Need Advice: Keep or Sell the 223 Remington?

[Daekar]

As I have mentioned before, I am in the midst of a prolonged effort to simplify my shooting and loading life and so far have sold a number of guns that I didn't love, couldn't justify by their utility, or couldn't see myself making time to shoot well. There are some that I will keep regardless, including some old warhorses from my Dad or my last remaining centerfire autoloader. But I am struggling with one that I just can't make a decision on, a Howa 1500 in 223 Remington. It's my only modern bolt gun and has a decent scope on it. Moving forward I intend to only shoot home cast boolits, so after I use up the box of 52gr HPBTs on my bench I will need to buy a mold, but I question whether it is worth it.

Given that I live in mountainous Appalachia and that I couldn't shoot from one end of my property to the other if my life depended on it thanks to the hills and trees, the likelihood of shots over 100 yards is pretty low (this is also limited by my ability, kudos to you folks who can shoot varmints over 100 yards offhand). I have standardized on 357mag instead, and seen to be able to push my Henry Single Shot to just under 2000fps with a 158gr COWW boolit meaning that a lighter one would be no problem, and 125gr TCBBs over Trail Boss seem to miraculously shoot to almost the same point of impact at around 80 yards. Right now the Henry wears a peep sight, but I could move the scope.

I guess what I am wondering is, what (if anything) will the 223 do with cast loads better than the 357 at those kinds of short ranges? Are there significant capabilities I might be unknowingly giving up if I simplify the 223 right out of the safe?

[dverna]

Cast .223 is not easy. If you decide to keep it, figure on inspecting and weighing every bullet; and might need to gas check them too. Lots of guys like turning a .223 into a .22 Hornet or .22 Mag. You need to decide what you want to do.

If I was not going to shoot jacketed bullets in it I would sell it.

[Electrod47]

"If I was not going to shoot jacketed bullets in it I would sell it."
I agree with dverna, I'm 74 and looking at my guns the same as you are. I have property here in MS to shoot over. My max ranges really are 80 to a 100 yards. But, i'm going to hang on to my H&R Bull barrel ,223 and MAYBE let go my Rock River tactical entry 5.56.
I tried lead in the H&R and had fun with it. But, going forward its all gonna be Jacketed.

[jcren]

My only input would be ammo availability. Stuff hits the fan or politicians start making it hard to get ammo, 9mm and 223 may become the currency of the free folk.

[Shawlerbrook]

Be careful selling something you may never be able to replace in the future.

[Jniedbalski]

I would use it as a fun target gun Fmj’s or lead tip 55 gr Or reduced lead loads. One thing I like about 223 you can shoot good out to 500 yards if you need to or 50 yards reduced loads for small critters. Brass is cheep or free and uses very little powder. I like the 55 gr lead tip hornadys . There more accurate than the fmj’s and cheep. That’s one reason I don’t load cast in my 223 yet. At 10$ to 12$ a hundred on sale just haven’t tried cast yet.

[richhodg66]

A bolt action .223 is a pretty good, useful thing to keep around, kind of like break open single shot shotguns, hard to go wrong with one.

Unless I really needed money, I'd keep it around.

[TNsailorman]

I have a Mini Mauser in .223 and it will never be sold as long as I am alive. It is not only super accurate but it is as much fun as you can have morally or legally. james

[dverna]

Reading the OP’s last paragraph is important in rendering an opinion. Then look at his needs. He has no use for a cast .223 platform unless he decides he needs/wants a .22 Mag or .22 Hornet.

Btw, I have the same rifle, and I will never sell it, but m needs are different.

[Texas by God]

It's always good to have at least one rifle for the current service cartridge. I could get by with a .223 bolt rifle around here if I had to. Those Howas are great rifles- I'd keep it.....

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[charlie b]

Depends.

My .223 will never see cast. It loves 77gn Sierra Match Kings Not cheap, but, they shoot well out to 600yd. If not for those I would sell it and not lose any sleep over it.

My cast rifles are .30cal and I'd not get rid of either one.

I think you would lose nothing if you choose to keep the .357 single shot. You can use even lighter bullets and lower charges for smaller game if that is of interest to you. If you ever needed more than a heavy .357mag you could have the chamber enlarged to .357Max. I'd move the scope over and sell the .223.

Goes back to becoming really good with one rifle rather than somewhat good with two or more.

Note: I am something of a minimalist. If I don't use a gun on a regular basis then I get rid of it.

[Gtek]

It's paid for and unless you need the scratch it would stay parked with improvement if no 556 things in house. You should know the twist, find a 556 or Wylde reamer and open up throat a little so could be used if needed with a how ever acquired ammo. They have only been in office three months, this old man here is nervous!

[Daekar]

The opinions so far have been interesting. Some folks advise selling the rifle based on my stated intentions and use case, and others seem to object to what they see as a reduction in overall capability or versatility in the face of ammo shortages, government oppression, etc.

This latter group doesn't actually seem to consider the question of 223 cast performance as relevant to the decision, with the idea that in a tight spot it would be useful for ammo I just happened to get my hands on. I think that's a valid perspective, but I do wonder if that benefit would be outweighed by the ability to take resources tied up in the 223 and put them toward safeguarding my access to 357 components (I don't buy ammo anymore), or perhaps a whole separate 357 gun.

I suspect some folks would be horrified if they knew how hard I have trimmed back my collection based on my own assessment of my actual needs.

[GhostHawk]

.223rem makes a pretty good replaccement for .22lr or .22mag assuming you have the powder and primers to load it IMO.

I have a couple of loads worked up for mine with the 55 gr Lee boolit. One with gas check and a bit more speed, one without and slower. Both were easily minute of squirrel head up to 100 yards.

While I don't see myself selling my Ruger 10/22 anytime soon my Handi rifle in .223rem is in no danger of going down the road either.

It is simply to handy with ammo from subsonic to full 3000+ fps factory loads.

But then I never sell any gun that functions correctly and puts the bullet where I want it to go.

[Markopolo]

.223rem makes a pretty good replaccement for .22lr or .22mag assuming you have the powder and primers to load it IMO.

I have a couple of loads worked up for mine with the 55 gr Lee boolit. One with gas check and a bit more speed, one without and slower. Both were easily minute of squirrel head up to 100 yards.

While I don't see myself selling my Ruger 10/22 anytime soon my Handi rifle in .223rem is in no danger of going down the road either.

It is simply to handy with ammo from subsonic to full 3000+ fps factory loads.

But then I never sell any gun that functions correctly and puts the bullet where I want it to go.

this is how I play it... I do t have a AR in 223, just a bolt gun and my son has a Henry lever in 223.. why? because brass is very easy to come by, and i cast for it and am tooled up for it. i dont use it much, but i want it around if and when things get "really" tight.

[Three44s]

A bolt gun in .223/5.56 is an essential survival tool as I see it whether I can cast for it or not.

Three44s

[Tripplebeards]

A bolt gun in .223/5.56 is an essential survival tool as I see it whether I can cast for it or not.

Three44s

Yep. I currently own 3. A POF, LTR, and just got back a heavy barrel NEF I bought new in 95’. All tack drivers. The POF and LTR with both shoot .3” or better when I do my part at 200 yards. I load 40 grain Nosler for the LTR and sight it about 1.5” high at 100 yards. Loaded with 27 grains of benchmark at 3800 FPS the 20” LTR shoots flat enough not to have to take my cross hairs off a coyote out to almost 400 yards. I load 60 grain vmax for the POF. I have knocked coyotes off their feet out to 250 yards with both guns. Back in the day the NEF would shoot in the same hole at 100 yards with cheap moly coated bulk 55 grain soft point ammo. Never tried it any farther. I have zero interest in casting for any of these and see zero advantages of cast for this caliber other than making cheap boolits for it. Destructive J words is what make this caliber shine IMO.

Every time I go to the range I pick up piles of scattered 5.56 brass. It’s easy to come by and free! The caliber is loud but almost no recoil in my LTR and NEF. It’s one of the funnest and cheapest calibers to shoot and reload for IMO.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

I have a few 223's. I will always have at least one, simply because it is the current service cartridge. Jackets bullets used to be very cheap, making cast bullets not worthwhile.
I have loaded cast bullets with great success in the 218 Bee and 22 Hornet with great success. Firearms do not cost much to keep around. TO ME their value hanging on peg or sitting unused in a safe is greater than than the dollars I would receive for them, even or especially in today's market. I have always used gas checks on my .22 cast bullets, I keep a couple thousand on hand for each caliber that I own, to me it is an investment in safety and preparedness. I really do not consider myself a 'survivalist'. I just like the option of casting for any rifle I own, including my .243's, 6.5's, and .22 center fires. I never found difficulty casting for the .22's but most have 1-12 or slower twist, certainly a factor.

[sharps4590]

Does not meet any needs you have and you probably have enough ammo of other cartridges that any importance being attached to ammo availability is moot. In a SHTF situation a 12 ga. is probably a better bet than a 223.

Meets no current or probable future needs, uninteresting, sell it.

[dverna]

To the OP,

You seem to have your head screwed on correctly. You knew the answer before posting but wanted to check if you may have missed something. You did not. For YOUR needs the .223 is useless unless you decide to retain it as an investment. Your .38/.357 will do everything you need done.

The ammunition/components arguments presented by others are moot. I can not envision .38/.357 cases being difficult to get or expensive, and with typical loads cases last a very long time. "Cheap" .223 brass is not important. I suspect you already have a .22, so using $120/k SPP to replicate RF performance from the .223 is not sensible. Within a year, .22's will be at $25-30/brick so stock up then. And even if SPP get to $40/k, it is not worth the effort to cast for .223 IMHO. For potting small game or critter control, using a cast .223 does not provide sufficient performance or cost advantages over cast .38's and in some situations the .38 will be better. BTW, my behind the front door critter gun is a .22 but it is being replaced with a .38 lever action for that reason; and the back door gun is a going to be a pellet gun for squirrels.

I am like you and Charlie b. Drastically reducing my inventory of "useless" guns. At 70, and on a fixed income, toys I am not using make no sense.