Thread: 223 55gn sp options and performance advice please

As most of you know I'm pretty happy shooting most things with the 300 wiz bang however little miss just turned 12 is keen to shoot a deer and through some good mates it appears I may have the opportunity to get her within 100y of a fallow in the not too distant future.....now I know the 223 can be a very effective deer caliber and even I shot my first deer (a fallow doe) at 200y with dirt cheap 55gn belmont ammo......
So question is currently I have a howa mini and it shoots fantastic with fiocchi 55gn sp factory ammo but it's a fair whack slower than the box speed dictates ( granted 20" barrel and all) but 2886fps chrono and range varified.
For the experts @Tahr springs to mind will this be acceptable for a fallow at inside 200y and hopefully 100y or less (engine room shot) ? I have a 1:8 twist but zero interest in loading for the 223 at this stage.
I was looking at Sako 55gn game heads sp quoted box velocity of 3166fps as another option was also open to heavier factory loads but have heard varing reports that a lot of heavier factory loads are a bit hard up close and can pass through doing minimal damage if shot placement is not ideal.
Let's be clear miss 12 can shoot consistently at a 200y 6" gong and is being schooled up on shot placement but I just want to try and use the most effective round possible to hopefully give the best result and make this a good experience for my daughter.
Please no use a bigger caliber comments she will be using the 223 as that's what we have and it's a great accurate shooter thst she is comfortable with.
Looking forward to your thoughts guys

Ps: the 300wsm is just a bit too much of a step up from the 223 she is confident with.....don't want to scare her off Centerfire.

I've used a heap of the Hornady 55sp in the .223 always handloads and have shot a heap of fallow and a couple of sika with them.
They are a great cheap and accurate pill I've started using the Targex 69 -80 grn at the moment but i still load the 55 in my son's as he's too tight to spend money on the more experience ones.
You won't go far wrong with them in your Howa.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by 25/08IMP

I've used a heap of the Hornady 55sp in the .223 always handloads and have shot a heap of fallow and a couple of sika with them.
They are a great cheap and accurate pill I've started using the Targex 69 -80 grn at the moment but i still load the 55 in my son's as he's too tight to spend money on the more experience ones.
You won't go far wrong with them in your Howa.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

Did wonder if I was over thinking it, the fiocchi is 55gn hornandy sp I was just worried as there a bit slower than the box velocity but shoot well under MOA

I’ve got some .223 dies sitting here, plus some Sierra 55gr sp and some Barnes 50gr ttsx, prob some small rifle primers as well.

Originally Posted by stug

I’ve got some .223 dies sitting here, plus some Sierra 55gr sp and some Barnes 50gr ttsx, prob some small rifle primers as well.

Give me a couple days I'll be in touch, currently working night shift and a bit of a zombie or pm me ? Unfortunately I have no powder suitable but that could probably be worked around.....got plenty of brass cause well......you know

I used Fiocchi 69 grn once and it worked just fine on a Fallow and a lot of wallaby, and I cant see any reason why their 55 grn won't. Seeming you don't hand load .223 I would just use what shoots best. Last week my mate was shooting Fallow with a mild 55 grn hand load no trouble - probably about the speed your Fiocchi are doing. He shoulder shot a couple (55 grn Hornady) and they died proper.

Fiocchi or belmont you wll be right. I gave up reloading 223 as the belmont black was cheaper than I could reload it for and it gave nothing away in accuracy. I've moved over to their 62 grain offering currently loaded with speer gold dot I believe, it gives me 2886 fps in a 20 inch barrel.

for handloads id use a dirt cheap hornady 55gr soft point, or stick with the fiocchi, I know a few full time cullers and they all use either one of these

Shot placement is going to just as important or more so than bullet I would think. Would it be possible to draw a life size fallow on the back of a real estate corflute sign and use it as a confidence builder target ?

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Shot placement is going to just as important or more so than bullet I would think. Would it be possible to draw a life size fallow on the back of a real estate corflute sign and use it as a confidence builder target ?

already on to it and have printed some large deer targets A3 if she can hit the gravy zone on those consistently at 100y then a Deer should be piece of piss

A 55gr Hornady in the kill zone will work fine out to 200 yds even more. Look forward to the results.

Just use the Fiocchi ammo if it’s accurate and your girl is used to it. My boy’s shot a couple of fairly big red stags using that ammo out of a 16” barreled savage. I’ve shot 14 good sized reds in the last 6 weeks using Belmont Black 55gr. Nothing moved more than 30 metres. IMO people tend to get too obsessed about velocity, accurate shot placement is far more important.

Yeah those fiocchi work fine on fallow. We use a fair bit of that stuff doing deer and goat culling and all of our .223s are between 12" and 16". I'd hate to think what the velocity is but it would be pretty slow.
Preferred all round factory soft point load is definitely the Hornady 55gr.

Use the Fiocchi Danny, it just works! Dont over think it, shit, a 222 probably travels slower than that and they kill things. Just keep her shooting the best price point ammo you can buy. And Fiocchi is usually the one.

Originally Posted by Husky1600

Use the Fiocchi Danny, it just works! Dont over think it, shit, a 222 probably travels slower than that and they kill things. Just keep her shooting the best price point ammo you can buy. And Fiocchi is usually the one.

fiocchi is getting thin on the ground, will likely be replaced with 55gn belmont black