Heavy Bullets in the .223 Remington

Loading Long-for-Caliber Projectilesq

- Patrick Meitin

For many years, shooting an older Savage Model 110 bolt action chambered in .223 Remington with classic 1:12 rifling, I shot little else but 40-grain polymer-tipped bullets. I found the sharp-tipped 40 grainers ideal for the slower rifling twist and capable of easily picking off tiny ground squirrels and prairie dogs out to 300/350 yards. To make longer shots, I reached for my .22-250 Remington and shot 50-grain poly tipped bullets. For a time I questioned why anyone would shoot traditional 50/55-grain bullets from any .223 while targeting burrowing rodents, handicapping efforts with slower velocities.

Years later I acquired a Remington Model 700 VTR-SS – used for testing here. The distinctive 22-inch triangular barrel with integral muzzle-brake slots and a 1:9 twist cooled quickly given any amount of wind, and provided commendable accuracy. The VTR shot my standard 40grain .223 Remington loads quite well, but there came the day when I experienced a particularly breezy day during a rockchuck shoot in southern Idaho. The wind initiated some pretty serious drift frustrations while shooting standard weight varmint bullets.