Which .223 ammo

Czhornet

Asking for a friend who is not on Boards.

He has just bought a Howa 1500 in 223 and was wondering what .223 ammo people use in their Howas?
I use Fiocchi 50g epn and have great success with them in a Savage.

Can anybody recommend any other brands that they have good success with in a Howa?

Half-cocked

Probably not much help, but my How's 1500 in .22-250 shoots very accurately with both Federal and Sako ammo. Your friend is really going to have to test his own rifle with different brands himself.

Cass

From the hunting rifle group thread.

The ammo is listed to the side, but i cannot find the groups i got with the 53 and 55gr V-Max (Hornady) stuff. If i find it i'll stick it up.

Redneck22

I have a Howa .223 with a 1-12 twist and it cloverleafs Hornady 40 grain vmax.

Cass

Redneck22 wrote: »

Hornady 40 grain vmax.

Like Hen's teeth and whenever someone does get them in they go as fast.

Great round though.

Feisar

Cass wrote: »

Like Hen's teeth and whenever someone does get them in they go as fast.

Great round though.

Outdoor Sports in Mullingar usually has them.

Gorgeousgeorge

Feisar wrote: »

Outdoor Sports in Mullingar usually has them.

As does Liam Walsh in knocknagoeshel.

Feisar

Now the 53 grain Hornady Superformance on the other hand...

The pigeon man

I never actually tried any of the hornady vmax. Fiocchi epn works so well in my rifle and is cheap so I stuck with that.

I've also had excellent results with hornady frontier hp match. At €15 a box it's hard to beat.

Cass

The pigeon man wrote: »

I never actually tried any of the hornady vmax. Fiocchi epn works so well...............

Essentially the same thing as Fiocchi, unless its changed recently, used Hornady bullets.

Feisar

Anyone the 53 grain Hornadys out of a 1:12 twist given their length? Seem to be my best option for getting out to 600.

Cass

Used them in the Howa which is a 1:12. Excellent performance, cloverleaf at 100 and easily 1/3 moa group (my best) at 300 with an average of 1/2 moa all day long.

The 40 gr works phenomenally well too, but as said they were hard to come by. They require less adjustment being so much faster and flatter but are more prone to the smallest shift in wind which the 53gr handles better.

I was finding it hard to get the 40gr and as said above they would go as soon as they landed in an RFD. I've stocked up enough over the last year to not need ammo for some time but still might chance a few boxes of the 40gr is they're still in stock in the above mentioned RFDs.

Feisar

One inch at 300?:eek:

Sounds like they might be the trick!

Cass

As said that was my best result, but not a fluke. It was repeatable which i done once more before i lost the wind however its down to the shooter, namely me, but the rifle/ammo combo works a treat.

I had a target, if i can find it, of a cold bore shot at 300 yards using the 53gr and it was almost a perfect bull. To me that is repeatable accuracy and precision. The comfort of knowing that the rifle is like that whenever i reach for it gives great confidence when out foxing.

Czhornet

Cass wrote: »

Used them in the Howa which is a 1:12. Excellent performance, cloverleaf at 100 and easily 1/3 moa group (my best) at 300 with an average of 1/2 moa all day long.

That's fair shooting Cass, good combo of gun and bullet working well!
If my buddy shoots that well with his new gun than ill be stuck on the lamp for a long long time

Cass

Don't forget that "you" can do more to help yourself.

My Howa has a thumbhole stock instead of the standard Howa one, and its glass & pillar bedded. The barrel and action are all standard but the act of fully floating the barrel with a solid bedding has improved accuracy.

One ammo i'd stay clear off is the Fiocchi 50gr HP. I tried them in my rifle, my Remington and a friend's custom built (completely custom) and they were dirt. 1 to 1.5" at 100 yards was the best any of us could get. Inconsistency was the problem too. You might get two shots close then the third goes high and left/right or low and left/right. It was completely unpredictable.

All my groupings/testing was done in a range setting. Usually a front rest or solid bipod with back bag at known distances in measured conditions.

borrisboy

Anybody having issues with Hornady 55 gr ballistic tip ?I have had a few duds lately !

dodderangler

borrisboy wrote: »

Anybody having issues with Hornady 55 gr ballistic tip ?I have had a few duds lately !

Shít yes man. Had 5 duds on last that didn't fire but did on the 2nd shot after reloading man.

borrisboy

It's happened to me and my mate recently and we bought our bullets a year apart in different shops

Cass

Are the batch numbers the same, or close? Could actually be the same batch, hence the same problem.

borrisboy

I wiil check with him over the weekend

dodderangler

Cass wrote: »

Are the batch numbers the same, or close? Could actually be the same batch, hence the same problem.

Happened me 3 months ago and I havent gone back t hornady.
It actually happened when I had taken a cub and it blanked on second cub and I took it after ejecting it
Coukdve gotten 4 cubs instead of 2 if it didn't blank

dodderangler

Also found the ballistic hornady to be hit an miss. One day its spot on at even up t 300 yards and next day its giving me 4 inch left right groups.
I'll stick t remington soft points