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Posted: 9/29/2009 10:52:08 PM EDT
[#1]
Originally Posted By DirtyHandsRob:
im curious, does your states allow you to have more than 5 or 6 rounds in your AR's or any rifle/shotgun? (Nebraska does not allow no more than 6 cartridges in a semi-auto firearm) im looking for a 5 round mag for my AR before i take it deer hunting. any ideas? Regular 20-rd mag –– remove floorplate, insert 3.25" tall block of wood or plastic, replace floorplate. |
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Posted: 10/1/2009 1:40:14 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Mannlicher]
[#2]
This year will my first time using a .223 for deer hunting. I will be using a Colt 6700 HBAR, a Weaver Classic Extreme 1.5-4.5X 30mm scope. I have loaded up 200 rounds using a Winchester 64 grain SP, H335 powder and Wolf SP primers, in a new Hornady case.
The load is very accurate in this rifle, under one inch at 100 yards. Florida mandates a 5 round magazine. I bought mine direct from Bushmaster for about $25. 
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USA
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Posted: 10/2/2009 12:26:05 AM EDT
[#3]
WHat scope mount is that?
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Posted: 10/2/2009 1:54:46 AM EDT
[#4]
Originally Posted By sbninja:
Yeah, I think I will try my AR-15 (.223) this year for deer - NY  was thinking my 16" midlength(1 in 7) w/aimpoint. Or maybe just my Bushmaster M4(1 in 9) w/iron sights
Not sure which bullet to use?  I have some Hornady 68 grain BTHP Match loaded up with Varget.
I also have some Hornady 55 grain V-Max ( need to load these) V-Max is definitely not for deer. |
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NJ, USA
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Posted: 10/2/2009 4:24:45 PM EDT
[#5]
60 gr Nosler Partition......Both Federal and Black Hills offer factory loads, others might as well. They WILL do the job.
RG |
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LA, USA
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Posted: 10/2/2009 4:59:33 PM EDT
[#6]
The 55gr. V-Max might not be for deer but my first 2 deer kills with the .223 was with them. Both deer dropped in their tracks after being hit behind the shoulder. The bullet was recovered on the far side under the skin on one deer in a squashed mushroom shape and just fragments in the other deer.
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Posted: 10/3/2009 5:07:43 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Argon3]
[#7]
Good thread for the positive posts
Daughter is getting set up to use an AR next season Clone Red/Green dot I have a 22 conversion to start her off She'll be 6 She wants to go this year but does not want to go to the range so we are going to take small steps for next year I'll be using 55 to 65 grn in a 1-9 twist I'll see what it likes It likes the 50 grn HP from WW but I do want a little more bullet even for the little deer in Texas In put taken IM |
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Posted: 10/4/2009 12:00:38 AM EDT
[#8]
I haven't taken a deer with a .223 yet but will try the AR out this season. I have however taken adult boar with 62gr fusion .223 and never had one take another step on a good shot.
I did have 1 get up and charge me when I got up to him on a 150 yd shot at a moving target. I didn't lead him "quite" enough for the neck shot and he took it in the shoulder so he went down and didn't move until I got close. Regardless, I believe it's a fine round for taking whatever needs to be taken within reason but with dangerous game, have another in the chamber "just in case" hahaha. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 10/4/2009 1:27:16 AM EDT
[Last Edit: battlestick]
[#9]
Originally Posted By Argon3:
Good thread for the positive posts Daughter is getting set up to use an AR next season Clone Red/Green dot I have a 22 conversion to start her off She'll be 6 She wants to go this year but does not want to go to the range so we are going to take small steps for next year I'll be using 55 to 65 grn in a 1-9 twist I'll see what it likes It likes the 50 grn HP from WW but I do want a little more bullet even for the little deer in Texas In put taken IM I know what you are saying here, but don't forget a smaller bullet with highter velocity has more foot pounds of enery at closer ranges. So a marginal hit MAY be negated. Look at the 62 Gr Barnes bullet, and its lighter counterparts, the 53 and 55 gr TSX. EDITED, left out the word bullet. |
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Posted: 10/13/2009 6:58:48 PM EDT
[#10]
Originally Posted By chris65:
Originally Posted By DirtyHandsRob:
im curious, does your states allow you to have more than 5 or 6 rounds in your AR's or any rifle/shotgun? (Nebraska does not allow no more than 6 cartridges in a semi-auto firearm) im looking for a 5 round mag for my AR before i take it deer hunting. any ideas? Regular 20-rd mag –– remove floorplate, insert 3.25" tall block of wood or plastic, replace floorplate. Lego blocks would work well for that
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USA
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Posted: 10/18/2009 3:02:02 AM EDT
[#11]
Do you cut the spring??
Originally Posted By chris65:
Originally Posted By DirtyHandsRob:
im curious, does your states allow you to have more than 5 or 6 rounds in your AR's or any rifle/shotgun? (Nebraska does not allow no more than 6 cartridges in a semi-auto firearm) im looking for a 5 round mag for my AR before i take it deer hunting. any ideas? Regular 20-rd mag –– remove floorplate, insert 3.25" tall block of wood or plastic, replace floorplate. |
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USA
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Posted: 10/18/2009 3:06:18 AM EDT
[#12]
What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION?
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Posted: 10/18/2009 5:34:52 AM EDT
[#13]
Originally Posted By DrDeath: What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION? The short answer: Those work very well. The loooooong answer: I made these posts in several similar threads. Someone should make a compilation of the threads on this subject and tack it... .416 Rigby with a 400gn Hornady softpoint @ 2500 FPS at the muzzle. Range 150 yards. The bullet entered the left chest just in front of shoulder (deer quartering towards me) obliterated the top half of the heart and liquified the front half of the lungs, then came to rest on the ball joint of the right hip. The 10 point buck stayed on his hooves and ran 40 yards. No blood trail, not a single drop. .223 Rem with a 60 gn Nosler Partition @ 2900 fps. Range 165 yards. Classic broadside shot just behind the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetrated completely through the ribcage leaving a golf ball sized exit. The heart was missing 2/3 of it's top half with 6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. The doe ran about 50 yards. OK blood trail. .223 Rem with 62 gn Barnes TSX @ 2900 fps. Range 145 yards. Classic broadside shot high in the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetrated completely breaking both shoulders leaving a quarter sized exit wound. 6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. Doe DRT. Not a single step. (I had the exact same shot and performance using a 120 gn Barnes TSX out of my 6.5x57 @ 2900 fps on a small 8 point. My son had the same performance with a 180 gn TSX out of the .308 @ 100 yards. There is something "magic" about the high shoulder shot, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the chest/shoulder that just seems to work like a light switch. I think it traumatizes the spine and knocks the deer out, then they bleed out before coming to.) 7mm Rem Mag with 140 gn Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3000 fps. Range 100 yards. Classic broadside shot on a mature buck. Buck dropped at the shot, then while my buddy and his young son were giving each other high fives, the deer walked off into a thorn thicket so dense we had to crawl into it on our hands an knees. We followed a blood trail that at times was so heavy it looked like someone was pouring it out by the Coke can. The trail went on for about 400 yards through the thicket, then into an open field where it tapered off to a few drops then stopped. The deer was never recovered. It's as if it "rubbed some dirt on it and walked it off". (The year before, my son shot a nice doe with a .223 62 gn TSX from the exact same blind and had the exact same results, except the blood trail only went about 100 yards. The folks who own that property say they have lost DOZENS of deer the same way from that blind with 7x57, .270, .308... As hard as we all try to recover every animal shot, there will always be a few that haunt us.) I've seen enough deer shot with the .223 to know that a 60 gn or heavier bullet designed for use on deer sized game will leave a wound channel that is virtually indistinguishable from that of a .270 or .30-06 IN THE CASE OF BROADSIDE SHOTS WITH RANGES OF 250 YARDS OR LESS. I've seen enough deer shot to know that you can NEVER count on a blood trail even when using a .416 Rigby. Heart shots work, but the deer is going to run for 30 to 200 yards, maybe more. High shoulder shots tend to be DRT but you are going to waste a large part of both shoulders. There's not a cartridge in existence that doesn't have at least 1 "failure" on it's record. .223 with 60 gn and heavier bullets will work just fine if the hunter is patient enough to wait for a shot that will pass through both lungs. A flubbed shot with ANY cartridge has a high potential for unrecovered game. I know there is a bit (quite possibly a LOT) of disbelief/hesitation for a lot of folks to trust a .223 to properly do the job on deer sized animals. I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I grew up when most of the experienced hunters viewed .243 and 6mm Rem as marginal, and PROPER deer cartridges started with the .257 Roberts. Given the projectiles available in most areas in the 70's and 80's, old cup and core designs the best of the era being the Remington Core Lockt and the Hornady Interlock, the seasoned hunters were probably right. Sure, the Nosler Partition had been available to handloaders for about 40 years, but just as today the VAST majority of hunters bought their ammo from the local sporting goods counter at Walmart or a local Mom & Pop gun shop, and they probably decided to buy whichever box was cheapest. The major manufactures didn't really start offering their 'premium' bullets until the late 80's early 90's, and if the local shop even carried them, they were usually twice the price of the standard offering (that really hasn't changed over the years). Remember, this was WAY before the internet and the Cabela's and Bass Pro mega marts. Back then, the manufactures marketed ammo and rifles tailored to specific niches. They loaded .223, .22-250, .243/6mm ammo with light weight thin jacketed bullets, and they offered rifles in those calibers with slow twist 1/12 or 1/14 barrels. Using those combinations on deer sized game most certainly was a BAD idea. Remember when a 55 gn .224" was HEAVY? What about 80 gn .243"... They didn't offer anything else because their slow twist factory barrels couldn't stabilize anything heavier. Technology has made BIG advances over the last 30 years. Electronics and data communications have been the leaders of the pack, but the bullet tinkerers have been busy too. The current bullet technology is FAR ahead of the old cup and core designs. Bonded core bullets like the Swift Scirocco, Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond, Remington Core Lockt Ultra Bond are marvelous. The monolithic copper bullets like the Barnes TSX and the Hornady GMX are astoundingly effective. We can thank the custom barrel makers for the fast twist barrels we have today and the custom bullet makers for the heavier, bonded core/monolithic copper bullets that are available. Today's .223 Rem loaded with a 70 gn Barnes TSX coupled with a 1/7 twist barrel is VASTLY different than the .223 rifle and ammo on the shelves in 1980. The very first deer I saw taken with a .223 was shot by the now ex-wife of a well known member here. She wanted to hunt, but the .270 her husband was using kicked too much for her to handle. I had been reading of many folks using .223 loaded with quality 60 gn and heavier bullets for a few years, and I decided to load up some 60 gn Nosler Partitions with an eye on shooting a deer with them. Well, as things worked out, Nicole was the one who actually got to do it. We spent about an hour on the 100 yard practice range making sure she could keep every shot in a 4" circle, and we talked all about whitetail anatomy and bullet placement. Nicole went out to the stand that afternoon and shot a small doe at 40 yards. The deer was quartering away from her. The bullet entered on the left side about 3 ribs up from the diaphragm, it obliterated the liver and both lungs, then broke the right shoulder leaving a golf ball sized exit wound. She said the deer dropped in its tracks and kicked for a few seconds, but died before she could reload. That deer was hanging in the skinning shed next to another one that had been dropped with a .270 when I got back to the ranch house (empty handed, I should add). The wound channels were VERY similar. She was quite happy with herself and she had every right to be. She went out to that stand alone and cleanly killed her first deer without ANY assistance. In all honesty, the .223 worked a LOT better than I ever thought it would. Over the years the range has increased but the results have remained consistent. I'm comfortable that a properly loaded .223 is very capable of cleanly killing 250 lb whitetails out to 250 yards AS LONG AS THE HUNTER HAS THE PATIENCE TO WAIT FOR A REASONABLE BROADSIDE SHOT AND THE SKILL TO PUT THE BULLET THROUGH BOTH LUNGS. |
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Posted: 10/18/2009 11:06:38 AM EDT
[#14]
Anyone have hands on experience with the Remington 55 grain Soft point loads?
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Posted: 10/18/2009 11:42:26 AM EDT
[#15]
Originally Posted By mike103:
Anyone have hands on experience with the Remington 55 grain Soft point loads? Contact Remington Customer Service and ask what they would recommend from their ammunition line to use for whitetail deer hunting. You'll be a lot better off if you do. |
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Posted: 10/20/2009 12:19:07 AM EDT
[#16]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
Do you cut the spring?? Originally Posted By chris65:
Originally Posted By DirtyHandsRob:
im curious, does your states allow you to have more than 5 or 6 rounds in your AR's or any rifle/shotgun? (Nebraska does not allow no more than 6 cartridges in a semi-auto firearm) im looking for a 5 round mag for my AR before i take it deer hunting. any ideas? Regular 20-rd mag –– remove floorplate, insert 3.25" tall block of wood or plastic, replace floorplate. No cutting of mag spring. It is just like being fully loaded with rounds, you are taking up space used by rounds six thru twenty with the inserted block. I like the Leggos idea posted above too, press a few together, glue, and sand for exact fit. |
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USA
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Posted: 10/20/2009 1:09:21 AM EDT
[#17]
I could not find any of the below listed Fed 60g Nosler , but I did find some Federal Premium Tactical 62g Bonded SP .......Opinions???
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION? |
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Posted: 10/20/2009 5:18:40 AM EDT
[Last Edit: DanParker]
[#18]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
I could not find any of the below listed Fed 60g Nosler , but I did find some Federal Premium Tactical 62g Bonded SP .......Opinions??? http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=23&t=628630 |
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Posted: 10/20/2009 11:12:25 AM EDT
[#19]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
I could not find any of the below listed Fed 60g Nosler , but I did find some Federal Premium Tactical 62g Bonded SP .......Opinions??? Originally Posted By DrDeath:
What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION? If you have question about Federal ammo in 223, contact Federal yourself and ask them. http://www.federalpremium.com/general/our_company/contact_us.aspx I contacted them, asked them what three bullets in 223 they manufacture would they recommend for deer hunting. Their response said only the 60 gr Nosler. By all means, don't take my word for it, or anyone else's. Contact the manufacturer of the ammo and see what they say. |
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Posted: 10/21/2009 12:07:24 AM EDT
[#20]
Originally Posted By danc46:
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
I could not find any of the below listed Fed 60g Nosler , but I did find some Federal Premium Tactical 62g Bonded SP .......Opinions??? Originally Posted By DrDeath:
What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION? If you have question about Federal ammo in 223, contact Federal yourself and ask them. http://www.federalpremium.com/general/our_company/contact_us.aspx I contacted them, asked them what three bullets in 223 they manufacture would they recommend for deer hunting. Their response said only the 60 gr Nosler. By all means, don't take my word for it, or anyone else's. Contact the manufacturer of the ammo and see what they say. I have a box of .223 55gr TSXs from the Premium line, they best be recommended for deer, cause they have a whitetail on the box! |
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MO, USA
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Posted: 10/21/2009 1:08:51 AM EDT
[#21]
I just purchased 50 55grain TSX and 50 62 grain TSX's. I plan on loading them this week with varget and w748, and working different powder weights to see what works best out of my heavy barrel 1/9 16" RRA.
I'll be using those bullets with a Mueller 4.5x14x40 scope. Plan on taking a shot under 200 yards, preferrably 50 or less. It's only my 2nd season so I'm going to over power the scope to make sure I get proper shot placement. Will also be my first time reloading. Wish me luck. |
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Posted: 10/21/2009 8:30:52 AM EDT
[#22]
Originally Posted By walther1978:
I just purchased 50 55grain TSX and 50 62 grain TSX's. I plan on loading them this week with varget and w748, and working different powder weights to see what works best out of my heavy barrel 1/9 16" RRA. I'll be using those bullets with a Mueller 4.5x14x40 scope. Plan on taking a shot under 200 yards, preferrably 50 or less. It's only my 2nd season so I'm going to over power the scope to make sure I get proper shot placement. Will also be my first time reloading. Wish me luck. Barnes states that a 1:8 or faster is required to stabilize 62 gr. and heavier TSXs, so you may have some issues with your 2nd set of loads. |
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USA
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Posted: 10/21/2009 12:33:17 PM EDT
[#23]
Are you talking the CorBon 223 -62G BARNEs X-Bullet round??
.223 Rem with a 60 gn Nosler Partition @ 2900 fps. Range 165 yards. Classic broadside shot just behind the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetrated completely through the ribcage leaving a golf ball sized exit. The heart was missing 2/3 of it's top half with 6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. The doe ran about 50 yards. OK blood trail. .223 Rem with 62 gn Barnes TSX @ 2900 fps. Range 145 yards. Classic broadside shot high in the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetrated completely breaking both shoulders leaving a quarter sized exit wound. 6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. Doe DRT. Not a single step. (I had the exact same shot and performance using a 120 gn Barnes TSX out of my 6.5x57 @ 2900 fps on a small 8 point. My son had the same performance with a 180 gn TSX out of the .308 @ 100 yards. There is something "magic" about the high shoulder shot, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the chest/shoulder that just seems to work like a light switch. I think it traumatizes the spine and knocks the deer out, then they bleed out before coming to.) 7mm Rem Mag with 140 gn Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3000 fps. Range 100 yards. Classic broadside shot on a mature buck. Buck dropped at the shot, then while my buddy and his young son were giving each other high fives, the deer walked off into a thorn thicket so dense we had to crawl into it on our hands an knees. We followed a blood trail that at times was so heavy it looked like someone was pouring it out by the Coke can. The trail went on for about 400 yards through the thicket, then into an open field where it tapered off to a few drops then stopped. The deer was never recovered. It's as if it "rubbed some dirt on it and walked it off". (The year before, my son shot a nice doe with a .223 62 gn TSX from the exact same blind and had the exact same results, except the blood trail only went about 100 yards. The folks who own that property say they have lost DOZENS of deer the same way from that blind with 7x57, .270, .308... As hard as we all try to recover every animal shot, there will always be a few that haunt us.) I've seen enough deer shot with the .223 to know that a 60 gn or heavier bullet designed for use on deer sized game will leave a wound channel that is virtually indistinguishable from that of a .270 or .30-06 IN THE CASE OF BROADSIDE SHOTS WITH RANGES OF 250 YARDS OR LESS. I've seen enough deer shot to know that you can NEVER count on a blood trail even when using a .416 Rigby. Heart shots work, but the deer is going to run for 30 to 200 yards, maybe more. High shoulder shots tend to be DRT but you are going to waste a large part of both shoulders. There's not a cartridge in existence that doesn't have at least 1 "failure" on it's record. .223 with 60 gn and heavier bullets will work just fine if the hunter is patient enough to wait for a shot that will pass through both lungs. A flubbed shot with ANY cartridge has a high potential for unrecovered game. Originally Posted By DPeacher:
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
What about - FEDERAL 223 REM 60GR NOSLER PARTITION? The short answer: Those work very well. The loooooong answer: I made these posts in several similar threads. Someone should make a compilation of the threads on this subject and tack it... .416 Rigby with a 400gn Hornady softpoint @ 2500 FPS at the muzzle.Range 150 yards. The bullet entered the left chest just in front ofshoulder (deer quartering towards me) obliterated the top half of theheart and liquified the front half of the lungs, then came to rest onthe ball joint of the right hip. The 10 point buck stayed on his hoovesand ran 40 yards. No blood trail, not a single drop. .223 Rem with a 60 gn Nosler Partition @ 2900 fps. Range 165 yards.Classic broadside shot just behind the shoulder on a mature doe. Bulletpenetrated completely through the ribcage leaving a golf ball sizedexit. The heart was missing 2/3 of it's top half with 6" diameter areaof both lungs liquified. The doe ran about 50 yards. OK blood trail. .223 Rem with 62 gn Barnes TSX @ 2900 fps. Range 145 yards. Classicbroadside shot high in the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetratedcompletely breaking both shoulders leaving a quarter sized exit wound.6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. Doe DRT. Not a single step.(I had the exact same shot and performance using a 120 gn Barnes TSXout of my 6.5x57 @ 2900 fps on a small 8 point. My son had the sameperformance with a 180 gn TSX out of the .308 @ 100 yards. There issomething "magic" about the high shoulder shot, 1/2 to 2/3 of the wayup the chest/shoulder that just seems to work like a light switch. Ithink it traumatizes the spine and knocks the deer out, then they bleedout before coming to.) 7mm Rem Mag with 140 gn Nosler Ballistic Tip @ 3000 fps. Range 100yards. Classic broadside shot on a mature buck. Buck dropped at theshot, then while my buddy and his young son were giving each other highfives, the deer walked off into a thorn thicket so dense we had tocrawl into it on our hands an knees. We followed a blood trail that attimes was so heavy it looked like someone was pouring it out by theCoke can. The trail went on for about 400 yards through the thicket,then into an open field where it tapered off to a few drops thenstopped. The deer was never recovered. It's as if it "rubbed some dirton it and walked it off". (The year before, my son shot a nice doe witha .223 62 gn TSX from the exact same blind and had the exact sameresults, except the blood trail only went about 100 yards. The folkswho own that property say they have lost DOZENS of deer the same wayfrom that blind with 7x57, .270, .308... As hard as we all try torecover every animal shot, there will always be a few that haunt us.) I've seen enough deer shot with the .223 to know that a 60 gn orheavier bullet designed for use on deer sized game will leave a woundchannel that is virtually indistinguishable from that of a .270 or.30-06 IN THE CASE OF BROADSIDE SHOTS WITH RANGES OF 250 YARDS OR LESS.I've seen enough deer shot to know that you can NEVER count on a bloodtrail even when using a .416 Rigby. Heart shots work, but the deer isgoing to run for 30 to 200 yards, maybe more. High shoulder shots tendto be DRT but you are going to waste a large part of both shoulders.There's not a cartridge in existence that doesn't have at least 1"failure" on it's record. .223 with 60 gn and heavier bullets will work just fine if the hunteris patient enough to wait for a shot that will pass through both lungs.A flubbed shot with ANY cartridge has a high potential for unrecoveredgame. I know there is a bit (quite possibly a LOT) of disbelief/hesitationfor a lot of folks to trust a .223 to properly do the job on deer sizedanimals. I WAS ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I grew up when most of theexperienced hunters viewed .243 and 6mm Rem as marginal, and PROPERdeer cartridges started with the .257 Roberts. Given the projectiles available in most areas in the 70's and 80's, oldcup and core designs the best of the era being the Remington Core Locktand the Hornady Interlock, the seasoned hunters were probably right.Sure, the Nosler Partition had been available to handloaders for about40 years, but just as today the VAST majority of hunters bought theirammo from the local sporting goods counter at Walmart or a local Mom& Pop gun shop, and they probably decided to buy whichever box wascheapest. The major manufactures didn't really start offering their'premium' bullets until the late 80's early 90's, and if the local shopeven carried them, they were usually twice the price of the standardoffering (that really hasn't changed over the years). Remember, thiswas WAY before the internet and the Cabela's and Bass Pro mega marts. Back then, the manufactures marketed ammo and rifles tailored tospecific niches. They loaded .223, .22-250, .243/6mm ammo with lightweight thin jacketed bullets, and they offered rifles in those caliberswith slow twist 1/12 or 1/14 barrels. Using those combinations on deersized game most certainly was a BAD idea. Remember when a 55 gn .224"was HEAVY? What about 80 gn .243"... They didn't offer anything elsebecause their slow twist factory barrels couldn't stabilize anythingheavier. Technology has made BIG advances over the last 30 years. Electronicsand data communications have been the leaders of the pack, but thebullet tinkerers have been busy too. The current bullet technology isFAR ahead of the old cup and core designs. Bonded core bullets like theSwift Scirocco, Hornady Interbond, Nosler Accubond, Remington CoreLockt Ultra Bond are marvelous. The monolithic copper bullets like theBarnes TSX and the Hornady GMX are astoundingly effective. We can thank the custom barrel makers for the fast twist barrels wehave today and the custom bullet makers for the heavier, bondedcore/monolithic copper bullets that are available. Today's .223 Remloaded with a 70 gn Barnes TSX coupled with a 1/7 twist barrel isVASTLY different than the .223 rifle and ammo on the shelves in 1980. The very first deer I saw taken with a .223 was shot by the now ex-wifeof a well known member here. She wanted to hunt, but the .270 herhusband was using kicked too much for her to handle. I had been readingof many folks using .223 loaded with quality 60 gn and heavier bulletsfor a few years, and I decided to load up some 60 gn Nosler Partitionswith an eye on shooting a deer with them. Well, as things worked out,Nicole was the one who actually got to do it. We spent about an hour onthe 100 yard practice range making sure she could keep every shot in a4" circle, and we talked all about whitetail anatomy and bulletplacement. Nicole went out to the stand that afternoon and shot a smalldoe at 40 yards. The deer was quartering away from her. The bulletentered on the left side about 3 ribs up from the diaphragm, itobliterated the liver and both lungs, then broke the right shoulderleaving a golf ball sized exit wound. She said the deer dropped in itstracks and kicked for a few seconds, but died before she could reload.That deer was hanging in the skinning shed next to another one that hadbeen dropped with a .270 when I got back to the ranch house (emptyhanded, I should add). The wound channels were VERY similar. She wasquite happy with herself and she had every right to be. She went out tothat stand alone and cleanly killed her first deer without ANYassistance. In all honesty, the .223 worked a LOT better than I ever thought itwould. Over the years the range has increased but the results haveremained consistent. I'm comfortable that a properly loaded .223 isvery capable of cleanly killing 250 lb whitetails out to 250 yards ASLONG AS THE HUNTER HAS THE PATIENCE TO WAIT FOR A REASONABLE BROADSIDESHOT AND THE SKILL TO PUT THE BULLET THROUGH BOTH LUNGS. |
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Posted: 10/21/2009 4:33:12 PM EDT
[#24]
I'm going to try my 16" 1x9 for the first time this year.
I bought a bag of Winny 64 gr Powerpoints and settled on 25 gr RL15, Remington 7.5s and 2.25" I'll be using a Bushnell Holosite and maybe a 3X magnifier. |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 10/21/2009 6:06:02 PM EDT
[#25]
I think that I'll try my AR 15 as well this year.I am going to go with the 62 grain Barnes triple shock bullet.
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USA
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Posted: 10/22/2009 3:10:46 PM EDT
[#26]
How about this Remington round? Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Rifle Ammunition PRC223R4, 223 Remington, Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded, 62 GR, 3100 fps.....
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VA, USA
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Posted: 10/22/2009 3:22:59 PM EDT
[#27]
Lego blocks would work well for that That sir is an awesome idea. |
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Posted: 10/22/2009 5:08:05 PM EDT
[#28]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
How about this Remington round? Remington Premier Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded Rifle Ammunition PRC223R4, 223 Remington, Core-Lokt Ultra Bonded, 62 GR, 3100 fps..... I recommended this load in another thread only because it is available through ableammo.com. The Federal premium the person wanted in out of stock everywhere! I have no experience with it. I sighted in my AR and my two sons AR's with the standard Remington 55 grain Soft points. I have misgivings about this load but I have several boxes in stock and we will only shoot does with this load. This ammo shortage is unbelievable. I thought only the high volume ammo would be in short supply but even standard hunting ammo for common calibers are hard to find. I would have thought they would have ramped up production for hunting season. Anytime I see ammo in Walmart, Dick's or any other local store I buy what I use just to have it in stock. MIKE. |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 10/22/2009 8:31:12 PM EDT
[#29]
+1 first year with ar have loaded both 70gr. barnes tsx and 65gr. seirre game kings well see how it works out.
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USA
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Posted: 10/23/2009 1:26:54 AM EDT
[#30]
Who makes a Factory loading in the 70 grain..??
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KY, USA
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Posted: 10/23/2009 2:54:24 AM EDT
[#31]
Excuse my ignorance, but could someone post a diagram of good shot placement. I have not hunted since I was 8 or 9 for deer and that was just tagging along with Dad using a .50 muzzleloader. He quit hunting after that because he lost interest in killing for something we didn't need. We continued to small game hunt as I grew up, but honestly I have never taken my own deer. I was thinking about possibly going with a 1/7 twist 16" middy this year. It will be with iron sights. I don't plan on taking a shot on anything outside of 50 yds. Thanks for the help and sorry for the thread hijack, but there seems to be a lot of traffic from knowledgeable folks here.
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Posted: 10/23/2009 6:24:56 AM EDT
[Last Edit: mike103]
[#32]
http://hunting.about.com/od/deerbiggame/a/shotplacement.htm
http://www.deerhunting.ws/deeranatomy.htm |
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Posted: 10/23/2009 10:34:05 AM EDT
[Last Edit: danc46]
[#33]
I'm strongly against using the 223 for deer hunting but I may try it this year if the right opportunity arises.
(My limits will be a 100 yd shot, out in the open, and I have my regular 30/06 beside me as well where I can use it if I have too. I promise my shot will be a damn good one in the kill zone!) I bought some 60 gr Nosler Partition bullets yesterday and loaded some up last night. A 3000 ft load by the book. We'll see how they shoot. And hopefully, see how they perform on a deer. ETA For a good shot placement, I'll define the area immediately behind the front leg, a 8" circle with the bottom of that bullseye tangent with the bottom of the chest, on a broadside shot. |
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Posted: 11/1/2009 4:04:56 PM EDT
[#34]
Originally Posted By mike103:
Anyone have hands on experience with the Remington 55 grain Soft point loads? I have used this round or a variaton of it for years with out problem. From the time I was 15 I used a Mini-14 (180 Series) and it was a shooter. Most of my deer back then were from 50 to 200 meters. We had 250 acres of farm land that went from open field to swamp. The rifle and the round combo worked great. These last few years I have aquaried a Bushmaster Heavy Barrel that I have been using. Last hunting season took a 100 lb deer at 65 to 70 meters, neck shot using this same round. Little blood no exit wound. Out of all of the years I used the Remington 55 gr PSP I have never had to track one down. I have tried to find the Win. 64 gr round and have always had trouble trying to find a box even before the run on ammo. If I can find a wider selection I'll try them this year and post with the results. |
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Posted: 11/1/2009 8:23:14 PM EDT
[#35]
Originally Posted By DrDeath: Are you talking the CorBon 223 -62G BARNEs X-Bullet round?? .223 Rem with 62 gn Barnes TSX @ 2900 fps. Range 145 yards. Classic broadside shot high in the shoulder on a mature doe. Bullet penetrated completely breaking both shoulders leaving a quarter sized exit wound. 6" diameter area of both lungs liquified. Doe DRT. Not a single step. (I had the exact same shot and performance using a 120 gn Barnes TSX out of my 6.5x57 @ 2900 fps on a small 8 point. My son had the same performance with a 180 gn TSX out of the .308 @ 100 yards. There is something "magic" about the high shoulder shot, 1/2 to 2/3 of the way up the chest/shoulder that just seems to work like a light switch. I think it traumatizes the spine and knocks the deer out, then they bleed out before coming to.) I was/am using 62gn Barnes TSX handloads, but the CorBon load uses the exact same bullet. If your rifle is accurate with the CorBon offering, the TSX will get the job done. |
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Posted: 11/3/2009 12:40:40 PM EDT
[#36]
Originally Posted By raymondh3201:
Originally Posted By mike103: Anyone have hands on experience with the Remington 55 grain Soft point loads? I have used this round or a variation of it for years with out problem. From the time I was 15 I used a Mini-14 (180 Series) and it was a shooter. Most of my deer back then were from 50 to 200 meters. We had 250 acres of farm land that went from open field to swamp. The rifle and the round combo worked great. These last few years I have acquired a Bushmaster Heavy Barrel that I have been using. Last hunting season took a 100 lb deer at 65 to 70 meters, neck shot using this same round. Little blood no exit wound. Out of all of the years I used the Remington 55 gr PSP I have never had to track one down. I have tried to find the Win. 64 gr round and have always had trouble trying to find a box even before the run on ammo. If I can find a wider selection I'll try them this year and post with the results. Thanks for the reply. I am going with the Remington 55 grain SP's this year. All three AR's are sighted in with iron sights only. Next year we hope to have everything scoped out. Funds lacking this year. We will only use on does with broadside shots. Buck hunting we will use the big guns. 
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Posted: 11/4/2009 9:05:32 AM EDT
[#37]
Originally Posted By danc46:
I'm strongly against using the 223 for deer hunting but I may try it this year if the right opportunity arises. (My limits will be a 100 yd shot, out in the open, and I have my regular 30/06 beside me as well where I can use it if I have too. I promise my shot will be a damn good one in the kill zone!) If you are really that particular about shot placement, your 06 will be sitting in the safe next year. |
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UT, USA
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Posted: 11/4/2009 9:18:17 AM EDT
[Last Edit: brasidas]
[#38]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
Who makes a Factory loading in the 70 grain..?? I know ssarmory makes loaded ammo with these bullets. Midwayusa and CTD sell it. I shot a doe a few years ago with a 70 grain Barnes TSX handload. It performed well. DRT. |
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Posted: 11/4/2009 9:32:26 AM EDT
[#39]
I have been bow hunting but I am planning on also gun hunting this year. I have been planning on using Black Hills 77gr hollow points. Does anyone have any experience with this round and deer hunting? I might have missed this up in the tread because I skimmed through the thread.
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KY, USA
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Posted: 11/4/2009 9:51:22 AM EDT
[#40]
load you a Barnes Triple Shock 70gr and make first shot super accurate and follow up with another round immediately. You could always load a 90gr and follow with a 70gr barnes Triple Shock and that would be awesome.
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Posted: 11/4/2009 10:28:04 AM EDT
[#41]
Originally Posted By guncrazy72:
I have been bow hunting but I am planning on also gun hunting this year. I have been planning on using Black Hills 77gr hollow points. Does anyone have any experience with this round and deer hunting? I might have missed this up in the tread because I skimmed through the thread. Match ammo IS NOT good hunting ammo. It might work and it might not. You have a better chance with a bullet designed for hunting the game you are hunting. In 223, lots of ammo is designed for varmint killing. It is designed to blow up - expand immediately - on smaller animals. Some bullets like the Nosler 60 gr partition are designed to have much slower expansion and penetrate much deeper on larger animals like deer. Even then, I'm not personally crazy about the 223 as a deer round. I'm going to give the Nosler60 gr Partition a try this year, but any shots I take will be very limited in scope. I wouldn't advise using any 223 HP, especially bullets/ammo designed for matches, for hunting whitetails. |
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USA
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Posted: 11/5/2009 11:08:13 AM EDT
[#42]
How is the Hornady 75g BTHP for deer?
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Posted: 11/5/2009 1:22:22 PM EDT
[#43]
Originally Posted By DrDeath:
How is the Hornady 75g BTHP for deer? Contact Hornady and see what they say. I couldn't find any contact info on their website. http://www.hornady.com/ |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 11/9/2009 12:10:28 PM EDT
[#44]
I recently took my 223 out because i needed some meet and my 308 had no sights. Fed 50gr HP bulk worked on both doe. Both shots were right behind the shoulder, and through both lungs. They made the normal 25 yd run and then dropped. Both were a little under 100 yds and broadside. Both exited but didn't expand much. The insides were liquified though. Seemed like alot more internal damage than any other caliber i had used (243, 308, 30-06). Before this experience i seriously underestimated the 223. I was going to use 75gr Tap but it wouldn't group in my gun (5'' group). If i take it out again i'll use atleast 55gr and softpoints for a bigger exit wound. IMO accuracy and placement is more important that bullet selection.
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USA
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Posted: 11/9/2009 2:15:36 PM EDT
[#45]
I worked at a BassPro in the hunting department for almost 4 years. We once had a guy bring 223 ammo back wanting to return it.
He told us it was defective ammo because he had hit two deer with it and lost both deer. He didn't get his money back of course. |
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Posted: 11/9/2009 4:05:30 PM EDT
[#46]
Originally Posted By mcant20:
I worked at a BassPro in the hunting department for almost 4 years. We once had a guy bring 223 ammo back wanting to return it. He told us it was defective ammo because he had hit two deer with it and lost both deer. He didn't get his money back of course. When my son and I were talking about squirrel hunting with his 10/22 my brother-in-law chimed in that .22lr was no good for squirrels. When I asked why he thought that he said that when he was a kid he used to take his .22 out and shoot squirrels, but the bullets just passed right through them without doing any serious damage, and they'd run away. It never occured to him that he missed. |
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GA, USA
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Posted: 11/9/2009 7:08:51 PM EDT
[#47]
Originally Posted By DanParker:
Originally Posted By mcant20:
I worked at a BassPro in the hunting department for almost 4 years. We once had a guy bring 223 ammo back wanting to return it. He told us it was defective ammo because he had hit two deer with it and lost both deer. He didn't get his money back of course. When my son and I were talking about squirrel hunting with his 10/22 my brother-in-law chimed in that .22lr was no good for squirrels. When I asked why he thought that he said that when he was a kid he used to take his .22 out and shoot squirrels, but the bullets just passed right through them without doing any serious damage, and they'd run away. It never occured to him that he missed. I remember the first deer i saw die. My friend and I were about 12 and shooting at rocks and such with 22's. I had never been hunting and had no understanding or knowledge of deer. A big 9 pointer ran up and he opened fire. We were both good shots so i couldn't understand how he missed 7 shots at less than 100 yds. It ran about 15 yds and fell after standing there long enough for him to take 3 shots at the head and 4 at the body. I thought it was hiding at the time. I went with them to pick it up at the cooler and they found all 7 shots. It still amazes me how even with a 150 grain bullet moving almost 3000fps in the vitals a deer can sometimes run over 100 yds. Amazing animals |
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Posted: 11/9/2009 7:15:47 PM EDT
[#48]
Originally Posted By Zoomer302:
Not legal to hunt in my state with a 223. Not sure I would want to either - although those pics do show some catastrophic damage. I shoot deer with a 308, 30-06, 12 Ga. slug gun and a 50 cal muzzleloader. Most everyone I hunt with shoots a 30 cal of some sort. There's an occasional 270 or 7mm mag and maybe a 300 win mag or WSM if your over the cut corn fields( ) and have a long poke at one.
Not trying to start another caliber war here but with so many better choices out there, why would you want to use a 22? Are you in NY? If so, ANY Centerfire cartridge is legal for deer hunting in NY...check the guide...not that I use this round for anything other than Coyote.. |
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Posted: 11/9/2009 7:25:05 PM EDT
[#49]
Hey guys, I think I am going to tack this thread and refer all people that ever ask about using the .223/5.56 for deer to this thread.
That way, the same topic won't keep getting beaten to death time and time again and there is a lot of good information in this thread. If anyone disagrees with this, please just send me an IM 
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ND, USA
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Posted: 11/11/2009 9:45:53 PM EDT
[Last Edit: buckfever34]
[#50]
edit
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