Thread: 223 on deer

Good sh*t @gimp

Love your confidence and the fact you go full send with the .223!

Originally Posted by Dreamer

Nice one and @gimp bring back your videos!


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I keep thinking about it, but I get a lot more hunting done just hunting...

Originally Posted by Phil_H

I think you have started something @gimp. Since you have mentioned the 80gr ELD-M there seems to have been a run on them. I tried today to get some from Gunworks but it seems that they have a sudden rush on them. Not suprising when one does a ballistics report on this projectile.

ShootersCalculator.com | Ballistic Trajectory Calculator 80gr ELD-M .223

If you can get it out the barrel at 2800fps it is still travelling at 2372fps with 1000ft/lbs at 215 meters.
I know that shot placement is vital and ft/lbs can be secondary......but to have 1000ft/lbs has got to give that little extra reassurance.

Almost make one think of trading in the .308

Cheers
Phil

P.S. Nah.....kidding about the .308

Glad you were kidding Phil,
With a .223 and a .308 you probably don't need much else, unless you really want something else as well, in which case you definitely do need it. Clear?
Regards, with the right number of rifles, today anyway Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by Phil_H

I think you have started something @gimp. Since you have mentioned the 80gr ELD-M there seems to have been a run on them. I tried today to get some from Gunworks but it seems that they have a sudden rush on them.

Unfortunate! The .223 took care of 19 Marlborough goats over the last few days for a bit of deer habitat improvement, and I only have 300 or 400 ELDs in stock so I might run out soon at this rate

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

65gr SGK ,Fallow @247m ,hillar shot, broke both onside and offside legs took out both lungs and top of heart.
Expected to find it under the skin as couldn't find an exit on the hill but on skinning a few days later found it had just managed to exit.
Bit messy but it didn't argue the point at all.
It did well to exit after breaking both leg bones.
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Clean crease shot 65gr game king at aprox 160m
Collected a rib on the way in and way out.
Drunken walked 10ish meters with a fountain of blood squirting out the off side before falling over dead.

Much more like the performance I would expect of this projectile.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Clean crease shot 65gr game king at aprox 160m
Collected a rib on the way in and way out.
Drunken walked 10ish meters with a fountain of blood squirting out the off side before falling over dead.

Much more like the performance I would expect of this projectile.

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Great. Good skinning job - looks like it was done cold, and they can be difficult - your back must be coming right.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Great. Good skinning job - looks like it was done cold, and they can be difficult - your back must be coming right.

Yep getting there getting strenght and mobility back slowly

Yes done cold and thanks for noticing was going slow and carefully to not hole skin to get tanned for Daughter.

I find it quite comforting to see and hear that there are dudes who have actually done some home work.
Realising that such a small pill can have such a huge effect if used appropriatly...good stuff and may the .223 live on eh..

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yep getting there getting strenght and mobility back slowly

Yes done cold and thanks for noticing was going slow and carefully to not hole skin to get tanned for Daughter.

Bloody nice shot placement for her first deer, awesome some tasty eating right there

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Here's another interesting bit of .223 performance and quite different to the soft ELDM & Sierra tipped. More like Cam's 65 grain but a bit harder and controlled expansion. This was shot not long ago with a Nosler 64 grain bonded solid base (not the old Nosler solid base-this is a modern bonded bullet that has sadly just gone out of production). I have 200 hundred of them. The 62 grain Speer Gold Dot perform in a similar fashion and they are still available. https://www.nzammo.co.nz/product/165...ategoryId=1513

Shot was about 120 yards and hit at an angle in the shoulder and the bullet penetrated right through and out the paunch. They penetrate like crazy and one went right through a big lump of a Red spiker. They are bowling along at 3150 fps.

In balance I think I prefer the big soft target bullets because they seem to have a higher shock and damage factor, but you need a 1:8 twist. In my 1:9 Savage theses little Nosler's are pretty damn good, albeit that Ive only shot 3 deer with them. All one shot kills.

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The big Red that one went right through at 240 yards. Ran about 25 yards.

I'll offer my 2c here.

Got mates down these ways who use 223 for reds as bush rifles. They typically run 60gr + projectiles.

Sierra 65gr Gamekings being the go to for most. From what I've gathered their neck shooting, behind the shoulder aiming for the lungs in much the way a bow hunter would or shoulder shooting.

Most are having no problems with the deer dropping within a few steps. I've shot a few fallow pre 2019 and it worked really well with the likes of the 64gr powershoks et but I just dont for reds as although I can absolutely place my shot I like to know full well I've got plenty of gun. Hence why I own 7mm and 30cals.

One mate runs a 13" howa mini action, bush hunts and man can he put a few down.

I hope my rambling helps the OP

I run a 22-250 and am looking at putting some 62-64gr pellets through it instead of the standard 55gr that most ammo comes with off the shelf just to have a slightly better for bigger targets than goats.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

I run a 22-250 and am looking at putting some 62-64gr pellets through it instead of the standard 55gr that most ammo comes with off the shelf just to have a slightly better for bigger targets than goats.

Sierra make a 63 grain semi-pointed flat base bullet.

It's rated for 1:14-1:12 barrels.

Don't let the 'Varmiter' tag fool you!

https://www.sierrabullets.com/produc...ber-63-gr-smp/

So is there any accepted wisdom on what would be an 'ideal' barrel twist rate for dropping reds?

Originally Posted by Strummer

So is there any accepted wisdom on what would be an 'ideal' barrel twist rate for dropping reds?

anything tight enough to stabilize projectiles.... guys have been dropping reds with 50grn projectiles since the 222 was invented.... the deer havent got any harder to kill.