All purpose 223 j word bullet?

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I picked up a cheap Thompson Compass in 223/5.56 to for a flat shooting predator/pest rifle. The local range is adding a 500 yard range that I might do some paper punching on for fun. I doubt it will get pressed into deer/hog service, but I figured as long as I was working up a load, might as well try to find a multipurpose bullet. A search has indicated the 64 grain Powerpoint may be an option. Any others I should look at?

[rockrat]

I believe Nosler makes a 60gr partition that others have indicated works well.

[Elroy]

I like the Speer 70gr semi spitzer,and the 63gr Sierra smp..I like the Winchester 64gr PP as well,and have several loaded now,but they are very picky as far as seating depth goes.They have a strange profile.They are only .224" diameter very close to the base ,and then they start a gradual taper that you cant notice unless you measure them.What looks like bearing surface is actually under size once you get up about .224" or so off the base .The old rule of thumb of seating at least as much bullet in the case as the diameter of the bullet applies with these,but anymore depth,and you are loosing neck tension .You could probably fudge on them a little with a good crimp,but not much.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

1:9 twist.
I'd use a 55gr JSP

[Gtek]

Twist? If 1-9 let 55-62 fly and then listen to the gun.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Yes, 1:9. How about Sierra 65 Gamekings?

[415m3]

I've had good luck with Bob's Bullets 55gr fmj.

https://223bulkbullets.com/

[Elroy]

Yes, 1:9. How about Sierra 65 Gamekings?

I don't think you would get good stabilization,especially after you bleed off some velocity .The Sierra 63 gr smp stabilizes well in 1-9,as does the 70 gr Speer semi spitzer.They are both flat base,and short for their weight.

[Texas by God]

The old Hornady 60 gr hp is a good all around bullet.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Rick Hodges]

My go to bullet for 223 Rem in 1-9 or 1-12 twist is the Sierra 55 gr. SPBT. accurate and deadly on coyotes without too much fur damage.
In an AR platform with 1-7 twist I go heavier...Hornady 60gr. HP's.

[Greg S]

Try Sie 69s and 748. I wanna try the new Sie 65s myself. That 1-9 might stabilize a Sie 80 if pushed hard, my R700 PSS will but the 75 Amax and H322 is a winner too for distance. For plinking, I like the Hornady 55 FMJBT or Spire point with an appropriate dose of AA2230, TAC of Benchmark.

[murf205]

Another vote for the 60 gr Nosler Partition if you are going to carry it where you might have a shot at deer or hogs. For general use I have used the 60 gr Hornady spire point. Good heavy plinker and very accurate in my Kimber varmint and Ruger MkII 77 223. TAC works best for me.

[charlie b]

The 1-9 twist in my 22" barrel will stabilize the 77gn Match King bullets out to 1000yd. They are within MOA at 600yd. But, have to be at near max load. Not sure about other >70gn bullets, but, any of the 69gn bullets should be good for any range where they remain supersonic. I use Varget in mine.


.........For plinking, I like the Hornady 55 FMJBT or Spire point with an appropriate dose of AA2230, TAC of Benchmark.

I also use the little Hornady bullet for plinking, but with Varget. It is surprisingly accurate for such a cheap little pill. :)

[kycrawler]

The factory seconds nosler 64 grain bsb bullets shoot well out of all my 223. And out of a 22-250

[Lloyd Smale]

ive had good luck with 65 game kings. But if I was going to tackle a deer or pig and was starting fresh I think id look at some of the new bonded bullets.

[white eagle]

I have heard rave reviews from some about the 65 gr game kings on deer
mainly from a gent who used a 220 swift to hunt everything including
cape buff
if I were going to hunt deer sized animals with a 22 cal I would use
a barnes 77 gr TTXB

[FergusonTO35]

Hornady 55 grain JSP. My Zastava 85 loves 'em!

[charlie b]

Hornady 55 grain JSP. My Zastava 85 loves 'em!

For deer?

[koger]

The Sierra 65 sounds good, a buddy has killed 2 good bucks with shoulder shots from a Savage with 1-9 twist, dropped them in their tracks, both 150 yds or less. His friend shot one at 250, and never recovered it. A .223 can kill a deer if everything is right, but it is not a deer round, here in my neck of the woods, where we have seen a bunch of big, big deer this year, more than any other year in the last 40 years.. I have also seen a .223 crater on hitting big knuckle a few times. Just my opinion, and you know what that is worth. On smaller bodied deer, it would be a different case.

[dverna]

Agree with Koger.

If I had to do it, the 65 gr. GameKing would be my choice.

Just FYI, I bought 6000 Hornady 55 gr SP in bulk for my .223's, but do not intend to hunt deer or shoot past 250 yards with them. For $7/100 they are a good buy. You might want to think about a cheap "blasting" bullet for paper and varmints plus a bullet like the GameKing for hunting if you must use the .223. Better option would be to purchase another Compass in a more appropriate caliber for hunting and long range duties. My Compass in .308 is sub MOA.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Agree with Koger.

If I had to do it, the 65 gr. GameKing would be my choice.

Just FYI, I bought 6000 Hornady 55 gr SP in bulk for my .223's, but do not intend to hunt deer or shoot past 250 yards with them. For $7/100 they are a good buy. You might want to think about a cheap "blasting" bullet for paper and varmints plus a bullet like the GameKing for hunting if you must use the .223. Better option would be to purchase another Compass in a more appropriate caliber for hunting and long range duties. My Compass in .308 is sub MOA.

I've got several more deer worthy calibers, just figured I'd use an all purpose bullet if I was going to do it. The price on those Horandys sounds great! Where did you get them?

[6thtexas]

The Hornady 55 grain spire point holds together really well at .223 velocities and I have killed a few deer with it and the boy has killed a turkey with it. A wise man told me that Hornady designed that particular bullet to hold up to .220 Swift velocities. Your twist may be too fast for it. I shoot it in a CZ527. In my gun I like it better than the Winchester 64 gr. Powerpoint.

[Drm50]

I shoot Hornady 55gr SX in all my 22CFs which are all BAs. It's good bullet and second choice would be Speer 55gr SP. I figure 55gr is lightest bullet that is practical for for my shooting which is varmit and seldom shoot over 400yds.

[dverna]

I've got several more deer worthy calibers, just figured I'd use an all purpose bullet if I was going to do it. The price on those Horandys sounds great! Where did you get them?

Got them from Monmouth a couple of years ago

[brstevns]

Might give the Barns copper bullets a try. Cousin has taken a few deer with the 53gr sx bullet. One kill was a shoulder shot thru the bone and out the bone on the far side, deer left a good blood trail and went maybe 30 yards.
The other was a shoulder shot ,droped in its tracks.
I took a couple with the 70 speer and the 63 serria both drop within 10 yards. All taken with a 223 rem bolt action

[725]

Elroy & brstevens beat me to it. 70 gr. Speer is a getter.

[dverna]

SF

These are the "cheap" Hornady bullets I purchased. On sale now for $400 for 6000....better deal than the 8000 bulk pack.

https://www.armorally.com/shop/hornady-22-caliber-55gr-spire-point/?goal=0_ff76c9bc36-85e585adfe-148430281&mc_cid=85e585adfe&mc_eid=1f0a53c3af

[Lloyd Smale]

that's become my go to. Even works well on deer. Only thing id question it as is a varmint bullet but anything over 50lbs its a winner with. 1-9 is going to be borderline but id guess it would keep it stable to at least 200yards. Before I found the sierra the 60 grain bt was my favorite but its a bit light skinned for deer. I will kill them but you have to be very careful. But if varmint shooting is a big part of your use its probably a better compromise bullet then the game king.
Yes, 1:9. How about Sierra 65 Gamekings?

[Larry Gibson]

I picked up a cheap Thompson Compass in 223/5.56 to for a flat shooting predator/pest rifle. The local range is adding a 500 yard range that I might do some paper punching on for fun. I doubt it will get pressed into deer/hog service, but I figured as long as I was working up a load, might as well try to find a multipurpose bullet. A search has indicated the 64 grain Powerpoint may be an option. Any others I should look at?

The 64 gr Winchester Power Point is an excellent bullet....if you can find any for reloading. This bad boy fell to one loaded over AA2460 out of my 9" twist Colt AR.

252151

However, since mention mostly shooting varmints/targets to 500 yards let me suggest the Sierra 55 gr Blitz King (not the "Blitz", a different bullet). Last year I did a lot of PB shooting in Montana and restricted myself to ranges of 300 to 500 yards with my Savage M10 Comp with a 9" twist barrel. I used the 55 gr Blitz king loaded over 26 gr H335 with a WSR primer in LC cases. I had great success as that was a very accurate load and the bullet still performed very well terminally on the PDs out at 500 yards. I also use that load as my standard load (still have a hundred plus of the 64 gr PPs squirreled away) in my 9" twist Colt AR also.

Note; the 55 gr Blitz King is a long bullet and does not stabilize well at 223 velocities in 12" and slower twists.

[farmerjim]

One more for the 60 gr Nosler Partition. It works well in my .223's and 22-250.

[Elroy]

[QUOTE=Larry Gibson;4773440]The 64 gr Winchester Power Point is an excellent bullet....if you can find any for reloading. This bad boy fell to one loaded over AA2460 out of my 9" twist Colt
QUOTE]
Midway gets them fairly often.They have them now at $16.00 per bag.

[Tripplebeards]

I use the 60 grain vmax along with 25 grains of benchmark. It shot the 100 yard group in my avatar out of my 14.5” POF P415 with the load when there was a 15 mph wind and it was 12 below. I shot a . 3” group at 200 yards with my first try right after a I shot the avatar group. It DRTs coyotes! Never tried it over 200 yards on a yote yet but have dropped 9 where they’ve stood out to it. “If it exits” a bullet sized exit hole to a fifty cent piece is common. The fast 1 in 8 twist with my POF makes a fifty cent sized exit out of my POF and the slower 1 in 9 twist in my longer 20” LTR driven a 125 FPS faster I can’t see the entry or exit holes...if it exits...till its skinned. A Very fur friendly bullet that knocks coyotes off their feet. Shoots just as tight in my LTR as well. 2850fps in my POF and 2975fps in my LTR. I also shoot 40 grain nosler ballistic tips with 27.5 grains of benchmark out fo my LTR that shoots just as tight. That load is close to 3850 FPS in my fast twist LTR. It’s a lazer out to 300 yards. Both great for predators and pests. The biggest key is finding the right bullet in a 223 that will expend all of its energy in the animal, not on the surface or one that never expands, to put them down in their tracks. If you do some googling the 60 grain vmax is goto bullet for a lot of 223 users.

I don’t remember my other tight load with the 60 grain vmax. I think it’s 25.2 grains of H4895. I’d have to check my load books. It shoots just as tight as the benchmark load. I hear the 60 grain vmax works excellent for deer and hogs as well. A lot of positive extensive posts and reading about it on predatormasters.com

[Larry Gibson]

[QUOTE=Larry Gibson;4773440]The 64 gr Winchester Power Point is an excellent bullet....if you can find any for reloading. This bad boy fell to one loaded over AA2460 out of my 9" twist Colt
QUOTE]
Midway gets them fairly often.They have them now at $16.00 per bag.

Good sign the "hoarding" is over and the major manufacturers are producing for reloaders again....[smilie=w:

[Elroy]

[QUOTE=Elroy;4773453]

Good sign the "hoarding" is over and the major manufacturers are producing for reloaders again....[smilie=w:

I agree..I bought 3 boxes of 7mm 150 gr. Rem Cor Lokt from Midway a few weeks ago on sale for $12 and change a box.They were the repackaged by midway in their own boxes ,but not seconds,although I have never had an issue with seconds from Midway.