223 Deer Bullet/Factory Load

[kiwikid]

Oh I have plenty of larger rifles. I drew a mule deer buck permit so when hunting mule deer I will have the STW. The 223 is new and I thought it might be interesting to try on a whitetail doe. Might even pack 2 rifles since I'd like to try out my 243 as well with 85 gr Sierra gameking.

Another factory load you may want to try is the Norma Oryx 55 grain. I have used this bullet in my reloads in the 223 and have shot Red deer with them. They shoot .5" at 100m in both of my bolt action rifles. The expand quickly but being bonded they hold together for great penetration.

 

[hunter67wa]

Nosler 64gr bonded. shot two whitetails already this year with 22-250 one at 279 and one at 50. Both had excellent wounds and pass throughs. Ive used 65 SGK in 223 last year great results. And for the naysayers each man has to know his limits.

 

[Deleted member 103481]

I have no experience

I have seen very impressive wound pictures from 77tmk

 

[del2les]

Nosler 64gr bonded. shot two whitetails already this year with 22-250 one at 279 and one at 50. Both had excellent wounds and pass throughs. Ive used 65 SGK in 223 last year great results. And for the naysayers each man has to know his limits.

I have a couple of boxes of the 65's, but since I had such good luck with the 63SMP and 62TBBC thru the many years, I have not tried the 65 SGK on deer yet. Glad to read your success. I guess its time to play with a couple of others.

 

[muleskinner1]

"for curiosity".....you don't have anything bigger than a 22?
I know the 223 gets used on small whitetail, which I have no reason why, but what if that buck steps out and you are not armed for it.

You do what the Indians used to do.

 

[bigngreen]

If all I was doing is shooting deer inside 300 yards I wouldn't use anything but a 223, we use 60-65 gr soft points and they work excellent. My daughter has killed a number of good mule deer bucks from 50-300 yards and tacoed them all within feet, all exited even through both shoulders. I've used the same gun on youth elk hunts and it blows a quarter size hole out the of side and dead elk.

 

[Deleted member 48126]

If all I was doing is shooting deer inside 300 yards I wouldn't use anything but a 223, we use 60-65 gr soft points and they work excellent. My daughter has killed a number of good mule deer bucks from 50-300 yards and tacoed them all within feet, all exited even through both shoulders. I've used the same gun on youth elk hunts and it blows a quarter size hole out the of side and dead elk.

A .223 on elk or a soft point bullet on elk?

 

[bigngreen]

A .223 on elk or a soft point bullet on elk?

A soft point in a 223, works like a charm, used it a lot for kids cause your watch them shoot a bigger gun and the muzzle goes all over the place, a 223 they k ow it's not going to eat them and they make quality shots, beat the heck out of me trying to kill a wounded elk for a few days.

 

[112Savage]

Nosler's bonded defense would be my first choice. Second would be the fusion bullets by federal or if you can find TBBC. With the flat meplat I think Nosler would be a great killing bullet but still retain enough mass for penetration.
Disclaimer, the "smallest Gun" I've shot a deer with was a 15" 243 pistol and 90 grain bullets. The buck died within 5 yards due to a quartering away heart shot at 42 yds.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

The Nosler 64gr bonded bullet shoots much better than their 22 cal Partition bullet in 2 of my rifles. It is a fairly short bullet for its weight and should not require much twist to stabilize. I was shooting them in a 12" twist.

 

[toddpipkin]

I've killed a bunch of deer, hogs coyotes, crows, feral dogs, etc., with Speer 70 grain Semi-spitzers from my Mini-14 Ranch Rifle, from A Rem. Custom Shop 700 Mountain Rifle in .22-250, and from a few AR's.

I've killed SEVERAL bunches of each with Winchester 64 grain Power Points, also from several different rifles.

You'd think the Rem. 700, with 14" twist, would not do well with that long bullet. You'd be wrong, as I was! The most accurate of the bunch; always at sub 1/2 minute groups, when pushed about 2800 by a medium load of H-414.

 

[rugers]

I've shot a few using black hills 60 grn remanufactured ammo it put them down immediately, but I limit my shots to under 150 yds. And to tell the truth was not hunting deer but stocking coyotes sunning on hay bales and sort of ran into them, wanted meat they where close why not.

 

[bbraden]

If you have a 1:9 twist or tighter, the 70 grain Speer SSP (Semi-Spitzer) is one hell of a penetrator and has always been accurate in all my AR's. I've killed tons of coyotes and hogs with it and always get an exit. Con: it's BC is terrible and it's hard to push with great velocity out of a 16" barrel. If you can live with the drop, it's devastating on varmints and hog sized game. I would trust it on deer but never had the opportunity to try it on them. (EDIT: Todd Pipkin, above, says they work in 1:14 twist. I've never tried them in less than 1:9 but maybe they do!)

 

[Spd522]

Barnes Vortex with the 62 gr TSX bullet. I have used them in guns with barrels of 1/9,1/8, and 1/7 twists.They hit like a hammer and can bust through shoulder bone on the way out the impressive wound channel on other side. I have yet to have one run more than 20-30 yards with most dropping where hit. All of mine have been shot from a tree stand in timber with a max distance of 90 yards. So I can't comment on performance beyond what I have experienced.