Thread: 223 on deer

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Sierra 52 gr hollow point match.
Super accurate in everything I use them in (222,223 and Swift) and reasonably stout.
But I don't use pea shooters on deer so can't give an opinion on that.

@7mmwsm

Google:

What is an example of a provocation?
A provocation makes someone angry or sometimes even violent. Telling a professional boxer how ugly he is would be considered a provocation — one that might get you punched in the face. Provocation is the act of provoking someone — doing something just to get a reaction.

Originally Posted by Tahr

@7mmwsm

Google:

What is an example of a provocation?
A provocation makes someone angry or sometimes even violent. Telling a professional boxer how ugly he is would be considered a provocation — one that might get you punched in the face. Provocation is the act of provoking someone — doing something just to get a reaction.

I'm not that concerned about anyone being provoked by that statement Tahr.
I've seen too many animals suffer because of people's egos.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I'm not that concerned about anyone being provoked by that statement Tahr.
I've seen too many animals suffer because of people's egos.

Ouch. Does that not happen with larger calibers?

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I'm not that concerned about anyone being provoked by that statement Tahr.
I've seen too many animals suffer because of people's egos.

Perhaps you should choose different people to hunt with.

Good stuff that. Ive been at ohakune this weekend just been trying 223 with 69 GRN game kings on top of 23.7 GRN bm2. Very effective on fallow. 308 too much gun but some impressive shooting. Great trip.

308 never to much gun,just saves a lot of walking n looking.

Originally Posted by Trout

308 never to much gun,just saves a lot of walking n looking.

What have you swapped yours for ?

Same,just longer barrel,18" to 22.25".Less dial up,less noise.

if the deer dies..who really cares what is used???as long as its quick and clean its humaine...END OF STORY
if you are going to gut shoot it,even a 50bmg wont be enough to kill it instantly
poked in its earhole from correct angle just about anything will work.
and a 52grn match bullet and a 52grn varmit bullet are beasts of completely different colours...... speer 52gn hollow points kill VERY VERY well and close enough they wreck a fallow stags shoulder rather well too....left that one on side of hill after finnally admitting it was too far gone to salvage.

Originally Posted by NewbieZAR

whats a good allround varmint and deer bullet for a 12 twist? i got me another 22 250AI in 12 twist and its silly accurate with the 52gr targex, i get about 1" groups at 400 yards. i was thinking to give the 69 targex a whirl but i dint think they will stabilise? if not ill just stick with the 52s. i have a lod of hornady 55gr softpoints too that i shot in the previous ackley that are my "backups"

This is a rib exit 52 grn Targex, About 230 yards. .223 MV 3275.

Originally Posted by Tahr

This is a rib exit 52 grn Targex, About 230 yards. .223 MV 3275.

Attachment 229834

Thats nasty.

What a great thread. Thank you for all the good information.

If I had to choose just one rifle that best suited what I do, it would be a .223. I don't shoot anywhere near as many animals as some other guys on this forum. But I have a steady trickle of meat and pet food coming in as a result of wandering around. I'm retired, and I am fortunate to have access to properties where pests need to be controlled. While I prefer to hunt in the daylight, most of my shooting nowadays is done after dark.

I've shot several deer with a .223 now. The deer below was shot with a Belmont 'Green' cartridge. These have a 55 grain projectile called an MPG. They are lead-free and are probably made by Barnes. I didn't know much about these cartridges when I bought them, but I thought they'd be worth trying. I found them to be very accurate when zeroing my scope at the range. The deer was maybe 120 metres away, and I aimed for the centre of the neck. It dropped immediately. I could not see a bullet hole. I eventually found the tiny entry and exit holes. The bullet had gone through a vertebrae joint without breaking bone and it was fortunate that the spinal cord had been severed. When shooting at smaller game sometimes I found that the bullets 'pencilled' through, other times they exploded and made a heck of a mess. When I was checking the sighting one day, I had my target tacked to the trunk of a six-inch thick trunk on a wilding pine. The bullets went right through which surprised me. Having seen this, I would not recommend these projectiles for body shots. They would be fine for brain shots, and better than nothing if you don't have a choice. Very accurate in my rifle though. The rifle shown is a Ruger American Predator. I chose it for it's Picatinny rail and its relatively long barrel. A bit 'clunky' in operation compared to my Howa, but deadly accurate and it gives me more velocity with some loads.



For a while I had a Pulsar night-vision scope on my Howa. I might have typically taken it out two or three nights a week. It worked very well. I eventually sold the Pulsar, and later replaced it with a Sytong which has served me well. One of the properties I have access to has wide, open paddocks and it can be hard to get close enough to shoot hares and possums with a .22 rimfire. So I've used the .223 most times when I go out. I sometimes carry some simple bamboo shooting sticks to enable me to take a steadier, standing shot. I prefer to shoot from a prone position, but sometimes it is safer to shoot from a standing angle, and sometimes I simply can't see through the grass if I'm lying down. The hare in the photo below was probably shot with standard Belmont Black 55 grain soft points. I believe these loads used to be corked with a Hornady 55 grain soft point, but nowadays I think they use Speer. I could be wrong. But the Belmont 55s are consistently accurate in my rifles.



And here is a nice wee pig. Not sure which projectile I used, but was possibly a Belmont 55 soft point... these cartridges have never disappointed me.



The Belmont ammo is versatile too. If you ever need to cut a fence wire, they will do the job.... even from 70 metres away. I had to go back the next morning and fix the fence.



These were more difficult to get home compared to the usual talley of a couple of possums. Pretty sure I used Belmont 62 grain soft points on this occasion. Very effective, but this particular load doesn't seem to group so well in my rifles compared to the near-perfect Belmont 55 grain options. Not sure now where I aimed. I probably squeezed off carefully on the first hog, then just went for the front end when they started to move off. All one shot kills from memory, and only one didn't drop on the spot... he travelled for just a few metres. Getting all the pigs in one night might be considered a good result, but I missed seeing them on subsequent trips. Big animals are rare on this farm.



You might wonder about the tape and string on my gear. I tie the Howa magazines in place. They can drop out easily because the release lever is easily knocked. I've shortened the lever, but I still like to ensure that I won't lose my magazine. The tape helps me to find my gear if I put it down on the seat of the car or if I drop it in the scrub.




I've been making my own handloads using the brass from my Belmont ammo (ADI). I have had very good results using Speer 70 grain projectiles (stock number 1053) propelled by AR2206H powder. These give me very pleasing groups and they have never disappointed me with their terminal performance on large or small targets (although I don't think I've ever shot at anything over 150 metres away). They have a similar point of impact to the Belmont 55 gr soft points when shot through the Howa, but for some reason their point of impact differs too much from the Belmonts when shot through the Ruger American Predator. They still group consistently, but I have to sight the Predator for just one or the other. I'm fairly sure that I would have used a 70 grain Speer on this spiker.



I have owned rifles chambered in .303 British and .308 Winchester, but I no longer have them. The only other centrefire cartridge I use nowadays is .357 magnum. The .223 has been relatively cheap to reload, and it hasn't been hard to find powder and projectiles. I like the idea that the only primers I need to buy are small rifle as they fit both my centrefire calibres. (Incidentally... I was pleased to see an email from Delta Mike yesterday informing me that they have some small rifle primers for sale... so maybe the drought is starting to ease). The .223 is versatile and effective in the hands of a sensible operator. I doubt that I will ever get a 'bigger' gun.

Great post
This thread continues to be my favourite .
Just had a talley up of my components and I’ve shot approximately 1200 rounds of 223 in the last 12 months.
Vast majority are just playing with load development at targets, but 19 Predators ( Dingoes and Cats ) are no longer with us .

The good old .223 is an awesome round. Took my Tikka 18" for a walk today no pictures sorry but 13 goats the furtherest was a nanny and kid at 450 yards with the 69grn Targex.
There are a dam good pill.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

Gotta love those 70 grain Speers.