Con Kapralos hails Fiocchi’s .223 Rem hunting ammo
Ammunition maker Fiocchi Munizioni, located in Lecco, Italy is one of the world’s foremost manufacturers encompassing military, law enforcement and civilian applications since 1876. For the competition shooter, their shotgun ammo continues to succeed at the highest levels with countless international accolades, while their hunting shotshells are some of the best you can buy.
Fiocchi metallic cartridges are also highly regarded both in rimfire and centrefire calibres, being of the highest quality using the best components available. Their ammunition has been available in Australia for many years, with TSA Outdoors currently distributing the brand and ensuring a constant supply of this highly-regarded product.
TSA sent Australian Shooter samples of its new Performance line in .223 Remington featuring the EPN projectile (Expansive Polymeric Nose). Being purely a hunting load it’s available with either a 50, 55 or 60-grain projectile and comes in a handy 50-round bulk-pack, something which seems quite common these days with .223 Remington factory offerings.
It’s a wise move by TSA to offer this load in three different weights, as many current .223 Remington rifles sport fast-twist barrels suited to heavier projectiles. And that’s not forgetting the fact there are countless 1-in-12 twist .223s still in service across Australia, which shoot ‘lights out’ with 50 and 55-grain projectiles.
Three at a glance
All loads supplied come in a very attractive box with Fiocchi branding, calibre, bullet weight and an eye-catching photo of a red fox. Smaller pictograms further indicate all loads are ideal for target shooting and varmints along with feathered game such as capercaillie, widely hunted in Europe with small-calibre centrefires. Ballistic tables are also supplied on each carton as well the obligatory warnings and user info required for global markets.
Up close and on-test
These loads are identical in appearance with the red polymer tip on the varmint projectile being a feature of all three. Checking each individually indicated consistent overall lengths and well-finished completed rounds with highly-polished cases. For a product offered in a bulk loading of 50 rounds a box aimed at the hunter and informal target shooter, only range testing would provide information as to their accuracy.
Bullet weights in the 50, 55 and 60-grain configurations should be easily stabilized in the standard 1-in-12 twist rate common to the .223 Remington, though with the proliferation of fast-twist barrels in .223s these days, lighter projectile weights should still be stabilized in such barrels.
Range testing was conducted with a Howa M1500 Sporter (1-in-8 twist) and Tikka T3 Sporter with the standard 1-in-12 twist. The first session with the Howa was on a blustery day not conducive to shooting tight groups. Five-shot groups were the standard test at 100m and the Howa’s 1-in-8 twist produced mediocre results with sizes ranging from 1.5-3 MOA (five shots).
Weather conditions aside, the Howa is my own rifle and only shoots well with handloaded ammo (70-grain Speer soft points) and factory Swiss Munitions Styx P69s (I’ve yet to find an accurate factory load in the 50-64-grain bullet weight range). Moving to a friend’s Tikka T3 Sporter, a proven sub-MOA performer with that 1-in-12 twist, testing was the same as the Howa, shooting five-shot groups at 100m.
But these tests were done in better conditions and results were markedly improved. Group sizes ranged from 1-1.5 MOA for five shots with the odd one nudging the 2 MOA mark, a pleasing results nevertheless with the Tikka. It validates the old adage of trying different factory loads in a rifle until you find one that works, though the T3 wasn’t fussy and shot all Fiocchi .223 Remington Performance line loads very well.
All three of these would be excellent candidates for varmint and pest control applications in this country. Targets such as rabbit, hare, feral cat and fox would be easily taken with the 50 and 55-grain load, while the 60-grain offering could be used for goats and wild dogs without any problem.
In summary
For the .223 Remington owner, be it hunting or informal target shooting, the three Fiocchi Performance line loads with 50, 55 and 60-grain varmint projectiles make an excellent choice in a 50-round value pack. They’re a quality product from a company which has known a thing or two about turning out reliable ammunition for as long as I can remember. Ask for them at your local gun shop or visit the TSA Outdoors website for more.