.223 loads?

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desertcj

New member
I'm going to be working up a load for a new bolt action .223. I've only killed one coyote with a .223 and it was pretty un-eventful. I have to use lead free bullets and I'm going to try the Nosler lead free ballistic tips first. I've found load data for 35gr bullets at 4100fps, 40gr at 3800fps or 50gr at 3500fps. Which one would you start with? I can try them all eventually, just looking for a starting point.
 
Since you are going for coyote then I think that the 50 grain bullet will be your best choice. Better likelihood that your .223 will have a twist rate that it likes I would think.

I have tried the 32 grain lead free Ballistic Tips in my .204 and was really surprised and pleased how good they grouped. I bet that you will find a good load for your .223 as well. Keep us posted as to what works best for you.
 
Rifle has a 1 in 9 twist barrel. As you probably know, lead free bullets are longer than normal bullets and generally require a faster twist. So, one vote for 50gr at 3500fps...
 
My .223 is an AR that has been a safe queen for years. I recently got it out and worked up some loads for it that shoot really well.
I loaded both the Sierra 55 gr SP and the Hornady 55 gr Vmax using H322 and Federal 205 primers.
 
I also recommend the 50gr Nosler LF, I don't have a lot of experience with it but I've been playing with LF's for awhile mostly in 6mm but I took this dog late in the fur season with a 50gr NBT LF in my 22-204 and while the shot was low and a little back from where I wanted it, it never toke a step just raised up on it's front legs and flopped over. Range was about 100 yards and I did put anouther round in it when it raised up but it was practically in the same hole.

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This was taken in WA. WA was talking about going lead free and I wanted to be ahead of the curve and be out hunting while others were sitting home gnashing there teeth about having to shoot LF's

I believe derbyarcersbob has quite abit of experience with shooting LF's at coyotes.
 
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I found a really good deal on Midway for factory seconds. Lead free, 53gr, polymer tipped. I believe these are Nosler LFBTs that came out on the heavy side. 53gr vs 50gr. Hopefully they work out because I ordered 500...
 
Never heard of 53gr lead free, sounds suspicious.

The Hornady 35gr NTX are amazingly accurate for varmints and targets. I worked up a 50gr NBT-LF for coyotes but haven't used it since I went to 6mm.
 
50grn at 3500. If you can get it there. But really, whatever speed you can get the 50grn pill to run, run that.

If you haven’t loaded monometals in the past, the only real trick is to give them plenty of jump. I was disappointed in monometals for several years because the precision just wasn’t there, but eventually a colleague passed on that advice, and things lined out nicely. 50-60thou ballpark.
 
Thanks. The heavier bullet seems to be the consensus. I won't know until they arrive, but I believe these have a core made of compressed copper granules. That type of bullet fragments violently on impact. As for 3500fps, I will just have to see. I have load data suggesting that it's possible however.
 
Originally Posted By: desertcjThanks. The heavier bullet seems to be the consensus. I won't know until they arrive, but I believe these have a core made of compressed copper granules. That type of bullet fragments violently on impact. As for 3500fps, I will just have to see. I have load data suggesting that it's possible however.
Not saying that you can't do it but 3500 FPS out of a .223? That's pushing.22-250 velocities. I bet the impact will be spectacular. Good Luck with them and let us know how they shoot. Should be a tough bullet. What powder or powders are you going to try? Also, I would go with the 50 gr bullet. Let us know how they shoot..
 
Looking at more load data...I think I'm going to try H322, CFE223, AR-comp, RL10x and maybe Benchmark. One of those is sure to show me what I'm looking for. "Problem" with the .223 is that there are so many powder options!
 
i find that cfe223 has a nice node right near 100% case fill, so watch for a happy load somewhere around max charge where the ES and SD will drop like a stone into the single digits. ive messed with it with several projo's now and thats held true in the 55-75gr pills. i have yet to try it on lighter stuff yet. hopefully i'l have a chance to crack out a box of those 53gr vmax's this summer and play with them.
 
The bullets showed up and they aren't lead free ballistic tips like I thought. They are copper monolithic like E-tips or GMX's. They also aren't really tipped. They have a plastic tip in the hollow point but it's flat. I have no idea what they are but they were cheap so I'm not upset.

Edit: I sorted through them visually and I got a bag or two that are more like 3rds than 2nds...lol. 2/3rds look pretty good.
 
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