Axis .223 I cut down. Took an inch off the butt, so I could use it as a loaner for our youth rifle hunts & took the barrel down to 16¼"
Old Tasco fixed 6 power scope & I probably shoot that crapper 50:1 to my other rifles. I reload Sierra gameking 62s & I would say, it's almost as cheap as .22 for me at this point.
It's just a ton of fun & my loads almost match the trajectory of my '06 out to 500 (give or take a couple of inches.....)

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I have a kimber Montana in 223, I find it to be pretty useful, also it’s been used pretty heavily so I don’t mind taking it out on the snow machine or tossing it in a jet boat for a few days.

 

[the0thermrt]

Ruger American Ranch, put the lil magnetospeed 3 round mag in, spits 55 gr DRT terminal shock like a champ out to 350. I put a linear comp on it just because

 

[260madman]

3 bolts and 5 ARs. 9”-7” twists in all. Definitely a favorite from squirrels to deer. I load a lot of bluedot for the bolts, cheap plinking.