Thread: Joined the pop gun club...223 takes its first animals bush stalking

Originally Posted by trooper90

Great story you inspired me to get out and bush stalk a bit vey dry and noisy but I got my goat.

Nice one. Yeah, i little dry. Went for a look couple of days ago. found where a stag was living.
Only real sign apart from one creek head. came across a goat on way out, could of shot it but decided to pass up on it. wasnt a bad day in the bush though

Go the Howa. I'm with the other fullas though. Chop the barrel back a few inches. You won't regret it.��

Originally Posted by mimms2

It's not the size it's how you use it...

.223 Is a well capable cartridge. Certainly there are instances where it's "not enough gun" but there are plenty more instances where there's "not enough hunter," regardless of calibre.

Thats a fair hefty can though. Is it really necessary?

But lets face it very few of us are as good in the bush or as good a shot as the old deer cullers running around the hills with their 222s. I don"t care what shape bottle you decide to hold your powder in but feel to have a resonable margin of error a miniumim of about 120grains doing about 2500fps is needed for Sika and up.

Originally Posted by Got-ya

But lets face it very few of us are as good in the bush or as good a shot as the old deer cullers running around the hills with their 222s. I don"t care what shape bottle you decide to hold your powder in but feel to have a resonable margin of error a miniumim of about 120grains doing about 2500fps is needed for Sika and up.

Total nonsense. A 243 will deal with anything in Nz at a reasonable range, esp bush ranges and thats using 80-100 gr . Anywhere in the boiler room or shoulder will deal to big stags and theres plenty of room for error/
I use 100 gr Fed Powershoks, ive bowled over stags up to 150kg straight in shouler and gone 20 feet and thats it. I take my 243 more in the roar than i will take my 308 using 165gr .
If its bush ranges and a little further its got plenty of knockdown power.
Many are happy to use a 223, esp for reds but shot placement needs to be a little better and distance is cut down a little but seems to work for many.
I be using the 223 on deer soon and i report how i get on. Rather use the go to rifle (243) but for certain areas i be taking the 223 and areas where distance shots could be on my 308 will be coming but
when it comes to game no matter what the size the 243 will do as good as the 308 at those bush ranges and tou certainly dont need 120gr or bigger to knock over deer.

Plus many hunters would be better of using something like a 243 in the bush rather than some big cannon as so many think that because they have a cannon they can just aim at the biggest bit and squeeze off.
Theres prob more deer lost wounded with 7m mags, 308 etc than a 243 etc as no matter what Cal you using shot placement is the key.

Originally Posted by Got-ya

But lets face it very few of us are as good in the bush or as good a shot as the old deer cullers running around the hills with their 222s. I don"t care what shape bottle you decide to hold your powder in but feel to have a resonable margin of error a miniumim of about 120grains doing about 2500fps is needed for Sika and up.

Ill add a good percentage of us are far far better shots than the(most) old deer cullers and are using far more accurate gear with detailed knowledge of trajectory's and wind drifts with a vast array of projectiles to suit virtually any game at any range.

I've been using a brno 223 over the last 12 years and shot all my deer (probably up around 30 deer now) and not one has gone further than 30 yards downhill. I've just recently upgraded to a 243 brno just for a little bit more distance and knock over power, but seriously it's how you shoot not what you shoot that determines your success and failures as a hunter.

No bias in that statement at all...none....nada


Quote ‘Theres prob more deer lost wounded with 7m mags, 308 etc than a 243 etc as no matter what Cal you using shot placement is the key.’

I was the same when I got my .223 felt underpowered but after 3 deer for 3 shots and they all fell over on the spot (neck shots from 20 to 170m) I was convinced it's one of the most awesome calibers to use

red spiker at 50ish yards went flop after the pop when a 50grns barnes entered top of shoulders straight into chest...he was facing towards me going steeply downhill.... that put him down permant like but as I had such a good rest and seen as though it was nice enough to present head side on as it gave last gasp...a bog standard hornady 50 pack 55grn load (yip one you gave me Andy) went in behind ear and dislocated its skull.....

Great to hear you are on the board with the new rifle.......now seriously find yourself some 50 grns ttsx projectiles to load up......it makes the wee pop guns (with slower twists) into giant killers if ever there is a projectile to do so.