Your most versatile round from 223 parent case and why?

[Ozshot]

Just looking to hear everyone’s experiences, what your favorite and most versatile round that you have made from a 223 parent case? Could be anything with any weight bullets, I just want to know what everyone’s favorite wildcats or standards are out of a 223 case and why?

 

[JLT]

The .20 Practical is just a hoot to shoot. Outstanding precision, minimal recoil, easy case forming and inexpensive to shoot. What's not to like? It's a great way to introduce kids to centerfire, too.

 

[Oso]

I am going to go with the best cartridge based on the 223 parent case is the 223. The next best is a 6x45.

Now you have me trying to remember all of them. I am adding 222 Remington to the list, which is the parent to the 223. Some of the names are redundant or no longer mainstream.

.17 Cal: 17 Mach IV, 17 Fireball, 17 Javelina, 17-222, 17-223, 17 Tactical, 17 Remington
.19 Cal: 19-223 Calhoon
.20 Cal: 20 Vartarg, 20 Vartarg Turbo, 20 Practical, 20 Tactical
.22 Cal: 221 Fireball, 222, 223. 223AI
6mm: 6x45. 6-223, 6x45AI, 6TCU
.25 Cal: 25TCU, 25x45 Sharp
6.5mm: 6.5 TCU
6.8mm/.270 Cal: 277 Wolverine
7mm: 7TCU
.30 Cal: 30-221, 300 Whisper, 300 Blackout, 7.62x40WT, 300 HAM'R

... and the list goes on but not without my morning coffee.

 

[Jager]

Another vote for the .222 Remington. The REAL parent.

The triple deuce ruled benchrest back before benchrest was cool.

 

[GLShooter]

For pure versatility the 6X45 is my favorite. It handles everything from prarrie dogs to deer and never breaks a sweat.

Greg

 

[jpx2rk]

20 Practical with 6x45 next. Both are more fun than the 223 for some reason.

 

[LiveFire]

The 6x45 has my vote. Building one got me into learning about accuracy and ballistics. It also showed me what a quality barrel can do on an ar15 platform. Someday I am gonna build one in a bolt action.

 

[centershot]

I like the 6 mm TCU. 6 x 45 on steroids!

 

[dhagerty40]

7TCU for accuracy. and then 6.5 TCU for velocity.

 

[Bill K]

20 Tactical or 20 Practical. Both very easy to reload and/or form from 223 brass. And they are accurate, reach out on varmints at surprising ranges.

 

[Fuj]

Years ago, I had fun with the 221 Fireball with pulled
55 grain bt mil bullets.

 

[K9TXS]

20 Vartarg. Very accurate, ability to shoot many rounds without the barrel heating up. However, making the 20 vartarg from a .223 brass takes a lot of steps. If I was doing over again, I would do either the 20 Practical or a 20 Fireball.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

.223AI with 77 or 80 gr bullets

 

[gambleone]

Triple Deuce

 

[Spook]

I shoot 223AI , 6 TCU,and 20-223AI , it would be hard to pick a favorite
6TCU might be the most versatile?

 

[jcm800]

77 smk / varget combo is hard to beat in a regular 223.

300 Blkout supers. 150 gold dots med game, 125 tnt target / varmints.
Easy to make with a mini chop saw and jig. Super versitle for such a puny cartridge.

 

[RegionRat]

All of the above, but my favorite was and is the 20 Practical.
No fireforming, no neck turning, and with the increased BC of the 20 cal bullets, hard to wipe the smile off your face in a prairie dog town or when more than one coyote comes to a call.

 

[edwardware]

Between .222Rem, .223Rem, .223AI, .300BO, and 7.62x40WT, I can use any weight .224 or .308 bullet produced. Hard to pick. . . but the Wilson Tactical is the most critical to load for, so that's probably the most enjoyable.

 

[Alguapo]

20 Practical and the .223 are my favorites. Accurate , cheap to shoot. The 20 Prac allows you to see your hits and it's fast.

 

[Homerange]

Another vote for the .222 Remington. The REAL parent.

The triple deuce ruled benchrest back before benchrest was cool.

Sure the trebly was/still is legendary not only for its accuracy but also for its killing capabilities in the hands of an experienced shooter.

Here in NZ ~50 years back when the red deer populations got right outta hand Gubbermint cullers were sent into the bush for weeks on end to get them under control and before long the trebly was the weapon of choice if shots could be placed precisely. The lighter and smaller round allowed cullers to backpack more ammo and supplies for the same weight which extended their bush stays and enabled greater tally bonuses.

One might initially think the soft recoiling trebly permitted more head and neck shots however this wasn't the normal MO where instead angling lung shots using the puny 50gr soft point was the most effective aiming point however missing the shoulder was paramount !
A very good friend culled for the NZ Gubbermint for many years taking thousands with his Sako Vixen....'the workhorse' as he called it. He'd tried 303, 30/06, 308 etc but the trebly ruled back in them days.