H&R .223 Heavy Barrel SB2. what is it's shootable Range?

[reekie6]

Lets say I have the rifle in a vise  at what distance is this rifle accurate too???  I don't want to factor in the Human error just want to know how far this rifle is capable of shooting. I see lots of posts with people listing groups at 100 yrds and 200yrds. I would hope a .223 was capable of two to 3 times that . 

[bucco921]

It will have the same range range as any other brand 223. The only "long range" hang up would be MAYBE in the 1-12 barrels where you couldnt get the really long heavier "match" style bullets to stabilize. I am not the greatest shot but I dispatched a whistle pig at a confirmed 412 yards, verified with 2 range finders, with my 223 heav barrel 1-12 and a sierra 55 grain spt. It was a lot of luck but an accurate rifle helped.

[redleg11b]

With me as the human factor, a life size turkey steel plate at 500 yards is a consistant hit rate above 90%.  It is a 1:9 twist shortened to 18" and recrowned with a 3-9x scope.

[Sourdough]

I have shot a wolf at 400 yards, and had a lot of tracking to do.  While I made a good hit, the bullet just did not have enough energy to make a clean kill.  Coyotes, I have hit out to 500 yards, again took second shots to finish off.  So I now limit my shots to 300 yards or less with the .223.  I have the 1 in 9 twist.

[gcrank1]

The national match shooters do 1000yd, and that without a 'vise'. IIRC those are 1:7 match rifles, but the cartridge is capable. I wouldnt put a Handi up against one of those match rifles, but in good hands even the H&R will not be embarrassed for a lot of hole shooting. As to game or fur, youve heard from some of the best.

[tacklebury]

I calculate to 700 with my mildot card for .223.  After that it falls below speeds that I consider reasonable.  I shot a lot of targets at 700 yard range in the Army.  Much past that, you're better off going to a .308 or you do need a fast twist 1:7 barrel and shoot some hot long bullets for better SD/BC. 

[reekie6]

Thanks Guy's I am glad I asked. seems lots of what I have read was from people who have less then great results. the good old saying bad news travels around the world twice before good news  gets out the door.  I have done lots of shooting in the past. and just getting back into the sport. And The next town over is opening up a 600yrd range. I would like to take advantage of the yardage. without breaking the bank. mine is a 1-9 twist Bull Barrel. any ammo suggestions??  I will be looking for a new scope. one that will not break the bank but not a piece of junk. I know this is asking alot.

thanks in advance Ray

[tacklebury]

With the 1:9 twist about a 65 gr. bullet will be the maximum you can stabilize or maybe up to 69 gr.  I'd go as heavy as you can get, because .22 bullets don't buck wind very well.  The long range guys usually shoot 75-90 gr. pills for 700 + yard work.  I would probably recommend:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/300177/hornady-match-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-68-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail-box-of-100
or
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1482224712/sierra-matchking-bullets-22-caliber-224-diameter-69-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail
and you will have to do some research on powders to get maximum effectiveness from .223.  I've heard good things about the new CFE223:
http://www.hodgdon.com/new_prod.html
and I've gotten great consistency on mine using Reloader7, but finding data is a bit hard for that one.  Alliant also released Alliant Comp, but I haven't heard much on that one yet.:
http://www.alliantpowder.com/products/powder/ar_comp.aspx

[redleg11b]

I am using 50gr vmax from Black Hills.  If you are just punching paper, anything can work as long as it is accurate.  I have not tried anythin else other than 64gr softpoints in this rifle.  For a quality low cost scope look at Hawke, Vortex Crossfire2 series, Bushnell, etc.  Mine has a Burris Fullfield II 3-9x40 with the Ballistaplex reticle.  It has been a solid scope for 10 years on various rifles.  For under 300, it can be purhased in a combo with a spotting scope, binoculors, or a second scope with parallax at rimfire ranges.

[petemi]

Shootable range is nebulous.  Punch paper....perhaps a thousand yards.  Kill a woodchuck, perhaps 300 - 350 or so.  A deer, a man, a wolf, not so far.  A lot depends on the shooter, the load, the optics and the target.  I keep my 223 inside 300 yards, the .22-250 out to 500.  .243 300 - 400,  etc.  I keep my rifles sighted for specific yardage and grab the rifle the shot demands.  Living on a farm presents targets that change daily, hourly, sometimes minute to minute.

Shooting off the bench, shot after shot, the bull barrel is an advantage, but hunting with a cold barrel, I think my Superlight .223 will match the bull in accuracy.......it will sling better and give me a lot less to lug around the bush.

Pete

[reekie6]

I am just punching paper with this rifle. I don't hunt with a rifle only with a Bow.  with that said I am out to challenge my self with  some longer shots. when I had  first seen an H&R at the gun show about a month ago it just looked and felt good in my hands. and with the bull barrel I figure it should be a tack driver. not many moving parts.  once I bought the H&R I started looking on the net. it just seemed lot's of people complaining. well I have been to the range enough to know a guy could have the most accurate rifle in the world and not hit the broad side of a barn. so hence the question ( what is it's shootable Range?)  the rest is up to me. 

[LaOtto222]

I shoot Hornady 75 BTHP in my 1-9" twist Savage and while not the best bullet for my Mini - 14, they will shoot OK in it. With that said, I think they are good out to 600 yards or so. However, you are down to about 1600 fps with that bullet. There is not a lot of knock down power at that range. At 300 yards you get some where around 2200 fps, a little more knock down power, but not enough for large animals (say a wolf), but enough for a coyote, if you hit it in the boiler room. Even then, you will more than likely not get a quick kill. I have shot PD's at 500 yards with a 223 shooting a 40 grain bullet, but if you do not get a head shot, they will crawl off to die later.

Good Shooting and Good Luck

[gcrank1]

I think you made a good choice for your intentions. Somebody here has the 22LR and maybe the 22MWMR chamber inserts for theirs too and (IIRC) it shoots them pretty good too for short range funnin' around.
I dont much believe a lot of the I-net complainin'; there are a lot of spittin' in the wind people out there that want to blame everything but themselves.

[twoshooter]

I would say 600 yards is pushing your luck. I would say that 68/69 gr work just fine in a 1/9 twist though. I rarely go over 300 yards, I would try 400 on a coyote under the right conditions, but over that I would go heavier. As for a very inexpensive scope, look at the Simmons Whitetail Classic. Midway has them for 125$, they are a 6.5 X 20 X 50 scope, milddot reticle and excellent parallax adjustment. They are a proprietary offer from Midway, if you can afford a Leupold Tactical thats fine, but if you are on a budget you should look at these, for the price they are surprising and the 223 is not exactly a "punishing" cartridge to shoot.

[HWB13]

Ray,  before you sink any money into ammo double check with the range.  Some will not allow any bullet weights less than 69gr at the 600 yard line.  Deflection concerns I've been told.  If it is the case I have had great results with Black Hills reloads.

[otter5555]

Lets say I have the rifle in a vise  at what distance is this rifle accurate too???  I don't want to factor in the Human error just want to know how far this rifle is capable of shooting. I see lots of posts with people listing groups at 100 yrds and 200yrds. I would hope a .223 was capable of two to 3 times that .

i shoot all my 223's (including my handi)  to 400 (4 minute drop) and all maintain 3/4-1 minute accuracy using win 55 gr psp.


for 400-800 i use my 308.


otter

[hoytcanon]

I don't shoot out of a vise... but I do shoot bagged on the bench... out to 400 yards. I use the Hornady 68 BTHP's out of the heavy barrel bench rigs, but mostly the 55 Z-max's out to 250-300 yards... to me there is a maximum limit to accurate range and it has nothing to do with the caliber OR the shooter... at extreme ranges, there are just too many unpredictable factors at play, wind and animal movement being the biggest two... I am looking for clean one shot kills, I am not interested in wounding animals... even G-Hogs and Yotes... On paper the only thing holding you back from trying the shot, is being able to see the target.

[Couger]

 
If you punching paper, who cares how far that might be?
 
Much depends on weather conditions and if there's any kind of breeze,
and how well the shooter can dope the wind .....
 
But if you're killing something with four legs,
200 yards is the limit I would take shots at deer size game.
 
I have killed three deer with the .223 Remy. 
Two deer and one pronghorn with the .220 Swift.
 
.257 is the minimum caliber I prefer to hunt with!  (.250Sav or .257Bob)