Does anyone have a recommended bullet and powder combo for the .223? I haven't been able to get anything under 1". Thanks.

If I can get 1" groups out of a handgun at 100 yards, I'm usually pretty happy. That said, I've had real good luck in my 14" Contender using 40 grain V-maxes over Benchmark and/or Varget.

I am currently shooting both a SST Super 14 G2 Contender Handgun and a 16" Bushmaster M4 AR-15 Carbine in .223. I use the same load in both guns.

55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips (seated to fit in the AR Magazine at 2.252") with 25.5grs. H-4895 Powder (1/2 grain under Hodgdon's published max on their web site) in Military LC Brass with Remington 7 1/2 Primers.

This load will print 1/2" or less groups at 100 yards from the bench from the Contender Handgun at 2820 FPS. From the Bushmaster AR this load will print 3/4" or slightly less groups at 100 yards from the bench at a muzzle velocity of 2947 FPS.

As with any data on the net please work up to this load in your barrel & chamber watching for pressure signs as there are indeed variables from gun to gun, and from different lots of components.

Larry

I use 26grn of Varget with 50-55grn bullets, mostly Vmax.
To be honest, I don't shoot alot of paper. I do shoot steel, clay birds, dirt clods, rocks, and of course alot of prairie dogs and such. They seem to keep hitting what I'm aiming at so I don't pay any attention to the groups.
My 12yr old son has connected on prairie dogs out to almost 350yds with it!
I know that I should shoot some paper and maybe I could shrink the groups some, but I really don't care if it keeps shooting like this.

Thanks for the advice. I've got a stash of different 50-55 grain bullets from different manufacturers that I'll give a try.