An example of the characteristics of such a .223 round can be found at handgunhunt.com:
"Over the long haul, the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip with Blue Dot Powder is my hands down favorite for the 10" .223 Contender. This load is quite accurate, and as can be seen, only gives up a little velocity to the IMR-4198 Load. This load is so mild to shoot, while still offering excellent performance in the 10" barreled .223 Handguns it is hard to imagine. What has endeared me to the 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip / Blue Dot load is the mild report, almost nonexistent recoil, and the fact that it does not heat up the barrel as quickly as other loads do. This is extremely important to the Varmint Hunter sitting in the midst of a Prairie Dog Town, or for that matter, a heavily populated Flicker Tail Gopher patch."
Such a pistol is quite concealble and potentially "in-your-face" when compared to an AR-15 longgun and would be a good choice for the goblin sniper(s) in question........