Varmint 223 Loads

[EastTexasTiger]

I usually have great luck with winchester ammo, but the last box of Varmint X 223 i got is all over the target. my winchester target FMJ 223 still has 1/2 inch groups. yall have any advice on 223 varmint loads? cant convince myself to hunt yotes with FMJ. what about hornadys varmint? or the nosler?

[Preacher Man]

55gr FMJ tears ‘em up. Just sayin

[Playa]

I have had good luck with the federal fusions 62gr in both my AR & my son’s .223 bolt action. It will go through and through, but they are just as dead as more frangible rounds and doesent tear the hide up too bad on exit. It will do a 95% job of separating a rabbit from his head at 90 yards with a neck shot! :tu

[Flint knapper]

I have never had a 55gr FMJ shoot consistent for me, they are usually all over the paper! Just saying!

[westtexducks]

I have had good luck with 45 gr jhp Winchester whitebox and fiochi ammo loaded with the vmax


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[boh347]

I like hornady Vmax 55 grain

[okrattler]

You'll have a lot run off with FMJ's plus they ricochet really bad so that's another reason why I'm not a fan. I like Fiocchi 50 grain V-Max, Hornady 55gr. Softpoint or V-Max, 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip, 55gr. Sierra Blitzking and my all time favorite is the Hornady 52gr. BTHP.

My brother shoots 60 grain Sierra Varminter HP's in his and I've never seen a coyote get away after taking a hit with one.

I'm not a big fan of the 40 grain Nosler BT or Winchester 45 grain JHP but they'll get the job done. Lately I've been shooting Ultramax 55gr. Softpoints and V-Max.

[TacticalCowboy]

40 grain Varmageddon over a stout load of blc2 does a fine job.

[Cattrax]

Hornady 55 gr V Max is my first choice for coyotes.

[BLACKFINTURKEY]

Hand loads?

50 grain max over 27.5grs varget is my go to.

[SabreKiller]

I'm using 25 grains of Varget pushing the 50 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip in my CZ 527. It's a .5 moa load and I've whacked everything from coons to sheep with it and everything has been DRT.

In my AR I was shooting 64 gr. Winchester Ranger ammo at everything. Hogs, sheep, axis, coons it didn't matter.

[trophy8]

55 grain vmax has killed an awful lot of stuff for me.

[Gummi Bear]

65gn Sierra Game King over Varget works like a champ for me.

I need to get around to developing a load with H335, I think it might be a better fit.

[okrattler]

What I don't like about the more frangible bullets is you'll get a "splash" if you hit the shoulder. I keep the fur to sale and I've always had really good luck with the Hornady 52gr. BTHP not tearing pelts up unless I hit the edges. I also feel like they'll punch through bone and reach vitals more reliably.

Although I do like a bullet that has a better probability of reaching vitals if I have to kill a coyote running straight away having one that will do it and still not having any pelts to sew up doesn't go hand in hand. I feel like certain hollowpoints will do it on a more regular basis than v-max. Sierra makes a good fur friendly hollowpoint as well. They're not quite as frangible or don't seem to be as others I've shot coyotes with.

Winchester 45 grain JHP is a pretty thin jacketed bullet. Barnes Varmint Grenade and Varminator are extremely frangible. I knocked a coyote off his feet with a 50 grain Varminator out of my 22-250 last Winter and he ran a 1/2 mile and started sniffing the ground and looking back like he just had the wind knocked out of him. I blew a big chunk out of his shoulder but I don't know that he ain't still alive, probably is.

If I wasn't worried about punching holes clear through them I would use Softpoints all of the time. They put critters down hard.