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Joined: Jan 2010
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OP
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Gotta get another rifle by spring since I got the missus one. Will be shooting out to around 300 yards. Pretty sure on rifle and scope. What is the best round for this kind of shooting?
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 933
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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A 223 would be my first choice followed by either of the fireball rounds and 204 Ruger(if you reload). The 223 can be had in about any rifle and is reasonably cheap to feed.
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jul 2001
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What lochsa said, with a few comments.
The advantage of either Fireball or the .204 is that you can watch what's happening through the scope during the shot, even in a sporter-weight rifle. That doesn't happen with sporter-weight .223's, unless you load the round down some, though it can be done with a heavy-barreled .223, if it's heavy enough. It's a lot more fun and effective to spot your own shots.
Brass for the .223 is cheaper than for the other rounds, and factory ammo more affordable as well. That said, I have both Fireballs and a .204 and like tham all a lot.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” John Steinbeck
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Joined: Dec 2008
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Campfire Regular
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Love my .204's but the .223 would be my pick for that shooting if I didn't handload.
Tim No Off Season Predator and Varmint Gear and Hunts "No crowds, no limits, no seasons...no bad days."
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jun 2005
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223 is the all time favorite, but being an oddball and lov er of older cartridges, as well as a handloader I love the 222. A bit less powder, noise, recoil etc. Even the Hornet and especially in AO or Kilbourne version can fill this role quite nicely. Short answer is that there really is no wrong answer. Anything that is pretty quick and low recoil will be just fine.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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My shooting pard has a theory concerning noise and gopher shooting. We need to "research" this some more...He maintains that the extra noise of the .223s puts them in their holes for a larger radius than say a .17 hornet or even a .222 Will get back to you on this...I got a new deuce to try this spring....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Jun 2005
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Don't forget to build a couple of Hornets to test out on this project, both regular version and the 'K' version. All in the name of scientific research, of course.
LOVE God, LOVE your family, LOVE your country, LIKE guns and sports.
About 2016 team "R" candidates "We definitely need a crew with a sack of balls the size of hot water bottles, bloviated estrogen leaking feel-gooders need not apply." Gunner 500
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Campfire Regular
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A 223 would be my first choice That was my first thought too.
There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular -- but one must ask, "Is it right?"
Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 42,912 Likes: 13 |
a 223 can be loaded from the equiv of a 22 LR to the 223...
less powder, less noise, less barrel wear etc...
a 22.250 is even more flexible, tho few people load it to be as such..
"Minus the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the Country" Marion Barry, Mayor of Wash DC
“Owning guns is not a right. If it were a right, it would be in the Constitution.” ~Alexandria Ocasio Cortez
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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FNG: The 204 Ruger is the answer to your inquiry! No recoil, slow to heat a barrel, sensationally flat trajectory and it flies VERY straight in the wind. 300 yard shots on Prairie dogs are chip shots with the 204 Ruger - and best of all YOU get to see the bullet impact point in your scopes image! The 204 Ruger performs head and shoulders above the beloved 223 Remington - especially at such modest ranges. The splendid accuracy and mild recoil (again you will be able to spot your hits when using a 204 Ruger!) will also aid in your improved percentage of kills on the diminutive Ground Squirrels at the ranges you mention. Best of luck with whichever you choose. Hold into the wind VarmintGuy
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Joined: Jan 2010
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Campfire Member
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OP
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Already loading 223 for the wife's CZ. Leaning towards something that eats the same bullets and powder selection, for economy. Was thinking another 223 or a 222, but certainly willing to consider other options. Not real familiar with the smaller cals. Good info so far...
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2005
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If you are already loading for a 223 then to me another 223 looks like a "no-brainer". Components are inexpensive, readily available, chances are that you can settle on one load that works well in both rifles and never have to worry about one of you running out of ammo or grabbing the wrong box of ammo.
Something else to think about is that you will not require another set of dies, another cleaning rod, another powder funnel, and will not have to purchase brass that is neither as readily available, nor as inexpensive as 223 brass.
As far as the �less recoil� attributed to the 204, that is much ado about nothing. Using the JBM recoil calculator, available free at jbmballistics.com, you can see that the difference between the 223 and the 204 is negligible.
Recoil energy with an 8 lb rifle -
204 with 32 gr bullets = 2.7 ft-lbs.
204 with 39 gr bullets = 3.0 ft-lbs
223 with 40 gr bullets = 2.9 ft-lbs
The data used to run these recoil tables is from the most recent Sierra reloading manual and was calculated using the top velocity for each bullet.
223 Rem with 40 gr BlitzKing
Recoil Input Data Charge Weight: 26.3 gr Muzzle Velocity: 3700.0 ft/s Firearm Weight: 8.0 lb Bullet Weight: 40.0 gr Output Data Recoil Velocity: 4.9 ft/s Recoil Energy: 2.9 ft�lbs Recoil Impulse: 1.2 lb�s
204 Rem with 39 gr BlitzKing
Recoil Input Data Charge Weight: 27.5 gr Muzzle Velocity: 3700.0 ft/s Firearm Weight: 8.0 lb Bullet Weight: 39.0 gr Output Data Recoil Velocity: 4.9 ft/s Recoil Energy: 3.0 ft�lbs Recoil Impulse: 1.2 lb�s
15/02/11 15:36, JBM/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi
204 Rem with 32 gr BlitzKing
Recoil Input Data Charge Weight: 27.9 gr Muzzle Velocity: 4000.0 ft/s Firearm Weight: 8.0 lb Bullet Weight: 32.0 gr Output Data Recoil Velocity: 4.6 ft/s Recoil Energy: 2.7 ft�lbs Recoil Impulse: 1.2 lb�s
15/02/11 15:42, JBM/jbmrecoil-5.1.cgi
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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223 loaded with 4198 or Blue Dot
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Campfire Tracker
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IMO, the .223 simply "trumps" anything with a .378" boltface using Benchmark and the 40gr B-tip 'cept maybe the .204 Ruger and .223 Ackley.
We are talking high volume gophers and P-dogs here, which automatically excludes anything requiring a fire forming operation if you ask me.
Though a slight argument could be made for the .204 based on recoil recovery, a 40gr B-tip traveling 3850fps via .223, Hodgdon Benchmark, and a 24" "bull" barrel is the standard for high volume colony shooting, IMO!!
X-VERMINATOR
Sooner or later our heritage of hunting is going to be a rich mans sport and the words "Outfitter" and "Hunt Industry" will be synonymous with cancer and A.I.D.S. among blue collar hunters like me and my family! (A.L. Williams - 2010)
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Ive put thousands & thousands & thousands plus thousands more of p-dogs into oblivion with a .223 rig using the 50gr vmax in front of W748 over the last 40 yrs.
Did I make you cry......boooo hooo, life goes on.
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always wanted to try one of the .19 calhoon options, but the few towns I have access to stay pretty thinned out and the .223 and 22-250 take care of all the volume I encounter anymore. If I had more access to p-dogs I'd have a .19 for sure. They look like the perfect blend of low/no recoil, mild report, low powder charges and a whole lot of performance in the range you mentioned. Should be cheap to run once you get set up for it. The calhoon double hollow points are devistating in the .223 as I'm sure they are in the 19 as well. They're based in MT like you, might want to give them a look.
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,658 Likes: 12 |
Ive put thousands & thousands & thousands plus thousands more of p-dogs into oblivion with a .223 rig using the 50gr vmax in front of W748 over the last 40 yrs. Would be a rather neat feat,to have gunned the 50 V-Max for 40yrs. Keep that Imagination goin',you is on fire!.................
Brad says: "Can't fault Rick for his pity letting you back on the fire... but pity it was and remains. Nothing more, nothing less. A sad little man in a sad little dream."
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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HAHAHA! some peoples kids..
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Joined: Jan 2001
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 58,658 Likes: 12 |
Imagination takes alotta folks,lotsa places that don't exist.
I dig their taking the time,to feign having a first clue....................(grin)
Brad says: "Can't fault Rick for his pity letting you back on the fire... but pity it was and remains. Nothing more, nothing less. A sad little man in a sad little dream."
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Posts: 39,301
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 39,301 |
My shooting pard has a theory concerning noise and gopher shooting. We need to "research" this some more...He maintains that the extra noise of the .223s puts them in their holes for a larger radius than say a .17 hornet or even a .222 Will get back to you on this...I got a new deuce to try this spring.... I think he is right. My all time favorite sage rat round it the 17 AH. You can see the rat explode with a 16X scope. I have done it many times. And, I have taken four rats off the same mound. They just sat there shaking the gore off from their buddy I just blue up until they were all dead. But the original post was P dog shooting at 300. My first choice would be a 22 BR. I loved what my #1V in 22 BR did way out there.
The first time I shot myself in the head...
Meniere's Sucks Big Time!!!
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