All of the information above is excellent and shows some good due diligence with load developments. Good stuff all around.
The 223 case dimensions are scaled down 30-06 dimensions. Whether by design or "just because" is anyone's guess.
When the US and other nations were looking for a replacement for the 7.62 Nato and the arms they were used in, there were several contenders.
I remember an article written by George C. Nonte about why the case design we call 223rem (commercial) 5.56 Nato (military) was finally decided on at the time, especially as the whole program and switch over was such a contentious issue at the time.
Most nations were still struggling with paying off the costs of WWII, but Korea and subsequent brush wars pretty much established the need for a smaller rifle, smaller cartridge, etc.
There were many variants up for consideration, from 22 to 7mm and even a few small 30 cal offerings.
The 222rem was considered to be the obvious choice for the US, but legal issues, such as royalties, etc and perceived lack of ability with heavier bullets, played a huge role in what would be acceptable for their needs.
There was a lot of hype about it at the time, whether they chose the right cartridge or not is still being debated 60+ years later.
As much as I like the 222rem, I like the 223rem more. Mostly because it just does more with what's available and that's always been the plus IMHO.
There are several very good powders for the cartridge, and depending on such things as barrel twist rate, bullet weight and design, etc. it has turned out to be a very forgiving and versatile cartridge, which does everything most people using 22 cal centerfire rifles want.
Yes, there are naysayers, but they're mostly just espousing their personal and particular needs, not a general overall need or requirement of most shooters.
The 223rem is the 30-06 cartridge of the 22 cal shooters realm.
This is interesting because it was designed using the 30-06 case as a reference point then had all of the dimensions scaled down to match, even the bullet weight and design. The original rifles all had 1-14 twist rates and most were shot with 55 grain bullets or lighter.
Like all good things, as time went on, developmental variations came and went, bullets from 35 grains to 109 grains are now offered and rifles in just about every configuration/manufacturer, with twist rates from 1-15 to 1-6 are offered without special orders.
The powders the cartridges were originally loaded with depended on specific contracts martially and again commercially, depending on which manufacturer bult them.
The OP obviously has a very accurate 223 variant and is capable of wringing out that accuracy. Good for you.
The great thing about most 223rem chambered rifles, is that as long as the twist rate is matched to the bullet weight, this cartridge just performs really well, in rifles with good bores and capable shooters hands.
That's the main reason it's liked so much by so many people.
The original powders used to load it are still excellent for most of what's required by most folks today. Some of the newer powders aren't quite as good in some cases but in others they are even better.
It's a great cartridge and not much can go wrong with most loads until the loader insists on exceeding maximum pressures, when most suitable powders become erratic.
The 223 case dimensions are scaled down 30-06 dimensions. Whether by design or "just because" is anyone's guess.
When the US and other nations were looking for a replacement for the 7.62 Nato and the arms they were used in, there were several contenders.
I remember an article written by George C. Nonte about why the case design we call 223rem (commercial) 5.56 Nato (military) was finally decided on at the time, especially as the whole program and switch over was such a contentious issue at the time.
Most nations were still struggling with paying off the costs of WWII, but Korea and subsequent brush wars pretty much established the need for a smaller rifle, smaller cartridge, etc.
There were many variants up for consideration, from 22 to 7mm and even a few small 30 cal offerings.
The 222rem was considered to be the obvious choice for the US, but legal issues, such as royalties, etc and perceived lack of ability with heavier bullets, played a huge role in what would be acceptable for their needs.
There was a lot of hype about it at the time, whether they chose the right cartridge or not is still being debated 60+ years later.
As much as I like the 222rem, I like the 223rem more. Mostly because it just does more with what's available and that's always been the plus IMHO.
There are several very good powders for the cartridge, and depending on such things as barrel twist rate, bullet weight and design, etc. it has turned out to be a very forgiving and versatile cartridge, which does everything most people using 22 cal centerfire rifles want.
Yes, there are naysayers, but they're mostly just espousing their personal and particular needs, not a general overall need or requirement of most shooters.
The 223rem is the 30-06 cartridge of the 22 cal shooters realm.
This is interesting because it was designed using the 30-06 case as a reference point then had all of the dimensions scaled down to match, even the bullet weight and design. The original rifles all had 1-14 twist rates and most were shot with 55 grain bullets or lighter.
Like all good things, as time went on, developmental variations came and went, bullets from 35 grains to 109 grains are now offered and rifles in just about every configuration/manufacturer, with twist rates from 1-15 to 1-6 are offered without special orders.
The powders the cartridges were originally loaded with depended on specific contracts martially and again commercially, depending on which manufacturer bult them.
The OP obviously has a very accurate 223 variant and is capable of wringing out that accuracy. Good for you.
The great thing about most 223rem chambered rifles, is that as long as the twist rate is matched to the bullet weight, this cartridge just performs really well, in rifles with good bores and capable shooters hands.
That's the main reason it's liked so much by so many people.
The original powders used to load it are still excellent for most of what's required by most folks today. Some of the newer powders aren't quite as good in some cases but in others they are even better.
It's a great cartridge and not much can go wrong with most loads until the loader insists on exceeding maximum pressures, when most suitable powders become erratic.
