Anyone see this as loaded ammo this way yet? The wheels are turning on a winter project, and i am thinking i may rebarrel my 223 to this cartridge for summer gophers, as the 223 doesnt give me the splat i crave, and i dont see the sense in burning assloads of powder (a la 22-250/220 swift class of cartridges) just to kill rodents. This is a savage, so i can spin the 223 barrel back on come fall to get on the coyotes.
17 fireball?
- Thread starter 220Swifty
- Start date
wss in edmonton has ammo.
Not that it matters, just order a set of dies form the states, grab a bag of 221 brass and you're off to the races.
But, as an owner of a 17 Rem, I can tell you that if you're looking for more splat factor than a 223, you won't find it here. The 17 Rem offers about the same splat factor as 223 varmint loads (I like the 40 grain VMAX and the new Barnes Varmint Grenades for the 222/223). By far the best splatter effect in a cartridge that burns less than 30 grains of powder is the 204. The 204 offers nearly identical splatter to the 22-250, and is only definitively bettered by the 243 and up class of cartridges
Not that it matters, just order a set of dies form the states, grab a bag of 221 brass and you're off to the races.
But, as an owner of a 17 Rem, I can tell you that if you're looking for more splat factor than a 223, you won't find it here. The 17 Rem offers about the same splat factor as 223 varmint loads (I like the 40 grain VMAX and the new Barnes Varmint Grenades for the 222/223). By far the best splatter effect in a cartridge that burns less than 30 grains of powder is the 204. The 204 offers nearly identical splatter to the 22-250, and is only definitively bettered by the 243 and up class of cartridges
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Being a previous owner of a 17 rem, i thought that the 20 gr v-max cruising at 4200 made for some spectacular acrobatics. I know i can load my own, ammo for a 17 fireball, but for some reason i enjoy having proper headstamps on things. Thanks for the 204 ruger reminder as well, will think on that one.
manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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for what its worth, i was out shooting groundhogs this summer with my .223 using cheap wally-world™ winchester USA varmint loads. if i recall it was around $17-20 for 40 of them.
of the two friends i went with, one had a new .204 ruger with hornady V-Max bullets, and the other had a .243 with lightweight hollowpoints.
there was no difference at all in how effective the .204 and .223 was on them, over about a dozen pigs each id say they were about the same. so if you already have a .223 dont go expecting miracles from a .204 or .17 - save your money.
the .243 was another matter entirely - it absolutely obliterated them. also, there wasnt a single case of a 'twitcher' - any groundhog he hit just died instantly as if it were hit by a 747.
of the two friends i went with, one had a new .204 ruger with hornady V-Max bullets, and the other had a .243 with lightweight hollowpoints.
there was no difference at all in how effective the .204 and .223 was on them, over about a dozen pigs each id say they were about the same. so if you already have a .223 dont go expecting miracles from a .204 or .17 - save your money.
the .243 was another matter entirely - it absolutely obliterated them. also, there wasnt a single case of a 'twitcher' - any groundhog he hit just died instantly as if it were hit by a 747.
Well, up close the 20 VMAX works good, but certainly no better than a stiff loaded 223 shooting a 40 grain VMAX. Past about a hundred yards, though, it's explosiveness tapers off quite a bit, where the 223 retains the edge. We have a few 204's in our group, as well as a few 222's/223's, and maybe our experiences were just different but the 204's did do noticeably more damage, frequently severing the carcasses entirely. Especially with the 40 grain loads. And yeah, the 243 is the totally unchallenged champion of carnage, though a 308 shooting 85 grain XTP hollow points (intended for .32 caliber pistols) came damn close.
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manbearpig
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Somewhere in the Third World
i was using cheap winchester USA varmint loads, which are an inexpensive crimped nose hollowpoint.
much of the explosive performance of the .204 and .17HMR are due to the highly frangible hornady V-Max bullet itself.
can you get a V-Max bullet in .223? or do you have to load your own?
i looked at hornady bullets in a catalogue but in .22 cal they only have Spire Point, Spire Point Super Explosive and A-Max.
much of the explosive performance of the .204 and .17HMR are due to the highly frangible hornady V-Max bullet itself.
can you get a V-Max bullet in .223? or do you have to load your own?
i looked at hornady bullets in a catalogue but in .22 cal they only have Spire Point, Spire Point Super Explosive and A-Max.
the SPSX is another excellent performer. I load my own, but I'm sure you can find VMAX loaded ammo for the 223, Hornady makes it:
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_se...&category_id=f5a8f338ed2cc84911aec57bb74a84a5
https://www.hornady.com/shop/?ps_se...&category_id=f5a8f338ed2cc84911aec57bb74a84a5
1-9 twist in my 223, id dosent like the super light loads, i have heard others say the spsx may no tmake it to the target as it is spun apart due to the thin jacket. manbearpig, killing them is not the issue, we're talking gophers, i am after gopher shrapnel, kinda fun killing a second gopher with the bone shards off the first
Maybe i will ackley the 223 i am running now, and see what that does, anyone shooting a 223 ackley?
Maybe i will ackley the 223 i am running now, and see what that does, anyone shooting a 223 ackley?
1-9 twist in my 223, id dosent like the super light loads, i have heard others say the spsx may no tmake it to the target as it is spun apart due to the thin jacket. manbearpig, killing them is not the issue, we're talking gophers, i am after gopher shrapnel, kinda fun killing a second gopher with the bone shards off the first
a 223 ackley still has less capacity than a 222 magnum, a marginal improvement at best.
