Main reason is that the heavier bullet has much higher Ballistic coefficient so it loses less velocity over distance and is less effected by wind. The heavier bullet starts out slower, but out around the 500m range it will be carrying more velocity than the lighter bullets as well as having less wind drift. My .223 shoots 35gn bullets just as well as 80gn or 85gn bullets, so I can't see any reason to go for less twist than 8" - all it does is limit your options.
If all your shooting is under about 300m and you're not battling annoying winds then lighter bullets are just fine. I used .222 when I was a kid with 52gn and 53gn bullets for my "long-range" shots, which were no more than 300m at that time. Most of my shooting was under 200m on rabbits, foxes and crows. And I didn't have the winds in SA that I have here, wind is a major consideration for me these days. Shooting .303 yesterday at 460m I had around a metre of wind drift, but the wind was particularly heavy. I certainly understand why somebody would find heavy bullets a nonsense if they haven't had to shoot in heavy gusting winds. Even at 300m, reducing the wind drift from 350mm with a 3200fps 55gn VMax to 180mm with a 2850fps 80gn ELDM can be the difference between hits and misses.
bluehorse wrote:I am simply flabbergasted as to why somebody who owns several differnt calibres of rifle will choose to shoot heavy bullets from a 223 . I am thinking that 55grainers are what i will shoot from mine but prefer to send 50 grains if they are not a problem such as breaking up/.
I have shot 22 250 and found it very finicky .55s hit hard too at near max charge but after trying 55s in 243 found no comparison in hitting power range and accuracy over my 22 250 .
My point is why play with heavy bullets unless trying to prove a point when u have a range of calibres available . . Rifles have never been so cheap Ithinkif one chooses carefully and matches calibre / target species and weight of projectiles .
For instance I use 243 with light to mid range pills depending on cost and availabilty . I have quite a few 70s saved up . and if I want to have more hitting power I go to 270or 308 and costs /availabilty / weight of projectiles /accuracy come into choice of load. . I can appreciate many like to champion the cause of 223 and twist rates / accuracy but in all honesty I cannot imagine a 223 being effective using a 70grain pill as a 243 shooting a 70grainer at medium to fast loads . I believe that matching the calibre to the quarry simple as that . I dont shoot a few rounds off after i develop the desired load for each calibre. I was shooting sometimes in excess of 100a night so matching scope ,mounts and charges to the calibre to get results .
I bought a 223 as a standby just incase I cannot get components to load my desired calibre ,223 seems to be available in factory loads everywhere if I am stuck for ammo .
I dont think I will be using 223 as a long range outfit so the bullet size etc is purely academic ..I will stick to tried and true ;for results that are proven.
Incidentally I have listened to others using 223 and that are happy with results too . In particular noise levels Something that is often never considered .
I am hoping 223 will impress me .
My main reason for posting is to ask the questions above . Maybe somebody else has a different view to me . BUT I hate reading advice and posrs from those who profess to be an authority and then read about shooting off a few rounds only . . To get a good rifle ready that is not shooting so well takes lots of time and lots of rounds to understand where its problem lays . Someimes I have shot off hundred or more to begin to impove the accuracy and tighten it up. LOL and I have my own range marked out at home .or what I do would be almost impossible . That is loading and testing ,swapping scopes to check by substitution etc . And I use old fashioned scales duly tested at random . I have been let down by electronics many times . I dont use electronic calipers either .
Some of those can tell u what u want to see lol. A micrometer is what I use .
I have a problem in understanding the reason to shoot a heavy bullet long range considering hitting power is proportional to speed of projectile over the distance . Shooting paper is all very well to prove accuracy over distance but that does not equate to the quarry cooperating and putting its feet in the air .
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