Thread: .223: The Ins & Outs of it

Everyone who's got a zastava mini seems to like it.

my wife was preggers with our first...I went hunting in greenstone for a week and took enough smokes for two days...came out and had enough $$$ to buy pack of John Brandon 15s or a meat pie...the pie won...my good wonderful Mrs said use your smoke money and pay off a rifle,so off to Dixs we went..the yhad mini mauser in hornet....oh boy was that tempting,even had open sights..but I ordered one in 223 as ammunition was cheap....it duely arrived and came home with a 3x9x40mm nikko stirling gold crown (Finnwolf has that awesome wee scope now) and 100 rounds of norinco yellow packet FMJ to break rifle in.
down to local secluded beach..fire one shot,clean,shoot clean,shoot clean,shoot 2 clean,shoot 2 clean.... shoot 3 call it good.
went out spotlighting on mates place,20-30 hares dropped no problem...another place similar number of rabbits...mate loaded me up some reloads 55grn winchester projectiles and 24.5grns AR 2206 H it shot tiny wee group.....WOW
went up to my wallaby spot with my young bitch "Buttons" we walking around hill face and she started acting all goofey like (oh if I had only known about indicating dogs then) I EVENTUALLY twigged she knew something was around,looked across gully and say mob og pigs making good their escape,sat down,rifle braced elbows on knees,3 shots three neck shot porkers.....WOWY WOWY.....
was close to dark by time they were gutte and propped open so returned next day to collect...I was hooked
many years of shooting wallabies,learnt to reload for cost....
then discovered varmit type projectiles..that was eye opener on wallabies,no more runners....
barnes 50grn ttsx preform like a 130grn coreloct out of .270 just in reverse order of damage on animal... its the near shoulder that looks worst with barnes...
at a guess Ive fired 1000-1500 rounds through the wee Zastava and it still more accurate than me....half dozen folks have killed first animals with it....
put a 3x9x50mm older leupold on it,sighted in 1.5" high at hundy about 15 years ago and havent shifted it since...
it will put just about any ammunition from 45-64grns into ragged group hovering around inch...and thats a COMBINED group....eg it doesnt matter which ammuntion is in rifle it will hit within inch at hundy....... rifle cured flinch for me...its reasured "Royal twelve/Jasper" he could shoot...sub inch group with 5 mixed rounds prooved that.....so YES I do love my wee Zastava.
she sitting in gun case waiting to head out after wallabies tomorrow...RUMPYs young fella might just shoot his 2nd wallaby with it tomorrow,he sure pulled one out of box to get the first...RUMPY held forestock up on end of his upright barrel,young fella lined up rifle with butt OFF/ontop of his shoulder, as was too long I held buttplate in hands and he moved Xhairs onto wally and squeazed trigger...neck shot at about hundy yards..... try that with a heavier calibre.

Good tale Micky..

Pic of my new-to-me 223. This is a worker rifle - Howa/Mueller scope/Gunworks. Bought for the hills after wallabies, and 100-200m bunnies from the truck. Should be spot on for the job:

Originally Posted by Brian

Everyone who's got a zastava mini seems to like it.

Not me, I've had two and didn't enjoy either. I think I sold you one of them...?

Yep. Bedded and suppressed it. Been going like a dream ever since.

Originally Posted by Brian

Yep. Bedded and suppressed it. Been going like a dream ever since.

what would a used Zastava 223, bare rifle, good bore go for these days?

Originally Posted by Jhon

what would a used Zastava 223, bare rifle, good bore go for these days?

I've seen them in the $700-800 region.

Originally Posted by Brian

Yep. Bedded and suppressed it. Been going like a dream ever since.

I picked mine up cheap because it was shooting 3-4" groups at 100m at best. I figured that it would do for the odd pig walking out in front of me at 30m, a common occurrence while bunny busting with the 22lr. Without firing it I dropped it in to Gunworks for a suppressor because I didn't want to spook the rabbits. Went to sight it in when I got it back and everything was 11-13mm three shot groups at 100m. I did lodge a complaint with Amanda on my next visit to Gunworks. Completely ruined my need for something better.

Wouldn't want it buried with me, mind. Be far more useful in someone else's hands.

Cheap enough toys there Phil.

Originally Posted by Phil_H

Here's two of them sub $700 both at the same place....

https://www.shooterssupplies.co.nz/p...valkm85-10976/

https://www.shooterssupplies.co.nz/p...ionrifle-9797/

Cheers
Phil

Well they didn't last long, both showing as Out of Stock

Mate just took my new-to-me Howa model 1500 223 (pictured in post above) out to range to shoot it in. A very fine shooter - shot 0.32 and 0.35" three shot groups at 100m with his handloads, and 0.7" five shot groups with Fiocchi SP 55gr softnose bulk ammo currently available - which I'll be using.

Will be a very precise worker... Just proves old adage - you do not need to spend up on big names for a deadly effective hunter rifle

Well done Mdgz,.7" youll be doing head shots after a few dozen bunnys.Thats FIOCCHI ammo ok in the 308 too.

Quite impressed with Howa model 1500 tests on range few days back, and also with support from manufacturers Howa USA - owned by Legacy Sports.

Was trying to figure out year of manufacture of this model 223 from serial number but no joy. So last night left a question on the Howa USA site - it promises they will answer shortly. They did...within 6 hours! Howa's parent company (Legacy Sports) came back to me:

"Mike ~ Good morning, I hope all is well. Based off of your Howa’s Serial number (B167911), you have a Howa 223 made in August 2008 with a 22” standard barrel, and a ROT of 1:12.

Thank You, Chad J. Peters"

Now that's good customer service, Super quick response from across the world - and great to learn twist rate too. Well done Howa.

Originally Posted by mudgripz

Quite impressed with Howa model 1500 tests on range few days back, and also with support from manufacturers Howa USA - owned by Legacy Sports.

Was trying to figure out year of manufacture of this model 223 from serial number but no joy. So last night left a question on the Howa USA site - it promises they will answer shortly. They did...within 6 hours! Howa's parent company (Legacy Sports) came back to me:

"Mike ~ Good morning, I hope all is well. Based off of your Howa’s Serial number (B167911), you have a Howa 223 made in August 2008 with a 22” standard barrel, and a ROT of 1:12.

Thank You, Chad J. Peters"

Now that's good customer service, Super quick response from across the world - and great to learn twist rate too. Well done Howa.

Nice. Quite a slow twist tho if you want to shoot the heavier pills. 1:12 tops out about what, 62gn? Bit more?

@mudgripz They know how to do customer service in the States...