Hunting Bullets for .223

i've never hunted deer with a .223 rifle. That's because i use a muzzleloader for deer hunting. However, many wild hogs have fallen to my .223/5.56mm rifles. The 55 grain Sierra Game King does a good job on big hogs, ditto for the 53 grain Barnes TSX.

BTW: In Oklahoma it's legal to use the .223 on elk. A couple i know owns a place over run with elk. Every year the wife kills a big elk with a .223.
 
My son (he is 15 now) has taken 3 deer with an AR in .223. If I recall correctly, 2 were with Academy's Hornady Whitetail loading (an Interlock projectile in either 60 or 62 gr). The other was with a Federal Fusion round. Ranges were between 30 and 80 yards with a red dot optic. Deer sizes ranged between 150 and 200 lbs. 2 dropped immediately and the other only made it about 30 yards before dropping. All were double lung shots. 1 was a pass-through (don't remember which one). 1 was recovered in the ribs on the exit side. The other was just underneath the skin on the exit side.

So, in my experience, .223 is quite adequate for whitetail, depending on the shot presentation and range.

And in regard to the projectiles mentioned by the OP, I suspect they would all work equally well.
 
Over 30 years ago I took my AR-15 to Kodiak Island for blacktail. Six shots, five deer using the old Nosler SolidBase 60-grain bullet loaded IIRC to about 2800 fps. I only recovered one bullet from a 200 yard shot, perfectly mushroomed under the skin on the off side. None required extensive tracking, as I recall all were recovered within 40 yards of the hit.

One thing I noticed was that most didn’t seem to react much to the shot, they stood where hit or wandered off slowly. That’s why the first deer took two shots, I thought I’d missed with the first shot (I hadn’t). After that I just shot once. Tissue damage wasn’t extensive, but the wound channels were large enough to ensure quick kills.

These were the only deer I’ve taken with a .223 and they were really a stunt. Previous and subsequent trips to Kodiak were supported by more appropriate chamberings. But this does demonstrate that properly used the .223 with appropriate bullets can be very effective on deer sized game.



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My daughter would like to try deer hunting this year. I sighted in one of my AR's with a 3x9 Leupold with the Federal 223 55 grain soft points. I just found a box of 55 grain V-Max bullets that I may switch to. The V-Max destroyed ground hogs when I used them last. My other option is to see how she handles my Armalite 7.62 x 39 AR with Fusion loads. Will have to get her out to the range to see what she wants to shoot. Most of deer we shoot are under 75 yards here in Central KY.

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I have had plenty of good luck with the 65 gn siearra game king and reloader 15.


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I haven't used any in my .223 yet but I've had good luck with Nosler Partition bullets in other calibers. I bought a box awhile back to load up for the .223 but I haven't been motivated since I have so many other good options in my safe...

Anyone here have any direct experience with the Partition bullets in the .223?

BTW, here in crazy Oregon, any .22 center fire round is legal for deer. I know our blacktail deer are small but one could legally hunt them with a .22 Hornet.

Tony
 
Logs,

I would go with the fusion loads over the others mentioned. I love both the V-Max and the Federal soft points for groundhogs and coyotes. That same blue box runs flawlessly out of 18" Faxon barrel AR build, and my Ruger Predator is a laser with 50 and 55 grain V-Max. But I think it'd be a gamble to get a body shot on deer with them, especially at such close ranges. I know that when I shoot ground hogs at 200 yards with the v-max, it blows into almost nothing if it hits the spine or the skull. Deer bones will be tougher, and I think even a rib would leave you with a shallow crater, let alone a shoulder. I will admit they'd be devastating on the vitals if she can thread the needle, but it's not an "if" I would personally entertain. Just my two cents... YMMV. Best of luck!
 
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What twist is your rifle. I hunt with an AR with 1:7 twist and it's far more accurate with heavier rounds, so its been extremely effective with 75 grain BTHP's. I don't know what manufacturer, I buy remanufactured ammo from ammobypistolpete and his 75 grain stuff has been flawless.
 
My son has killed several deer with the gold dot and with 75gr hornady bthp. They both did the job but with any 223 round placement is very important. Avoid having to place a round through the shoulder and wait for a clear double lung or heart shot. Also beware of varmint type rounds sure they may get the job done but I once helped someone track a deer for hundreds of yards after a vmax blew up on a rib from a 22-250. Deer had a nasty wound 8" in diameter and required a finishing shot once we caught up with it.
 
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