Handloads: .223 Remington

posted on December 17, 2019
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
hand223.jpg

The .223 Rem. cartridge paired with 50-gr. bullets offers a lot of utility across a wide range of shooting pursuits, from targets to varmints as large as coyotes. 

If you sight-in a .223 to shoot Sierra 50-gr. BlitzKing bullets, with a muzzle velocity of 3440 f.p.s., to impact 1" above point of aim at 100 yds., they hit right on the money at 200 yds. and drop a touch less than 6" at 300 yds. That’s a suitable sight setting for ground squirrels because of a tendency to aim high due to overestimating distance. Who has time to fiddle with a rangefinder when a farm field is brimful of the little rodents? A higher sight adjustment of 2" above aim at 100 yds. works for coyote hunting. With that aim, BlitzKings are dead-on at 255 yds., and crosshairs leveled at the top of a coyote’s back take advantage of its fatal mistake—stopping for a last look at 350 yds.

Hodgdon Extreme Extruded Benchmark produces uniform velocities during both the sweat of summer and winter’s bitter weather. Benchmark’s short grains metered fairly well from a powder measure, producing an extreme spread of velocity of 24 f.p.s. for 10 shots. That reasonably narrow velocity spread can also be attributed to CCI BR4 small rifle primers. With the same 26.5 grs. of Benchmark, CCI 450 Mag primers fired BlitzKing bullets slightly faster at 3459 f.p.s. The extreme spread was 49 f.p.s., and five-shot groups were nearly twice as large at 100 yds. compared to BR4 primers that shot groups from 0.45" to 0.92" using a bargain-priced Remington Model 700 SPS rifle with a sporter-weight barrel. 

Small wonder the .223 Rem. is the king of versatile small-bore cartridges.

Latest

Kimber 2K11
Kimber 2K11

Review: Kimber 2K11

The 2011-style pistol was designed to address the capacity limitations of the single-stack M1911 platform, and Kimber's approach to the concept is its 2K11, a competition-ready offering with several notable features.

Favorite Firearms: A High-Flying Hi-Standard “A-D”

Manufactured in New Haven, Conn., in late 1940, this Hi-Standard pistol was shipped as a Model “A,” but a heavier Model “D” barrel was installed later to replace the original, light barrel, leading one American Rifleman reader to call it a Model “A-D.”

Ruger Helps Families In Need Through The Kids & Clays Foundation

In the effort to help tens of thousands of critically ill children and their families across the nation through local Ronald McDonald Houses, Ruger is among some of the industry’s foremost Platinum-level sponsors of The Kids & Clays Foundation.

Unlocking The Future: Smith & Wesson's "No Lock" Revolvers

The future is shaping up to be a good one for fans of Smith & Wesson revolvers. The iconic American company had released 14 new models thus far in 2025 at the time this was written mid-year. And, with one exception, they have all shared a common feature—no internal lock.

The Armed Citizen® Oct. 6, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

FEMA Notes Decline In Disaster Preparedness

A recent report from the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) noted a decline in local government preparedness for natural disasters, putting increased pressure on individuals to prepare themselves for emergencies.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.