.223 bullet opinions for varmint hunting?

[drover]

Curiosity question - since you have a good recipe using 40 gr Berger what is the reasoning for stepping up to a heavier bullet? My main passion is varmint hunting, but I also do some unsanctioned benchrest match shooting, and I have tried to get the 52 gr and 55 gr Bergers to shoot as well as the Nosler 40 gr. I have used different powders, different seating depths, the load development seating as outlined by Berger and I cannot get the Berger's to shoot as accurately as the Nosler in any of my 223's. If it was just one rifle I would discount my experience with them but it has been over multiple 223's. Not saying that they can't shoot as well as the Nosler BT but if they do it takes a lot more work to get there. If you really want to shoot 50 gr bullets then give the Nosler BT a try - i think you may be pleasantly surprised.

With all of that being said - IMO for a varmint rifle the 223 and a 40 gr Nosler BT is a match made in Heaven, I have dropped coyotes DRT with as far as 300 yds and shot ground squirrels from 50 to 300 yds and it has always worked well.

drover

 

[5spd]

Ive run nothing but 50g vmax/zmax bullets in my 1/9" tw bbls since they came out and a 50g jsp from the early 70s till I started to use the 50g VM and have yet to ever have them not stack on top of each other at the range.
The 52g-55g bullets Ive used do the same as well as the 40g lightweights.
99.9% of my loads are in front of w748.
Ive run h322/h335/10x/pro varming/exterminator and those all do the same.

 

[rebel]

50 gr vmax and 4895 is great combo in my factory savage 223.

 

[msinc]

Must be something to those 40 grain Nosler Ballistic tips....I have looked for them and they are constantly out of stock. Either everyone really loves them or they don't make many. I would love to try some, but if I cant get them any better than this why bother???

 

[338Lapua]

My 40X 22-250 and Swift both shot the old spire point Hornady better than match bullets. I eventually went to the plastic tip only for the increased BC...to overcome my occasional poor distance judgement

Yeah me to, but the SPs are cheap like me, lol

 

[StevenDzupin]

Must be something to those 40 grain Nosler Ballistic tips....I have looked for them and they are constantly out of stock. Either everyone really loves them or they don't make many. I would love to try some, but if I cant get them any better than this why bother???

Powder Valley showers them right now.

 

[MildBill]

I was not able to get imr8208xbr to shoot very well in two different 223's

I have had really good results with benchmark with 50 though 60 grain bullets.

primer can also make a difference. I have had best results with Rem 7 1/2's and cci 450's with benchmark in that bullet weight range

 

[drover]

I buy them by the 1000. Their shipping rate is very reasonable and they are in stock.

Powder Valley

NOS45160 NOS .224 40 GR SPT BALLISTIC TIP VARM LEAD FREE (100) Yes $21.82
NOS39510 NOS .224 40 GR SPT BALLISTIC TIP VARM (100) Yes $21.61
NOS62634 NOS .224 40 GR SPT BALLISTIC TIP VARM (1000) Yes $176.60

drover