Hi Don,
I have a couple .22 mags, a Ruger semi auto and a Henry lever action. To be honest I've never shot the Henry. The Ruger I've used around here as a plinker on general varmints up to feral dog size, seems to work fine for what I've needed. I've been thinking about getting a Volquartsen but haven't done that yet, they are a nice option for a semi-automatic.
Another option you could do is flip up sites for your .223. You could mount your scope higher and go under the scope with the sites. Another common way to mount is to get 45 degree offset sites and leave your scope as is. I use and like this option as it's always ready to go and the scope stays low too. Plus you get to look like a city gansta and tilt your gun sideways to shoot the open sites.
