.223 or .204 for ground squirrels?

K9TXS

Member
I'm thinking about a new rifle for ground squirrels.

I have quite a bit of .223 brass and the .223 brass is very easy to find. I also already have dies, etc for reloading. I use to reload for the .223 many years ago. This is the main reason I'm leaning towards the .223. I may shoot out to 400 yards with 500 being the maximum for sure. Would I been able to see the hits through my scope as I can now with my HMR or WSM?

Looking for information on what squirrel hunters are currently using;

1. Bullet grain, brand, (VMax etc) that will have good expansion on the litter critters
2. Best barrel twist for the light bullet.


I also thought about the .204, but then I need to get all the reloading components. Would a .204 have any advantage over the .223 at the distance I would be shooting?

Either rifle I go with would be bolt action, single shot.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I would look at a 20vt before a 204. If you wanted to use 223 brass you could buy dies (form and trim) and then make 20vt brass. A 223 would work, heavy gun and a brake would let you see hits with no problem.
 
Might look into a 20 practical. You could use a lot of your 223 dies and brass, only need to get a bushing die and the right bushings and you are in business. Good bullet selection, high velocity, low recoil; I watch hits through the scope with my AR all the time and it is not a real heavy gun.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: jimreed1948I'm thinking about a new rifle for ground squirrels.

I have quite a bit of .223 brass and the .223 brass is very easy to find. I also already have dies, etc for reloading. I use to reload for the .223 many years ago. This is the main reason I'm leaning towards the .223. I may shoot out to 400 yards with 500 being the maximum for sure. Would I been able to see the hits through my scope as I can now with my HMR or WSM?

Looking for information on what squirrel hunters are currently using;

1. Bullet grain, brand, (VMax etc) that will have good expansion on the litter critters
2. Best barrel twist for the light bullet.


I also thought about the .204, but then I need to get all the reloading components. Would a .204 have any advantage over the .223 at the distance I would be shooting?

Either rifle I go with would be bolt action, single shot.


Well groundsquirrels are dumb. You don't need to shoot them at 500 or even 400yds. If they're out that far just drive in closer. I've shot many thousands at from 15' to 150yds. Even got one with a golf club - 10.5deg. driver. We stopped using 22lr because it doesn't splatter them well enough. The 22mag works great. That and a 17AH are favorite groundsquirrel rounds. The Mach IV and .221 also work well. Both 223/223AI are real good but it's not necessary to burn that much powder on those things. Since you have a .223 and brass and all the stuff to go with it, you'll be fine. If you see them out beyond good 223 blowup range, just drive in closer. They're dumb, you don't need to shoot them from much distance unless you really want to.

In .22cal I use 40's or 50's for groundsquirrels.
 
20 practical would be another good choice. Nice, light recoil to easily spot shots and flat shooting. Also is pretty easy to load for.
 
While I have undoubtedly killed more ground squirrels with my .223/.223 AI than I have my .204 I will say that the .204 is my preferred one of the bunch. The .20 Practical would be such a good choice given that you have plenty of brass.

Everyone of the gang that I shoot the local whistlepigs with has a .223 (more than one as we have AR and bolt guns too) and we all have .204's as well. I think that a 40 grain Vmax in the .223 is ideal (12-14" twist) and a 32 grain Vmax (11-12" twist) in the .20 calibers.

If I was shooting at a 400+ yard squirrel I would rather have my .204 than I would a .223. But still, a juice can sized target at a quarter mile away is still a mighty small target. The accuracy of the gun, the quality of the glass, and the man behind the trigger are more important than if it's a .20 or a .22 caliber.
 
The 223 ammo is way more available & cheaper also. At this time I'm having a .223 Bartlien 26" 7.7 twist barrel installed on a trued 700 action for shooting the heavier bullets and will be shooting 8-900+ yards with it. I still have the reg 223 and an AR 223 along with a 204 and a 22-250 all great in the field. Sometimes it's just fun to reach out a little farther.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: wickaThe 223 ammo is way more available & cheaper also. At this time I'm having a .223 Bartlien 26" 7.7 twist barrel installed on a trued 700 action for shooting the heavier bullets and will be shooting 8-900+ yards with it. I still have the reg 223 and an AR 223 along with a 204 and a 22-250 all great in the field. Sometimes it's just fun to reach out a little farther.

Try the Berger 80.5 Full Bores with Varget.

thumbup1.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Blackhawk43If a 180 grain bullet is right for an 800 pound elk, how much bullet do you need for a 6 ounce ground squirrel?

Yes. Shooting a 6oz groundsquirel with 75, 80gr bullets? Lobbing 75, 80gr bullets with a .223 at a soda-can sized target 800-900yds away? It's the internet don't you know.
 
I have a R700 223 with a 12twist, shoot 50g vmaxs on pdogs, good action. I have Savage FV12 223 9twist, shoot 55g varmageddon tips, good action as well. Both very accurate on pdogs, ground squirrels are smaller, so the results should be even better.
 
I built a gun around the bullet. Twenty inch Green Mountain barrel with a 1x14 twist in 223. The only bullets it sees is the 40gr Sierras or the 40gr noslers. Both shoot the same POI
 
Originally Posted By: AckmanOriginally Posted By: Blackhawk43If a 180 grain bullet is right for an 800 pound elk, how much bullet do you need for a 6 ounce ground squirrel?

Yes. Shooting a 6oz groundsquirel with 75, 80gr bullets? Lobbing 75, 80gr bullets with a .223 at a soda-can sized target 800-900yds away? It's the internet don't you know.

To me its all about hitting the target.
I try not to use anything bigger than a 270.

I know going to the store in a Dodge Challenger Hellcat
instead of a Toyota Prius is a waste of horsepower. I also
know its a lot more fun, and the milk is still cold even if
you live 40 miles from town in August.
 
Back
Top