Hello, I am wondering what everyones experience has been with the "hardness", that is, resistance to mushrooming or fragmenting, of various .224 bullets. I have been using reduced loads in my .223 with red dot and blue dot. I thought the sierra 45 grain high velocity semi-points woulnt explode at 2700 fps but I was wrong. I am looking for a bullet and a velocity that will give me a 150 yard range for fox and other small game without tearing it up, I am leery of FMJs but if they work well let me know. thanks
Ian

You might try some hard cast lead bullets. With a gas check I gotten up to 2700 fps in both 223 and 22-250 with 55gr Lymans. If you want to try some, let me know. Be happy to send you some to play with, I've got some extras floating around just taking up space.

yahoo
My wife and I have shot bobcats, coyotes and fox with our 308 rifles. We have had very little to no pelt damage with 165 Trophy Bonded Bearclaws. Because the bullet is bonded there is no lead fragmentation to damage he pelt.
Also you might try X bullets.

I've used military style .224 FMJs (at around 3000 fps) for many years on turkeys and experience very little meat damage. The Winchester bullet works well for me. Why are you leery of FMJs?

quote:

Originally posted by Stonecreek:
I've used military style .224 FMJs (at around 3000 fps) for many years on turkeys and experience very little meat damage. The Winchester bullet works well for me. Why are you leery of FMJs?

agreed...use the FMJs and keep the speed down. try for something around 2500'/sec

Hello, thanks for the advice, My ideas on FMJs has been influenced by friends who told me they wont kill reliably, but Im unsure how much experience they have with them. I may have to pick up a box. I am also going to see if 60 grain hornadys are accurate in a 1 in 12" twist at 2500 or so. thanks
Ian

I have been using the Sierra 40gn hp at about 3100f/s with good results, i.e., not very much meat damage, on rabbts and hares.

I'am surprised your not happy with the 45gr. Sierra hv bullet. I've shot a number of called coyotes with it(222) and while it does expand it's not too bad. Another bullet if you can find any is the old 55gr. Nosler Solid Base. Even up around 3500fps. they act like a biggame bullet. They kill well but only leave about a 1 in. exit hole. I still have a stash of more then 300. Pete

Might try thr 53gr. Sierra HP or if your gun will group them the 53gr. Barns X.

I haven't tried them, but I would think any of the heavier 60gr ssp, pushed along about 2700fps, would expand more slowly, less hide damage.

A Barnes X at a reduced velocity will do what you are asking, if they are warmed up with some speed (3800 fps) they will blow some holes at short to long distances.
Keep them under 3000, maybe even 2500 to 2800 and they will kill like gangbusters and not leave but a smallish exit.

What Snellstrom said. I've nailed fox size critters with my 223WSSM and 53 gr. XLC's (at impact speeds approaching 4,000 fps), and it is surprising how decent the exit wound is. If you slow the bullet down, it will do dandy: you will get a neat little exit hole everytime.

The other option is to load a spitzer backwards (turning it into a flatpoint). I've done this once or twice, and it works better, I think, than an FMJ. HTH, Dutch.

quote:

Originally posted by yahoo:
...I am looking for a bullet and a velocity that will give me a 150 yard range for fox and other small game without tearing it up, I am leery of FMJs but if they work well let me know...

Hey Ian, I've had rather decent luck with two Bullets that you might want to experiment with and maybe a few more.

One of the older 22cal bullets available is the 52gr Speer Hollow Point which has a rather large opening in the tip. Doesn't win Ballistic Coefficient comparisons for ultra-flat shooting, but it opens quite quickly and generally will not Exit on dog size critters.

Second would be the 50gr Speer "TNT" which has a very fragile jacket. It also is reluctant to make an Exit at high Impact Velocities.

Killed a good many things with both of them. Don't believe I remember them Exiting on dog size stuff, but just don't remember about Fox. Been killing Fox with 22LR Subsonic Remingtons for a good while and they do not Exit.

The newest 35gr bullets might do what you want, but I just don't know because I've never shot any of them.

Also never used any of the new 17cal Rimfire stuff, but the guys that do speak well about them.
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If you are trying to protect against the hide getting torn up due to Exits, then I doubt the "harder" bullets are what will perform the best fot you. Something very fragile that will expend all the energy inside without making an Exit is what I'd be looking for.

Best of luck to you.