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.223 Bullet Technology

1K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  Glolt20-91 
#1 · (Edited)
Have advancements in bullet technology changed your opinion of the capabilities of .223Rem/5.56mm? Specifically the bonded/monolithic bullets that hold together, don't fragment and penetrate.
 
#2 ·
Well yes, but the bullet frontal area is still very small compared to any larger caliber. So if talking hunting, IMO, still doesn;t change things much.
 
#4 ·
Even expanded, it still makes a smallish hole. There generally is a reason 223 is banned for hunting in most states. Yet another caliber debate but smallest I lke to hunt larger game animals with is 6.5. Lots of good bullet choices as you go up in caliber. The 223 was designed to shoot varmints up to coyotes, that is as it should be IMO.
 
#6 ·
I would have to look it up. So here is an older list but not sure how valid it is. Casual glance, about 50/50 split.

Alabama- centerfire
Alaska- centerfire
Alberta- .23 and up centerfire
Arizona- centerfire
Arkansas- .22 and up centerfire
California- centerfire
Colorado- .24 and up, 70grn or larger bullet/ minimum of 1000ft/lbs at 100 yards
Connecticut- .243 and up if legal in your area
Delaware- shotgun/muzzle loader
Florida- centerfire
Georgia- .22 and up centerfire
Hawaii- Any rifle with at least 1200 ft/lbs of ME. This would start at around .223 I think
Idaho- Centerfire (cannot weigh more than 16 lbs?)
Illinois- Shotgun/ML/Pistol only
Indiana- Rifles with pistol calibers/shotgun/ML/Pistols
Iowa- .24 or larger centerfire only for antlerless season in part of the state.
Kansas- .23 or larger centerfire (actually says larger than .23 so maybe .24 is the mininum)
kentucky- centerfire
Louisiana- .22 and up centerfire
Maine- .22 magnum rimfire and up!
Manitoba- Centerfire, but it says .23 and below not recommended. Does not say illegal though.
Maryland- ME of at least 1200 ft/lbs
Mass- Shotgun/ML
Michigan- centerfire in certain areas
Minnesota- .24 and up centerfire
Mississippi- No restrictions that I could find
Missouri- centerfire
Montana- No restrictions
Nebraska- Rifles with 900 ft/lbs or more at 100 yards
Nevada- .22 centerfire and up
New Hampshire- centerfire
New Jersey- shotgun only
New Mexico- centerfire
New York- centerfire
North Carolina- No restrictions
North Dakota- .22-.49 centerfire
Nova Scotia- .23 and up
Ohio- Shotgun/ML
Oklahoma- centerfire with 55 grn or heavier bullet
Ontario- centerfire
Oregon- .22 centerfire and up
Pennsylvania- centerfire
Quebec- 6mm/.243 and up
Rhode Island- shotgun/ML
Saskatchewan- .24 and up
South Carolina- centerfire
South Dakota- rifles with 1,000 ft/lbs or more ME
Tennessee- centerfire
Texas- centerfire
Utah- centerfire
vermont- No restriction
Virginia- .23 centerfire and up
Washington- .24 centerfire and up
West Virginia- .25 rimfire and up and all centerfire
Wisconsin- .22 centerfire and up
Wyoming- .23 centerfire and up
 
#10 ·
I'm not sure if modern bullet designs, or powder advancement has made .223/5.56 more viable for hunting. That's a tough call when I stop and think about it. I know 65 gr Sierra Game will do it all, within the limits of said round. That's about a 30 year old bullet design I'd guess.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I think bonded bullet technology has definitely moved the .223 up to a medium game round. I'm not a big hunter, but the ability is there and there are certainly bullets that will penetrate enough. I talked to one guy who only hunts whitetail with a .22-250 and 55gr ballistic tips. I might have the bullet choice misremembered, but he swore by the .22-250.

Last year I picked up a wood stocked Mini14 and have really come to love the rifle. A Marlin 336 .30-30 was my preferred choice of short range rifle, but I started thinking- why take the .30-30 when I can load the Mini with a 5rd magazine of 64gr Bonded Solid Base? I can shoot the Mini almost 3-1 for the price of .30-30 and the range is maybe 75 yards, if that. Just made me think because both rifles wearing open sights have such similar handling characteristics. Almost wish I would have picked up a Mini30, but I was trading an AR in (Pesky unSAFE Act) and had a bunch of 556 stashed.

I don't hunt near enough for my opinion to even matter, but the new bonded .223 bullets got me thinking.
 
#12 ·
From a combat standpoint, new technology has definitely helped the 556. With bullets like the Nosler BSB, not much need for larger calibers in urban environments. It would be interesting to put that bullet up against a top .308 bullet to see if it could replace the .308 in urban environments.
 
#13 ·
223 is pretty light for deer size game. It is allowed in Texas, it is NOT allowed on the property I hunt on. 7.62 x 39 isn't either. They are in essence, varmint rounds.
The bonded 223/5.56 is good ammo, and very adequate for the intended 2 legged purpose. Many taut it for smallish/medium game. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.
22-250 is 1000 FPS faster on average and not a fantastic deer round either.
I know a guy that used to hunt hogs with a 22 Magnum. His wife asked me to find him one night. He was in a tree with ~40 very upset hogs under it. They didn't even want to get away from the pickup when I drove it under the tree. He hunted them for years with the same rifle. We all told him it would catch up with him. He didn't respect his quarry and it could have cost him.
Practice a lot with that Mini14, find a round that it likes.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Do you allow .30/30 on the property?
Before you go too far down this path, the question is rhetorical and irrelevant.
The land owner sets the rules, you sign an agreement, and if you don't like any of the above, you get to move on.
Mine was an observation, not opinion.

YMMV

Edit: The 30-30 question hasn't come up with our group, so I don't know.
 
#17 ·
It would seem silly to ban the 7.62x39 when it is ballistically similar to .30-30.

I have a .30-06 that hasn't seen the deer woods since I was 18. It's heavy and the recoil is heavy. I have taken my .30-30 more than anything. I have a Ruger 77 in .243 that I really like. It's an all weather ultralight with 20in barrel. Super slick gun. I just don't see the point to owning the .243 when I have a .223 hat can fill the same use as the .243 with the right bullet. Other than range, I don't see much the .243 can do that my .223 couldn't given my parameters and environment. I've seriously thought about rebarreling the .243 to .338Federal simply because it would be cool and it's a simple barrel switch. .338 bullets are common and a few pieces of brass, some dies, factory ammo is still available. You get the point.

I know the .223 and .243 aren't equal. I get that. I just think that owning both, given my intended uses makes no sense. Maybe it does. I dunno.
 
#18 ·
In my experience the 223 and 22-250 are great deer rounds.

This bullet works great, it's made by Hornady and is
tough enough to go around 18''+ on deer. It's also cheap,
I have around 18,000 to 20,000 of them, they are my
go to bullet in the AR15 too.

https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....int224-diameter-55-grain-soft-point-500-count

On side shots, Mule Deer, complete penetration , deer was around
125 yards and bullet was going around 3012 fps, yes I chronoed
it in different barrel lengths and chambers.

The side shot took out a rib going in two lungs and a rib going out.


One day I will be able to post pictures, I hope.
 
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