Best .223 for hunting

[jnix]

Good morning people. I have a question for the collective. What is a good .223 for hunting?

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"Guns don't kill people the government does", Rusty Shackleford.

 

[slymule]

Jnix, all depends on what kind of hunting for what kind of game. Are we talking varmints here? How long are your shots going to be? Let us know some specifics and we can help you out.

 

[Art Eatman]

Playing it straight, I'd recommend a bolt-action rifle. Almost any of the "basic" US factory rifles will shoot quite tight groups, or can easily be made to do so. The Remington 700 is said to have, basically, the best "out of the box" trigger. I know from experience that the Ruger Mk II needs to have its tort-liability trigger replaced with a Timney or equal.

For open-country hunting, some equivalent of the Leupold Vari-X II in 2X7 or 3X9 will serve. Giant lenses don't add enough extra light, generally, to be worth the extra cost. Unless you're primarily shooting prairie dogs at 350 or 300 yards, the higher magnification is not really necessary.

To me, the .223 is a varmint cartridge, not a deer cartridge. A close-range neck- or heart-shot will indeed kill a deer. However, a less than near-perfect hit can mean a lost deer, where a "real" cartridge like the .243 or larger will make a more serious wound--more blood trail, or a better chance for a coup de grace.

Is this a start?

, Art

 

[Paul B.]

I'll stick by my Kimber 84 with the medium weight varmint barrel. 10 shots inside a dime at 100 meters. Very large
Paul B.

 

[cooper223]

I will stick with my Cooper varmit extreme model 21 223 it will 10 shots with in .02 of the same hole at 100yd and .08 at 150yd.
it only shoots that good with very good hand loads.