The .223 loads you talk about are well worth developing, as folks found out during the Obama years, and so are ones that duplicate .22 magnums and Hornets for fur-taking and turkeys. I made up some similar ones, albeit in .308 some years back and whacked some chucks and a fox. Have plans for more of the same, but for my Hornet and my current .308, a Henry SS.
Trail Boss is a good powder for cases larger than the Hornet, and 5744 does well too, according to an article JB wrote during the crunch. He used some cast bullets, as well as jacketed. I've got some 46gr Speer FPs laid in for both my Hornet and sabotted .308 loads; just got to get to it. Trail Boss costs a bit more, but fills the case, and IIRC, 4gr is a .22 LR level load in .223. 6gr gives you a .22 mag. Check the Hodgdon manual to be sure.
Still, a .22 is essential. Nothing else compares in ease or economy, unless you already have a lot of lead and primers on hand that count as "free", and time. CCI SV can be had for about $.05 each, and does well to excellent in almost everything. A couple of fellow geezers at my gun club meet several times a week for "Shoot the Dot" matches, and SV is their standard ammo. Those guys have more fun than most there, and I have a blast just listening to their trash talk.
