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tzone Offline OP
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I now have two .223 Rem rifles. My boy and I plan to use them for walking/still hunting guns. Both have 1:8 twist barrels. A Ruger American and a Tikka T3 Stainless.

I have several types of powder and bullets. The powders are IMR 4350 and Varget.

Bullets are Nosler PT 60gr, Barnes TTSX 62gr and 55gr.

Am I ok, or should I look for a different powder?


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I use H335, CFE223, AR-Comp, and H4895 in my .223 loads. Varget may work, IMR4350 is too slow.


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I use varget in my 223 with the Sierra 65gr game king with excellent results on whitetails

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Originally Posted by MichiganScott
Varget may work, IMR4350 is too slow.


I figured. Thanks.


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Originally Posted by gemby58
I use varget in my 223 with the Sierra 65gr game king with excellent results on whitetails


Excellent. Thanks.


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Have not reloaded for the .223 YET. Building a brass base. That said, I have shellacked deer and hogs out to 250 yards with 55gr soft points from Remington (Greenbox) and Black Hills remanufactured. The Green Box shot better groups in my RAR with a 16" barrel.

I bought 10 boxes of these 64gr Gold Dots for $9.99 shipped They print tiny groups and should be great on game.
http://palmettostatearmory.com/speer-223-remington-64gr-gold-dot-ammunition-20rds-24448.html

Last edited by Sasha_and_Abby; 08/30/17.

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No on-game results yet, but Varget has been very accurate for me with the heavier bullets. 63gr Sierras in one rifle, 62gr Barnes in another.


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For your Tikka, try TAC, mine likes 26.4 grains but work up to it, with a 50 grain TTSX, 2.180", I get 3230 fps and a five-shot group of .285".





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Varget and the Partition.

Not always super accurate, but good enough for hunting. And it'll do very well.

If buying, Nosler Bonded Solid Base 64 grain are an incredible hunting bullet.

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62gr tsx and Varget would be the way I would go but only for a place that was open and I could choose my shot and have a solid rest. I would aim for the neck.

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With a 62 TSX drilling shoulders would be no problem.

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Originally Posted by ALLongshot
62gr tsx and Varget would be the way I would go but only for a place that was open and I could choose my shot and have a solid rest. I would aim for the neck.


Do you not "choose your shot and have a solid rest" when shooting other guns?



Have killed a bunch of deer with a 223 and do not shoot them any different than I do with any other chambering.


303 yards. Around 20 inches of penetration with a 77gr TMK.
[Linked Image]





A tick over 100yds. 77gr TMK. Again 18-20 inches of penetration after destroying the onside humerus.

[Linked Image]

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Tzone,

I haven't shot a whole bunch with .223, but what I shot worked well. I got two holes with a 200lb deer and same with a 150 lb. I used 53 grain TSX. I'd probably go with CFE 223 were it me. It's a nice clean powder. Varget won't give you enough speed. The case capacity limits you and even a lot of compression isn't enough. I think I used BLC-2 with 70 grain TSX and a 26 inch barrel rifle and got excellent speed and it killed deer well.

GET SOME BLUE DOT! 8-12 grains of blue dot and some 32-35 grain hornet bullets is a great plinking and chipmunk/red squirrel load.

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Originally Posted by tzone
I now have two .223 Rem rifles. My boy and I plan to use them for walking/still hunting guns. Both have 1:8 twist barrels. A Ruger American and a Tikka T3 Stainless.
I have several types of powder and bullets. The powders are IMR 4350 and Varget.
Bullets are Nosler PT 60gr, Barnes TTSX 62gr and 55gr.
Am I ok, or should I look for a different powder?


The 62gr TTSX works well in two of my .223's w/ 1:8 twist with 25.5gr Varget (MAX load!) and the third likes 20.5gr Varget.

All three rifles love the 55gr TTSX with 27.4gr CFE-223. Another 'Fire member says that 27.5gr CFE-223 works better for him. grin I have killed a number of coyotes, hogs, and whitetail deer with the 27.4gr load at distances from 35 yards out past 220 yards.

Ed


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Originally Posted by DakotaDeer
Varget and the Partition.

Not always super accurate, but good enough for hunting. And it'll do very well.

If buying, Nosler Bonded Solid Base 64 grain are an incredible hunting bullet.


I'm not opposed to buying some more.


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Originally Posted by MILES58
Tzone,



GET SOME BLUE DOT! 8-12 grains of blue dot and some 32-35 grain hornet bullets is a great plinking and chipmunk/red squirrel load.


That might be fun for some walking around.


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tzone, another source for great .223 caliber deer hunting bullets is Rocky Mountain Reloading in Lewiston, ID. The have 62gr Federal Fusion bullets for $135.00/1,000. LINK

These bullets are used in Federals Tactical Ammo and is known for its controlled expansion. They are very accurate in all three of my .223's. I use the same load as with the 62gr Barnes TTSX.

The folks at RMR are great people. I have visited their facility twice and can assure you, they are shooters, hunters, and just plain good folks.

Ed


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Originally Posted by tzone
Originally Posted by MILES58
Tzone,



GET SOME BLUE DOT! 8-12 grains of blue dot and some 32-35 grain hornet bullets is a great plinking and chipmunk/red squirrel load.


That might be fun for some walking around.


The 8 grain load is pretty quiet. The 12 barks a little more respectably. The 35 grain VMax will vaporize chipmunks and red squirrels. Chucks, coons, porcupines won't vaporize, but they don't need a second dose either. I do not like the Barnes Varmint Grenades much. Hornady 35 grain is best. Speer 32 grain is excellent. Nosler 35 grain lead free is OK None of those will ricochet at 12 grains. They come undone completely and instantly (as do the chipmunks and red squirrels). They will shoot accurately out of my 9 twist barrel and kill coyotes at 100 yards.

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I've been happy with Amax 75 and 80 grn over H 4895 in my RAR, and the Sierra 65 grn with IMR 4320. The 4320 load is not a screamer for speed, but is super accurate.

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75 grain Swift Scirocco with 25-26gr of Varget will be your Huckleberry. Varget is one the best powders for a 223 and your TTSX bullets are top 2 or 3 bullets also. I wouldn't shoot any bullet other than a Scirocco, TTSX, or Partition at deer sized game especially if its a kid shooting.

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