Shot a sika stag on Saturaday morning. 230m top of neck under jaw. Never moved . Found pill[ Barnes 53gr TSX ] when removing head. Perfect mushroom.Quote:
Originally Posted by mawzer308
Printable View
Shot a sika stag on Saturaday morning. 230m top of neck under jaw. Never moved . Found pill[ Barnes 53gr TSX ] when removing head. Perfect mushroom.Quote:
Originally Posted by mawzer308
Attachment 239771
223 55grn pill base of neck. Bowled him flat. Look at the fat over his rump etc.
Good couple of days hunting Sika with @Pop Shot one of them was this hind shot at 431m with the 223, 75gr ELDM. Entered snug right shoulder and excited opposite side, she went no more then 40m before piling up in the Manuka.
No wind, good rest, validated rifle, proven loads and results over many animals.
Attachment 239839
Attachment 239840
Excellent! Great shooting.
Well done. These last few you’ve posted about been taken on public land?Quote:
Originally Posted by mawzer308
Great shooting with the good old.223
Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk
@mawzer308 that was an absolutely epic shot to say the least mate, glad I witnessed it. I don't think she even ran 40m if we're being honest. She was dead on her feet, lights out.
I think the stag I shot the next morning with my 7/08 ran further haha.
Attachment 240060
Young red stag. 40 m. First light 5:40 am. 69 gn tmk. Sacked it. Made pulp of the liver broke the spine and was embedded in the skin on the far side.
Attachment 240061
Attachment 240062
Does any body know if the 69gn TMK is offered in a factory round for the .223 in NZ?
I would like to try some through my Vixen for bush hunting.
I do realize they will not stabilize with my 1 in 12 twist, however I'm thinking under 50m shouldn't matter to much.
I don't reload, so factory ammunition is my only option at the moment.
Don’t know sorry. Your welcome to try a few reloadsQuote:
Originally Posted by 9STAGS
Not in NZ that I've seen. You'd be better off buying some Hornady match with the 73gr eldm and see if they group in your rifle. If they do, you won't be disappointed.Quote:
Originally Posted by 9STAGS
Couple of Kaweka Sika with the 75gr eldm. Was trying to get the young fulla his first Sika but bush hunting it is bloody difficult to find an adequate rest quickly enough so unfortunately he missed out. Still neat for him to get to see a few well and truly up close and personal.
Attachment 240221
Attachment 240222
He looks pretty happy non the less bro [emoji106]
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Thanks for the couple of replies to my question i posted.
I'm new to using a .223 on deer, but not being a reloader limits me a little bit to experimentation with various projectiles as only a few options are offered in factory ammunition.
I don't really want to rebarrel my vixen to a faster twist as my short magazine length probably negates my choices of projectile anyway.
Finding deer in tight bush without a blood trail is a real challenge, especially as I don't hunt over a dog.
I would like to try heavier weight projectiles than the standard Hornady 55gr that I'm currently using.
I'm not proficient enough of a marksman, nor the terrain I hunt allows me to reliably head or neck shoot consistently.
This thread has been a learning curve and a goldmine of information.
Thank you to all the members who have freely offered up their knowledge and real world experiences.
Don’t make it too complicated for yourself. Stuff like the 64 grn Winchester or 55 grn Norma work just fine. Hand loading heavier bullets and a faster twist barrel add a margin but not to the extent that you should be wringing your hands about it. Under 250 yards you will do just fine. A deer lung shot will always die and how far they travel doesn’t seem to me to be caliber dependent. The amount of blood trail does seem to be though and that’s one negative about the .223. But with experience you get pretty good at tracking them. You will soon be reading the signs - a scuff in the dirt there, a broken twig there, and a tiny spot of blood there - and then crushed fern and the smell of deer and the buzzing of flies. Ah ha. There you are!Quote:
Originally Posted by 9STAGS
Attachment 240316Quote:
Originally Posted by 9STAGS
Attachment 240317
Buy some of these mate, I shot 3 dear with these the day I got my 223.
Now I'm reloading and I have duplicated these because they are so good, I am using 1.8 twist but these 60gr's shouldn't be too bad in your 1.12 especially if you aren't shooting long ranges.
OK cheers for the new replies and information.
Yes the heart lung is my go to shot when the head or neck isn't an option.
Used a 308 for 30 years, so I got a bit lazy tracking deer after the shot because if they did move off there was always plenty of blood so looking for the subtle tell tale signs wasnt needed.
Its more of an issue when the ground is very dry and the Sika don't leave footprints in the forest floor, it can be a challenge to find what direction they have run off in, especially in the pepper wood thickets and thicker guts that I normally shoot them in.
Cheers once again, its been a great thread.
Pine block Red from this morning....
Attachment 240365
A recovered 75gr eldm from a big body Red at approximately 200 yards. No major bones, through ribs, lungs then resting under the off side skin.
Attachment 240366
How well do the eldm's hold up at close range/high velocity? They dont blow to bits?
They do lose a bit of weight, core jacket separation but, very effective and the deer either drop or don't go far so doesn't really matter tbh.Quote:
Originally Posted by makka
I tend to shoot for the lungs, head or neck with the .223 so do have a preference for softer more frangible projectiles to achieve a bit more damage. These can blow up a bit but never had a problem. One of the better performing .223 projectiles I have used.Quote:
Originally Posted by makka
I shot 3 Fallow last evening. 77 grn Sierra Tipped. On every one the bullet was just under the off side skin. The one on the right went through the main shoulder joint. 200, 230 and 250 yds.
Attachment 240388
If you join the army it's public!Quote:
Originally Posted by Maxx
Sent from my SM-A226B using Tapatalk
You must have a different projectile for every day of the year. You didnt do pathology in your former life?.LOL. Clearly you dont whakapapa to Veganism. HNY.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tahr
3 x .223's all shooting something different. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by TeRei
I had look up HNY. Yes, to you too.
A couple with the 77 Sierra Tipped.
Lung shot. Bullet found under off side skin.
Attachment 240506
Entry smashed shoulder joint. Bullet found under off side skin.
Attachment 240507
Red stag 220 yds. 69gn tmk. Sacked it.
Attachment 240575
Red stag 240 yds. 69gn tmk. Punched through shoulder taking out heart lungs and bullet embedded in skin in the far shoulder. Took about 10 wobbly steps and went legs up.
Attachment 240576
Attachment 240764
Attachment 240765
Took this sika on the evening of New Year’s Day, high up in the southern Kawekas. 80gr ELD-M at 2750fps. Hit high so took out the spine and dropped it instantly. Due to the steep terrain he rolled a long way down the gut- so he had the last laugh….
I’ve just recently had Jaco push the throat of my Tikka forward by about 90 thou, to suit the ELD-M. Worked really well, I can easily get more powder in the case, so am going to go to 2208 once my 06H stock is used up. Seems to shoot tighter groups now, and the 77TMK and ELD-M can now be used interchangeably. Same POI all the way out to past 400yds. The TMK starts out slightly faster, but with the lower BC averages out the same as the Hornady.
77 tmk will be the next pill I run when i run out of Belmont black, I was listening to a podcast and they have been working very very well by all reports.
Anyone looked at bringing 77 TMK in from the States
Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk
I’m headed to the states tomorrow for a month, so I’m going to look at bringing some home. Probably not for my use though, I’m pretty happy with ELD-MsQuote:
Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP
are you taking orders? hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick
They seem really cheap if you were keen on bringing some back I would be keen I can't justify paying what they want here.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick
Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk
My first sambar stag. I shot it yesterday evening while out peacock shooting with Dad. I had just shot at a peacock at 265m when this guy popped his head up in my line of fire. Dad quickly confirmed to me that we had permission to shoot sambar so this poor stag caught a 77gr lapua in the head at 185m from my tikka 223.
Attachment 241132
Attachment 241133
Nice shooting.
That’s a real trophy that one!Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarless20
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Great shot. You did the right thing.
Look at the size of the neck on that thing. There's a few sausages in him.
Looks in very good condition. No meat spoiled with 1 in the swede. Ripper.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarless20
Shit hot fella. You'll do well to better that beast.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roarless20
Well done.
Sent from my SM-S906E using Tapatalk
