Factory 223 loads

[Steve-0]

I have a 1/12 twist Howa 223… it shoots osa 55g blitzking pretty decent, I am thinking of trying some lighter 40 to 50g pills. Any recommendations of some decent off the shelf loads with those size pills?
I am probably just gonna go buy a few different boxes anyway, just looking for some ideas and past experiences.
Cheers

[duncan61]

I will share my opinion.If you are not reloading its probably better to stick with what works.As new shooters I think we all wished to experiment I sure did.I have a .222 as it was shiny and cheap when I was looking for a rifle to go culling roos with its a Ruger lightweight S/S with 22 inch barrel.If I had my time again I would off gone .223 as at the store I purchased the .222 they had plastic bags with 500 .223 FMJ military rounds for $260 and I was paying around a $1 a shot.If you were using a rifle in 7.62 or bigger its worth fooling around about weights but the little .223 is probably not going to do much more than you are doing.The rabbits and foxes wont care if its 55 or 40gn

[solarpak]

Steve-o
one of my earliest C/F's was a howa like yours in 223 with the stainless barrelled action and 1 in 12 twist. Using the Winchester white box bulk loads (50/box) with the 55 gr soft point, it shot incredible well - five shots under half MOA at 100m from the get -go.
I dont know if they still offer the winchester white box loads - but if your normal fodder shoots well stick with it - going lighter may give you better groups - but if all is good with 55's why change?

Cheers
CK

[No1_49er]

I use a Browning BLR in 223. 55gn seems to have marginal stability.
I've been using Hornady "Superformance Varmint", 35gn NTX, code 83266 with good success.
Another, which might soon become difficult, if not impossible to source, is the Winchester 45gn JHP. Made in Aus, code AUS2232F, 50 count boxes. I've only been able to get them from Rebels in Brisbane - don't know about shipping to Vic. Found them on the Winchester Aus site, not the US, so they're an Aus only cartridge it would appear. Took a while to track down a supplier because everywhere I asked, the response was "never heard of that" until I hit Rebels. According to their web site they have 3x boxes left (150) https://www.rebelgunworks.com.au/collec ... point-50pk
Might help?

[Steve-0]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Going to the lighter projectiles is more so a curiosity/experimenting type thing. The 55s most certainly shoot ok, but being a relatively new shooter, I'm keen to do some mucking around with different bullets to see how it pans out.
I've tried a few different variations of 55s being the blitzking, gameking, and some cheap perfecta fmjs, all of which shot respectably.
The perfectas are good for some 300+yard plinking with the fox gong.

[TassieTiger]

With a 1-12 why not look at heavier as well? You might find you can consider a 69gr ?

[Strikey]

With a 1-12 why not look at heavier as well? You might find you can consider a 69gr ?

That twist will not stabilise the 69grn projectile, 1 in 9 twist is needed

[TassieTiger]

Possibly - I’ve heard of some rifles that “can’t” stabilise heavier bullets actually manage to do so regardless of the math. I’d sneak up on the heaviest regardless - I’d have to know lol.

[duncan61]

O.P. should consider a 7/08 or something similar to experiment with.A bog standard HOWA 1;12 does not give a lot of options in .223.I standardized my .222 to 50gn PSP Remingtons on 22.2 gn 2208 to keep it simple and stay accurate.Its all I have in stock and I doubt I will use the 100 I have.I now have a love affair with my .243 and am polishing cases right now too make some target ammo for the range I am shooting at goes from 100 yards to 600 yards.Its 400 yards next Saturday and I hope to go and run my 7mm Rem Mag with the target bullets. Steve.O get another rifle

[TassieTiger]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Going to the lighter projectiles is more so a curiosity/experimenting type thing. The 55s most certainly shoot ok, but being a relatively new shooter, I'm keen to do some mucking around with different bullets to see how it pans out.
I've tried a few different variations of 55s being the blitzking, gameking, and some cheap perfecta fmjs, all of which shot respectably.
The perfectas are good for some 300+yard plinking with the fox gong.

What is shooting decent actually mean? Are you hitting a 10c piece at 300? Or 5 inch group at 10?

[Steve-0]

O.P. should consider a 7/08 or something similar to experiment with.A bog standard HOWA 1;12 does not give a lot of options in .223.I standardized my .222 to 50gn PSP Remingtons on 22.2 gn 2208 to keep it simple and stay accurate.Its all I have in stock and I doubt I will use the 100 I have.I now have a love affair with my .243 and am polishing cases right now too make some target ammo for the range I am shooting at goes from 100 yards to 600 yards.Its 400 yards next Saturday and I hope to go and run my 7mm Rem Mag with the target bullets.Steve.O get another rifle

Yes s new rifle would be mint. One day.
Do you do much hunting with the 243 or more target stuff? I saw a stainless varmint barreled action for around the$500 mark. It definitely caught my attention.

[Steve-0]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
Going to the lighter projectiles is more so a curiosity/experimenting type thing. The 55s most certainly shoot ok, but being a relatively new shooter, I'm keen to do some mucking around with different bullets to see how it pans out.
I've tried a few different variations of 55s being the blitzking, gameking, and some cheap perfecta fmjs, all of which shot respectably.
The perfectas are good for some 300+yard plinking with the fox gong.

What is shooting decent actually mean? Are you hitting a 10c piece at 300? Or 5 inch group at 10?

Anywhere from .75 to 1.25" at 100, that's with blitzking and gamekings. That's off some sandbags. Haven't wasted my time trying off the bipod, the rubber stock is pretty ordinary.

[duncan61]

When I purchased the HOWA .243 I had the .222 as my roo culling shooter and I had purchased a 7mm Sendero to do F-class optical target shooting out to 1000 metres a few months before.I was training up a bloke to be part of the culling business and he showed the interest in the HOWA.he did not go through with the deal so I bought the rifle as I wished to have a 6mm anyway.My mate had a BRNO.243 from 1978 and had all the reloading dies and press which I now have.He has passed on.As an all round chambering the .243 has a lot of potential as 55gn bullets are zipping along at 4000fps.Been there done that never again.And can be loaded with 107gn Sierra matchkings and be a competitive target rifle out to 600 metres or more.When I culled full time in the Gascoyne I would use the .243 during the afternoon in May- July as it can be cool and may even wear a jumper.I dropped quite a few out to 150 metres.I had a range finder so new the distance.My .222 would not even get close as it had a fixed 6x40 and during the day I just could not get a good shot at that distance.At night all my shots were under 80 metres with the .222.The .243 has a large selection of factory ammo and I have some Ballistic silvertips I got in a small country town as we had forgot the ammo for the .243

[duncan61]

L-R Ballistic silver tip 95gn ballistic tip 80gn PSP 80gn hollow point 80gn

silvertip.jpg (213.18 KiB) Viewed 4148 times

[rossfrb]

I have a 1/12 twist Howa 223… it shoots osa 55g blitzking pretty decent, I am thinking of trying some lighter 40 to 50g pills. Any recommendations of some decent off the shelf loads with those size pills?
I am probably just gonna go buy a few different boxes anyway, just looking for some ideas and past experiences.
Cheers

Look for Norma 53 gr SP (not everything needs a plastic tip:).
If your rifle likes them there are reasonable deals for lots of 200.
My 1:9 twisty loves them.
rb

[Steve-0]

Got around to trying some 50g Fiocchi rounds.
They shot around the 1inch mark for a 5 shot group at 100y, happy with that. I was thinking they would be noticably flatter shooting, but I reckon the 55g blitzking were flatter at 200y.
Next on the list will be some 40g Hornady vx.

[wannabustbunnies]

You could try the Federal 40gr with Nosler Ballistic Tip. I used them on some foxes with my 1:9" Howa and they shot well and were very effective on the foxes