The .223 Remington.
Is it the Ultimate Varminters Handgun?
[Home] by Larry Sand
Through the years I have had more .223 Handguns than I care to admit to. Some have shot simply great, while others have shot just good. One thing I can say about all of them is that this is a fun cartridge to load for and shoot. I have had three Remington XP-100's chambered for the .223 Remington cartridge. Two were the Old Style Center-Grip, and the other one was the New Style Rear-Grip Repeater Version. However most of my .223 Handguns have been Thompson/Center Contenders. In Contenders I have had Blued Super 14" Barrels, Stainless-Steel Super 14" Barrels, and also Blued 10" Bull Barrels.
Part of the reason for my passion for .223 Remington Handguns is that I am a varmint hunting addict. I am the most happy person in the world when in a Prairie Dog town with an accurate .223 Handgun in my hands. I wouldn't want to count all of the many, many rounds of .223 Handloads that I have sent towards Prairie Dogs out of .223 Handguns over the years, but suffice to say, it has been in excess of an average of 1500 rounds per year over the past 19 years.
I can't explain why I have such a passion for Varmint Hunting with Handguns, but I would probably guess it is the amount of time, and effort necessary in preparing the required ammo, fine tuning my handguns, and everything else that goes with it. Not to mention that for me, varminting is a year long thing, just the targets change with the seasons. Also, varmint hunting offers more shooting opportunities, than can be had Deer Hunting in an entire lifetime. Not the least of which, varmint hunting with handguns is a great way to practice with handguns for Deer Season.
To me that is one of the biggest reasons I am also so addicted to the ..223 Remington Cartridge in Handguns. It is mild in recoil, and muzzle blast (depending on the barrel length, and powder used, which I will discuss later), and also is quite economical to shoot. In addition, it is one of the most forgiving of varmint cartridges to load for, at least in my opinion. Last but not least, the use of inexpensive Military Surplus Brass adds to the cost savings. Most of the loads I will be referring to are capable of sub Minute of Angle groups at 100 yards when fired from a bench rest., with selected loads, in the different Handguns I have had approaching the 1/2 Minute of Angle mark. However individual Handguns / Barrels have indeed been better than others. For the most part, I have been pleased with the accuracy the .223 offers in Handguns.
Let's start with the 10" .223's. The first thing I will say is that Handloading is a must for the 10" Barreled .223. Using .223 Factory Loads in a 10" .223 is frustrating to say the least. The powder used in assembling these Factory Loads, and Commercial Reloads also for that matter, is way to slow burning to be efficient in these short barrels. With the Factory Loads, and Commercial Reloads you will get nothing to brag about in terms of accuracy, and the velocity will be a huge disappointment. In addition, most of these loads will exhibit horrendous muzzle blast and flash in the 10" barrels. I have tried many different combinations in the 10" .223's I have had, and have decided that only the lightest bullets, and faster burning powders give optimum performance.
Some of the better loads tried in the 10" .223 are as follows.
.223 Remington, 10" T/C Contender
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 22.5grs. IMR-4198 = 2952 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 13.3grs. Blue Dot = 2750 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 28.0grs. W-748 = 2729 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 26.0grs. H-322 = 2688 FPS
50gr. Winchester Pointed Soft Point / 22.0grs. IMR-4198 = 2689 FPS
50gr. Winchester Pointed Soft Point / 19.5grs. A.A.#1680 = 2427 FPS
50gr. Winchester Pointed Soft Point / 16.5grs. IMR-4227 = 2268 FPS
52gr. Speer Hollow Point / 24.0grs. H-322 = 2545 FPS
As can bee seen from the accompanying chart, the performance of the ..223 Remington in a 10" barrel can indeed be quite impressive in terms of velocity. However as can also be seen, when powders get to the H-322 / W-748 burning rate, velocity suffers. The best accuracy was achieved with the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Loads with both IMR-4198, and Blue Dot Powders. With the 50gr. Winchester Pointed Soft Point bullet, the load with IMR-4198 was the hands down winner. With the loads this barrel likes, 5 shot groups of slightly less than 1" at 100 yards can be expected. However the loads it did not like were over 1", and a couple didn't do much better than the 2" mark.
Over the long haul, the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip with Blue Dot Powder is my hands down favorite for the 10" .223 Contender. This load is quite accurate, and as can be seen, only gives up a little velocity to the IMR-4198 Load. This load is so mild to shoot, while still offering excellent performance in the 10" barreled .223 Handguns it is hard to imagine. What has endeared me to the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / Blue Dot load is the mild report, almost nonexistent recoil, and the fact that it does not heat up the barrel as quickly as other loads do. This is extremely important to the Varmint Hunter sitting in the midst of a Prairie Dog Town, or for that matter, a heavily populated Flicker Tail Gopher patch.
My 10" .223 Contender barrel wears a 2.5x8x28mm Weaver Handgun Scope. I pondered over the different scopes available before making the final decision on the Weaver. I wanted a Handgun Scope that I could interchange between my two 10" Contender Barrels (.223 Remington & 7-30 Waters), that would have enough field of view for Deer Hunting while on the 7-30 Waters barrel, but yet offer the magnification needed for longer shots on small varmints. To add to this I didn't want my Handgun Scope to be overly large, so it would still be sized proportionate for the 10" Bull Barrels. The 2.5x8x28mm Weaver filled the bill, has acceptable eye relief, decent field of view, and offers quite a good clear, crisp sight picture. Not to mention it was priced right for the budget for this project.
Now on to serous Varminting. The .223 Remington in 14" Barrels. Now we are getting somewhere. It has always been a mystery to me, but adding that extra 4" of Barrel Length really changes the chartaristics of this cartridge. Powder selection, while still important, is not so critical. Now we are dealing with powders that are normally considered appropriate for the .223 cartridge. Normally when a new 14" handgun/barrel in .223 arrives at my house, there are a few powders that I try first. These are the powders that I have came to rely on for most of my .223 Handgun shooting needs, and if I can not find an accurate load with one of these, the handgun/barrel usually doesn't stick around long.
For the most part, I start out with the old standbys, Winchester W-748, and Hodgdon's H-322. I have found that both of these powders provide a good balance of accuracy, and velocity, without producing horrendous muzzle blast and flash in 14" .223 handguns. However I also give a try to both H-4198SC, and IMR-4198. In fact a recent 14" .223 Handgun really had a preference for H-4198SC. In addition, I have also became quite fond of Blue Dot in the 14" ..223 Handguns as well. Just like in the 10" .223 handguns, the Blue Dot loads are a pure joy to shoot, for the same reasons. I have assembled some accurate, very fast loads using both Accurate Arms #2230. However these two powders produce more muzzle blast, and flash than I care to deal with, so for the most part they are only tried as a last resort. Another Powder that has produced excellent results in the past is Accurate Arms #2015BR. However in my part of the country it is hard to obtain this powder, so I don't use it all that often.
To me my .223 Handgun Loads must possess the following properties. They must be above all, accurate, yet while still providing the needed velocity at hand. To add to this, I want them to be as pleasant to shoot as possible, both in terms of recoil, muzzle blast, and muzzle flash. The least amount of muzzle blast, and muzzle flash is important to me when in a Prairie Dog town. Normally shooting is done from portable benches, with a pair of shooters sitting fairly close to each other. One day I was field testing some loads with A.A.#2230, and my shooting partner picked up his bench, and moved about 20 yards farther away. When I asked what the problem was, he told me he couldn't take the muzzle blast from the cannon any longer. I had noticed a difference when I switched ammo, but didn't realize how bad it was off to the side until I had him shoot my handgun, and I stood where he had been sitting.
Some favorite 14" .223 Contender Handgun Loads are included in the following chart.
.223 Remington, Super 14" T/C Contender's
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 22.5grs. IMR-4198 = 3264 FPS
40gr. Hornady V-MAX / 28.5grs. W-748 = 3224 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 28.5grs. W-748 = 3207 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 23.0grs. H-4198SC = 3200 FPS
40gr. Hornady V-MAX / 26.0grs. H-322 = 3138
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 28.0grs. W-748 = 3045 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 25.5grs. H-322 = 3029 FPS
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / 13.3grs. Blue Dot = 2950 FPS
52gr. Ihli's Custom Loading B.T.S.P. / Commercial = 2789 FPS
52gr. Speer Hollow Point / 24.0grs. H-322 = 2796 FPS
52gr. Speer Hollow Point / 24.0grs. H-322 = 2817 FPS
52gr. Speer Hollow Point / 27.0grs. W-748 = 2844 FPS
55gr. Black Hills Shooters Supply / Commercial = 2834 FPS
55gr. Winchester P.S.P. / 25.5grs. A.A.#2230 = 2834 FPS
64gr. Win. Power Point / 25.0grs. W-748 = 2632 FPS
As can bee seen from the chart, we can expect some impressive velocities from the .223 Remington in 14" barrels with the little 40gr. bullets. This data has been collected in several different Contender barrels, and all loads are considered maximum in the barrels they were fired in. Thus is the reason for the different loads with the same bullet and powder. All of the loads listed are capable of printing 5 shot groups at 100 yards of 1 1/2" or less. The 64gr. Winchester Power Point was the worst of the lot, and printed exactly 1 1/2". This load was kind of an experiment, and was to be used for a Coyote Load, and possibly a Deer Hunting Load as well. I never did use it on anything other than paper from a .223 Handgun.
While I have not had as many different .223 Remington, Remington XP-100 Handguns as I have had .223 Contenders, I have included a few favorite loads for the Remington XP-100's as well. Another reason I did not do as much load development with the .223 Remington, Remington XP-100's as I did for the Contenders is that in that period of time, I wasn't as interested in all of the experimenting to find just the perfect load as I now am. With this particular XP-100, I found a good load, and stuck to it.
The following chart shows a few of the selected loads I have assembled for the Remington XP-100's through the years.
.223 Remington, 15" Remington XP-100 Varmint Special
50gr. Speer T.N.T.-H.P. / 24.5grs. H-322 = 2893 FPS
50gr. Winchester P.S.P. / 24.5grs. A.A.#2015BR = 2994 FPS
55gr. Ihli"s Custom Loading P.S.P. / Commercial = 2771 FPS
55gr. Winchester P.S.P. / 25.5grs. A.A.#2230 = 2988 FPS
From the accompanying chart we can see that we should be able to expect around 3150 FPS (average) from a 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip out of a Super 14 ..223 Contender. With a Ballistic Coefficient of .220 for this bullet, lets see what it does on paper. With a Zero of 190 yards, our midrange trajectory, or maximum height the bullet will rise above sight line is 1.5". That is about right for a varmint load. Given the 190 yard Zero, our 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip will drop 1.5" below line of sight at 220 yards. Theoretically then our maximum point blank range will be 220 yards. At any range out to 220 yards our bullet will be within plus or minus 1.5". That should work for most Prairie Dog, or Groundhog hunting situations.
Our Ballistics Chart would look like this.
40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip
Range Velocity Energy Trajectory Wind Drift
Muzzle 3150 882 -1.5" 10 M.P.H.
25 Yds. 3045 824 -0.4" 0.1"
50 Yds. 2943 769 +0.4" 0.3"
75 Yds. 2843 718 +1.0" 0.6"
100 Yds. 2746 670 +1.4" 1.2"
125 Yds. 2651 624 +1.4" 1.9"
150 Yds. 2557 581 +1.1" 2.8"
175 Yds. 2466 540 +0.5" 3.8"
200 Yds. 2376 501 -0.4" 5.1"
225 Yds. 2288 465 -1.8" 6.6"
250 Yds. 2202 431 -3.5" 8.3"
275 Yds. 2118 398 -5.8" 10.2"
300 Yds. 2036 368 -8.4" 12.4"
325 Yds. 1955 339 -11.6" 14.7"
350 Yds. 1876 313 -15.4" 17.4"
375 Yds. 1800 288 -19.8" 20.4"
This chart was run using a temperature of 80 degrees, and an altitude of 1060 feet above sea level. These are the numbers I normally use here in South Dakota for my needs.
As can be seen from the chart, at 300 yards I need to hold about one =rairie Dog higher than where I want the bullet to impact. You are probably wondering how such a light bullet can produce the ballistics it does. First of all because of its light weight, it can be pushed quite a bit faster than heavier bullets. Because of the construction of this bullet, its overall length from the base of the bullet to the tip of the bullet is quite long for such a light bullet.
A 40 gr. Speer Spitzer measures .511" from its base to its tip, quite short, and stubby. A 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point measures .700" from its base to its tip. The 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip measures .692" from its base to its tip. As compared to bullets of conventional construction, it is easy to see how the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip carries so well. It is much longer than conventional bullets of the same weight, creating a much higher ballistic coefficient than the conventional bullet of the same weight, thus providing better long range performance.
The 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip has served me quite well, and its explosiveness on small varmints never ceases to amaze me. It literally comes apart on contact. This is also important should the shot not find its mark. I have never witnessed one of these bullets go kicking up dust as it bounced across the prairie in the event I miss my intended target. I consider this to be an excellent quality of this bullet as well as its explosiveness on varmints.
This is the bullet I have come to rely on for most of my small varmint shooting needs. However prior to my discovering how accurate, and explosive the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet is, I had previously used the 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point. I used the Speer bullet for several reasons. First it is extremely explosive at the reduced speeds realized in the handguns. But equally important, it is available in Speer's 1000 count Value Pack, at quite a cost savings. Yet this bullet is also tough enough to hold together at ..22-250 Remington Rifle Velocities.
From the accompanying chart we can see that we should be able to expect around 2800 FPS (average) from a 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point out of a Super 14 .223 Contender. With a Ballistic Coefficient of .225 for this bullet, lets see what it does on paper. With a Zero of 175 yards, our midrange trajectory, or maximum height the bullet will rise above sight line is 1.5". Given the 175 yard Zero, our 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point will drop 1.5" below line of sight at 202 yards. Theoretically then our maximum point blank range will be 202 yards. At any range out to 202 yards our bullet will be within plus or minus 1.5". Again that should work for most Prairie Dog, or Groundhog hunting situations.
Our Ballistics Chart would look like this.
52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point
Range Velocity Energy Trajectory Wind Drift
Muzzle 2800 905 -1.5" 10 M.P.H.
25 Yds. 2706 845 -0.3" 0.1"
50 Yds. 2613 788 +0.6" 0.4"
75 Yds. 2522 735 +1.3" 0.8"
100 Yds. 2434 684 +1.5" 1.4"
125 Yds. 2347 636 +1.4" 2.2"
150 Yds. 2261 590 +0.9" 3.2"
175 Yds. 2178 548 0.0" 4.5"
200 Yds. 2096 507 -1.4" 5.9"
225 Yds. 2016 469 -3.2" 7.6"
250 Yds. 1938 433 -5.6" 9.5"
275 Yds. 1861 400 -8.6" 11.7"
300 Yds. 1787 369 -12.2" 14.3"
325 Yds. 1716 340 -16.6" 17.2"
350 Yds. 1646 313 -21.7" 20.4"
375 Yds. 1579 288 -27.5" 23.9"
This chart was run using a temperature of 80 degrees, and an altitude of 1060 feet above sea level. These are the numbers I normally use here in South Dakota for my needs.
Because of the added velocity of the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip, but yet because the ballistic coefficients are so close to the same for these two bullets, the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip does carry better. Even if the trajectory difference isn't taken into consideration, the better retained velocity of the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip makes it a better long range choice. However this only occurs as the range gets out past 250 to 300 yards. So for the most part, at normal ranges it doesn't matter which bullet I use. Either will get the job done, and these two bullets have proven themselves to me as being super explosive on small varmints. That is why I rely on them heavily for most of my varmint shooting needs.
As can be seen from the Loading Data Charts, as well as the Ballistic Charts, the .223 does indeed offer the Varmint Handgunner a suitable cartridge for the taking of small varmints at ranges out to 300 yards, or a trifle more. As I stated in the beginning, the .223 also has a mild appetite for powder, making it quite economical to shoot. Depending on the load, and what I have to pay for powder, bullets & primers, the cost to load a box of 50 rounds of ..223 ammo runs from $8.50 to $10.50 not counting brass. Naturally the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip load with Blue Dot (because of the small amount of powder used per cartridge), and the 52gr. Speer Flat Base Hollow Point (because of the savings in buying these bullets in the 1000 count value pack) load with H-322 are the least expensive to load.
About now you are probably wondering how small varmints can be taken out to 300 yards, and even farther with a .223 Handgun. Well there is really no big trick to it. First and foremost this requires the right optics for the task at hand. To me there is only one choice when it comes to taking small varmints at long range with a 14" Barreled .223 Handgun. That choice is the excellent Burris 3x12x32mm L.E.R. Handgun Scope. These Burris Handgun Scope (the 3x12x32mm) come equipped with adjustable objectives so that parallax can be eliminated at the various distances a handgunner will be using his scope. This can, and is extremely important when shooting small varmints, as the slightest amount of parallax induced could easily cause a miss on a distant Prairie Dog or Groundhog. This Burris Handgun Scope also offers a crisp, clear sight picture, and is quite user friendly at the higher magnifications compared to some of the other higher magnification handgun scopes I have used.
OK so now we have the Handgun, and the Handgun Scope. How do we hit those little tiny targets with a Handgun / Scope combination that weighs over 5 pounds. Well this is where rests come into the picture. Depending on the individual hunting situation, I use either a set of simple Shooting Sticks, or a Harris Bypod in conjunction with a portable shooting bench. The Shooting Sticks I use are simply crossed sticks, much like those used by the Buffalo Hunters in the 19th century. These were simply two pieces of wooden sticks lashed together with a piece of rawhide a distance from one end. Thus they formed a loppsided X of sorts in which to rest the forend of the gun in.
The ones I use today are made of telescoping aluminum, with a cross bolt that goes through both of the sticks about 6" from one end, forming a crotch for the forend of my handgun to rest in. Mine are adjustable in length, buy loosening and tightening a friction nut over the outer piece of tubing that snuggs against the inside piece of tubing. I find these useful when I am on the move. I have attached a rifle sling to them, and the carry quite easily. With the forend resting on the shooting sticks, and my elbows on my knees, I can get fairly stable with this arrangement.
However when sniping at really long range small varmints, I rely on a Bench Rest Height, Swivel, Harris Bypod, a sand bag for under the grip of the handgun, and a portable shooting bench. This is as good as it gets in the field. My portable shooting bench is constructed of sheet plastic, and steel square tubing. I previously worked in a plastics factory, and had access to some 4'x8' sheets of 1/2" thick plastic. (Much like a 4'x8' sheet of plywood, only impervious to the weather, and lighter weight.) My bench top is 4' long, and 33" wide, with a cut out area for me to sit in one corner. Underneath there is a Y-shaped frame work of 1" square tubing bolted to the plastic top. To the Y-shaped frame work is attached 3 - 29" - 1" square tubing legs that hinge to fold flat against the frame work when in the transport mode. This makes a fairly sturdy bench that weighs less than 35 pounds. Granted you do not carry this across the prairie, but in conjunction with a folding chair, sets up quite quickly out of the back of the 4 wheel drive transportation.
There you have it, the .223 is easy to load for, has a small appetite for powder, inexpensive military brass is plentiful, a wide range of different bullet weights work quite well, recoil & muzzle blast/flash are quite mild, and it is pleasantly accurate. Well there you have it, all of the attributes that I feel make the .223 Remington in Handguns, the Ultimate Varminter.
