So I am trying to solve all of life's mysteries right now and fantasizing about getting away to more land, a quieter life and being able to get out and shoot a ton on my own property. I'll admit, I am a low drama kind of guy and I like low recoil, low flash, low blast and quiet shooting.
Hence why I am going all in on cans lately.
Anyway, I am fantasizing about this future where I can keep a rifle on an ATV or farm truck or just hike around on my property with one and then if I see a varmint, shoot a varmint. And be all quiet and kind to my ears and my neighbors (sort of the opposite of wanting a bunch of land I guess, but good neighbors are always nice).
I like the idea of a 22 hornet with a can. But reloading sounds like a PITD. And the barrels are pretty universally slow twist. AND almost no one makes anything in them.
I then thought 22TCM, but wait, those are even slower twist barrels and Rock Island doesn't make anything threaded and I don't want to have to spend ~$200 on top of a $400 rifle and brass is pretty well non-existent, same with factory ammo.
And then I thought, hmm, maybe .221 fireball. Cz at least makes a gun in it, but not threaded and also slow twist (but a little better).
And then I thought 218 Bee, oh but no one makes anything in that any more and extant options are severely limited. Also only slow twists.
Part of my goal is to be able to fire 55gr bullets, because CHEAP, but fire them at very moderate velocities. I'd be looking for maybe around 2000fps out of a 16" barrel to around 2200fps out of a 20". Ability to fire 45gr hornet jhp bullets at around 2800fps max.
Being able to do MORE is a minor perk. If it could also fire something like 62-85gr bullets at subsonic velocities, great. But not really key.
So that brings me back to the humble 223. Is that even possible? I know that it actually IS possible. The case has the capacity to do all of that. I am looking for a bolt gun 16-22" in barrel length (maybe Tikka T3 lite) and threaded. But my bigger question, is it possible with the right powder selection to actually develop a load with those very moderate velocities. I know you can do subsonic loads with small loads of pistol powders. But what about ACCURATE and consistent loads with very moderate velocities with a lighter weight bullet?
So far my experience is loading spherical ball powders to develop big boy velocities using 55, 62 and 69gr bullets for the .223. And my experience has been reduced consistency and accuracy once I am dropping below around 2600fps with a 62gr bullet from a 20" barrel (and under about 2800fps with 55gr). Juice it up a little and my ES is well under 50fps, but get much below it and I am seeing ES of 80-100fps on 5 shot groups. Now this is with an AR, not a bolt gun. But I don't see how it would make that much a difference. My 16" AR sees a similar pattern (though of course a lower velocity).
Since I'd be looking at even lighter weight bullets, is this more finding just the right powder? Would switching up to magnum primers help with consistency on light charges? I've been using CCI SR. No experience with anything else to ignite it yet (I do have Winchester SR and CCI #41. I just haven't broken in to any of it yet).
Yes, I realize that a suppressed 223 bolt gun with a moderate length barrel in the 20-24" range is pretty quiet and recoil is really nothing to remark on. But my very limited experience firing a 22 hornet once (not suppressed) as well as the difference between minimum starting charge and working my way up, if I thumb in something with a minimum charge pushing a 62gr@2300fps out of a 20" and then thumb in one pushing a 62gr@2900fps and that 2900fps pill is significantly louder and higher recoil.
Plus with very moderate pressures, brass life should be extensive and very uncommon need to trim brass. Less brass prep is a perk.
So those are my thoughts. Do I need to be looking at something like H4895? I've seen some mentions of that for reduced power rifle loads. Is this unobtanium?
Hence why I am going all in on cans lately.
Anyway, I am fantasizing about this future where I can keep a rifle on an ATV or farm truck or just hike around on my property with one and then if I see a varmint, shoot a varmint. And be all quiet and kind to my ears and my neighbors (sort of the opposite of wanting a bunch of land I guess, but good neighbors are always nice).
I like the idea of a 22 hornet with a can. But reloading sounds like a PITD. And the barrels are pretty universally slow twist. AND almost no one makes anything in them.
I then thought 22TCM, but wait, those are even slower twist barrels and Rock Island doesn't make anything threaded and I don't want to have to spend ~$200 on top of a $400 rifle and brass is pretty well non-existent, same with factory ammo.
And then I thought, hmm, maybe .221 fireball. Cz at least makes a gun in it, but not threaded and also slow twist (but a little better).
And then I thought 218 Bee, oh but no one makes anything in that any more and extant options are severely limited. Also only slow twists.
Part of my goal is to be able to fire 55gr bullets, because CHEAP, but fire them at very moderate velocities. I'd be looking for maybe around 2000fps out of a 16" barrel to around 2200fps out of a 20". Ability to fire 45gr hornet jhp bullets at around 2800fps max.
Being able to do MORE is a minor perk. If it could also fire something like 62-85gr bullets at subsonic velocities, great. But not really key.
So that brings me back to the humble 223. Is that even possible? I know that it actually IS possible. The case has the capacity to do all of that. I am looking for a bolt gun 16-22" in barrel length (maybe Tikka T3 lite) and threaded. But my bigger question, is it possible with the right powder selection to actually develop a load with those very moderate velocities. I know you can do subsonic loads with small loads of pistol powders. But what about ACCURATE and consistent loads with very moderate velocities with a lighter weight bullet?
So far my experience is loading spherical ball powders to develop big boy velocities using 55, 62 and 69gr bullets for the .223. And my experience has been reduced consistency and accuracy once I am dropping below around 2600fps with a 62gr bullet from a 20" barrel (and under about 2800fps with 55gr). Juice it up a little and my ES is well under 50fps, but get much below it and I am seeing ES of 80-100fps on 5 shot groups. Now this is with an AR, not a bolt gun. But I don't see how it would make that much a difference. My 16" AR sees a similar pattern (though of course a lower velocity).
Since I'd be looking at even lighter weight bullets, is this more finding just the right powder? Would switching up to magnum primers help with consistency on light charges? I've been using CCI SR. No experience with anything else to ignite it yet (I do have Winchester SR and CCI #41. I just haven't broken in to any of it yet).
Yes, I realize that a suppressed 223 bolt gun with a moderate length barrel in the 20-24" range is pretty quiet and recoil is really nothing to remark on. But my very limited experience firing a 22 hornet once (not suppressed) as well as the difference between minimum starting charge and working my way up, if I thumb in something with a minimum charge pushing a 62gr@2300fps out of a 20" and then thumb in one pushing a 62gr@2900fps and that 2900fps pill is significantly louder and higher recoil.
Plus with very moderate pressures, brass life should be extensive and very uncommon need to trim brass. Less brass prep is a perk.
So those are my thoughts. Do I need to be looking at something like H4895? I've seen some mentions of that for reduced power rifle loads. Is this unobtanium?