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.223 vs .224
- Thread starter tgwillard
- Start date
Paul5388
US Veteran
About the only cartridge that uses an actual .223" bullet is some of the older .22 Hornets. Regardless of the name, modern cartridges use .224" bullets for .22 caliber centerfires.
rburg
Well-known member
Don't leave out our beloved Jets. They use .222 bullets.
Jim Watson
Well-known member
Yes. Caliber designations are mostly advertising. Consider that the .218 Bee, .219 Zipper, .220 Swift, .221 Fireball, .222 Remington, .223 Remington, .224 Weatherby, and .225 Winchester ALL use .224" diameter bullets. So to current .22 Hornets and all .22-250s.
But the .22 Remington Magnum (Jet) and .22 Savage High Power don't.
Paul5388
US Veteran
I was trying to word it so I didn't have to list the exceptions, but evidently I had a longer list than was coming to mind. There's also the Russian round for the AK74, something like a 5.45mm and FN has that one that's similar in bullet size to the Savage Hi-Power, maybe .228" also?
You’ve received excellent information about .22 CF cartridges and their appropriate bullets, but don’t go by word of mouth when it comes to reloading. Go by published data, preferably from more than one source.
It’s best to purchase reloading manuals published by the manufacturers of the bullets you plan on using. Follow their prescribed recipes to the letter and work your way up to maximum loads, watching for signs of excessive pressure. Among other specifics, the manuals will tell you exactly what bullets to use for the various calibers.
FWIW, the 5.56mm NATO cartridge and the .223 Remington cartridge have slightly different dimensions and you can generate excessive pressure shooting 5.56mm cartridges in a gun chambered for .223 Remington. SAAMI lists it as unsafe to do so.
It’s best to purchase reloading manuals published by the manufacturers of the bullets you plan on using. Follow their prescribed recipes to the letter and work your way up to maximum loads, watching for signs of excessive pressure. Among other specifics, the manuals will tell you exactly what bullets to use for the various calibers.
FWIW, the 5.56mm NATO cartridge and the .223 Remington cartridge have slightly different dimensions and you can generate excessive pressure shooting 5.56mm cartridges in a gun chambered for .223 Remington. SAAMI lists it as unsafe to do so.
