Recommended .223 factory ammo

Discussion in 'Browning X-Bolt Rifle' started by Deker, Jan 7, 2018.

  1. sschefer

    sschefer .410

    I shoot precision AR style semi auto rifles at paper. I had, at one time, delusions of grandeur regarding the AR platform as a hunting rifle. I have them in .223 Wylde, 5.56, 6.5 Grendel and LR .308. While the are fun on the range and after a lot of money, they are extremely accurate, they are not a rifle I want to lug around when hunting. I am intrigued by accuracy and I want to know when it's my skills and when it's the rifles capability that are being exceeded. This is why the .224 Valkrie is so intriguing for me. I do not consider it a hunting rifle but there is little doubt it will see some great success in the Varmint arena.

    One of the problems it's facing right now is in the twist rate arena. Ideally, the barrel would be a 1/ 6 or 6.5 twist rate and a minimum of 18" with 22-24" being optimum. Rumor has it that barrel makers do not want to invest in a button rifler that will do 1 / 6 or 6.5 and nobody is really putting their foot down and saying which one it is. So, until that happens the best we're seeing now is 1/7. As long as that is the case, 1000 yards is about the most you're going to see shot with any accuracy and not the 1300 yards that the round can do.

    On the other end of the spectrum, folks that like the round but don't shoot long range will find that lighter, less expensive rounds will simply come apart half way down range with a 1/6 twist rate. Heck, I have a 1/7 .223 Wylde that makes 50g bullets go poof at about 50 yards. It's a precision rifle so I shoot 77g rounds but my buddy said it might happen so I had to try and he was right.

    So that's what's in my head regarding the .224 V right now and this is why I'm very intrigued by it but even if it does come out in an X-bolt, I'm not going to be in a hurry to jump on one until it's a little more mature.
  2. I guess you are right. The .224 twist rate seems to be 1 in 7.25 pretty much at present. Until Browning X Bolt came out in that I myself would pass on any other offerings. Akso since the hunting viability of the .224 compared to the 6.5 Creedmore seems to put it in the varmit round category and not an all round hunting low recoil long distance round it looks like a long shot st best. Fir the black rifle crowd on an AR 15 looks pretty Good still?

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