Beginner Basics #16 The 223 Remington Caliber (pros/cons)

This video discusses the 223 Remington, brief history, pros, cons and my overall thoughts on the calibre from my use in the field.

[@ozziereviews]

223 vs 556 NATO - the pressures and risks using 556 in a 223 kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJqcmqGhrM-JlZI

[@beardoggin8963]

.223 is the ideal Varmint caliber for most shooters here in the US, bought my first one when I turned 18. It has enough punch to anchor fox and coyotes out to 300 yards and not too explosive on woodchucks and other smaller game. I use mine for damage permit shooting whitetail deer. Shots are under 100 yards with a spotlight and accurate enough for east head shots. .223 is easy on barrels, and can be had in handy sized rifles. Also it is affordable , low recoil and readily available.

[@willrowell3218]

Readily available is right, half of the pickups in the Southeast and Rocky Mountain states have at least 2 boxes of 223 ammo rolling around on the floorboard and crammed into the cup holder. Haha. .223 and .30-30 are by far the best all around "ranch/farm" guns ever.

[@TheKetamineSquid]

i've always preferred the 22-250 but the 223 is a good compromise.

[@adventurousmedic]

Normally don't comment on videos. However this is worth credit; great job Ozzie... Looking forward to where this series goes!

[@58harwood]

Clear, concise and right to the point! Good stuff. That’s how it should be done folks. Respect from the states. 🇺🇸 🇦🇺

[@nothere9551]

Love my Tikka in 223R it is my go to gun. Foxes, roos, dogs, cats. For mine the round is devastating on small/med game and effective, with the right placement, on the med/bigger stuff. If I was starting again, my only centre fire rifles would be 223R and 308W. Does everything I need to do.

[@dilligafwoftam985]

Gidday mate. Totally agree the .223. Would you consider the 6.5 creedmore in place of the .308, and if not, why not?

[@nothere9551]

@@dilligafwoftam985 I am a cheapskate, so price is important, 308 is common, 6.5 creedmore Been on more than one hunting trip with a quick run to town for some more ammo. Not sure if you get the 6.5 out the back of Bourke.

[@rc_p5192]

Same. Same exact words here here

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Try a 7mm 08. Simples.

[@BCBtrucks64]

@@dilligafwoftam985 my brotherinlaw has both 308 synthetic stock and 6.5 creed howa chassis rifle , the creedmore i could shoot for a couple of hours but the 308 kicks like a friggen mule maybe to do with the light weight stock but i found the creedmore to be a more comfortable rifle to use , i have 223 ,30-30 ,22-250 , and a 22magnum henry for rabbits and plinking

[@gavincook3121]

I bought a 223 recently am am still working up a load for it. Looking forward to spotlighting with it. Keep the reviews coming.

[@rossclark8098]

Great vid Oz! A Calibre I don’t own yet, but have always thought for your reasons in video would be good to have! Especially for the range! Cheers, look forward to more!

[@carnot4sale]

The other thing to note from my experience in Victoria and NZ. The weight of the projectile is small so it can’t punch through light vegetation.

[@brianatkinson8975]

Another great vid mate. Keep them coming.

[@MortenSchultzHunting]

Great review on one of the most popular centerfire calibers. It's affordable, precise, and perfect for smaller to medium size game. My .308 has been sitting alone in the gunsafe, since I got my .223rem. Perfect for crows, foxes and even roe deer. Looking forward to se more reviews👍

[@rjochheim]

Good honest info.. I shoot roos professionally and it’s my go to.. Shot placement on larger game has to be spot on

[@grampiansfpv1998]

Good review I believe if you could only have 2 calibers 223 and 308 would cover most peoples needs versatility, affordability and accuracy covered cheers

[@matth5992]

Have had a .223 since I was 18. Running a carbine with a 4-14 I'm confident out to 400 with a 77gr black hills TMK. For hunting applications I keep things inside of 200 and depending on the game switch between a 55gr VMAX or the good old TMK

[@MRxr400]

If head shot for a young stag, spiker, for meat, great cal. But practice and know your limits and the cal limits. My most used rifle by far is my bolt action 223

[@captkev55]

Sooo good to find an Ozzie gun review. Thanks heaps.

[@paulsummer2506]

Thanks Ozzie. I've just bought a .223 and look forward to shooting it.

[@nothere9551]

Try the buffalo river ammo, shoots like a dream out of my tikka.

[@paulsummer2506]

ok, I'll try them. Thanks

[@lukecoxsen]

Awesome mate, looking forward to one on 308

[@waleeddenkha5451]

Thanks Ozzie

[@daimonewart3281]

Thanks Ozzie! Great info - very much looking forward to more in this series. As a new shooter I find this very interesting and helpful. Cheers

[@michaelvanwest6262]

I own 2 x 223rem. Never thought that I would own 2 of any calibre except a 9mm Luger. I have one for hunting and carrying around with me. My other I fell in love with at Cleavers and is a full custom job Remington 700 with a IBI bull barrel. It is my range gun and out to 600m fox and rabbit sniping rifle. Shoots under half moa with factory ammo. When I start reloading I am going to play with that and get it down even further. Definitely a cheap centrefire round to shoot with. Puts a smile on my face everytime.

[@aynjeleyes]

Never thought I'll hear those words in a sentence together involving love & Cleavers .

[@michaelvanwest6262]

@@aynjeleyes I have never had a bad experience there. And yes I love my custom Rem 700. 😁

[@sergiolazzaro7970]

esoty en la misma que usted mire mi cimentario anterior..... Look, I always looked at the log range shot, I passed several cartridges including the 308 until I got the 270, however in my country I don't have polygons of more than 150 meters and the 270, it annoyed my neighbors who are anti-arms, nobody gave me permission to shoot , the solution was a norinco 223 with a PVC muffler with a spring on the tip and 25 inches away from the muzzle covered by jeen cloth..... the success has been so great that I have covered more than 1000 yards for practice long I range and hunt with 223, yes I know that it is not a recommended caliber for deer and pigs but at the distance that I do it I could do it with 22 lr, the success has been such that I am thinking of selling all my weapons except the 223... ... look at the ceremonies that any shooter who shoots with 308 300 wm, with 223 silenced, goes unnoticed anywhere

[@DLN-ix6vf]

good review couples with your .223 vs. 5.56 review I have a Remington 700 .223 and find it great for target shooting and as you say the cost of ammo is not too bad at all. The part I like the best is I can shoot it all day without any shoulder problems from recoil. My friends with higher cal. rifles have to stop after about 20 to 30 shots :)

[@clarkberrie9045]

I had a 223 once a pond a time, found it a very capable caliber. I did find it a light in vegetative areas, so I traded up to a 308win. I found the 223 very good in 55grain but I all so tryed it with 64grain projectiles and found it not as good and that is the reason why I went to 308win. If 300 blackout was around at the time I may of gone with that opinion or the creedmore's. I'm happy with the 308win, I have found it to be a good reliable caliber. I have had it 20 years, if those other calibers were around when I changed to the 308win, l do not know what I would have today.

[@skay9443]

Quick update, but I found a H&R HandiRifle in very good condition with a .223 and a .308 barrel. Single shot, but very compact and I've now got two options with seemingly the most popular calibres. Looking forward to taking delivery 😀

[@phillipjohnson7583]

In the past, I have harvested large quantities of Kangaroo with 223. Shot placement is always a big plus. We also would use 243 which is another great caliber. A 22 was my first gun. But, you betcha' my second gun was the 223, perfect round for getting most jobs done up to mid size game. You can put meat on the table everyday with it. Keep in mind though, large calibers put meat in the freezer for months. For an all around versatile caliber, I really lean in the 270 caliber area.

[@brettstewart6036]

Great info I’m a beginner and info like this is great thanks mate thumbs up and subscribed cheers Yogi 🤙🤙

[@jamesharris184]

Well done.

[@refaiabdeen5943]

Cheers Mate!

[@sergiolazzaro7970]

Look, I always looked at the log range shot, I passed several cartridges including the 308 until I got the 270, however in my country I don't have polygons of more than 150 meters and the 270, it annoyed my neighbors who are anti-arms, nobody gave me permission to shoot , the solution was a norinco 223 with a PVC muffler with a spring on the tip and 25 inches away from the muzzle covered by jeen cloth..... the success has been so great that I have covered more than 1000 yards for practice long I range and hunt with 223, yes I know that it is not a recommended caliber for deer and pigs but at the distance that I do it I could do it with 22 lr, the success has been such that I am thinking of selling all my weapons except the 223... ... look at the ceremonies that any shooter who shoots with 308 300 wm, with 223 silenced, goes unnoticed anywhere

[@regsparkes6507]

It's my favorite bolt action caliber,...well wait now, it's next to my .222 :) ! Thanks for this Ozzie.

[@australianmade2659]

Bang for buck this is a great round. I sold my 223 and have regretted it since. It’s the 5 iron of rifles. It can play short or wrong.

[@jerrydonquixote5927]

Nice review of the .223

[@torbjorn.larsson69]

My favorit caliber…

[@albertattwood8746]

Hi what are your thoughts on a Savage Axis 11 precision in 223 for getting into centre fire, also shooting on a pensioners budget. Great videos and a great help to a newbie at the sport.👍

[@fallenangel18108]

You should check out into the nights channel, he takes tons of pigs and dogs with his ruger ranch in 5.56. Im pretty sure he mainly uses 55 grain hollow points.

[@noahmccullar4083]

The Ruger American Predator 223 is a ultra accurate machine. Drops white tail where they stand.

[@woody__223]

223 is a perfect roo gun

[@alabamaoutdoors4468]

223 next purchase

[@MrYrgas]

Never hunted with a 223 but im starting to look at one. I fired my friends tikka t3 Varmint with 223 but the Accuracy wasn't so good. I think it has to do with twist and factory/light-grain ammo. So my question is. What grain and twistrate i ideal for accuracy and hunting small game (roedeer being the biggest).

[@jacqueshoebers7565]

My brother is a deer culler in NZ and his main gun he uses is .223 but I can see how it can lack a bit of stopping power if u don’t have good shit placement

[@dilligafwoftam985]

Thanks mate. I have literally just got off the phone to Cleavers to order a Lithgow .223 in black with walnut stock. Planning on getting a bulk pack of Aussie Outback 55g Sierra Gameking to start with ... thoughts.

[@Alan.livingston]

dilligaf woftam chuck a half decent optic on that setup and it will be laser accurate and smash anything up to medium size game.

[@PencilProper]

Instead of buying a bulk pack straight up I would try small quantity's of different ammo just to see what works best in your rifle. I personally shoot those rounds out of my sako .223 and they are pretty good. However there isnt much point in having 500+ rounds of sub- par ammo to burn through. Congrats on your new rifle, treat it kind and shoot safe! Enjoy.

[@dilligafwoftam985]

@@PencilProper thanks mate 🤓

[@glennllewellyn7369]

Good egg.

[@nickm3360]

aussie outback ammo seems to shoot well in a lot of rifles. i used to run the blitzkings through my cz 223, until they went up quite dramatically in price. my best group with those was 5 shots into .3" at 100 metres. 4 in one ragged hole, and one 'flyer'. haven't been able to reproduce that effort, dammit!

[@zarkan88]

Hey I have a question for whoever wants to help. Is 5.56 NATO available in Australia and is there any rifle suitable for it available in Australia too. My understanding is that the 5.56 has a higher pressure and a slight difference in length. 5.56 rifle could shoot .223 but not the opposite. It will be nice to have access to an extra kick in the ammunition. I am happy to stand corrected if I’ve said anything wrong but I’m just wondering.

[@zarkan88]

@Biliary Clinton why would you buy a .223 then ? isn't better to buy a 5.56 rifle and be able to shoot both ? also is 5.56 in the same price range or crazy more expensive ?

[@zarkan88]

@Biliary Clinton thanks I appreciate the info mate.

[@KolyaNickD]

I have read that it doesn't actually have higher pressure - just has a thicker case and fractionally longer throat so it can be fired in a gun with a worn out chamber without case rupture...

[@zacharypappalardo3789]

I had a look at that too mate, it seem op is right and yeah I know the ruger american ranch is actually 5 56 so it shoots 223 all day

[@mattrickard3716]

Is there a better first centrefire calibre? Personally, I think it's the ideal introduction to recoil. The first centrefire I ever shot was a .243 with factory ammo. I had only ever shot a .22lr so I didn't really know what was coming. I'm not saying that a .243 is shoulder destroying or anything that melodramatic, just that a .223 would probably have been a bit better. Maybe I'm wrong and getting someone used to recoil as early as possible is better?

[@skay9443]

I'm currently shooting an old .222 Remington, but looking at another rifle and strongly considering .223. Either that, or a 22-250... or maybe a .243... or a .270... or a .308. Too many options :D

[@nothere9551]

What are you looking to hunt? What range? I shoot with a mate, I have a 223 and he a 22-250 a lot louder, more recoil, never hits much I could not. Mine is cheaper to feed, and more accurate and fun to shoot. 243 longer distances maybe, 308 for bigger game deer etc.

[@skay9443]

@@nothere9551 Definitely all valid points for sure. Foxes, rabbits, the occasional wild dog (if we can ever spot the damn things), possibly smaller deer. Range-wise maybe out 200-300 metres at most.

[@nothere9551]

@@skay9443 I have hunted with the 223 up to 300m but that was a push for it for med size game, harder to get a clean shot placement. Most of my work happens 100m or there abouts. Anything not too big up to 220m super confident.

[@bruiser6479]

The only solution is to get a rifle in each calibre. You know it makes sense.

[@nothere9551]

@@bruiser6479 I cannot argue with such a flawless argument. Maybe a new straight pull shotty as well.

[@smallbore7025]

I use a .223 for whitetail deer hunting here in Ontario Canada. I shot two does and two buck's so far. There's Lot's of video's of people shooting deer with them. There's even a video of a girl shooting a doe mule deer with one. It didn't go far.

[@PRSKris]

Out of all the different cartridges we use I think 22-250 is the worst for your ears, even with muffs its loud lol

[@paulsoutbackgardenaustrali7674]

Just asking ok...what is your career in regards to your knowledge about firearms e tc and is your KZbin channel a side business...go o d review thnx

[@skay9443]

On a serious note though, I'm a little reluctant to buy a .223 given the possibility of confusing cartridges (I'm still keeping the .222 as it's an awesome carbine and a straight shooter). I was thinking the 22-250 or .243 would be similar in terms of cost, but giving extra punch and versatility. I'm not hunting deer specifically (although perhaps fallow or something smaller if I get the opportunity) - it's mainly foxes, rabbits, the other odd pest (wild dogs) on private land. Would a 22-250 or .243 be overkill, or a good alternative. As much as anything else I'd like to keep the .222 for my son, and I'd pick up the heavier round. Would be interested in your thoughts.

[@devinb3397]

I’d get a .243, you can shoot a 55gr at close to 4000fps for varmints or shoot a 100gr in the low 3000fps range for deer

[@skay9443]

@@devinb3397 Thanks John, that's a great point. I've not shot a .243 before, but I believe the recoil is quite manageable for smaller rifles?

[@nothere9551]

I have 223 and 243. Legality of what calibre you need to hunt deer in your state, however I have seen a few fallow taken no problem with a 223. As I said check your legality. Foxes up to 180m no issue for the 223. 243/22-250 do kick a bit more and are a lot louder. Would be overkill for rabbits, and prob foxes up close.

[@skay9443]

@@nothere9551 I'm in Victoria so I believe .243 is the minimum on that front...

[@flyingtigers7856]

@@skay9443 243 is an outstanding cartridge. it'll varmint like a 22-250, and also hit hard enough for deer. Recoil is mild. You won't regret a 243

[@glennd11r]

I would average 1000 plus pigs every year with my 223, front shoulder or head shot never an issue regardless of size.

[@edwatkins1885]

Looks like a 17hmr in your hands Ozzie 🤣👍

[@matthewknight1910]

Good for goats?.. or is that more .243 territory?

[@nathanfinlay7131]

Works fine....

[@68pitty]

Its a cartridge

[@t41flyer]

Just don't fire 5.56mm NATO rounds in a 223 chambered weapon. The 5.56mm's have a considerably higher chamber pressure.

[@fruitbunnii]

Hey so funny thing, I was a vegan a week ago... And now I'm thinking I want to learn how to hunt (because I believe if I'm going to eat animals again I should be able to respect them enough to kill them myself). Do you have any videos you recommend from your channel for absolute beginners? Guns, laws, discussions?

[@anth1839]

Search his channel lots of good info for beginners👍

[@killa1two]

This beginner series, he should have a playlist

[@Tophet1]

Cartridge*

[@joe125ful]

Remember kids dont shoot 5.56 throw 223 barell! It work only reversed.

[@CoinShow]

Great review! Remarkable, however, .223 is not recommended to take down humanely dear in hunting, but is used widely in War, to kill people.

[@B61Mod12]

Please stop using terms “calibre” and “cartridge” interchangeably. Lets set our new shooters up with the right terminology from the start. Otherwise keep up the good work :-)

[@tonykemp4645]

That's not true I taken out donkeys out with 223 223 is a great all round bullet I taken out brumbies love the round out head shots

[@fluidboom3329]

50 cents a shot!?! Ridiculously expensive.

[@aynjeleyes]

Welcome to Australian prices mate.

[@ryanhayes9008]

50 cents a shot for 223 , bloody bargain

[@1969cmp]

Almost 2 bucks for a 308.....

[@norge1956]

lol, you guys are banned for most firearms. Need to teview pellet guns.

[@BCBtrucks64]

i dont know where you get your info from but the only thing general aussie shooters are not allowed to have without special permits is semi auto or full auto , calibres are open

[@1969cmp]

I'm about to get a firearms license and the young bloke I'll be shooting with will be getting a semi.....