Thread: A question for the doubters

Originally Posted by Hunter_Nick

Alright lads, let’s get after this. I’m going to try and sun it all up, in what will be my last post in this thread.

From what I’ve seen (as a generalisation) hunters in this country are average riflemen. The general hunter fires fuck all ammo a year, and if it’s anymore than just the deer they shoot, then it’s at a flat range usually from a bench. To be truly effective in the feild we need to be shooting a LOT more, and that’s where the .223 comes in. I’m aiming to fire 500-1000 rounds annually, all in order to be the most effective and efficient shot I can be. This is in the feild in simulated hunting conditions. That is a far cheaper not to mention less fatiguing and potentially recoil inducing prospect with a 224 centrefire than with a 270/308/magnum.

Someone mentioned ‘owing it to the animals we hunt’. Shit yeah we do, and that’s why I practice, practice, practice. Me being a better marksman with the gun I’ve put thousands of rounds through, is going to end up with less rodeos than if I went by the convention wisdom and shot a 7mm RM like everyone else. I hunt solo and do spotting my own hits (or misses) is only possible at a recoil level that tops out at probably a 6 creed. The higher the recoil of the gun you shoot, the MORE practice that is required to get get good.

Barrel life on a .223 is incredible, and I can make the ammo for a lot less than the 6.5 creed in the safe. Plus, it has sufficient ability to kill the game I’m after out to serious distances. That- is the reason why I choose to hunt with a .224 centrefire. (I have a 22 creed also)

Right, so let’s look at optimised killing. Putting a heavy TMK or ELD-M in a .224 optimises it for making animals die. The first deer my mate saw shot with my .223 couldn’t believe the damage it caused. He commented that the mess was worse than his .308 made. That’s because most of the ammo that some of you guys are using is not optimised. Put a heavy frangible bullet in there, and I bet you’ll be complaining about the damage and wastage of meat. You’re shooting a big gun, but it has been restricted in its capability. You’re rolling around in a V8 with 1/2 the plug leads off, and I’m in a 4 cylinder at peak tune.

There’s a bunch of dudes in the states that get it. They’ve been undertaking some seemingly impossible feats with their .223s. multiple bull moose, Rocky Mountain goat, numerous bull elk (out to 600 off yards) deer, grizzly bear, black bear, and even a walrus. You can’t tell me that they’re all fluking it….

There’s a heap more that could be said, but I’m out. I’m good with my choices, and I’m going to continue to be out there efficiently doing the job. I’m not saying that a 224 is better than everything else, I’m just saying that it is a good choice for a few reasons. I don’t hesitate to recommend the right .223 with the right ammo to a young dude, and go out of my way to help them practice and become a proficient marksman with it.

Out

Go and watch the backfire and Erik Cortina challenges. Theres an element of forgetting the shots where it doesn't work. Very few out there are shooting as well as they claim. Whatever rifle calibre they choose. When it comes to proving it, most fail. Hunting youtube vids are better for finding hunting areas than working out whats commonly realistically achievable for the average person.