.223 for hunting!

[treeman]

Ha ha - was about to comment here. Check post date, this chap is likely on his third "must have" rifle already.

[Shabbir]

7x57
taken duiker.impala.wilderbeest(blue and black)impala,nyala,fallow deer,common reedbuck,mountain reedbuck,waterbuck and my son also shot a kudu.
ammo plenty at reasonable cost,components for reloading especially bullets of varying grns from 139 to 185.
mild recoil.ideal for busfeld hunting.
recently had a suppresoor fitted and it is even more pleasant to shoot.
ps i reloaded hornady sst and results good but meat damage extensive and abandoned,now reload pmp 150 grns.

[driepootx]

End of May I shot a young Impala ram at about 150m with my 223. Using 53gr Barnes tSX the shot entered obliquely through the lower part of the neck and was found against the ribs on the opposite side of the animal. Bck ran about 60m before expiring - not much more than one shot with A-frame out of 270.

Bullet was text book shape and meat damage was not excessive.

Second ram was downed with same length shot with a 130gr TTSX out of my 30-06. A bang flop was recorded when the bullet hit low in the chest as it was facing me head on.

I will not use the 223 as my regular bush rifle. The Howa bull barrel is very heavy and the Ruger No. 1 in 30-06 with 22 inch barrel is the ideal - light, short and very mobile when moving through thick growth - also has enough oomph for all antelope found in the bush.

[cdbeagle]

In the states .260 Remington ammo is much more expensive than 6.5x55.
I have a 6.5x55, .243 and a .223(AR with 20" barrel). I've decided to sell my .243 and buy another 6.5x55. One will shoot heavy bullets and the other will shoot light bullets. I'll keep the .223 for varmints and home protection. I've had my Swede for four years now and it has pretty much relegated my other rifles to being safe queens. There is something mystical about the Swede to me.

I also have a .270, 30-30 and a couple of 30-06's but don't need that large of a cartridge for the hunting I do in Texas except for Nilgai. Then I break out the 30-06.

I also don't care for the .308, give me a 30-06 or a .270 any day.