Have you Killed Whitetail with the 223Cal. rifle?

[milemission]

To be totally honest, what I did was illegal, but I killed one with a single shot from a .22 magnum (with 40 grain FMJ bullets) at about 75 yards. Of course, you can surmise that it was hit right in the head. And before I get flamed, every bit of meat on that deer was consumed. When I hunted with (or for) my family, I wasn't so much a hunter as a grocery shopper in the woods.

Most of the time when I shoot deer, I wait until it's standing still (or going no faster than a walk), I have a good angle at what I'm aiming for, and the great majority of my shots have been within 200 yards. Under those conditions, a .22-250 would probably work just as well. But it wouldn't work for a shot at the northbound end of a southbound deer, nor would it be good for shots at moving deer, or shots at deer beyond 250 yards or so. To kill deer with a .22 rifle would take a rare combination of patience and skill, which is why the majority of hunters should probably avoid it.

 

[Gbro]

But it wouldn't work for a shot at the northbound end of a southbound deer,

How far is that end going to make it

but most forumites do not kill frequently enough to do so with cold nerves.

Never have I took a shot with cold nerves. The day the adrenalin stops flowing during a hunt is the day my rifles will be passed down to the next generation.
After taking 2 bucks 12-15 years ago(that season). I decided i would only take a 10+ point. The party still had 3-4 open tags and we all divided the venison.
The next afternoon I watched a 6 point approach and everything was cool and calm. Then I changed my mind(I think its legal) That second the adrenalin started to flow and it was just like all the rest.
I am not a cold blooded killer.
And I didn't get a shot at that buck either!, he winded me and skedaddled.

 

[74_sharps]

A couple of years ago I was sitting in my stand on a mountain and shot an 8-point buck that was in the valley. He was a little more than 300 meters away and never even knew what hit him. This past year I hit one at about 598 meters from the same spot save that he was on another mountain. I was using 55gr. Remington JHP for the first deer and Horn. 55gr.PSP for the second. The weapon is an Olympic Arms UltraMatch (Old preban model). It was topped with a cheap Simmons scope for the first deer and now sports the Leop. VX2 that was used for the second. I always pray before the shot and it always hits it target.

 

[Desertscout1]

Yes, I've killed numerous whitetails and mulies both with a .223. It works fine if you place your shot carefully and use the right bullet.

 

[T-Ray]

In texas, they're perfect. Yes, I got my first whitetail with a sako .223.

 

[Jack O'Conner]

Sure, both my daughter and I have dropped mulies with this Savage heavy barreled .223 rifle. Its a cinch when you hit 'em right with 64 grain Winchester ammo.

We shoot hundreds of prairie dogs during summer with this rifle. If you can hit a dixie cup at 75 yards with this rifle, knocking over a muley is a simple task - bigger target!

Some guys will never comprehend the lethal tissue destruction and penetration caused by the 64 grain Winchester bullet. Some guys insist that 100 grain .243 bullets bounce off big mulies, too. For these hunters, its always 30-06 or nuthin'. So it goes.

Jack

 

[samsmix]

Aside from using this topic to once again shamelessly champion the .257 Roberts for deer hunting, I can give some useful experience.

Back in about 2003, I shot a mule deer and 3 antelope with .223 55gr soft points. I had shot gophers to 300 yards with the gun all summer long, and shot it quite well indeed.

Sadly, only the muley dropped to the shot. All 3 speed goats were hit square in the lungs at less than 200 yards. All required a second shot. One doe was hit 1st in the lungs while running at 75 yards, then slowed to a trot and stood for a second lung shot at about 150. She took the second bullet with little effect for about a minute. Then she looked a bit nauseous, then sort of lay down as though to rest. A 3rd shot caused her to sort of slowly roll over. on her side and (finally) die. There was only one exit wound on this animal, and very little blood. 2 bullets were recovered looking like the perfect mushrooms you see in the magazine advertisements.

Now personally, I like to see medium game bowled over when shot. The .257 does this for my wife and daughter with minimal recoil, and the ol' '06 does it for me. And +1 to Art for #28.