Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints .22 Nosler or .223 AI

I have a "spare" 223 I want to do something with. What are your thoughts on each caliber? Need to keep current boltface... Bolt action rifle 20" Barrel 1:9 Twist 50, 52 grain bullets for speed...

.223AI...if for no other reason than the brass is always available....

I fear many new cartridge introductions won't last long.....and if they do, who besides Nosler is making brass for the .22 Nosler?

223 AI if you want something different or leave as is.

Yea I'm thinking something different. Leaning towards the AI...

Many,many BAD reports on the 22 Nosler brass (very soft), go 223, 223AI or my fav 222

yes I'm reading that as well. I have Howa in a 222 and love it, super accurate! was just looking for a little more speed. So AI may be the solution.

Does it need to be a .22 caliber?

Kinda want to stay with current action and barrel..

your barrel is to short to see much improvement

Landyboy: Do not overlook the 204 Ruger in case you don't have one (some!).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I’ve a well used Sako L461 that the original barrel in 223 finally gave up the ghost. I picked this up at the local Cabela’s about 5 years ago for a song as it had been restocked at some point in its life, but the job was excellent. Anyway, I strongly considered the 22 Nosler as the L461 is the consummate action for the 223 family of cartridges. Sadly, it’s just fat enough that it wouldn’t reliably feed out of the magazines so it remains a 223. I’ve done the 223 AI route and didn’t get much improvement in velocity - not worth it IMHO. Besides, much of the allure of the 223 is brass can be had at $40 per 1k around here.

You didn’t specify what action you have, but that’s something to consider. If you’re staying 22 cal, have you considered the 222 Magnum? It’s definitely “something different”. If you haven’t a 204 Ruger; I second VGs recommendation. That may be my current favorite varmint round these days!

How about a 22-204?

Just leave it as is, the small gain achieved by the AI version hardly is worth the effort. Nothing better than having duplicate rifles and loads to take to the PD field, if that is the goal, or even just plinking - there is a lot to be said for having rifles using cartridges with the same trajectory, etc. I have shot the 223 for decades using a 40 gr bullet at 3750 fps and drop and drift are pretty much a non-concern because I am so familiar with them.

If you truly just want to build one or the other though then go with the 223AI because of the ability to fire non-AI ammunition in it, and the availability of good inexpensive brass.

drover

I have found all of this to be exactly spot-on. I would never AI another .223...just cant see the difference in performance...though Im still using my last one.....but will not rechamber its next barrel to AI...

Stick w vanilla 223?

Its a Howa Mini Action I have one in 204 and 222 also. I thought about taking the 222 to 222 mag but it shoots so good as is I hate to mess with it. Problem is I just have too much time on my hands right now.

I like the idea of a 22-204, how available are dies?

Yup...or even step down to a .222...I LOVE the one Ive got...

Do a search on here for username Erich. He has some stuff based on 204 case.22-25 caliber.

Another vote for the standard .223. Ran some experiments a few years ago and got ".223 AI" velocities merely by adding powder--without any sign of excessive pressure.

Plus, you can buy factory ammo anywhere--except during a pandemic panic!

I have a 223 AI in an AR, and love it...all except for fireforming brass. If I did it again though I wouldn't AI it. But I would use 8 or 9T barrels , since I've fallen in love with the 60 and 69 TMK's.

...BTW MD I love the pandemic reference,. I call it the Coronoia epidemic.

Seriously? The 204 is from the parent 222 mag case necked down, then you neck it back up to .224. Why mess with all of that and not just go to the 222 mag?

The 204 case is an improved version of the 222 Rem Mag, 30 degree shoulder, shoulder moved forward and body slightly straightened. So you have to think of the 22-204 as a 222 Rem Mag Improved(not AI'd) it is about as much as you can get out of the .378 bolt face without fireforming or using rare 5.6x50 Mag cases, it has a little more capacity than the 223AI.

Center 222 Rem Mag next two to the right 22-204 picture curtesy of alf

I know what it is, but you can’t tell a prairie dog there is a difference. So the chasing your tail to get no advantage accomplishes what?

A simple question on what to do with a rifle with a 223 bolt face, turns into a cluster&@#% and all the attempts to improve the 223 don’t get you a nickel’s worth of difference, just a chance to look for brass that is hard to find and dies that are harder to find.

223 AI is a Magnum 223. 22/204 is a magnum 223 AI.

204 dies are very easily modified.

Redding S full length and neck sizers...easy

Forster or redding 204 Comp seater dies are easy opened up to 22/6/25 calibers as the sleeves are not hardened at all.

Thanks to Eric, I am shooting my first 22/204 shooting a 25"-9T Shilen. 69g Sierra MK shoot into tiny bug holes with 26,25.5, and 27g of IMR 4064 WITH a cci BR-4 which was 4x as accurate as the Rem 7 1/2 primer with this 69g bullet.

Another issue, the 223 AI feeds somewhat well out of detachable mags and feeds well out of single stack Tikka's, but will not fee well from standard Rem 700's at all. 700's need their feed rails opened up a tad. Problem, I really hate a mag that hangs down below the stock.

Velocity with the 69's with CFE was 3260 at the accuracy node(groups in the 2's), 1/2" group at 3350, still no pressure with cfe. 60g Sierra tipped was 3460 at the accuracy node, CFE, have not tried it with CFE yet.

40g Ballistic tips in the 9t is 4100 wtih IMR 4198, very, very accurate.

My reamer has .020 freebore...very short. I figured that I would have to throat the chamber out for the 69's, but no...........

Next, I try the tipped 69's with IMR 4064 with BR-4's.

204 Winchester brass' primer pockets are holding up very well at this point....I am shocked.

Fast twist standard .223 1-8 for 80 grs.

This way you get the joy of 2 different rifles zeroed for different loads but you're going to find the 52gr loads shoot fine in the 1-8.

On the downside you will miss out on needing to fireform cases for the AI or dealing with Nosler brass on the 224 Nos.

keith,

Have easily gotten 4000+ fps in the standard .223 with with 40-grain bullets, with zero pressure signs--using standard Winchester brass.

If you want to believe the .223 AI is a "magnum" .223, feel free. That is not my experience.

The 222 is/realistically about as far behind the std. 223 as the 223 AI, the 222 Mag., 22-204 and 22 Nosler claim/imagine to have over the 223..
Loaded up to the same pressure, its more like 150 fps at the most.
I like the 222 Mag myself, but in the field with a bolt gun any difference over a 223 is a lot more imaginary than real.
Same for the other cartridges, if folks are being truthful.


The Nosler cased 22 Nosler shows pressure signs before the capacity numbers, that "should" be there, register on the chronograph, IME.
The pressure tested data bears this out as well .

Thanks guys I have decided to leave it be and work up some loads for it.