Thread: Downloading .223 for similar 17 HMR effect?

Anyone had a play with downloading power factor .223 / light projectiles?
I mostly only have the opportunity to shoot rabbits and the likes , though tempted for 17 HMR, though is using light proj /frangible in the 223 viable, so to use the same rifle? I see Hornadys lightest offering is 35g, whereas 17 is around 20gr. Just trying to utilise what I already have...

you wont get it stable enough and it will tumble imho.
just get a cheap 22mag or 17hmr.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

you wont get it stable enough and it will tumble imho.
just get a cheap 22mag or 17hmr.

Touché Good point - running the 1-8 twist.
Cheers GT!

OK...pretty sure this was discussed the other week.....IF you tossing up because of closeness to houses and NOISE ,there is bugger all in it,if because of the risk of projectile whizzing off towards a house,again not much in it.......
if you load the .223 with proper varmit projectiles it will do everything the other will do..just do it better... to be sure you can load the .223 down...and if ranges are sub 150 yards,why wouldnt you??? I have used right down to 45grn projectiles at full noise in .223 no issues in grouping,BIG issues for whatever they hit.pink mist in extreme.
the humble 22lr is the logical choice if range is under 75 yards....
look at google earth...work out where ALL houses are,people are possible to be....make plurry sure you have a good backstop behind your target that will stop projectile..shooting down into ground is ideal so being high yourself helps...
if you have good SAFE background and soft ground..bog std cheap 55grn softpoints will do the job fine and you may have a bit more rabbit to eat with a body shot.... with the 223 a shoulder shot will leave you back legs.....

1;8 should stabalise everything...varmit pills will be super explody and you will NEED to keep velocity down or they may not reach target.....

7gr Trailboss.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

1;8 should stabalise everything...varmit pills will be super explody and you will NEED to keep velocity down or they may not reach target.....

def looking at varmint, though how light CAN I go in 1-8? Cheers for the input !

they make 55grn varmit........and MOST speer btsp are soft enough they could be called varmit anyway......its the thinness of jacket and softness of both metals that matters..spinning from a 1;8 is 50% faster than from a 1;12 that is one hell of a lot of G force/centrifugal force trying to pull the projectile outwards from its centre...if you can keep velocity slower it will help no end. end of day ,you DONT need 1/4" to kill rabbits...give me a good projectile doing 1-11/4" all day over pin point pencil throughs......heck even my early nosler manual states you better off with a less accurate sp than a jaw droppingly accurate match projectile...and that was talking about prairie dogs.... almost before varmit projectiles were even a thing.

also projectile shape and length make a big difference.....a round nose will stabilize in much slower twist....you wont be having that end of the issues...and if keep speed down should be fine...heck beg borrow a few 55 grn loads off someone and try them...50 quid to knob of goat shit they will pattern/group just fine.

Originally Posted by muzza

I shoot 40 grain lead hp .22 Magnum pills out of my Model 7 223. No idea what velocity they are doing but they do the biz on rabbits with no issues.

where were you when Jhon put up picture of them needing ID LOL..... Ive seen the wee pills after they had dispatched a big boar...rather impressive.

Iv got a heap of nosler shots 55 available to their ment to be a lead alloy combo designed for shooting roos according to my quick googling I dropped my nuts using them on deer because of the unknown go good on bunnies though I’m sure

Did a search and found the old thread re the box of 40 grain .224 JHP was was for sale... Noted ! And the input of Trailboss usage. Thanks! I've some shopping to do..

Originally Posted by gonetropo

you wont get it stable enough and it will tumble imho.
just get a cheap 22mag or 17hmr.

Bollocks

@Nasty Factory Trigger Ive done some downloading of 223, i used a 55gr thou, doing about 2100 fps with only 14 gr of powder (IMR 4198) it shot tiny little groups. I did it for super light recoil for my young kids to step up a bit from the 22lr with subs, and i wanted to have a play.

Im sure using the same powder and the lightest 22 cal varmint bullet you can get, 35gr, you could easily get it going around the speed of 17hmr with very light powder charges, and for probably less per round than buying 17 hmr ammo at the current price.

You'd wanna bare in mind the terrain of where you are using it thou, a 35gr pill (double the weight of the 17gr i use in hmr) doing the same speed as the 17hmr, is going to have a bunch more energy, and also may not violently blow up like the little 17gr does, Ok if you are on a rolling farm where you are shooting into a bank, but for the flat orchards i shoot, it could be far more dangerous to use.