Limit your answers to a rifle with a 1-12" or 1-14" twist. This twist restraint will allow comparisons with the Blitzs/TNTs/SXs/ and the Blitzkings/V-maxs/B-tips or any other soft point spitzer. The answer should take into consideration both accuracy and explosive performance. Do plastic tip boattails offer any significant advantages, in your view?

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I prefer the 50 grain weight and to date (have not tried blitzkings or V-maxs) have used the B-tip more than all other lead tipped bullets, due to accuracy, BC, and performance. It is not as explosive as some lead-tipped bullets at closer ranges, but is sufficiently so, and seems to open better at long ranges.

My most accurate is the 55 grain Hornady SX but I'm shooting it out of Remington XP-100, so it's not going real fast. I'm going to try some of the 40 grain pills in it for short range ground squirrels.

With the twist rate you have specified, use either a 50 grain VMAX or Berger MEF. Both have been exceptionally accurate in my guns and terminal performance is outstanding.

Mine is the Nosler 50 or 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

Mine is 40 Gr V-MAX.
Pete

My favorite 50 grain .224s depend on which rifle I'm shooting. My Savage 10FP favors the Sierra BlitzKing and the 1500 Howa favors the 50 V-Max, same powder charges for both, just different bullets. I try to use the poly-tippped bullets because of ricochets, I can't afford to buy a cow or horse, and the poly tipped bullets are nearly immune to ricochets. No point in irritating the rancher who let you shoot his prairie dogs, and any old crowbait or 3-legged cow critter is a prize heifer if YOU just shot it.

My .223 now shoots nothing other than 40 gr. nosler BT's. Accuracy is excellent, very explosive and flat shooting for the ranges I use my .223 for (out to 400 yards).

I have tried about everything out there in my .223 Remington at one time or another. I keep coming back to the 40 grain V-Max for use on small varmints like ground squirrels, prairie dogs, jack rabbits, etc.

I can shoot those around 3650 fps with perfectly safe loads at any temperature and what they do to a varmint is pretty interesting.

On the other hand, I do keep a few 50 grain bullets loaded up for use on coyotes. I have never lost one shooting them with the 40's but they just do not put them down like the heavier bullets in my experience. (At least at .223 velocities, you cannot believe how a 22-250 AI shooting 40 grain Ballistic Tips at 4500 fps kills coyotes.)

R F

My favorite is a 55g Sierra Blitz under 24.5g of AA2230. Very flat shooting and explosive power in an inexpensive bullet.

MDH

I've used lots of different types of bullets/loads and I find these are the best for me. Sierra 50grn blitz and 55grn Gameking BTHP, I've got a lot of faith in both.
Mostly I use the 55grn in my Win 70 Lightweight 223 1:12. propelled by H4895 to max power/vel = Aprox 3500fps. I use this round on red fox and every contact has killed the target pretty much on the spot. (No use for fur collectors)

whichever 55gr bulk bullet is cheapest. I'm happy with rems, horns, etc. In the big scheme of things, ground hogs are pretty big targets. And please don't bore me with B.S. that you have to have a one holer rifle to shoot varmints. Lots of them.

I happen to like Speer's 50 grain hollowpoint 'TNT' in my Handi-rifle. Don't know the twist rate, but pretty sure it isn't one of the real fast ones. In my experience a lightly constructed varmint bullet with a big gaping hole seems to explode all its energy a little better than those plastic tipped bullets.

I guess you'd call my ammo *luke-warm.* 3000 fps. That load in that gun will shoot MOA at 100 yards but I rarely shoot game that far. Mostly groundhogs and feral cats. The TNT anchors them real good. [Which is a good thing...wouldn't want Morris dragging his ass home with his guts trailing behind] With the West Nile Virus infecting our crows, they get targeted too.

I've used Speer 50 gr tnt's w/ satisfaction. They are relatively cheap $70/1000, and explode varmints in my AR15 1-13 twist Kreiger24". Acurracy is 1/2moa

Combined Technology 40Gr. Ballistic Silver Tips.

Since you placed a twist restriction on here I guess you don't want to here that mine is the 69gr. derF

I will pick form my personal experience in the prairie dog fields.

1. Sierra BlitzKing 50 grain.
2. Sierra Blitz 50 grain.
3. Speer TNT 50 grain.
4. Hornady V-Max 50 grain.
5. Nosler Ballistic Tip 50 grain.

I would have to go with the 50grn Berger MEF. It is extremely accurate and turns a crow into a puff of feathers.

G AI

Vman,
Were the bullets you listed in order of preference or merely your top five?

55 grn Hornady V-Max and then the SPSX. For playing and less expensive the Midway Dogtown 55 grn SP. These are all in my 14" and 21" .223 Contender barrels.

Mike

hornady v-max! everything I have hit with it died right there.

Nosler 50 grain Ballistic Tips over 27.7 grains of W748.

I shoot ground squirrels for the most part, and I love the Speer 50 gr TNT. The 40 gr Ballistic Tip and V-Max also give lots of "hang time."

55 gr Hor bulk. Shoot as well as anything, and you can afford the pull the trigger again if you missed the first time... Dutch.

Just started shooting my 223 with 55gr V-MAX on top of 22.5grs. of H335 .007" off the lands, which produced my smallest group ever of .192" @100yds, thats only 3000fps in the Hornady manual, but should do fine on a Pdog. Like some of you guys, don't want to spend alot of money on bullets, so I got some 50gr Rems. which is showing some promise, too. Jay.

Thunderstick,
I have a 14 twist in my .223 and have been using both 52 gr HP match Sierras an 50 gr V Max with very similar accuracy with a slight nod to the Sierras. As far as explosive performance they are very similar. I will probably use the V max solely just because I can get them in 250 count boxes. I bought 1250 from Black Hills recently.

I think I've tried most of the 40 to 50 gr. bullets, and I have tested most of them in one form or another. One little test you can try is to shoot them at a phone book at bout 100yds. You will be impressed at the difference between the v-max and the Matchkings as well as the Berger MEF's. I haven't found anything that expands as rapidly or as consistently as the v-max. It is THE bullet as far as I can determine!!!Cris

I am shooting 26 grains of H322 with the 50 gr B-tip. Accuracy is bugholes, if I do my part. I shot a 1-1/4" group at 300 yards (3 shots-sporter barrel). I am not saying I could do it consistently, but all my groups so far have have been under MOA (for 3 shots) at 300, which is hard if there is any breeze at all. I am getting 3400 fps+ in 40 degree weather, probably closer to 3500 fps in 90 degree weather. What are you fellows getting for speed with a 50 gr bullet, using the other powders such as W748, H-335, etc.? I started with the H322 and the B-tip, and stopped because I thought this was incredible accuracy and velocity.

My favorite load is the 55 gr. Rem. PLHP, Rem. brass, Rem. 7-1/2 primer, and 27.5/BL-C(2). This load is explosive on varmints and accurate. I have used it on thousands of ground squirrels and prairie dogs, plus a few rock chucks. I also like the Nosler 55 gr. ballistic tip with the same load, but for volume shooting it gets expensive. I have never gotten very good accuracy with the Rem. PSP bullet, but I have friends who like it for coyotes. It seems to expand but not explode and isn't so rought on hides.

I use Nosler 50 and 55gr. Bal. Tips in my .222Rem., .222Rem. Mag., and .22-250Rem. They work well in all 3 rifles. I also on occasion use Sierra 52gr. HPBT's. They aren't really meant for varmint, but do the job nicely. I do a fair amount of shooting from the bench so I always have lots of Sierra HP's around. Berger 52's work well, but they are pricey for varmint hunting. I like Hornady VMax 20gr and 25gr. HP's in my .17Rem. The bullet choice is smaller in this caliber. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I have settled on primarily 50 gr. VMAX's and 50 gr. TNT's for groundhog hunting with my .222's.

The VMAX's are very explosive, but groundhogs are tough to kill immediately. (To illustrate this point, my buddy shot a ground hog broadside through the lungs at 140 yards using a .223 loaded with a 55 gr. Nosler BT. Remains of the lungs exited the groundhog and were lying on the ground. But the ground hog still made it down it's hole. Only the tip of it's tail was visible, which made it possible to retrieve the body.) About 15% of the groundhogs that I solidly hit with the VMAX still make it out of sight down their hole.

All 18 ground hogs that I have hit with the a TNT expired before making it out of sight down their hole. And that includes some hits "around the fringes". I think that I have read that the jacket of the TNT is designed to fragment into multiple projectiles upon impact. That could be the reason for its amazing kill efficiency.

In terms of accuracy, you will have to see which one best suits your guns. Both are inherently accurate. The VMAX bullet has a longer shank and is easier to load out to the "jam" if the barrel has a worn or long throat.

In terms of Ballistic Efficiency, the VMAX does have a higher BC, but this difference will not be of practical consequence out to the limits of the .223's effectiveness on groundhogs.

rollinghills

Out here in Colorado, got some ranchers who want the towns shot, but don't like a lot of noise or danger. My buddy and I shoot 40 grain V-Max or NBTs. Used to use 27.5 gr WW748. On his last trip through Kansas/Oklahoma, my buddy picked up a bargain of a huge lot of 2200 at $40/8lbs . It should last us years even though we each shoot about 2,000 rnds of .223 a year.

1) I shoot moly, and Sierra want to sell 500 in a box.
2) Nosler does not make a moly.
3) I love Berger MEF moly, but they cost extra.
4) So I am stuck with Hornady 55 gr Vmax moly.
a) I have a 223 1 in 9" Bushmaster V- match that loves 'em.
b) I have a 223 1 in 12" SP1 that loves 'em.
c) I have a 223 Ruger #1 [1 in 12 or 14", I don't know] that loves 'em.

I use 52 gr serria match kings in all my 224 varmint rifles. They are super accurate and they kill very thing I hit with them.

I,ve used just about all of the above with the same results. Since you're lookin' at 50's try some Rem 50gr PowrLoktHP's. With the right load, they are very accurate in most any 22 centerfire. They are priced right, and believe me, they are just as effective as any of the high tech pretty colored offerings out there.

Barnes VLC Coated. Easier on the bore,super devastating and fast. Very accurate to boot.
jerryboy

The more I try other bullets, the more I like my V-Max's.

40's for for small varmints
50's for medium varmints and/or longer shots

$bob$

50 gr VMax over 28.5 grs of WW748 out of a 26" VSSF. Gophers just go all to pieces when hit with this bullet.

Price, ( for Cabelas), accuracy and performance:

Speer 50 gr TNT.

Think it looks cool also in loaded ammo.

Don't you shoot no ugly bullet!!

Thunderstick: I have tried so many bullets over the years in so many 223 Varminters that it is hard to say "one" is my favorite. Lots of great bullets out there today for Varminting as compared to the choices in the 1960's!
Considering many factors though the plain Jane Sierra 50 gr. Blitz (#1340) is right at the top of my list!
These bulets are very accurate, very inexpensive, very lethal on ALL size Varmints, hold together at high speeds and are consistently identical over the decades! I have a close Varminting friend that uses these bullets out of his AR-15 style Varminter and he raves about them also.
Good luck with whichever you choose!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thunderstick,
I know this wasn't on your list but I'm a Barnes nut and the 40grn VLC is a smokin little bullet. its accurate once you find what your gun likes for speed and I have shot hundreds of coyotes with this bullet out to 350. Like you said if I do my part they turn the lights out. The gun I shoot In .223 is a Rem Sendero SS 1 in 12 twist and I like the TAC powder and a Rem primer. This combo also cleans up very easily.

Thats my 2 cents

sly