Hello, I am considering buying a .223 for varmint shooting this summer and am wondering if you can load reduced loads to bring the noise and performance level down to around what a .22wmr or .22 hornet would be?? When I go varmint hunting with my dad who will have a .22wmr we are shooting on smaller parcels of land with more homes around and a .223 is to loud to spend the day shooting. I still want to have the long range performance of the .223 but with the option to bring the noise and performance level down when I shoot around homes,this will save me from buying 2 guns. Please help me.
Reduced .223 loads
- Thread starter cowpolks
- Start date
I load 12 grains of Alliant Bluedot with a 40 grain Barnes Varmin-A-Tor or Hornady V-Max for 2975 fps. Recoil is much less and noise levels reduced greatly.
You can reduce this load even more, to 5 grains, and duplicate 22LR velocities.
You can reduce this load even more, to 5 grains, and duplicate 22LR velocities.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I you happen to have a fast twist barrel you may do better but as Tod says -"only your rifle knows for sure!" I used to reduce loads for my .222 with good results, but it has a 1:7 barrel.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Common wisdom dictates that a case loaded to 100% density is best for accuracy. Compressed loads and partly filled cases are said to be not so good.
In the real world I have shot MOA with compressed loads and partly filled cases in both hunting rifles and target rifles.
In the real world I have shot MOA with compressed loads and partly filled cases in both hunting rifles and target rifles.
