A couple years ago I bought a 700 Remington sporter and yesterday I got around to shooting it with reloads and was well pleased with the accuracy, it shot a 5 shot group that measures .356CTC. I knew it was going to be a shooter when it shot Winchester White box stuff into nickle size groups most of the time. The rifle is all factory except free floated barrel and a Stepchild trigger job.I'm a happy camper.
In case anyone is interested the load was: 21.5gr. RL7/ 55gr Sierra FB spitzer/ Rem 7 1/2 primers in once fired(e-bay) Remington brass. It's a mild load around 3,200
Stepchild

I have the .223 in the Classic. It has driven tacks every since I bought it. I wisht I had a nickle for every Pdog it has accounted for.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I have the .223 in the Classic. It has driven tacks every since I bought it. I wisht I had a nickle for every Pdog it has accounted for.

What, NO DEER?...Ha!

My 700LS/221 Fireball shows promise,it put 4 out of 5 into .397 using ammo developed for another rifle(.187 best). Using the same ammo in both rifles is a plus to me. The only thing done to it was to float the barrel and tune the factory trigger. Tack driver? Maybe roofing nails.

Stepchild

RC, funny you should mention that. When the .223 became deer legal in WV, they started letting us use them in Factory Rifle matches. I've never killed a deer with it but I've collected a lot of wood.
I know a lot of folks in WV that use the .222 and .223 fro deer killing (and the Hornet for poaching). But they are careful, experienced hunters and practiced marksmen who can get close to a deer and make a precise shot. I still don't advocate the .223 as a deer rifle even though they have rifle twist and bullets now that make the .223 at least the equal of the .243 because when you do, the droolers take to the woods with their little ARs and proceed to arkansaw the shit out of every noise they hear and thing they see.

One of my 1st Varmint rifles was Rem 700 HB in 223.(1973) I reloaded lots of ammo for it and many did .25 MOA if I did my job. I also shoot .222; 221 Fireball; .22-250 Handgun and .220 Swift. All have taken deer cleanly w/o tracking over 25 yds. Most are DRT. Your .223 will kill anything under 250 Lbs. with a ethical broadside shot @ 250 yds. You do your job as a hunter, study the biology of yoy prey and you will prevail.