Favorite general purpose .223 loads

[Wolfdog91]

Kinda wanna get some loads made up that I can use in all my .223/5.56's for just kind of general use ( plinking varmints hunting , nothing perfect or optimized dor everything but good enough to get it all done if needed). Wanted to know what does eveyone like as far as cheap bullets and the like for something like this. Looking at a bulk pack of the Hornady soft points or maybe the RMR 69gr HPBT. Also what powder have y'all found that just works pretty decently across the board.
Anyhow curious what eveyone uses for this .
Thanks

 

[Oso]

Bullet: Hornady 55gr FMJ or 55gr Hornady VMax - inexpensive, accurate, multipurpose
Powder: TAC, H335, CFE 223, and a dozen other great powders
Primer: CCI #450, CCI #41 (assuming AR15)

The .223 is a lightweight cartridge and its best performance is result of matching the right ammo to the task. You want an economic bulk/plinking round, a target/precision round, or a hunting round. A good bulk/plinking round will not be a good hunting round for deer or larger game. Most of the soft nose bullets for the .223 are geared toward varmint, but the VMax bullet is better and more accurate.

There is at least a thread a week on this topic. You might consider doing a quick search or simple scroll through the last couple of pages of threads. You question(s) have been asked and answered sometime in the past 2 weeks. Good Luck!

 

[Majday]

A few years ago I visited RMRs warehouse and talked to the guys. They had recommended XBR and starting 24gr with their 69s. In their 3 gun shooting they used xbr with good success

 

[Mark611]

Auto loader or bolt gun?

 

[williepete]

Hornaday 62 gn fmjbt bulk 250 bag midsouth shooting supplies $23.00 bucks
Accurate 2460 0r 2230 24.5 gn
cci#41 primers
this has worked great for me for plinking.

 

[vonb]

Hornady 55 gr BTSPs are about as generic as one can get and work well across the board. 1,000 can be had for $109.

 

[K22]

What twist rate? Auto or bolt rifle? All my experience is with bolt rifles.

For bolt rifles with a faster twist, 8" as opposed to 12", I like the 60 grain Vmax. It is not terribly expensive and a very good value for the money meaning super accurate in my 8" twist Tikka's. The trajectory is also flatter than the heavies making hits out to 250 yards without dial up possible.

There are a wide range of powders that will work well in the 223 Rem. One's I have used extensively are Varget, H 4985, IMR 4895, Benchmark, H335.

The two I have used the most are the 4895 group and Varget. While H335 can be extremely accurate, is a ball powder and more sensitive to temperature changes.

While you might not be looking for "nothing perfect", in a bullet but if you intend to varmint hunt you won't be happy with misses or wounded animals so you may want to compromise a little between cost and a reasonably accurate bullet with good terminal performance. The 60 Vmax can do that for you.

 

[brokeasajoke]

Hornady 55 gr BTSPs are about as generic as one can get and work well across the board. 1,000 can be had for $109.

This plus 8208xbr is what I've been using.

 

[Blackthorn]

I keep life simple.
22.3 grs H332
55 gr FMJ
Plus the combo is easy to remember.
I have found it’s a good load in my rifles. Plinking and occasion varmint work.

 

[6MMsteve]

RE10 is a good load 20 g for 62fmjs

I keep life simple.
22.3 grs H332
55 gr FMJ
Plus the combo is easy to remember.
I have found it’s a good load in my rifles. Plinking and occasion varmint work.

H322 is easy to find, I found a hole in lot wall of holes just today..no powder just holes

 

[Webster]

Kinda wanna get some loads made up that I can use in all my .223/5.56's for just kind of general use ( plinking varmints hunting , nothing perfect or optimized dor everything but good enough to get it all done if needed). Wanted to know what does eveyone like as far as cheap bullets and the like for something like this. Looking at a bulk pack of the Hornady soft points or maybe the RMR 69gr HPBT. Also what powder have y'all found that just works pretty decently across the board.
Anyhow curious what eveyone uses for this .
Thanks

You are being redirected...

Check out the load maps.

 

[searcher]

For varmints: 50-grain V-Max, 21.9 Rel. 7
50-grain V-Max, 22.6 LT32
40-grain Lead-free Ballistic Tip, 22.7 Rel 7 / 27.7 W748 / 22.6--23.0 Accurate LT32,
26.2 IMR8208XBR

50-grain Varmint Grenade, 24.1 IMR8208XBR
55 Blitz King (or V-Max) , 21.5 Reloader 7

I shoot a lot of the 50 V-Max as still relatively inexpensive (used to be able to get the 500-packs for about $60.00 - but those days are gone forever, I think).

I once worked up some loads just to see how inexpensive I could get worked up for small varmints and casual gong shooting out to 350 yards or so. I used Varmint powder (cheapest powder at that time), 50-grain Varmint Nightmare bulk bullets and lake City cases, along with the cheapest primers available. Super cheap shooting and pretty reasonable accuracy of 3/8" to 1/2" MOA. Use them to mow down squirrels in high quantity without breaking the bank. The V-Max will take apart squirrels and coyotes with authority and lots of "air time". The Varmint Grenades excels in knocking down coyotes with a solid body hit, even if not well placed, as well as double duty on blowing squirrels to bits.

I list these loads out of the hundreds I worked with, as they shoot well in multiple rifles - kind of like how Varget shoots with 69's MKs in a lot of rifles. Work up, especially with the Reloader 7.

 

[C.E.Smith043]

55gr. Midway Dogtown bullets, LC brass, any primer and a near max load of Varget seated at 2.250"

 

[Wolfdog91]

Kinda wanna get some loads made up that I can use in all my .223/5.56's for just kind of general use ( plinking varmints hunting , nothing perfect or optimized dor everything but good enough to get it all done if needed). Wanted to know what does eveyone like as far as cheap bullets and the like for something like this. Looking at a bulk pack of the Hornady soft points or maybe the RMR 69gr HPBT. Also what powder have y'all found that just works pretty decently across the board.
Anyhow curious what eveyone uses for this .
Thanks

Forgot to mention as far as game talking deer and hog sized animals and down. We're in South West Ms and it's perfectly legal and daily common

 

[Wolfdog91]

I keep life simple.
22.3 grs H332
55 gr FMJ
Plus the combo is easy to remember.
I have found it’s a good load in my rifles. Plinking and occasion varmint work.

Don't think fmj is the best thing for deer and pig though lol

 

[Wolfdog91]

What twist rate? Auto or bolt rifle? All my experience is with bolt rifles.

For bolt rifles with a faster twist, 8" as opposed to 12", I like the 60 grain Vmax. It is not terribly expensive and a very good value for the money meaning super accurate in my 8" twist Tikka's. The trajectory is also flatter than the heavies making hits out to 250 yards without dial up possible.

There are a wide range of powders that will work well in the 223 Rem. One's I have used extensively are Varget, H 4985, IMR 4895, Benchmark, H335.

The two I have used the most are the 4895 group and Varget. While H335 can be extremely accurate, is a ball powder and more sensitive to temperature changes.

While you might not be looking for "nothing perfect", in a bullet but if you intend to varmint hunt you won't be happy with misses or wounded animals so you may want to compromise a little between cost and a reasonably accurate bullet with good terminal performance. The 60 Vmax can do that for you.

Well I already have special loads worked up and all for each rifle and purpose, but again this is just just basically all purpose ammo just to have on had for whatever. Something better then bulk but nothing optimized or whatever.
But yeah both bolt and semi auto but about every thing I shoot runs off of AR mags, at least in 5.55/.223. Don't think we have anything slower then a 9 twist , mainly 1-7/1-8 .
I was considering the Vmaxs but honestly not sure how they would far on bigger game due to the fact their varmit bullets.then again we head or neck shit about everything so in that case that explosive ness might do good

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Hornady 50 gr SX, Benchmark I size to ammo checker and load to run thru AR mags. I shoot it thru several bolt/gas guns. Self-defense,hunting,varmints, my do all load. 1/8-1/12 twist barrels.

 

[Wolfdog91]

A few years ago I visited RMRs warehouse and talked to the guys. They had recommended XBR and starting 24gr with their 69s. In their 3 gun shooting they used xbr with good success

Actually really enjoying these ! Picked a bag of 500 a month again and they shoot about MOA or less in everything which keeps me pretty happy . Just been trying to find someone who's actually used them on game to talk to but cant. Not gonna lie though was worried the 69gr might be a little much for a lil purpose round , in the fact that the 1-9's might not like them

 

[Wolfdog91]

Hornady 50 gr SX, Benchmark I size to ammo checker and load to run thru AR mags. I shoot it thru several bolt/gas guns. Self-defense,hunting,varmints, my do all load. 1/8-1/12 twist barrels.

I'll give it a look thanks

 

[searcher]

Don't think fmj is the best thing for deer and pig though lol

While not an inexpensive bullet, one load I carry in one of my A/R's works great when I'm not really sure what I'll run into, when coyote shooting - as pigs may be targeted as opportunity is present. That is a 70-grain Barnes TSX. Will knock down coyotes and will whack pigs quite well, with well-placed shots. Bullets are too expensive (in my mind) for general plinking or squirrel eradication.