Thread: 223 on deer

For what its worth.

I was farm hunting with a cobber trying to get him his first deer. We happened on 3 deer out in the paddock at 140M. A big framed spiker was facing us so I got him lined up on it. He took the shot with it just slightly less than square on. The sound of a hit was very clear, "that's not going far with a 308 bullet in it" was my thinking. Well bugger me it kept coming forward, head up and not looking the least bit crook. It turned slightly sideways so I smacked it in the shoulder to make sure it didn't get away.

I gutted it, and the damage to the lungs from my shot was clear, no sign at all of the 308 hit. I figured maybe he'd missed after all.

When we were breaking it down my cobber found his 308 bullet in the hip.

The 308 bullet had gone the whole length of the deer with bugger all damage, certainly none to any organs or even the stomach/intestines.

So funny things can and do happen.

Originally Posted by Tentman

For what its worth.

I was farm hunting with a cobber trying to get him his first deer. We happened on 3 deer out in the paddock at 140M. A big framed spiker was facing us so I got him lined up on it. He took the shot with it just slightly less than square on. The sound of a hit was very clear, "that's not going far with a 308 bullet in it" was my thinking. Well bugger me it kept coming forward, head up and not looking the least bit crook. It turned slightly sideways so I smacked it in the shoulder to make sure it didn't get away.

I gutted it, and the damage to the lungs from my shot was clear, no sign at all of the 308 hit. I figured maybe he'd missed after all.

When we were breaking it down my cobber found his 308 bullet in the hip.

The 308 bullet had gone the whole length of the deer with bugger all damage, certainly none to any organs or even the stomach/intestines.

So funny things can and do happen.

What was the path of the bullet through the body?

If you apply occams razor to the 2 possible scenarios:

1: A .308 round travelled the entire length of a deers body doing no harm to the various extremely soft internal organs in it's path until it hit a bony bit
2: An inexperienced shooter shot at a deer angled towards him and hit it directly in the hip with a poorly placed shot


#2 seems much more likely and unless you could trace the path of the bullet through the body to demonstrate it's #1 it would not seem likely

I should have mentioned that I did find the bullet entry point, went in highish where the shoulder meets the neck. It is pretty peculiar because the 150gn projectile did expand normally.

OMG, tikka yes. 223 probably no for a beginner. The most important things you should have gleamed from this thread are. Most of the hunters using a 223 are very experienced and take the time and have the skill to take a shot , or walk away. They realise they have little room for era and hunt accordingly.
Or some used a 223 because thats what was in their hands at the time. A step upto a 243 will have not that much more recoil , with a suppressor noise becomes a mute point. But you will have a lot more power and era margin.
This thread isn't about recommending a 223 for deer. Just what can be done in the right conditions with the right person behind it.

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Originally Posted by r87mm

OMG, tikka yes. 223 probably no for a beginner. The most important things you should have gleamed from this thread are. Most of the hunters using a 223 are very experienced and take the time and have the skill to take a shot , or walk away. They realise they have little room for era and hunt accordingly.
Or some used a 223 because thats what was in their hands at the time. A step upto a 243 will have not that much more recoil , with a suppressor noise becomes a mute point. But you will have a lot more power and era margin.
This thread isn't about recommending a 223 for deer. Just what can be done in the right conditions with the right person behind it.

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Agree but also disagree. A poor shot is a poor shot. You can injure a deer as easily with a 243 or 308 as you can with a 223, and it's a logic that doesnt really pay out as otherwise we'd all be shooting 50's. There is an arbitrary point at which we each decide a firearm has enough energy for a clean kill but not to much as to be hard to shoot accurately, or to cumbersome to carry.



If you are buying a gun for. The first time with the express purpose of shooting deer a larger caliber will be a bit more forgiving on a few variables. Range, pass throughs, path deviation due to bush, and flexibility of suitable ammo choice without knowledge of projectiles and terminal performance. But it will also come at a cost of, ammo price, shoot ability, larger platform, etc

chur. thanks

I wish those 77 weren't so dam expensive.
I got a price the other day $120 per 100

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Gunworks $112

Originally Posted by 7mm Rem Mag

Gunworks $112

Bugger that I don't even pay that for 6.5 eldx

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Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

Bugger that I don't even pay that for 6.5 eldx

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The way I look at it I am using them on deer so 100 will last a long time as I don't shoot that many.

Also they fit the standard Tikka mag as Tahr said which I like.

A couple around 100 yards. No problem for the 80 Targex.

Some prime meat there Tahr

Originally Posted by outdoorlad

Some prime meat there Tahr

@outdoorlad both went to a charity.

79 for the year. 53 with the .223.
(I keep the back steaks for ourselves, family and friends and do a couple for sausages - the rest almost exclusively go to charity).

Just found this on You Tube. A Chamois shot with a .223rem. Go to 9:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFzFURYEZhM
Didn't even look like it was hit.

Originally Posted by Shearer

Just found this on You Tube. A Chamois shot with a .223rem. Go to 9:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFzFURYEZhM
Didn't even look like it was hit.

missed all the boney bits....could have been just about any cartridge/projectile combination and would see same thing...animal didnt go far all the same.
care to hazard a guess as to ammunition choice??? would just about put money on it NOT being a bog standard 50-55grn cup n core at 3100fps...the pop when hit would have been greater had it been I suspect.