.223 for deer?

I nailed 3 last year w/ my 22-250... Search my post and see the results. I have some pretty impressive pix of the tissue damage. 55 gr. will do the trick. BTW, I used to be a member of the big bore club...takes a big bore to kill little bambie...BAH....after a shoulder injury last year, I was forced to trade the 300 win for a 22-250. Worked just fine. Use a good bullet...No SXT's, ballistic tips, etc. Use a soft point, or an HP if the box says Sierra Game King. they have a thicker jacket, and will perform like the soft point version.
 
.22-250 is about the perfect neck-shot deer caliber. Light recoil, flat shooting, plenty of explosiveness to drop them easily. .223 rem not far behind. But I'd rather have a .243 or bigger for a vitals shot.
 
Less than .243 is illegal here, and I see no reason to go any lighter in the first place. How small a gun can you go with to drop a deer to me is like how ugly a woman can you stand to date.
 
70 grain Speer

If your rifle will stabilize the 70 grain Speer it works great on deer.

I have some loaded for my AR with a 1:9 twist it shoots good groups.

I have killed deer with the 22-250 and the .223 using the 70 gr Speer it has never failed me.
 
223 will do the job.
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maybe, maybe not...but not a .223 rifle shooting 5.56 NATO ammo. That is an unsafe combination.

From what I've seen most .223 ammo is unsuitable for deer hunting; though there is a fair selection of 60+ grain bullets most are match bullets and I'd suspect most of the softpoints fragment when they hit. In my experience the ones I've tried don't hold up very well in a target made from a box of magazines. I've never tried this with Barnes 70 gr Triple Shock X bullets, but they have some published information about use in hunting. Might work or might not.

Why not get a spare upper in a deer hunting caliber like 6.5 Grendel, 7.62x39 or 6.8 Rem?

(Edited to clarify. "Tried" means tested at the range. I've never deer hunted with a .223.)
 
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Just because you have good shot placement doesn't mean you will recover your buck. Even with a properly place shot with the .223 you my not get a good blood trail and the buck might run farther then you would think and next thing you can't find him. Use a real deer rifle and leave the questioning out of it. Unless you are shooting those inferior small southern deer like down in Texas, Lol, sorry.:D
 
Ntmg, I've seen some hill country deer for which a .223 would be overkill. Too many deer for the habitat in many areas, so they degenerate into being runty little things. I saw one ten-point buck that looked like about a 16" spread--that looked like he'd dress out to maybe 50 or 60 pounds.

Then you get off into the brush country and see bucks that dress out anywhere from 150 to 200, and racks to 24 and on out toward 30 inches.

Not that I had the money, but some guy was selling a half-interest in a 7,400-acre ranch that was the home of a buck they called "Heart Attack". The photo with the ad showed this 200-pound sized critter with a 30" or so spread, some 14 points. I can see why the name. You come onto a buck like that and you'd probably shake and quiver so bad you couldn't hit him with a shotgun, much less a rifle.

I wouldn't use a .223 on a "real" buck.

Art
 
Most 223 rounds are made for vermin...Also, due to this fact, most 223's have a 1:12 or 1:14. Those won't stabalize a heavier bullet. If you are going to use the 223, best thing to do is to visit the reloading forum on this site and "roll your own" to customize them w/ proper bullet TYPE. Speer makes a 55gr trophy bonded bear claw that won't blow up and is designed for deer hunting. I think Federal premium makes a factory round for this, but you have to go to a gun store to order it. Sierra Game King bullets are thicker jacketed, and will perform well...See my post. However, I think a little more punch is nicer w/ this small calliber, so I prefer the 22-250.

Every year, this time you see this debate start again...almost like clockwork...which means only one thing...IT'S ALMOST HUNTING SEASON!!!:D
 
I know a guy that hunts our big whitetails with a .222 and he swears by the Sierra 55 gr. BTHP. He says you have to wait for the right shot just like bowhunting, and slip it into the lungs. It blows up and takes their air away and they can't run. I have shot them with a 22/250 and the same bullet and they just tip over. If I had to use a .223 I'd use that bullet or the 60 gr. Hornady SP. I still have some Nosler Solid Bases in 55 gr. that work just fine also. Just my $0.02. CB.
 
Most 223 rounds are made for vermin...Also, due to this fact, most 223's have a 1:12 or 1:14. Those won't stabalize a heavier bullet.
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Sorry castnblast until dedicated varmint models started being offered most .223 rifles had a 1:9 twist or faster. Most guys using a .223 bolt action rifle in this caliber will have a slower twist or a dedicated varmint upper for the AR. My DPMS M4 carbine has a 1:7 twist and my H&R Ultra rifle has a 1:9 so I don't have any problems stabilizing heavier bullets. The whole .223 cartridge was designed around using heavier grain bullets, 62 grains being the norm not the 40-55 grain varmint bullets.

Most .22-250 rifles do not come with a faster twist than the 1:12 as this caliber was built specifically for varminting. I will not use a .224 caliber to hunt deer with because it isn't legal in my State. If it was and I decided on using one I would stick to the 60 grain Nosler Partitions over any other premium bullet.
 
You know, looking at the political climate nowadays, with all the PETAphiles, animal rightists and other crackpots lurking about I wonder if there might be a need for us to first adequately assess our own ability to put down our chosen food animal with the least amount of hardship. In the the end gun choice depends upon getting the best combination of bullet and ballistics to assure the animal dies quickly and completely.

Having said that IMHO the .223 is marginal at best except for very small deer.

I'd hate to be out there with a .223 hunting 110 pound Bambi and run across a heavy 16 pointer shoulder deep in the tall grass. :rolleyes: Lot more comfort there with something substantial.
 
The taking of deer during general gun season in Florida is legal. No FMJ or rim fire though.

I have other calibers that I personally feel are better suited for Deer hunting, but to each his own............
 
I agree for most hunters...The 243 really is a better choice. It is a "Deer" rifle. Also I meant 22-250 in my statement, not 223. oops...my error. I do admit, though, last year when I was recovering from shoulder surgery, I could pull the trigger and not flinch on that 22-250 because I knew it wasn't going to hurt...I couldn't say the same for any other caliber bigger than that...mostly psychological, (sp may be wrong...damn...no spell check...) But those deer that were smacked in the shoulder went no where...all 3, and the bullet did tremendous damage. IF a Huge deer walked out, I'd take the neck shot...I get 5/8" groups w/ that gun. However, w/ the shoulder better this year, I'm taking my dad's 270 this year...The 7mm will get a rest. Dad passed away last year, so I'm using it for him. However, that's another post for another day...
 
Reading these forums one would think that everybody makes heart shots from any position and any range under 500 yards.And then you have reality.

You will harvest game and cause a lot less suffering with a larger caliber and cartridge.Either that or have the discipline to pass on shots you are not 100% sure of.
 
The .223 is less than ideal as a deer round. To draw first blood with that rifle I would recommend coyotes. You have guns that are much better suited for deer hunting than the .223.
 
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