Does anyone know where there is a ballistics chart for the white box (40 round packs)winchester 45 grain 223 ammo? This shoots under 1/2 MOA in my rifle, but am wondering how it will hold up long range. The listed muzzle velocity (3600 fps) will be hard to duplicate with handloads.

The Win 45gr ammo averaged 3450fps out of my 24" barrel Cooper. Shoots well (0.7"), but velocity is nothing special.
Easily topped with handloads.

Thunder - The rule is the lighter the bullet, the faster it goes coming out your barrel. The down side is the lower the weight, the faster it slows down. I don't have my ballistic program here at work but I'd guess that at around 175-200 yds the 55 gr bullet catches up with the 45 and then out runs it from there on just owing to the extra mass of the 55.

But for a lot of varmit hunting the game is played within 200 yd or less and the 45 gr bullet is fine.

Which one to use just depends on what you're after and how far away you want to play.

TS I use JBM for ballistics charts. You can customize the info required.
I've been using the 45gr.on coyotes. They usually put them down for the count and are fur friendly. the longest shot was approx 285 yds.
BUT I have shot two coyotes at about 100 yds. and it took three hits to the chest on both of these to put ythem down.
In the last week or so I've killed 12 10 were good and the 2 above. If I don't find out why, I will go back to 52 gr.

I understand that the lighter bullets "usually" (dependent on designs that are compared) have a lower BC and lose their velocity faster, however if you look at the ballistics for the 40 grain Hornady v-max you will see that its BC is virtually equivalent to a 50 gr. spitzer. This factory load has a listed velocity (3800 fps) and trajectory that almost duplicates a 22-250 with a 50 gr. SP. It would also be hard to reach this velocity with handloads (if the factory listing is accurate). This load does not group well in my rifle.

The 45 gr. Win. load is listed as 3600 fps and if that HP has a fairly decent BC it would shoot quite flat as well. It is already known to be accurate. But I have not been able to find any trajectory tables from Win. that record this load.

Eventually when I have enough empty brass I will begin to handload, though I thought it would be nice to have a factory load fall-back.

Thanks for the field report on the Win. ammo. I have only shot one groundhog with my new 223 Tikka with this load and do not have a lot of experience yet with it. At 300 yards it groups as well as the heavier 55 gr loads.

I was hoping maybe someone had found a website or catalog that listed a trajectory table for it. If I had the bullets' BC, I could calculate my own trajectory.

I normally just put up targets at ranges in 50 yard increments and see where the POI ends up.

No ballistics program will be perfect, but your own collected data will be as close to perfect as possible.

I don't believe the .223 can be effective much beyond 200 yards, unless you're shooting very small varmints, such as prarie dogs. As a matter of fact, the 22-250 has a hard time killing our eastern groundhogs beyond 250 yards. Many crawl back to their holes and die.

I would just sight the .223 in at 1.5 inches high at 100 yards, and this should give you a good 200 yard dead on hold with just about any decent bullet, including the Win Varmint Pack stuff...

Dan Newberry
green 788

The heavier bullets, fired from the 22-250 or the 220 Swift would have better terminal performance, I'm sure.

We shot two groundhogs last year at 330 yards with a 22-250 shooting the 40 grain Hornady VMAX factory load, from a 26" Remington Sendero. Both of these animals, after taking solid, gut hits, crawled back into their holes. Both were later found at the mouths of their holes when they'd tried to crawl out.

55 grain bullets would of course do better. Velocity wouldn't be that far behind, either, since they hold their speed better than the 40's.

I know that folks shoot prarie dogs out to 600 yards with the 22-250, and perhaps 400 with the .223. The average eastern groundhog or 'chuck, weighs just under 10 pounds, with some nearly doubling that. So they are harder to put down, but easier to hit than prarie dogs.

I use, believe it or not, my 30-06 and my 270 to groundhog hunt with. Either rifle will tear them to pieces at 400 yards...

Dan Newberry
green 788

Winchester quotes their BC as 0.185 and 3600 fps. In my 22" Savage they do 3550 - 3580 (Beta Master Chrony @ 15') and 1/2 moa. I don't need any more brass so I haven't tried them on game or long range.

Thanks PEI Rob, that was the information (BC) I was looking for. It seems as though the BC is not all that great, though about what is to be expected for a 45 grainer.

I was looking at a light bullet (flat trajectory) for use on groundhogs (minimal ricochet) and furbearers (minimal exit wounds). I suppose if I am going to go this light I should stick with a plastic tip bullet for a better BC.