Tell me about the .223 caliber...

Seeking_Coyotes

Seeking_Coyotes

New member
I am looking to pick up my first AR style gun in a couple months...RRA coyote Carbine. I have never owned this caliber and I wanted to know ballistically speaking what I can expect as far as killing power out to 300 or 500 yards. Also, I am thinking of getting the Mark IV M1 turrets and need to figure out the deadliest bullet. I do reload. I have a .17 Rem Fireball as well as a .243 on both the low and high side of the .223. It seems all the serious coyote hunters use the 22-250 and the serious fox hunters the .17 calibers. Any perspecitves or advice is appreciated. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowingsmilie.gif
 
The .223 will shoot just as good as the guy/gal on the trigger ! I've killed coyotes and deer beyond 300 yards.
The .223 is a great round.
 
I am a lover of the .223, but I don't ask it do much past 300 yards. Will it kill past 300? Sure it will! But your asking a lot from it at that point. Kinda like the whole 17HMR debate. If you wanna shoot coyotes at that distance step up to a .22-250 or even better a .243.


Horse power is king when talking those distances.


Chupa
 
I've got an AR with almost no barrel, very short. It's got a perm. brake on it to keep it legal length. Ex-swat rifle and a dream to clear buildings with. Anyway, with iron sights it will hit silhettes out past 300 and shouldn't have trouble dropping a dog around there.

I built a .223 h&r for coyote (someday) and PD duties. Shoots as fast and flat as I'll ever need. With matchking bullets PD's just plain explode.
 
I have a RRA A4 20" varminter and it shoots great. I have shot pleanty of factory ammo but most of my ammo is loaded by my self because it's cheaper and I can get better accuracy. My gun loves 50 gr Vmax and 55 gr vmax and 55 gr Nosler BT. But lately I have been shooting some cheap 62 gr Brown Bear HP and have killed many woodchucks at 250-280 yds with one shot. This ammo really impressed me for $6.00 for 20 rds. It's alot cleaner than wolf but it's still dirty. I should have bought a single shot because I can't remember the last time I had to fire more than 1 shot at a woodchuck. But I am shooting from a bi-pod since this gun is kinda heavy to shoot off hand with.
 
Some competition shooters shoot out to 1000yds with heavy bullets. I shoot reguarly to 500yds and get 5-6 inch groups with my 18inch barrels.
 
I do quite a bit of shooting with the AR platform and as others have pointed out... the .223 can be accurate out to 500 & 600 yards, but I don't count on the available energy to be a definite "kill" past about 300 yards...

If I were going to be regularly trying to gather game past that point, I would have to go for the .243 or higher..

I have a slow twist (1/14) .223 for using the lighter weight bullets that was set up for Prairie Dogs and I have a standard 1/9 twist for hunting and competition and use from 50gr HPs to 64gr SP with great success and accuracy..

At one time I had an M4 Carbine with a 1/7 twist barrel and never could find a load that shot accurately in it...but I loved the size and weight of it..
 
I have a few different 223's, and it is a good cartridge. However it is not a miracle cartridge.

I hunt ground hogs with mine, and I have also shot some coyotes, but it is mainly a ground hog rifle. IMO ground hogs are easier to kill than coyote's are.

I have a Rock River Varminter, and the rifle is a dandy. It shoots extremely well.

Normally I limit my ground hog shooting with the 223 to 300 yards. Anything past 300 yards will yield numerous crawl offs. It is that simple. However I do not care about hides on a ground hog or a coyote. So for me the RR Varminter extends my shooting of ground hogs and coyotes out an additional 100 yards(to 400 yards) because anytime I shoot at a ground hog or coyote past 250 yards I shoot a fast double tap. And the double tap will plant those critters out to 400 yards!!

So if you do not care about pelts then you should be able to get good 400 yard kills with a double tap, however the true effective killing range of the cartridge on tough dying critters like ground hogs and coyotes is 300 yards. Tom.

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Since you are going with an AR I would go with the 223. Not many of the calibers in that configuration can use surplus ammo. The 223 can be. Trigger time and weapon familarity are what make a good marksman. That means alot of good quality shooting practice. 223 surplus can be had for 300$/1000 plus shipping from the internet stores and right now ammo is starting to show up. Thaat is 6 to 7 bucks a box versus some other caliber that will be way more than that.
No caliber fills all needs but the 223 does do a good job at being versatile. If your into reloaing components be easier to come by. ThomasR
 
HOGHEAD...What is the scope specifications on your AR in the photo?

I am kinda surprised that the military espouses kills on humans out to 300 meters which I think is beyond 300 yards and folks here think that less than 300 meters is the kill range for small critters.
 


I am kinda surprised that the military espouses kills on humans out to 300 meters which I think is beyond 300 yards and folks here think that less than 300 meters is the kill range for small critters.



Most humans probably aren't as tough as most critters, Plus I always heard that wounding the enemy was more vital than killing. One guy down two supposedly to drag him away or care for. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif
 
+Quote:
HOGHEAD...What is the scope specifications on your AR in the photo?

I am kinda surprised that the military espouses kills on humans out to 300 meters which I think is beyond 300 yards and folks here think that less than 300 meters is the kill range for small critters.




That scope is a 30mm tube. 6.5X20X40 with the VH reticle. No need for TT's on a rifle for a 223. The reticle subtensions work perfectly at 200, 300, and 400 yards. They also work at 500 yards, but that is for target practice only. I am not an avid coyote hunter but I normally kill several every year. I much prefer the speed of the VH reticle over the time it takes to turn turrets. Especially for a short to mid-range rifle.

As far as killing power is concerned. Well the answer is very simple. I have shot well over 1,000 ground hogs with the 223 cartridge. So I feel my experience with the cartrdige qualifies me to give an opinion as to how it kills and at what ranges. And as stated above, shots past 300 yards will yield considerable crawl offs. And I detest crawl offs. Will the ground hog die---Yes it will. But I am not that cruel. I prefer clean kills. Tom.
 
Seeking Coyotes,

I see you are from Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that these northeastern dogs are larger and tougher to bring down than their southwestern brethren. I am from NJ and have nailed a few yotes here with a 12 gauge. I can speak from experience that these northeastern dogs are tough to kill.

I would consider going with a more powerful caliber, like a .22-250 or .243.
 
Quote:


I am kinda surprised that the military espouses kills on humans out to 300 meters which I think is beyond 300 yards and folks here think that less than 300 meters is the kill range for small critters.

Most humans probably aren't as tough as most critters, Plus I always heard that wounding the enemy was more vital than killing. One guy down two supposedly to drag him away or care for. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif



Yeah I don't think the military is worried about clean kills.
 

I have a couple AR's in .223 and a Remmy 700 Classic in .223. I enjoy shooting each and every one of these rifles. I really like the AR platform for coyote hunting, but don't find the .223's particulary good for coyotes. AS 4949 said, the coyotes in the east are often larger than the southwest variety, and it takes a bit more energy than a .223 produces to put them down reliably at times. I've used my .223 rifles on coyotes and it seems I end up taking follow up shots much more often with the .223's than with my larger caliber rifles. With that said, I prefer to use a .22-250 or a .243 for coyotes here.
 
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