Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints good factory ammo in .233

I've never killed a big game animal in my life with factory ammo. I've been a handloader since I took up gun hunting.

However I now have this .223 and as we all know components are not that easy to come by for now. I assume this will change in the next 6 months or so, but right now I have been looking over the factory offerings for a week or so trying to make up my mind on what to use.

I've found that there are some bulk options like the 50 round box from HSM or Hornady. Both are offered at about 30 bucks a box of 50. I just want an accurate and explosive 50/55 grain bullet.

Who is making the better .223 bulk ammo at a good price right now? Is the HSM ammo anygood? Guess I can just buy some various kinds to see what shoots best, but if I knew who's bullets they used I could at least start out choosing wisely

I have LOTS of components for you as well as a large pile of Black hills ammo. Black hills Red Box is the set stuff out there IMO. Give me a ring and we will hook you up. MARK

Hornady Custom with the Vmax would be my choice.

I will second the black hills ammo, the folks at black hills are second to none. HAPPY HUNTING

Couple buddies have had great luck with the Ultramax stuff shooting Vmax's and BT's...

http://www.ultramaxammunition.com/rifle.php

Edited to add: I don't see them listing Vmax anymore...

The only time I've used factory ammo in my life was when I ran out on a PD shoot...bought a couple boxes of Ultramax 52 gr HPs and was extremely impressed....
Ingwe

Last fall when I bought my AR, I ordered 500 rounds of the "Ultramax 55 gr VMax" from Cabela's. This ended up being the one my AR really likes. My son uses the Winchester 45 gr HP's in his AR. When I got my first 223 a couple years ago, I picked up a box of 200 UMC 45 gr HP's and they were ok in the bolt gun. The last 2 boxes of the same load are leaving a lot to be desired.

I picked up some Fiocchi with 40 grain v-max since I was not set up for reloading and wanted something other than FMJ. They are shooting really well from my Rem 700. They offer the v-max in 50 grain also. And they are made in the USA. ~$29/50 at Cabelas.

JJ-I've used a fair bit of the Ultra Max and my fav is the Win "white box" with the 45 grain hp in it. To date, I've not found any factory ammo to be more accurate in either my 223's and or 22/250.

Dober

Ditto on what Dober said - it equals my best handloads, and you have once fired Winchester brass after shooting - all in all not a bad deal.

drover

Forgot about that one Drover but you're right, you do have some very good brass when you're done with it.

Dober

Those Winny white box loads are great stuff. Failed to mention those. Only hesitation there is that they're a bit frangible for the larger stuff. We've had splashes on shoulder hits with those.

LC hulls after the Ultramax ain't a bad consolation prize either...

I have had good luck with some older Ultra-Max loads that came with the 50 gr Speer TNT. I expect the Ultra- MAx ammo with the Ballistic Tip or even the basic Speer bullet would be fine, too.

The white box Win ammo with the 45 gr HP is great stuff - very fast and have shot well in all three .223s I have tried them in.

JJ...Why don't you see if Barnes can set you up with some Black Hills ammo?

It looks like they're loading the 36 gr. Varmint grenade & also the new 55 gr. TSX. http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/loaded-ammunition/

Just wondering, but are you gonna take the little gun to Africa? I'd think it would be a win-win situation for both.

Seen a few bullets that slipped down into the case on Ultramax...

I bought a few rounds of American Eagle 50 gr hollow point ammo and it has been pretty accurate and works fine on coyotes. First case I ran through was Federal brass so I let it lay where it fell but the last 3 or 4 cases have been Lake City brass.

Just to ruin a good day, I bought it for like $229/1000 and griped about how high ammo was. Wish I'd have bought more and griped less!

I second nimrod1949 with a vote for the 40-grain Fiocchi. I just bought a Savage .223 and it was shooting 3/4" groups with the Fiocchi V-max.

I haven't read the whole thread but, Black Hills ammo is as good as it gets for a reasonable price. Good thing you've got friends willing to share, might be hard to come by on short notice.

I thought youy were going to use that rifle to shoot the smaller african antelope. If so, I would want a heavier bullet load like the 64 gr. WW Power-Point, not some super explosive varmit bullet. E

It's been my experience that the super explosive bullets have not made an exit hole, not even on a coyote, and I have seen a few not even exit on raccoon and bobcat. That's what I'm looking for.......I don't want an exit, I want an internal explosion

The small antelopes are smaller then a big Coyote. They might be 40 lbs for a big one and the smaller ones are likely 20lbs or so. We also have caracal cats(african lynx) and jackals( fox sized) So it's not different then hunting predators in the USA.

JJ, the Black Hills ammo is about the best thing, if not the best thing going, for factory .223 ammo. However, I find it very hard to find in stores. Safariman if'n you got a way of getting that ammo I'd sure like a PM telling me how I might get a hold of some???