Do you shoot your .223?
- Thread starter Notdylan
- Start date
223 is my favorite round to shoot. Both in bolt and semi. I've been using factory 50-60 grain vmax and 53 grain vmax super performance. Might switch to 75+ grains of get better performance at 550+
Use reduced so much after buying a 22-250 that I sold it. What's better than a laser?? A better laser!!
As for bolt rifles the only one that sees more rounds than this 223 (background) is a 22LR (foreground)
I skipped the 223 and just got the 22lr, but after taking a local class and shooting a loaner 223AI (at223 loadings) I can see the use for them- especially if you are a reloader. That way the cost is really held in check versus commercial ammo. The lack of visual and in higher winds the aural hits with the 223 was an issue. If you have backstops and a good spotting scope/spotter, that is less of an issue- but on targets with out a backstop and using a 7x rangefinder as the spotting scope- not so good. Of course, out here in CO, we can do 1000+ yard stuff. If you are limited to under 600, I don't know see any reason not to shoot it- unless you are shooting a lot of swingers.
As for bolt rifles the only one that sees more rounds than this 223 (background) is a 22LR (foreground)
Specs on 223?
.223 bolt goes out almost every time. Love shooting it while barrels are cooling on the big stuff. Sometimes we finish up the day with a 'walk the range' out to 1,000. Least shots to hit every plate wins. Last time even tried the mile (a bit of wind and crazy unsuccessful but fun) Tikka CTR in an xray chassis.
If you own a DT SRS one of the best purchases you can make is the SAC 223 conversion. I have the 16.75" standard contour barrel and it's a lightweight, compact, well balanced killin' machine! So much more pleasurable than packing my long barreled front-heavy traditional bolt guns around in the woods.
Awesome thanks I just have to find one instock what kind of groups on average are you getting?
I just built this Origin in 223wylde for the exact reason everyone is staying in this thread. Cheap and fun to shoot!
BigHorn Origin
Bartlein 22" Carbon fiber 1:7 223Wylde
KRG Bravo
Deadair Sandman S
Trigger Tech Diamond
BigHorn Origin
Bartlein 22" Carbon fiber 1:7 223Wylde
KRG Bravo
Deadair Sandman S
Trigger Tech Diamond
.3 - 5 shot group and 10 shot group under .5. 24gr varget, Lapua brass, CCI400, Berger 75
I bought a GAP Gladius in 223. Why? Because I was in the mood to buy a rifle. The outcome was one of the best gun purchases I ever made. So much fun to shoot it makes it to the range 99% of the time. I have a tikka t3x varmint in 223 as well that is for varmint hunting but I'll just bring it to the range for fun. If I had to do it again I would have gotten a tikka t3x tac in 223.
Depends on which 223.
Nine twist with 69’s at 3000+ I like for trying to train back up. Not strong enough to spend a lot of time with my heavy 243. 50’s and 52’s at 3300 are fun on P dogs inside 400yds. Now, A 75 Amax at 2900+ is good to 1000 yds in good conditions.
I do shoot 223 and it’s my favorite.
I havent put my 6.5 barrel on my rifle in a little over a year now because the 223 is so much fun. I dont get to many centerfire matches, and the club I shoot at only goes out to 700, so the 223 is perfect for little impromtu matches with my buddies.
Same here. Well except for it’s for the dasher but still... pinching primers where I can.
I might be trading off primers for powder if this climate lasts a good long while. Since what I have the least of is powder, I'll be shooting the .223Rem more than the larger calibers. At some point a barrel, dies and a Manson reamer for a .221 Fireball might become cost-effective based off case capacity alone 
I didnt know they made CTRs in 223? Thats awesome, I was wanting a Varmint but I like the CTR bolt handle and threaded barrel a lot more.
I have an Ackley I love to play with. I have about 4000 rounds on this barrel.
I practice with it using bulk Hornady 75gr BTHP that I buy in a box of 4k at a time. I compete with it using 80gr ELDMs.
This video below is at a match. The last target is 1173 yards, I hit it with all 4 shots. Its funny listening to the guy with cheap glass who isn't able to see those little bullet impacts.
what was your dope at that range?
I burn up loads of 223. Its nice and cheaper to shoot. LOL 6.5 Grendel costs the same in powder but more in bullets. 20 practical, a little more in powder, a little less in bullets.
The 223 CTR mag has inside spacing of 2.561" according to my calipers. Seems like mine has a short throat though - I don't remember the measurements off the top of my head, but I was disappointed when checking CBTO with my hornady gauge a while back with 62 gr TTSX. I'll have to do some measuring with the 75 gr Amax this weekend.
I've got a 223 Tikka T3x Varmint in a MDT ACC (black Friday special) chassis. It's an awesome rifle. It goes with me nearly every time I go to the range, local range is just 100 yards, so no reason not to shoot it (I don't currently own a 22lr). I plan on shooting my 223 this weekend at another range at 500 yards.
I love my .223 rifle. Rem 700 action, Jewel trigger, Wilson 1 in 7 light varmint 26 inch, Oryx chassis, vortex PST II. I have 800 rounds through it and it just keeps getting better. I shoot Berger 85.5 Hybrid Target over VV N540 in Lapua brass. I just ordered some 77gr SMK to try. I always take this rifle to the range along with others. It is the most fun. I am going to bump the shoulder to 40 degrees. I have never shot out past 600 yds but I do want to look for a place here in Washington state. Have fun shooting yours. Greg
I bought a Savage 110 bolt action a while ago that I've been having a blast with. It does a great job of taking care of steel, coyote sized critters and smaller pests. It was a great buy for $500.
In my mind, the purpose of getting a .223 bolt gun is cost. You're not putting barrel burning rounds down the barrel of your comp/long-range rifle, reloading is cheap (or was), and a .223 bolt gun is typically a very affordable affair. I swap the optic from my "real" rifle just because it's comfortable, adjustments don't change, and it saves me having to buy another.
Spend money however you want, but I just could never justify the cost of getting a high-end .223 because in my mind it would defeat the purpose of the exercise.
A couple years ago I bought a bunch of 55 grain noslers for about 8 cents a pop. 24.5 grains of powder does just fine, and they even group well from my AR. IMO, especially if you have stockpiled components, reloading a .223 is the only way you're going to be able to shoot centerfire rifle rounds right now with any regularity.
In my mind, the purpose of getting a .223 bolt gun is cost. You're not putting barrel burning rounds down the barrel of your comp/long-range rifle, reloading is cheap (or was), and a .223 bolt gun is typically a very affordable affair. I swap the optic from my "real" rifle just because it's comfortable, adjustments don't change, and it saves me having to buy another.
Spend money however you want, but I just could never justify the cost of getting a high-end .223 because in my mind it would defeat the purpose of the exercise.
A couple years ago I bought a bunch of 55 grain noslers for about 8 cents a pop. 24.5 grains of powder does just fine, and they even group well from my AR. IMO, especially if you have stockpiled components, reloading a .223 is the only way you're going to be able to shoot centerfire rifle rounds right now with any regularity.
Shot an AR service rifle for many years and have had an Impact 223 and now I have a 223 for my AIAX and love it. Shoot it quite a bit.
I shoot my 223 DTA more than all the other calibers combined maybe except my 22lr RimX.
1) incredibly accurate without having to fuck around with OCW and seating depth. I have 75 eld-m, 80 SMK, 77 Scenar-L and 80 eld-M loaded to 2.525 (except the scenar at 2.415). They all shoot an easy 0.5 moa and sometimes .25 moa. I use 23.5 XBR in the 75/77 and 24.8 varget in the 80s. I tried different charge and found very little accuracy difference... it’s like the accuracy mode for varget is huge. settled for 24.8 because it’s quite a bit below max, no pressure sight and gives me 2875 FPS which is enough to take me to 1000 which is the furthest I can shoot around here.
2) No recoil, easy for the wife or new shooter to pop steels at 500-600. Also I can spot my own hits/misses
3) Cost: I can buy 1.5K of resized and ready to prime brass for the cost of 100 lapua 6.5 SRP. More time shooting, less time reloading. Also obviously the projectiles are cheap.
4) Barrel life.
When I hit the range, I usually warm up with the 16” 308 barrel with 175 TMKs with no brake, then when I switch to the 223 I can drill holes on top of holes.
I was considering a 22Creed but to be honest, with the type of shooting I’m doing, the extra squeeze might not be worth the lack of barrel life.
1) incredibly accurate without having to fuck around with OCW and seating depth. I have 75 eld-m, 80 SMK, 77 Scenar-L and 80 eld-M loaded to 2.525 (except the scenar at 2.415). They all shoot an easy 0.5 moa and sometimes .25 moa. I use 23.5 XBR in the 75/77 and 24.8 varget in the 80s. I tried different charge and found very little accuracy difference... it’s like the accuracy mode for varget is huge. settled for 24.8 because it’s quite a bit below max, no pressure sight and gives me 2875 FPS which is enough to take me to 1000 which is the furthest I can shoot around here.
2) No recoil, easy for the wife or new shooter to pop steels at 500-600. Also I can spot my own hits/misses
3) Cost: I can buy 1.5K of resized and ready to prime brass for the cost of 100 lapua 6.5 SRP. More time shooting, less time reloading. Also obviously the projectiles are cheap.
4) Barrel life.
When I hit the range, I usually warm up with the 16” 308 barrel with 175 TMKs with no brake, then when I switch to the 223 I can drill holes on top of holes.
I was considering a 22Creed but to be honest, with the type of shooting I’m doing, the extra squeeze might not be worth the lack of barrel life.
Get some varget and some heavies 75+ gr ... you’ll never go back to the other stuff with the DTA SAC conv. Just load them really really long.
But really I should have a custom reloader load me some long hot loads for it
I am a man of humble dreams, but one of them is to be able to afford a polish maid who could iron my uniform and reload my ammo.
Yep, love the 223... I stress less about finding powder.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m9ZsTWx0Z8RcQw_sFd6vejLJeIBmUbZI/view?usp=drivesdk
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m9ZsTWx0Z8RcQw_sFd6vejLJeIBmUbZI/view?usp=drivesdk
223 is a favorite caliber, as well as 223AI
My latest 223 that I am starting to get dialed in
223AI
It shoots pretty dang good
My latest 223 that I am starting to get dialed in
223AI
It shoots pretty dang good
Occasionally! It’s enjoyable, and very satisfying when used within it’s operating parameters!
memtb
Just a question for the .223AI owners out there, is it worth the hassle of fireforming for the increased capacity and powder burn? Does it reach higher velocities and accuracy easier than a .223? I have a T3x varmint 223 and it’s amazing, was wondering about chambering the next barrel to .223AI.
I like 223AI but it isn't for everyone. It gives me another 100+ FPS out of a 22" barrel, which really shows at distances beyond 600. Fireforming is easy, just shoot 223, and accuracy is pretty close to the real thing so you can play on steel. The biggest thing I like is that I don't have to keep trimmming the brass once formed like you do with 223.
This must have to do with people's reloading equipment or process. I have a set of no-frills Federal .223 rem brass thave I've reloaded 15 times. Cases are at ~1.760"OAL, but still .010" short of the chamber length. I generally just use a Lee collet neck-sizer, and I've only FL sized them once and have never trimmed them. They chamber/extract my bolt-action as new; zero effort. The load is a solid 1.5gr over book max (77SMK at 2935fps from 24" barrel), primer pockets are still as tight as ever. Makes me wonder what people're doing to require frequent trimming.
I could be doing something wrong. Typically I need to trim about every 2-3 firings but maybe it is the factory chambers/actions. The new build I pictured above has a custom action and barrel and should hold the case better.
I didn't mean to imply you were doing something wrong, if it works for you, then it works. If an Ackley chamber means you don't have to trim as much, and you get more velocity, that's even better. Different brass/loads/chambers/dies can certainly yield different results. I'm just surprised you're having to trim that often.
