.223 For Whitetail?

B

Big Tom

New member
I know it's not a new topic and I have heard so many mixed things. Let me explain my situation. So have become disabled over the last 4 years (hopefully this changes). I am on a very limited income and my friend whom is a hunter offered to take me out for a whitetail hunt. I have always dreamed of being able to hunt and never had the pleasure to do so. I can't afford new firearm anymore on my fixed income and the biggest caliber rifle I currently have is a .223 with a 24" barrel. It's actually an unfired H&R Ultra Varmint rifle.

I've read that this gun starts out not too accurate but after firing about 200 rounds that changes. I've also read to use heavy for caliber .223, which as it turns out is what some who use .223 for dear hunting use. I was looking at a Hornady 75 grain hollow point load and was wondering if that would work. I want your opinion on the .223. I also want to know if I can get away with a 200 yard shot with it. Maryland has no bag limit, which means I can have plenty of food for the price of a box of hunting loads. So please share as much info with me as you can. Thanks guys!
 
Big Tom, find a different bullet than the HP bullet. You need to use something that will penetrate a bit better. In my younger days (much younger) I shot a deer with a .22 center fire bullet and it literally exploded upon impact. I did get the deer, but it was definitely the wrong bullet for the job. I'd suggest something like a Speer 70 spitzer or Barnes TSX. I don't think it's the best caliber but if it's all you've got no sense in staying home. Place it well and good luck.
 
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I have used a mini 14 for whitetail. Most of the kills were within 100 yards. 220 would be the limit but you better make sure the placement on the deer is a kill shot.
 
Any ammo that uses the 62gr TTSX, 64gr Nosler BSB, 64gr Fusion, 64gr Scirocco will be plenty for deer. Choose whichever one shoots best in your rifle.
 
I bet this is a topic that can stir things up.

Typically I would say get another gun. But if money is an issue, I would be very conservative in my shots, lung and heart. Maybe people have opinion on shoulder and neck.


I would buy premium ammo, since going with a light caliber.


I would not take iffy shots, which you could say is good advice any day.

That H&R also come in big calibers. You could see if you could trade it on Armslist or at dealer. That is the route, I personally would do.

Also make sure 223 is legal in your state for deer.
 
If you could come up with just a little more money on the scope, I'd suggest looking at the Bushnell Trophy. It's lifetime guaranteed and actually a pretty decent scope for not a lot of money. I guess you'd call it the bottom end of their better scopes. The Banner is really a promo scope and probably won't hold up well in the long run. I think you can get a Trophy if you shop on line for just a bit over a hundred bucks on sale somewhere. I've owned a couple over the years and they were pretty clear scope with decent tracking on them. The warranty is the real selling point along with the fairly good glass....for the money. The bullet choice should work out well if you put the bullet in the heart lung area and don't take overly long shots. I'm not a fan of .22 for deer, but as I said....if it's all you got don't stay home. An older farmer friend of mine has always used a .222 for everything and he's killed a lot of deer. He just doesn't talk about the ones he didn't kill. I suspect there might be a couple.
 
I would shoot some of those heavy bullets and see what happens. I have never dealt with an H&R Ultra Varmit, but the twist rate may not be compatible with heavy bullets. Best to see what it will handle first.
 
The key is a bullet designed for big game hunting. Many 223 bullets are designed as target or varmint bullets. Some are FMJ and don't expand at all. Some Varmint bullets are designed for rapid expansion and don't penetrate well.

Something around 60-70 gr with a soft point should work great. Some bullets LOOK like a HP, but really aren't. The bullet you are considering is a match grade target bullet, not a hunting bullet.

Something like this would work

http://www.hornady.com/store/223-REM-60-GR-SP-AW/

Barrel twist is important to a point. But as long as you avoid the really lightweight 35-40 gr bullets and the real heavies 70gr+ most any twist will be acceptable.

The exception is the solid copper hunting bullets such as Barnes TTSX. Even the lighter 50-55 gr bullets work well on deer. They are expensive, but I'd look hard at them if hunting with 223.
 
When we were kids and our Dads took us hunting we had calibers such as 218 Bee, 22 Hornet, 222 Rem, and one of had an old 32-20.

We all got our deer and never had to track anything.

I think the trick nowadays is shooting the right bullet.

As mentioned earlier, the Nosler 64 gr Bonded of the partition (when you can find them) are some of the best. I have used both.

You may not be able to shoot heavy for caliber bullets depending on your rifle twist rate.

Next, I would look at a Barnes X bullet of some kind, although I haven't shot any.
 
"I was looking at a Hornady 75 grain hollow point load and was wondering if that would work."

IMHO That's the wrong bullet for the task. "heavy for caliber" isn't as important as bullet construction(and the purpose of it's design). I've found the Hornady 60 spire point does OK. Nosler Partition is a good choice but a little difficult to find. Nosler has a "bonded bullet" line of .223 ammo including a 64 grain selection. The Federal ammo loaded with Fusion or TSX bullets are purported to be good for game.
I'm not a fan of nor do I usually recommend the .223 as a deer cartridge because it requires a level of marksmanship and composure that many hunters don't have when the chips are down and/or buck fever kicks in. If you feel capable of the task, learn some deer anatomy and be sure you can put that dinky little bullet in the right place.
 
I have used a mini 14 for whitetail. Most of the kills were within 100 yards. 220 would be the limit but you better make sure the placement on the deer is a kill shot.
Click to expand...
Why is exactly 220 yards the limit? Ask'en for a friend.
 
Look at something with a tougher bullet. Such as the Nosler Partition or Barnes TTSX. That small of caliber you don't want a lighter bullet that could just blow up and not penetrate. I've heard the Nosler Accubonds are great too, just no personal experience. You'll have to see if they make these in your caliber/weight. If you were reloading it'd be a different story.
 
Sorry, I was meaning 200 yards (fat fingers). Just personal preference, that small of caliber I would just want a kill shot and I had never hunted from a stand so all my whitetail shots were with them trotting or running so harder to get a kill shot with that small of caliber at that distance. Just my opinion. I would also use 55 gr hollow points.
 
Yeah, numerous threads on this subject.

I go along with CarJunkie's list. Bullet makers' R&D efforts during these last fifteen years or so have turned the .223 into a reasonable deer-getter.

Personally, though, I wouldn't get too optimistic about how far out to Bambi that I would take the shot. :)

Try two or three brands in that 62/64-grain range of choice. Whatever groups inside of two inches at 100 yards should do just fine. The main thing is that the first shot from a cold barrel should be very close for point of aim and point of impact being the same.
 
"...a topic that can stir things up..." Yep. Worse before there were lots of good deer suitable bullets available.
"...75 grain hollow point load..." Like Mobuck says, that's the wrong bullet. It's a match bullet. Doesn't expand. Assuming it's factory ammo or nothing, Hornady loads a 60 grain Interlock specifically for deer. They even call it American Whitetail ammo.
An Interlock is an SP that's made for penetration with controlled expansion. It's a deer bullet. Likely do some pretty spectacular things to a ground hog too. Varmint hunting with your deer rifle and load is great practice.
Your a Bushnell scope will be fine.
The real issue, given your circumstances(isn't just you), is not being able to try multiple brands and bullets to find the ammo your rifle shoots best. Cost of reloading kit means it won't help either. However, a deer rifle doesn't have to shoot one hole groups. Two to 3" at 100 will be fine. Then sight in about 1.5" high at 100 to be on target at 200. You'll be able to hold 'on' anywhere in between but roughly 8" low at 300.
"...Why is exactly 220 yards the limit?..." It's a Mini-14. snicker.
"...Whatever groups inside of two inches..." Three inches at 100 will do.
 
I'll be using .223 for Mule deer this year.

Working up some loads for a couple bullet weights in Partitions and TSX, trying to find one that will shoot well in the AR and bolt action.

Be aware of the limitations of you as the shooter, and your rifle, and it'll be fine.

Just to be truthfull, I am taking a backup gun in case the .223 isn't up to the job.............so my .22 Hornet will be coming along as well.
 
big tom 200 yards is a stretch for most .223s. a 24 " barrel might give enough retained bullet energy for a clean ethical dispatch of a whitetail.
genetal rule is 1000 ft. lbs. for penetration and bullet expansion. the 62 gr fed fusion bullet energy listed on the box is 800 at 200. rifles velocity and retained energy levels differ. even the exact same models.
 
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