Thread: 223 on deer

Not equal for sure...BUT as someone else recently said,if you are aware of limitations and work with and around them.being prepared to decline shot if not right... Yeah many things are doable.

Thats roughly been my point all along.

I know.and agree 100%

I don't think anyone disagrees on the principle; the point of difference is regarding what the limitations are. I don't shoot deer at 500m with the .223, the bullet won't function reliably at that impact velocity. I do with my 6mm, because it will (and it does).

I'm currently trying to empty my freezers and have been giving away all my deer meat for the last couple of months, so I don't need the pork, however depending on how much value Mr whanahuia thinks he'd be able to get out of the exercise, I'm happy to try make time to find this pig and shoot it somewhere near the right place so he can assess in person whether or not it might exceed the limitations of a heavy .223 bullet - I don't think I've ever seen a pig so large as this one is described but I haven't seen any issues with the performance of the 80s to date that would make me hesitant to poke it through the shoulder - maybe an extremely big boar really is the limit

Ill send you a PM @gimp. But if it doesn't work there will be others, and Im loaded with pork myself. So I'm happy to give you a bell whenever big one shows up on the chance it suits you.

Im am genuinely interested too see the performance and compare. But equally, I have a suspicion/ Will be interested to see if I will notice some difference in shot preparation, patience etc between what you do and I would do.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

If its all about shot placement, then Ive shot a 190lb wild boar with a .22 rimfire.

Heres an example of an even bigger boar, somewhere approaching 300lb and my little BRNO 22

Guns are deadly! no matter what the calibre or case.

Are they all equal though and will the New heavy projectiles give performance similar too bigger calibres?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxS88JpOM44

Crawling under the mingimingi at 8.45am in December when the dogs have been bailing a brute of a boar you do it with a 44mag using 240gr. All you see it a big black blob as it turns towards you. It ends up weighing 189lb. We spent the night under the pines covered in pine needles to keep warm.My mate dragged his dogs around him as well to keep warm. Straight up 1.5 hours to walk to top. Took my mate years to find out how I carried out the boar. Frank Robinson is a top bloke. LOL.

Just back from a couple of nights away. I forgot how important shot placement is . I fouled up my first deer. Gutshot it and put a second through the shoulder all at 60 odd yds with all the time in the world. Thats 12 one shot kills i've had with the .223 and it came to an abrupt end . Ruby tracked it 30 odd metres and a headshot dispatched it. Being not far from camp got the raincoat on and carried back whole.

Heading out again that evening I didn't have to go far. Sneaking in on this hind I got within 50 Yds. As soon as she fed out from behind the scrub a 69gn tmk hit her like lightning . DOA . The bullet punched through the vitals and left a decent sized hole in her chest .


Boned everything out and had a heavy pack coming home.

First time out for ages, got out of the truck at 6.10pm and started a hasty walk across the first paddock.
I looked up in the distance and saw some sheep grazing on this side of the fence but also noticed a brown shape over the other side of the fence which I thought would be a cow but as a precaution I lifted the scope to my eye and bloody hell its a deer.
I lay the pack down and took out the range finder 314 meters, righto so got down on the ground and got the perfect rest but the deer disappeared behind a pile of old branches surounded by tall grass but waited and sure enough it appeared on the other side of the pile side on.
Without hesitation I lined up on the front shoulder and sent the 62gr SP on its way, I saw the deer go belly up through the scope (good shit all of 5 mins).

I walked over, cut its throat, dressed it out, then 5 min walk back to the truck, drove over and tossed it in the back.

I thought to myself shit I was looking forward to a hunt and now its all over, I decided to carry on hunting but although I had another one lined up later on it seemed to quickly dissappear not to be seen again, anyway a great evening/night.







The mighty 223 does it again

Out for a quick morning hunt. Home by 6:30.

73gn ELD-M sorted Xmas salami and sausages.

400 yards crease shot. 62 Norma went right through. Didn’t go 10 yards.

Good looking wobbly country.

Looks Phat!!

Originally Posted by Billbob

Looks Phat!!

Great condition. Good grass season in the Mackenzie

Bella looks to be having a ball. When this rain stops there will be animals everywhere trying to dry out.

Fresh snow low down on Mt Hay this morning.