.223 with heavy barrel

I’ve a REM 700 SPS, 20” heavy barrel that is very accurate. If I do my part, cloverleaf’s at 100 yards. With Hornady match ammo. Hand loads might make it even smaller. Had a choate stock on it for bit more rigidity. Fairly inexpensive way to shoot for small groups.
Currently selling to fund much longer range rifle before get too old to play. Never know, might be there already, only one way to find out.
Accurate rifles are more fun, but addictive.
 

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colin455 said:
I’ve a REM 700 SPS, 20” heavy barrel that is very accurate. If I do my part, cloverleaf’s at 100 yards. With Hornady match ammo. Hand loads might make it even smaller. Had a choate stock on it for bit more rigidity. Fairly inexpensive way to shoot for small groups.
Currently selling to fund much longer range rifle before get too old to play. Never know, might be there already, only one way to find out.
Accurate rifles are more fun, but addictive.
Click to expand...
If the distance goal is within 1000yds, I would use the rifle you have now and just enjoy yourself. Assume the Hrn bullet is 68 to 75gr BTHP?

No problem for this weight class to reach 800yds on 12" steel.

Todays bullets make reaching out far easier then in years past. The rifle also likes a factory ammo reducing the tuning time and cost. You can literally range target, dial up and shoot it today.

I have chased 338LM out to 1400yds with my 223 with similar hit rates on suitably sized targets.

If you want a larger cartridge, go for it... but if you just want to get lead on steel, the 223 and the right bullet will certainly do this at distances the vast majority of shooters simply never reach out to.

Enjoy

Jerry
 
My 26in heavy barrel 223 is my most accurate rifle inside of 600m in light winds.
Projectiles such as the SMK80, 75/80eldm and Berger 80.5 and 85.5 and long throated match chambers completely changed the game.

It has a long barrel life, cheap brass, can be loaded with a variety of powders (XBR, 4895, varget, staball match, n135, n140, n540)

Has no recoil so it’s great for brand new shooters.
 
Mysticprecision said:
If the distance goal is within 1000yds, I would use the rifle you have now and just enjoy yourself. Assume the Hrn bullet is 68 to 75gr BTHP?

No problem for this weight class to reach 800yds on 12" steel.

Todays bullets make reaching out far easier then in years past. The rifle also likes a factory ammo reducing the tuning time and cost. You can literally range target, dial up and shoot it today.

I have chased 338LM out to 1400yds with my 223 with similar hit rates on suitably sized targets.

If you want a larger cartridge, go for it... but if you just want to get lead on steel, the 223 and the right bullet will certainly do this at distances the vast majority of shooters simply never reach out to.

Enjoy

Jerry
Click to expand...
Huh, want to thank you for getting my wheels spinning in a different direction. Line of thinking was ‘bigger is better’. Interesting.
Advice from you, and your experience in the LR game, is definitely something to be heeded. Although I’m getting older, I’m smart enough to realize I can learn from those with experience.
Appreciate the comment and shift in thought process. Hmmmm….
 
colin455 said:
I’ve a REM 700 SPS, 20” heavy barrel that is very accurate. If I do my part, cloverleaf’s at 100 yards. With Hornady match ammo. Hand loads might make it even smaller. Had a choate stock on it for bit more rigidity. Fairly inexpensive way to shoot for small groups.
Currently selling to fund much longer range rifle before get too old to play. Never know, might be there already, only one way to find out.
Accurate rifles are more fun, but addictive.
Click to expand...
This one ( 1:6.5 twist, 30" Krieger in .223 )shoots good groups right out to 1K with no issues as long as a good wind call is made
Cat
 

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Jon. said:
I love my Remington 700 sps tactical but the 1:9 doesn’t love heavier bullets. 68grain max for me. Get something with a tighter twist.
Click to expand...

Indeed, 1:8 twist is more typical for 223.

I went 1:7.5 which work well with 75gr.
 
I've had 3 X 223s over the years and liked them all. 2 were bolt guns, and both crazy accurate.

Savage 10 "precision carbine", accustock rifle, 1:9. Would shoot factory Hornady 55gr. V-Max ammo sub-MOA (53gr. V-Max handloads inside 1/2" if I did my part). I've never owned a rifle that shot well/so easily. My nephew could shoot those 2 same loads through his pencil-barrel, Gen.1 Savage Axis and do like 90% as well as I did with a fraction of the shooting experience I have. lol

Tikka CTR-shot factory Hornady Black 75gr. BTHPs sub-MOA...like cloverleafing @ 100 yards. I bought my CTR after helping a buddy zero his and couldn't believe how well it shot with factory loads. Mine shot the same ammo/the same way...so yeah=Tikka for the win. I'd have no issue (and might even prefer) a Tikka Varmint over the CTR. I only sold my CTR because I can't buy the bullet type I want for varmint hunting/in the weight the CTRs prefer.

Budget-friendly? Accustock Savage heavy barrel of some description...
Bit more $ to throw at it? Tikka Varmint (or "super varmint")

Lastly, my opinion is this.. Leaving aside the actual number on the sticker.. I think for what you pay for a Tikka-you're getting a great value. Savage can make accurate barrels/light accutriggers...but for the asking price, I believe there is less value (now) in a Savage. If that makes sense?
 
hoobdydyadad said:
that’s just not ballistically possible
5.56 moves over 30in at 530y with 10mph wind. 338 does so at 1000y. double the distance but inaccuracy increases with the square so it’s more like 4x harder to hit or 4x less windage. plus 223 goes subsonic at 800-900 anyway. 338 is 1-2km round all day long. 77gr vs 300gr. energy retention plays a factor too extending the distance of 338 for hunting while 223 is like a 22lr at 300y so it better hit something important.
i think a 223 and 300wm is all someone ever needs (besides a pistol and shotgun the least)
Click to expand...
A .223 can stay supersonic at 1K depending on the barrel length ?twist, chamber and load.we use 90 or 95 grain bullets put that far
As far as wind goes, it's not all about the bullet- the shooter has to be able to steer the rifle as well.
Cat
 
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hoobdydyadad said:
that’s just not ballistically possible
5.56 moves over 30in at 530y with 10mph wind. 338 does so at 1000y. double the distance but inaccuracy increases with the square so it’s more like 4x harder to hit or 4x less windage. plus 223 goes subsonic at 800-900 anyway. 338 is 1-2km round all day long. 77gr vs 300gr. energy retention plays a factor too extending the distance of 338 for hunting while 223 is like a 22lr at 300y so it better hit something important.
i think a 223 and 300wm is all someone ever needs (besides a pistol and shotgun the least)
Click to expand...
https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...223-to-a-mile-accurately-video-posted.219757/

Jerry is the reason why I own 4 Savage centerfire rifles.
 
Mysticprecision said:
The best value to performance is to start with a 'less expensive' donor and spin on a match quality prefit barrel. Then you get the spec you want AND consistency/stability in the pipe.

Factory barrels are all over the place and you can easily get poor results... I rather build up with quality in the right places and save alot of headache overall.

Good donors include - older Rem 700SAs, Rem 783, older Savage SA/Stevens 200, howa, Tikka. A prefit with a barrel nut will shoot as well as a gunsmith build and can save alot of costs... and time.

26" BULL contour, thread for a muzzle brake/tuner if interested, twist to suit the bullets you want to use (8 twist is a great all around for up to 82gr). The SAAMI 223 Rem chamber is ideal except if you want to single load the heaviest bullets (over 82gr to 90gr)... then a 7 twist and a Wylde chamber is great

Bed properly into the stock and work up your load. Enjoy

Jerry
Click to expand...
I bought a used Savage (pre-accutriger), new Lothar Walther 26" 1:8 twist 223 Remington barrel at a reduced price price on the EE, a floor model/demo MDT LSS-XL, and a cosmetically blemished Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24. I paid full price for the Rifle Basix Trigger.

It's my prairie dog slayer.
 

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hoobdydyadad said:
that’s just not ballistically possible
5.56 moves over 30in at 530y with 10mph wind. 338 does so at 1000y. double the distance but inaccuracy increases with the square so it’s more like 4x harder to hit or 4x less windage. plus 223 goes subsonic at 800-900 anyway. 338 is 1-2km round all day long. 77gr vs 300gr. energy retention plays a factor too extending the distance of 338 for hunting while 223 is like a 22lr at 300y so it better hit something important.
i think a 223 and 300wm is all someone ever needs (besides a pistol and shotgun the least)
Click to expand...
Given alot of shooters routinely shoot the 22lr beyond 300yds in competition, the 223 is a 'cannon'. If you want to really hurt your brain, look up CRPS king of the 22lr mile. Starts at 100m and goes out to 700m

https://rimfireprecision.ca/king-of...iles Event Format,to calculate the team score.

The original 5.56 and even the 62gr versions use bullets that are NOT designed to shoot far well. The bullets you are quoting are military choices which are mag constrained and not designed to fly as far as possible. The heavy bullet options in the 22cal rival the BCs of bigger calibers and speed is speed. LR shooters can single load or modify mags to suit, and use bullets that fly well up to and sometimes past subsonic speeds.

Yes, I shot a 223 80gr out to 1mile and it worked (bullet chosen had no issue going subsonic).... in near dead calm conditions. Drift would have been massive but that is just a number that can be calculated (just ask rimfire PRS shooters how much wind they hold way the heck out there) Accuracy of well tuned rifles/ammo, don't degrade on a windy day... even if the driver is having doubts.

I did chase a 338LM with 250gr Lapuas all the way out to 1400yds (ran out of real estate) with my 223/heavy bullets. Obviously, the 338 landed with way more energy. Drifted less BUT... the 223 helds its own just fine.

If you just want to ting off steel, many small options work just fine. If you want to break something, bigger and heavier certainly helps.

YMMV
Jerry

PS for a frame of reference, palma/TR shooters (jackets and slings) are trying to hit the V bull which is MOA at 1000yds/900m. FTR is trying to hit a 1/2 MOA V bull at the same distance. I competed with the 223 for a few seasons in FTR. Did well at mid range but the drift was too challenging for my limited skills at LR.. But there are shooters who have done well at the further distances vs the 308.

Drift is just a number, IF you know what the wind speed is, dial and send it.
 
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homer76 said:
I bought a used Savage (pre-accutriger), new Lothar Walther 26" 1:8 twist 223 Remington barrel at a reduced price price on the EE, a floor model/demo MDT LSS-XL, and a cosmetically blemished Vortex Diamondback Tactical 6-24. I paid full price for the Rifle Basix Trigger.

It's my prairie dog slayer.
Click to expand...
AWESOME set up.

Jerry
 
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