.223 bullet choice for varminting and Fox with NV

[25 Sharps]

My old CZ .223 is being turned into a 25-45 (whether that's chopped in and a donor bought or the current action rebarrelled) so I've bought a Sako .223 on here, 1:9 twist 26"barrel.

My .223 is used for target which will be taken care of by a 69 gr TMK load but I am trying to be disciplined with the .223 and 25-45 and only develop 2 loads for each rifle. My current load for varminting and NV work is 40gr blitz kings doing about 3600 fps. This load is accurate and kills well but does get blown about in the wind. therefore wondering whether to go to 50 gr (SBK/v-max) will these still get blown about? If so 53 or 55 gr vmax may be better but I do like fast flat bullets.

what's other people's experience is te 50 a good compromise between speed and BC or are the 53/55s better in the wind?

 

[ChesterP]

I'd go for the better BC bullet personally. The difference between trajectory at 200 yards with a 100 zero will be negligible. I use two loads for my 1/8 223. One is 60gr Vmax which I load for 3150 fps and the other are 69TMKs at 2850fps. a 10mph full wind will cause almost twice the drift as drop at 200 yards with a 60gr Vmax which is less drift than the 40gr travelling 400 fps faster at the muzzle, given the same wind.

 

[Coddy]

Using Norma V-Max 50gr for foxing in my .223

 

[25 Sharps]

I'd go for the better BC bullet personally. The difference between trajectory at 200 yards with a 100 zero will be negligible. I use two loads for my 1/8 223. One is 60gr Vmax which I load for 3150 fps and the other are 69TMKs at 2850fps. a 10mph full wind will cause almost twice the drift as drop at 200 yards with a 60gr Vmax which is less drift than the 40gr travelling 400 fps faster at the muzzle, given the same wind.

The TMKs are great and expand well but I do like the explosiveness of the 40s from a safety point of view, take the point on wind though but want a lighter load to compliment the TMKs

 

[25 Sharps]

Using Norma V-Max 50gr for foxing in my .223

How do you find them in The wind?

 

[Coddy]

I dont find them too bad, but then again, not really pushing much past 200yds on the main part im getting foxes.
Used them out to 350yds on steel, and was on the money using Strelok Pro app.

 

[NigelM]

I've been using 69 TMK's in a 22BR for the past year and nothing walks away. Driven at 3230 fps. No quite as violent as a 6mm 70 grain BK at 3600 fps but the end result is the same.

 

[hendrix's rifle]

53g vmax, high bc and kills well

 

[Cyres]

Suggest you use the 69 TMK for everything.

D

 

[Dalua]

I use 52gr Amax. My rifle has a standard twist, and these used to have the advantage of being non-S5.

 

[ChesterP]

Suggest you use the 69 TMK for everything.

D

This. When you compare the size of the ballistic tip used on the TMK with that for the V-Max or A-max, you'll see that it's a lot bigger, especially in diameter of the inset shaft. This makes it very explosive when used fairly close (up to 200m). As said, nothing fox-sized walks away when hit with a 69 TMK. 2700 to 2800fps is more than enough for reliable results every time.

 

[25 Sharps]

I use 52gr Amax. My rifle has a standard twist, and these used to have the advantage of being non-S5.

These would probably have been my first choice having had good results in the past but they are now discontinued and the replacement is silly money!

 

[takbok]

These would probably have been my first choice having had good results in the past but they are now discontinued and the replacement is silly money!

Plenty of other ballistic tipped bullets in that range - 55gr blitzking, Vmax, Nosler?? There is so much choice and you can't really go wrong with most of them.

 

[25 Sharps]

I've been using 69 TMK's in a 22BR for the past year and nothing walks away. Driven at 3230 fps. No quite as violent as a 6mm 70 grain BK at 3600 fps but the end result is the same.

That is a fair bit quicker than the .223 will achieve, quite fancy a fast twist 22-250 for this bullet specifically but that won't be any time soon!

Perhaps the answer is to stick to the one load and really get to know it, velocity from the 26" barrel should be quite good. But there's a niggle for a fast and flat NV load, probably just because that's what I'm used to!!

 

[25 Sharps]

Plenty of other ballistic tipped bullets in that range - 55gr blitzking, Vmax, Nosler?? There is so much choice and you can't really go wrong with most of them.

Thats the truth of it, I just wondered if one performed better in the wind than others. To be fair if the Wind's up there's always the option of the 100 gr a-max doing 3000 fps or so out of the swede just seems a bit heavy for rabbits!!

 

[takbok]

Whichever bullet takes the least time to get to target will be least affected by wind and drop so the lighter, faster bullets will be better at shorter ranges, and the higher BC slower bullets better at longer ranges. Plug the data into a ballistics app and have a play!

If the 40gr are flattest shooting out to 200m then not much is going to be better in the wind at that range.

 

[kennyc]

I've got some 55gn Vmax if you want to try them out Scott

 

[25 Sharps]

I've got some 55gn Vmax if you want to try them out Scott

Yes please mate, think the new rifle will come with data for these but speaking to the seller he used REACH affected powders so other than finding a powder with similar burn rate it's back to square 1!

 

[ChesterP]

Thats the truth of it, I just wondered if one performed better in the wind than others. To be fair if the Wind's up there's always the option of the 100 gr a-max doing 3000 fps or so out of the swede just seems a bit heavy for rabbits!!

With respect Boydy47, you asked the question in the OP, answers were given but for some odd reason you seem to be dismissing them and the very bullet that will work with your 1/9 twist and at more than sufficient velocities and tick your box for something that bucks the wind better than the 40gr you started with. I'm a little confused as to why you are rejecting what quite a few have suggested is a great option as an all rounder? Once again....1/9 twist and the tmk ticks your boxes nicely (as very few longer will stabilise in a 1/9) and therefore seems like an obvious answer to your question. Why not try them and if your rifle doesn't get on with them, then stick to lighter, faster loads. I've been using these and the 77s for a few years now and can vouch for them.

 

[jb1]

I really think that if your shooting sub 250 yards you may as well stick to your original 40 grain bullets. Your talking an inch and a bit difference at 300 yards with a full value 7.5 mph wind compared to 55 grain bullets. These are approximate figures.
Any more than 7.5 - 10mph wind then reduce the range.