Phil3 said:
I now have two centerfire rifles, one an AR in 223 and the other a Howa bolt action in 223. I reload for both, and am after best accuracy. I know the round is not used where top accuracy is desired, so wondered just what is not so good about the 223? Low bullet coefficient, poor ballistics, jack of all trades, but master of none, or...? Or other rounds that simply outdo it everywhere?
As a side note, I will be using other rounds in other rifles in the future (6mmbr for sure, maybe 6.5 x 47), so not wedded to the 223.
Phil
It depends on how you look at it. The 222 Remington was the pride and joy of early benchrest, superceded by the PPCs. The 223 was developed as an intermediate between the 222 and 222 Mag, with a 50-60gr bullet in mind. If you are looking for benchrest, the 223 was not developed for that, go to a PPC. If you are looking for 1000y shooting, you can stretch the 223 with the 90gr VLDs and a 1:6.5 twist barrel, but as you said, the ballistics of a .223 bullet at 90grs makes the case too long to fit most chambers. When fitted, they shoot well, but run into a limit of case volume for the extra velocity for 1000y. There are quite a few competitors shooting HP competitions anyway, so its the shooters challenge then.
If you are within the 50-77gr range, the 223 is an excellent cartridge out to 600y, which is why it was developed. No need for a 30-06 size mil-cartridge with range to 1000y when 90% of fire fights are at 100-300y. Smaller case/bullet = more ammo for same weight. The AR-15 is a fun rifle, and I built one in 223 for 600y competition, and I am finding it a pleasant challenge, however, I feel that 6.5 Grendel is a better
overall cartridge for similar shooting distance as it is better balanced between bullet ballistics and case volume.
.223 is also deployed to reduce the problem of over penetration in the LE and Military fields. In the private sector, that means a good start for varmint hunting. the 35-50gr can do very well, with performance approaching the new 204 ruger. On the other end, however, I feel it is too small for deer, but I won't start that debate, to each their own. If the world turns upside down, I'll bring home deer with my 223 if needed.
That said, the cartridge is extremely versatile, which brings up its last down-fall. To make use of a varmint bullet and a long-range bullet, you'd just about need two barrels, but a 1:9 will cover just about the widest range of light to mid/heavy, or a 1:8 for mid to heavy.
223 Remington is a great cartridge, but one of its greatest downfalls is the need to build the rifle and cartridge together for your purpose. With so many options and components out there, it is very easy to pick up mismatched parts causing lack-luster performance.
-Mac