My main varmint loads this year for the 223

My generally in the magazine ammo will be the 75 grain Hornady BTHP with crimp grove on top of 26.0 grains of Leverrevolution popped by a CCI 450 primer seated out to 2.3. Work up if your going to try this load but I have to say LVR is where it's at with the heavies in the 223. This one gets right at 2900 fps out of my 22 inch barrel. For raccoons it will be 26.0 grains of BLC2 under a Hornady 45 gr. Hornady bullet. or I will pull the 55 gr. FMJ bullets from brass case factory ammo and replace them with this bullet. I have had good results with this load on coyotes also. It seems lately that I mostly target feral hogs which is what the first load is for but it will be used on everything I can get a shot at. The rifle is a Model 7 Predator that has a 1-9 twist barrel. It handles the 75 grain bullet very nicely.

Sounds like a great round. I've been using the factory V-max and have had pretty good results with them. They're a little light for if a group of pigs comes through.

It costs the same for me to hunt coyotes or feral hogs so I usually go after the latter. My raccoon shooting always takes place inside 100 yards so really pointed bullets aren't needed, but I have several hundred 60 grain V-max's waiting patiently for testing!

Those two loads will work. I would shoot the 75s at raccoons also but I really hate raccoons

My only concern is when shooting match bullets at animals sometimes they will expand or fragment, sometimes they provide pencil size entry and exit. They are built for pure accuracy on paper and steel, not for consistent terminal peformance on animals.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

I agree completely on the match bullets. The Hornady 75 grain has provided me with a variety of different performances but all have ended up with dead deer or hogs. I also hate raccoons so I am using a bullet that will come apart on them!

I once shot a raccoon with 3 Inch Magnum 41 Pellet #4 Buckshot from a Remington 870 with a .675 Turkey Choke. From 20 yards away the raccoon erupted like a volcano and I smiled the rest of the night

Yes, the lightweight bullets will work better on raccoon sized varmints. IME in the .223 the 40 Grain Vmax is a pretty stellar varmint evaporator at 3600 fps.

Just my shooteveryraccoonyousee .02,
LeonCarr

I brutally destroyed a couple raccoons using 125 grain pistol bullets pushed to 2800 fps out of my 35 Whelen. The bullets would blue streak on me if I pushed them any faster! Another round that really disassembled them was the 204 Ruger.