Thread: Is the .223 the most versatile cartridge?

Originally Posted by Maca49

Well it's rare beast I would say! I'm seriously thinking of quitting the cartridge, my mate has the same problem with his Brnos. Hand loading fixes it, but I'm not into hand loading 223. I'll try a damper ring on the Kimber barrel and see if it improves.

My cheap little 223 is reasonably accurate Will print the same 11-13mm group at 100m day after day with cheap hunting ammo.

For me the most versatile is the humble 223. For a while I was getting the steel cased Hornady training ammo for $34/50. When I couldn't get that it was the brass version for $54/50. Reloading at under 50c a round including primer, powder, pill.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Make the case for it?. I really don't know anything about the 260.

I like the medium 6.5s. Not the best warmonger with 95gr being the lightest but does everything else well. I like the 6mm and .25 as well though the heavier pill/longer range 6.5 wins out for me.
I recently bought another Swede over a nice winny in 257 roberts...left to my own devices I would have them both as well as that sweet cdl model 7 260 that mathius recently sold.

I am aware that I have issues

Originally Posted by gadgetman

My cheap little 223 is reasonably accurate Will print the same 11-13mm group at 100m day after day with cheap hunting ammo.

For me the most versatile is the humble 223. For a while I was getting the steel cased Hornady training ammo for $34/50. When I couldn't get that it was the brass version for $54/50. Reloading at under 50c a round including primer, powder, pill.

I found the Hornady steel 75 gr to be a fairly acurrate round in my 1:8 Tikka, but I experience a few misfires with it, so moved on, I don’t want to miss a deer through miss firing ammo, about 3 rounds in 20?

223 is a good cartridge. Strikes a nice balance between velocity and weight when carrying lots of it.

I think that the most versatile cartridge is the one you shoot with the most, because 9/10 times that is what you will use to shoot everything you see. It is also the one you will understand the best (ballistics wise) and understand it's limitations.

I rate the 222 and have a few culler mates that think it has more "knockdown" than the 223... but i put that down to their familiarity with it.

Varminter, not warmonger...predictive texto

Originally Posted by Tussock

Can you buy 22-250 in 50rnd boxes of hunting ammo for less than $1/rnd?


The problem with .223 is the fast twist options have short magazines or actions which do not allow you to seat the heavier pills out. Still, I use the bulk factory and I can and have shot deer with it, from a 14" barreled AR15.

To be honest @Tussock I have not brought any factory ammo at all for it I imagine like most cal,s over the counter it will be rather expensive , in the winter I sit down & load up 100 rounds each for my main 3 rifles 22-250 308 7mmrm the first 2 see the most action , but having a bit of a work out $55 for 100 projectiles , 1 pound of $70 W760 at 40gn per shot equates to about 175 loads , primers .11c each
So by this stage my head is hurting but here we go
projectile .55c
powder .40c
primer .11c
Grand total $1.06
Im not going to bother including brass as they are used multiple times & crunching numbers is not my forte .

Originally Posted by Maca49

. I'll try a damper ring on the Kimber barrel and see if it improves.

I was talking to the owner of my local sports shop the other day and he is having major problems with his Kimber too and had tried everything to rectify it. He said he bought his used and way back there were some really bad barrels coming out for a period. and; being used, there is no comeback for his rifle

Originally Posted by stevodog

I recently bought another Swede over a nice winny in 257 roberts...left to my own devices I would have them both as well as that sweet cdl model 7 260 that mathius recently sold. I am aware that I have issues

I've been offered a custom 6.55 Swede (Leuopold scope, timney trigger etc) at a helluva good price and I know it shoots into .5MOA at 100yds. I'm sick of my POS Marlin XS7 7mm08. The bloody synthetic stock touches the barrel along the left side and I can't get it to shoot under 4" at 100 yds! My old 303 pisses over it!

.22WMR is going to get popular in coming years, hopefully will lower the cost too, not that it's that high.

Originally Posted by Cordite

.22WMR is going to get popular in coming years, hopefully will lower the cost too, not that it's that high.

Yeah, assuming it isn't clamped down on, I can see that doing goat duty on a large scale.

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Yeah, assuming it isn't clamped down on, I can see that doing goat duty on a large scale.

With more than a few finishing-off shots required, unfortunately.

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

I was talking to the owner of my local sports shop the other day and he is having major problems with his Kimber too and had tried everything to rectify it. He said he bought his used and way back there were some really bad barrels coming out for a period. and; being used, there is no comeback for his rifle

So what about my two Tikkas? The importer of those offered me a new rifle, I embarrassed him a the Sika show, problem was I’d just sold it! People that say the 223 is accurate, probably have diff expectations from me??

Originally Posted by Cordite

With more than a few finishing-off shots required, unfortunately.

Quicker than 1080 hahaha

Originally Posted by Maca49

I found the Hornady steel 75 gr to be a fairly acurrate round in my 1:8 Tikka, but I experience a few misfires with it, so moved on, I don’t want to miss a deer through miss firing ammo, about 3 rounds in 20?

I only have a 1:12" twist so stick to the 55gr projectiles. They are pretty cheap and effective on anything I've used them on so far. I could probably get the accuracy better, but don't see the point with what I use it for. If I want to shoot something heavier I'll take the 243,

Cases are not "accurate". Not to the degree factory ammo can be better or worse. Rifles can be, but anything mass produces varies from the first rifle after new tooling to the last rifle after new tooling. We are not calling a spade a spade here.

What does the word "versatile" mean.

Say I invite you to a South Island rabbit shoot tomorrow. You can only bring one rifle. There are also deer and the odd goat on the property (very real scenario, seen all three shot in one day with a .223). Does everyone have reloading gear? No. Can everyone get it in one day? No.

Are you going to bring your (insert centerfire here) the 300 rounds you will need, minimum, to shoot bunny covered faces all day?

.223 is the most versatile. You can get bulk ammo any ware, or a wide variety of factory ammo anywhere, you can take it on any hunt, for any game in New Zealand from the smallest in large quantities to the biggest.

This is not the "which caliber is the best for everything" question. 22-250 is a barrel burner. So that accolade goes to the compact 6.5s and 6mm rounds. Creedbore probably holds that title. The most boringly practical round ever invented.

If it was not for the region that is Otago and South Canterbury, then I would concede on the others. But these districts exist and there is a vast amount of fun to be had. You will need a bulk varmint rifle though.

If everyone hand loaded, I would concede on the 22-250 but it is also a barrel burner. Try shooting 30 rounds at a face multiple times, till the thing is white hot and see how long your barrel lasts. I put 30 rounds through my .223 two nights ago in a hurry and it was only warm. I have had a 22-250 (and will get another). I know the difference.