Thinking about giving the 223 a try this year.

H

HALLAUSTIN

New member
Legal in my area, also my only rifle so its either a well selected shot with the proper bullet (half the reason I'm posting) or use a 12 gauge with the old foster slug (only other option). I have a treestand set by a running creek that they pass every day around dusk, it's only a 20-40 yard shot depending on where they cross, a good flashlight in case there is any tracking to be done, and all deer season to wait on the right shot to be presented. My question is what 223 bullet would you guys and gals recommend? I have some federal 62gr fusion but is a better option available for a 1/7 twist? Also I was thinking of going with the usual lungs/heart area shot, if anyone here hunts whitetail with the .223, is this where you hold or are you going to the neck?
 
Sierra GameKing 65 grain. I load them over TAC for 2,860 from a 16" AR. I'm not a fan of 22's for deer, unless it's the only gun you have and you can pick your shots, which is your situation. A lot of folks also swear by Barnes, but I haven't tried them in .223.
 
Most any heavier bullet designed for big game hunting will kill a deer just as dead as a 30-06 within certain range limitations. Don't use FMJ or varmint bullets. I wouldn't hunt anything larger than deer, and I'd not take shots farther than 150 yards on big deer, about 200 yards on typical whitetails.

I don't use one as a rule for 2 reasons. I don't want to be that limited in range, and black bear season runs during most of deer season here. Many places where I hunt have more bear than deer. In an area where I know a longish shot is not gonna happen or after bear season ends, I'd have no problems using one.

I know too many who regularly take deer with the round. It is really no different than archery, handgun or black powder hunting. Any of those weapons kill just as effectively as modern rifles if used within their limitations. If not they fail.
 
Except for the solid copper bullets, your choices for deer with the 223 are the 65 gr Sierra GK, 60 gr Partition, the 64 gr WW PP, and the 64 gr Nosler BSB. I think I'm going to the 65 gr GK loads for my 12 year old grandson for pig shooting. It's a very accurate bullet.
 
If I had your choices I would prefer the .223/5.56. I shoot an AR15 a lot more accurate than a 12g with slugs. Heck I have 308's and a 450 bushmaster but I am contemplating using the Tavor for deer sometime.
 
I have successfully used a 60 grain Nosler Partition and a 55 grain BarnesTSX. Loaded the Partitions for two other kills, and know of a couple more with I believe 64 grain fusion. All did fine, none of them went far. I think the TSX one ran the furthest at about 75 yards maybe. Last half was wobbling obvious wasn't going far. In general 60 to 65 grains of hunting type bulet and put it right behind the front leg. Take a sharp knife.
 
I think the "best" choice for hunting medium game with a .223 would be a monolithic HP, I personally have a couple hundred 70gr Hornady GMX loaded just in case I want to hunt deer with my AR someday, unfortunately the .224 GMX's are not tipped like the .308's, but still amazing bullets and they are made for what your trying to do. I am sure barnes monolithics perform as well, they are just too cost burdensome for, although the GMX aren't cheap either. Second choice, for me, would be the Hornady 75gr tipped HPBT, if your reloading anyways. if not, I would use the 75gr superformance match using the non-tipped HPBT, pushes 2900+ from a 20" barrel and penetrates deep and leaves a "decent" permanent cavity. the 77gr tipped SMK's are getting all the buzz right now though and may be worth investigating.
http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=84
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af5Z-0yALr8

long thread short, GMX would be my choice for deer hunting with a .224

somewhere on the web, they have some gel tests of the 70gr GMX, I cant find it at the moment, but even the 55gr is impressive. the problem with the GMX bullet is most it's commercial loadings are in TAP/urban type ammo's, so the tests tend to highlight it's fragmentation through barriers etc. but do some research and let us know what you decide. if your a reloader the GMX 70gr runs great with a healthy dose of Varget or CFE223
 
20-40 yard shot. Anything. I sneak around in the heavy laurel during rain storms and use Hornady 55 Grain V- Max box ammo and lung shoot them. I never had one drop on the spot, but I never had one go more than about 20 feet either. It really shreds the lungs.
 
Speer Gold Dot 64gr.
Barnes TSX 70gr.
Winchester Nosler Bonded 64gr.
Remington Hog Hammer Barnes TSX 62gr.
Federal V-Shok Partition 60gr.
 
be selective

Pick and choose your shots and your ammo. With the AR/.223 craze in full cry, deer and hogs are getting shot with .223 in large amounts and prove it can be done. But avoid "anything" ammo choice, and any advice to "head shoot" to solve the ammo problem.

Sooner or later, using frangible/varmint slugs, you'll get a shot at a less than ideal angle, or a shot that lands on a big bone, and limits your penetration, or a shot farther than anticipated, that effects placement and performance. Result may be no exit, puny blood trail, failure to reach vitals and an escaped or wounded animal. Lets hope the "anything" advice did not include FMJ for hopefully several obvious reasons.

There was a time when taking deer with a .223 was looked upon as a "stunt", and there are still places where it is not legal, and those who largely condemn the practice even if it is. Experience is proving that the .223 can take deer cleanly, but common sense must prevail, and accept that the cartridge has its limitations with medium to big game, and the right slug can tilt the balance more in our favor for clean kills.

Bamaboy took his first two deer with a .223 bolt rifle, bonded bullets (federal 62 gr tactical/bonded). Under 100 yd shots, broadsided, heavily coached and well practiced, me at his ear, the rifle on a support. Number one was a pass through, double lung, heavy blood trail, the doe went about 75-100 yds with a heavy blood trail. NUmber two, double lung, slightly more quartering angle, deer close and velocity high, no exit wound, and zero blood trail. The doe went about 50 yds, in heavy cover, and waning light, and had we been less than diligent and certain of a hit, the deer may have gone unrecovered. We found the slug under the hide on the off side, after clipping the liver, a classic mushroom. Any heavier rifle would have almost certainly passed through and given us an exit and a better trail. We moved up to 7.62x39 and then .243 and now I have to fight the kid for one of my .308's.

I've seen enough deer taken with a bow and muzzle load roundball, to realize that placement and experience can yield good results no matter what the weapon. But the same discretion used in the former applies to the .223 I do believe.
 
I'm not a .223 for deer fan, but I get he impression that N. Carolina deer aren't typically the 200lb bruisers you find running around in Ohio.
 
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