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Down loading .223 for small game
Has anyone tried down loading .223 to hunt small game? Or maybe just getting some subsonic rounds to carry for small game. I was thinking the other day that this might be a good idea in a bug out situation. Instead of carry an extra gun one could carry just an AR and be GTG with the one rifle and two loads. Any thoughts?
cycling might be an issue which is why i carry a .22 conversion in the BOB.Originally Posted by SuperiorDG
You sir, are a specialist in the art of discovering a welcoming outcome of a particular situation....not a mechanic.
My feedback add 11-12 ish before the great servpocaylpse of 2012
Good idea
Played with "Gopher Loads" for the 223. They are a lot of fun. I've used Blue Dot. James Calhoon has a lot written on this try http://www.jamescalhoon.com/.
Excerpt:
Back in the October 1995 issue of the "Varmint Hunter Magazine", Barry and I did an article on reduced loads for the 223. In that article, we discussed both the standard load and the reduced load, or "Gopher Load" as it has become known. By using the gopher Load in a 223, one can easily duplicate the performance of the 218 Bee, an all time favorite. Your trusty 223 varmint rig can now become two entirely different rifles, simply by changing ammo.
Using Gopher Loads, twice as many rounds can be fired before barrel over-heating. This is most important when gophers mount a vicious charge! Other than being a lot of fun to shoot (recoil and noise levels are like the 17), the Gopher Load costs the same to load as the 22 Rimfire Magnum costs to buy, and believe me, the 223 Gopher Load runs circles around the 22 Rimfire Magnum both in accuracy and range. With the Gopher Load, 1/2" groups are the norm at the effective range of 200 yards. Finally, because of the greatly reduced powder quantities, expect barrel life to increase by several thousand rounds. (I guess this doesn't excite Barry, as he belongs to the Gun-a-Month Club.)
When we wrote the original article, IMR 800X was considered the champion powder of the gopher load. The 800X Gopher Loads were: 11.5gr with a 37gr bullet (3150 ft/sec), and 10.5gr with a 42gr bullet (2850 ft/sec) all in a 24" barrel. (For more detailed loads see chart.) In 14" barrels, such as the Super Contender, deduct 200 ft/sec respectively. The 800X loads have proven very reliable, accurate and, some say, the best loads in 223 Contenders and XP's.
Drawbacks of the 800X loads are the amount of powder fouling and the lack of meterability. 800X leaves a black soot residue that needs to be brushed out every 75 rounds to keep top accuracy. This is not a big problem since barrels shouldsee a cleaning every 75 rounds anyway. BUT.....
Just discovered.... a NEW old powder. "Blue Dot"! Blue Dot is an old tried and true powder, used for years in 357 and 44 Mag pistol loads as well as magnum shotgun loads. Blue Dot is a product of the Alliant Powder Co. I spoke with Ben Amonette of Alliant powders (1-800-276-9337, ext. 3) and they still produce the same line of tried and true powders. Only the name has changed (formerly Hercules). Ben is a very friendly fellow who is very happy to tell you all about Alliant powders.
Blue Dot is superior to 800X because it meters better and burns cleaner (about half way between 800X and 4895). Blue Dot is also capable of producing higher velocities although slightly more powder is required. The actual volume (bulk) of Blue Dot comes out to be the same as 800X at their respective maximum loads.
The reason we are using 800X and Blue Dot for our Gopher Loads is that these powders are flake powders that are bulky and fill the case to around 75% capacity. Also, flake powders ignite very easily and therefore, reduced quantities ignite reliably and efficiently. Blue Dot, by the way, has a burning rate slightly faster than 4227.
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Hodgdon
FYI, Hodgdon has reduced loads on their website using 55 gr bullets with Titegroup, Clays and Trail Boss powders.
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