.223 ... my first .223 was back in the day before the TNT came out and before there were any polymer tipped bullets.
My two loads used the 50 grain Hornady SX over a slightly excessive amount of H335 and Hornady's 45 grain Hornet bullet over AA 2230. That hornet bullet is a spire point, not a round nose, and shot pretty flat.
Generally I shot the 50s about 10:1 over the 45s, but when it came to the very smallest varmints, "stump-monks" of various sorts, the 45s would give blow-up, the 50s would not. Most of my varmints here are about half the size of a p-dog and gave the 50s enough to "push against" to create pretty impressive results.
On their best day, though, the performance was not the equivalent of a 50 grain ballistic tip or VMAX. Those are where I'd start today.
Tom
