Thread: 223 on deer

Yes.... While I need comparatively few cartridges for hunting, I have used a heap of of them at range sessions. Always something else to try, or I change or check a scope I'm glad I got a lot of the experimentation done before the component shortages arose.

With my limited experience, if I had to pick one projectile from all the .223 bullets I've used, I'd choose the 70 grain Speer. However, none of the other soft pointed bullets I've used have disappointed me. It may not be apparent in the photo, but the MPG projectiles have a small hollow point.



Sighting Distance.
Many folks here will already have this sussed, but in case there are followers who have never really thought about it, here is my thinking on the subject...

For big game hunting I've been a fan of sighting for 'maximum point blank range'..... to me this means zeroing a rifle so that the bullet will theoretically always land within a certain sized circle out to a maximum range. Some people might pick a bigger circle, but for argument's sake let's use a 100mm circle. For a theoretical example, say I have a 55 grain bullet travelling at 900 meters per second and the centre axis of my scope is 38mm above the centre of my bore. According to one ballistic calculation, I will always be able to aim directly at the centre of a boiler-room shot out to 207 metres and the bullet should never be more than 50mm higher or lower than the cross-hairs. A the end of the muzzle, the bullet will be 38 mm low. It will rise to the line of sight and hit where the crosshairs are placed at around 27 metres. The trajectory will peak around 100 metres where the point of impact will be 50mm high. The rifle will be zeroed for 180 metres. At 207 metres the bullet will hit 50mm low.

A maximum point blank range type of sighting will work for all circumstances if the shooter is very familiar where the bullet will be at various ranges. But of course, to be accurate, one needs to know how far away the target is. Without a range finder, even an expert can find it hard to judge distance accurately in unfamiliar territory.

My current thinking tells me it is best to zero my all-purpose, farm-hunting .223 rifle at 100 metres. A .223 is a precision tool well suited to 'varmint' sized targets and meat-saving shots on larger animals. It is good not to have to go through the mental gymnastics of figuring out where to aim if attempting a brain shot at the typical maximum range I'd shoot which is maybe 120 metres.

Theoretically.... if I am using the same rifle and ammo used for the first calculation, but I zero the rifle for 100 metres, I should see results close to the following:
At the muzzle: impact 38mm below the cross-hairs
At 25 metres: 16mm below point of aim
At 50 metres: point of aim more or less matches point of impact
Between 70 and 85 metres the trajectory is at its peak and will hit 4mm high
At 100 metres: spot on
At 120 metres: 11mm low

150 metres: 41mm low
200 metres: 134mm low
250 metres: 283mm low
300 metres: over half a metre low

So using this rifle, I can shoot at anything between 30 and 120 metres without having to worry about compensating for the trajectory. And in my current world most of my shots would be presented within these distances. If my rifle was mostly used for culling goats in open country, then I might zero it closer to 200 metres.

The figures above are just a theoretical example. With different bullet weights, bullet types, powders and barrels, the figures and performance will differ.

And I've found that I am not the expert I thought I was when I was as a teenager. There is a heap I don't know.... or which I could improve on. Always open to ideas and different view points.

No pics sorry. Took the kids out in holidays with the 223. 15 goats and a 130lb boar all taken with the 73g ELD M. None needed a follow up shot. My 11yr old shot the boar at 110mt and 3 goats at 190mtrs. My oldest 13yr old shot 2 at 130mtr and then 2 190mtrs.

Haven't been out much since the roar except a weekend tahr hunting a while back, went for a walk this weekend. 210m, through both front shoulders, broke both front legs, bullet under the skin on the far side. Dropped on the spot and kicked a bit.

Projectile? Good young eater too

80 ELDM

Dont think i got around to posting this one. Meat was donated to a local fundraiser.
Not normally one for shooting farmland stags but he had the most meat and was the dumbest deer of the bunch.

Carbonlite , dpt , vx5 and belmont black 77grn match king. Broke 3 ribs and broke the offside shoulder from memory found just inside the skin.

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Originally Posted by gimp

80 ELDM

How fast are you launching them man?

Originally Posted by 199p

How fast are you launching them man?

2800 and a bit FPS. Work well, imagine the 77gr TMK would work just as well but without needing a longer mag (way more spenny though)

As stated by others above
The V Max is a varminter round with shallow penetration and explosive frangibility. It makes shallow major wound channels. We use them in 223 on kangaroos when culling and we dont want the meat, obviously headshots is different.

You will be better of on any of the standard soft tips. If u have the right twist barrel there are some 77gr bergers

Originally Posted by 199p

Dont think i got around to posting this one. Meat was donated to a local fundraiser.
Not normally one for shooting farmland stags but he had the most meat and was the dumbest deer of the bunch.

Carbonlite , dpt , vx5 and belmont black 77grn match king. Broke 3 ribs and broke the offside shoulder from memory found just inside the skin.

Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk

That a rusa?

223 on deer, why would you use anything else.



With no recoil you can have the confidence to shoot on the run and get perfect bullet placement

Shot 2 fallow last night both around 100m standing headshots the mighty .223 love that rifle.

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Originally Posted by 25/08 IMP

Shot 2 fallow last night both around 100m standing headshots the mighty .223 love that rifle.

Sent from my CPH2145 using Tapatalk

I agree, a very versatlie riffle which can be used on all sorts of game big or small.
I was using the 62gr SP's, very accurate and cheap. With the help of some helpful forum folk I had the load sorted in just 6 shots resulting in .44 of an inch.

Yeah there's a high amount of knowledge and help on here for sure