Henry Rifle Forums

I went to the range Thursday to shoot a few center fires being they are to loud to shoot from the back porch at my home. I took a Savage Axis 223 and my 220 Swift along. I also took my peep sighted 39A Marlin just to shoot while the center fire barrels were cooling. I was testing different loads in the Axis and just wanted to shoot the Swift since recently getting it back. The Axis is a 223 with the 1in9" twist so I loaded some heavy bullets for the caliber and just in case it would be like my Varmint barrel Savage 12 in 223 with the fast twist that shot light bullets the best I loaded some 40 gr. and 50's. It shot the heavy bullets about average for a light sporter barrel and I thought it was just going to be a average shooting carry in the truck rifle. Last ones to try were the lighter weights and I was amazed how they shot. The 40gr.Sierra BK shot one small ragged hole with Accurate 2200 powder which does well with light bullets. The 50gr. Hornady V-Max shot almost the same with barely leaving paper between the ones that were in the same hole and the one out. I shot this rifle with a heavier trigger(3lb. 4oz.) than I am used to with a 3-9 scope on 9X and made the bull bigger to suit the scope I was using. I believe this rifle that was won and sold at a pawn shop is going to be a winner for the $225 I paid OTD. The Swift shot well as it always has even with the ammo that is years old I already had loaded. No pictures from the range. My next target I shoot with the Swift will be my camera. That should send some plastic flying.

I guess just goes to show that you never know how a load is going to perform till you shoot it.

I would love to have a .223/5.56 bolt gun. probably cheaper than wmr and a lot easier to find............

Henry88 wrote:I guess just goes to show that you never know how a load is going to perform till you shoot it.

I would love to have a .223/5.56 bolt gun. probably cheaper than wmr and a lot easier to find............

You are correct, Henry88. Last time I saw a 50-rnd pack of .22 WMR, it was about $22 or 44 cents/round. I can get a 20-rnd pack of 5.56 for $9 or 45 cents/round.

I have a Ruger American Ranch in 5.56/.223 and it is a ton of fun to shoot.

I've been considering buying a bolt .223 to run the ammo I buy in bulk for my AR. Only problem is I'm guessing the ammo I use in my AR isn't as accurate as I'd like for a bolt gun. Or a Henry Long Ranger in .223 for that matter!

Henry88 wrote:I guess just goes to show that you never know how a load is going to perform till you shoot it.

I would love to have a .223/5.56 bolt gun. probably cheaper than wmr and a lot easier to find............

I have a Savage model 111 in .223. Heavy barrel, 3-12x scope, accutrigger. It is very accurate. Has a wonderful trigger. It sits in the safe mostly.

The Henry BB steel in .357 gets heavily exercised almost weekly.

White Squirrel wrote:

Henry88 wrote:I guess just goes to show that you never know how a load is going to perform till you shoot it.

I would love to have a .223/5.56 bolt gun. probably cheaper than wmr and a lot easier to find............

You are correct, Henry88. Last time I saw a 50-rnd pack of .22 WMR, it was about $22 or 44 cents/round. I can get a 20-rnd pack of 5.56 for $9 or 45 cents/round.

I have a Ruger American Ranch in 5.56/.223 and it is a ton of fun to shoot.

10-4, White Squirrel, same with the 7.62mm. Not the GREATEST ammo, and illegal for deer, but still cheap to shoot @$10/20 at Walmart.

A 40 grain bullet in .223 is very lightweight for the speed. Seems the trend is for heavier and heavier bullets.

White Squirrel wrote:

Henry88 wrote:I guess just goes to show that you never know how a load is going to perform till you shoot it.

I would love to have a .223/5.56 bolt gun. probably cheaper than wmr and a lot easier to find............

You are correct, Henry88. Last time I saw a 50-rnd pack of .22 WMR, it was about $22 or 44 cents/round. I can get a 20-rnd pack of 5.56 for $9 or 45 cents/round.

I have two 22 Magnum rifles but in all honesty I could do with out them. My 223's are a lot cheaper to shoot and have far more range and are more accurate. I have ammo for the 22 Magnum I bought that came out to $.28/rnd. I have components for the 223 I stocked up on before prices went up that I can shoot my 223's for as little as $.15/rnd up to a max of $.28/rnd. The $.28 is comes in if using more expensive plastic tipped bullets. Went they had the surplus Accurate 2200 for $40/ 8lb. I bought 32lb. that will last me the rest of my days and shoots very accurate in all my 223's and 222's. I even worked up a load in the 22-250 that gave 3650fps with 52 gr. bullets which lowered the cost shooting it also. I use a load of 10grs. of Unique(700 rnds. for each pound) in the 222 and 223 for fall small game hunting and it is 2300fps with a 50gr. bullet and kills game better than the 22 magnum and shoots flatter and hits harder so my 22 mags I don't actually need but I like both the CZ FS and the Ruger Predator and don't have a lot of money in them so I will keep them. Anyone who doesn't like the present supply problems of 22 magnum ammo is very wise to buy a 223 because of ammo being available and affordable. 22 Magnums sit on the gun racks in my area because lack of ammo. If you load your own it even gets much better in favor of the 22 center fires on about every count. If I were limited to one gun it would be a 223.