223 Deer Bullet/Factory Load

[swe123]

the problem I have is this.. I would never use a .224" diameter slug on a white tail or any deer. the smallest caliber/diameter I would use is a .257". as in 25 WSSM or 257 Rob.
now for the most devastating .224" out of a 223 rem or a 5.56 it has to be the 70 grain Barnes TSX. that is with a 150 yard max range as you said.

No love for the 243?

 

[Tommy Moffitt]

My boys and I have killed many Southern whitetail deer and big boars with a .243 loaded with 95gr SST hand loads. They don't move if you hit them right. The SST explodes and turns everything into jello. We have also shot a few nice pigs with AR15's and DRT'd them with well placed shots. I recovered a .55 SP that was used to shoot a 100lb pig behind the ear. It was a DRT kill and the remaining bullet weighed 37.4 grains.

 

[RT2506]

From experience the 64 gr Winchester Power Point is a fine deer bullet. I have not used any on game but the Speer Gold Dot bulleted ammo should be outstanding. It comes in 55, 62 & 77 gr. These are bonded bullets. I used a hand loaded 120 gr Speer Gold Dot out of my 6.5 Grendel to take a deer at 111 yards that I waited until it was facing me hoping to capture the bullet. The chest cavity looked like a weed eater had been turned loose in it and the bullet penetrated about 21 inches and exited it's belly with a thumb size hole as I was shooting at a downward angle from a shooting house. Deer was bang flop dead.

 

[Son of a Gun!]

I load the 65gr. gr. Sierra Game King with AR Comp to right at 2700 fps out of my AR 15 rifles both have 16" barrels I have killed 3 whitetails and an antelope with this load and it works better than other .224 cal. bullets I've tried and it's quite accurate!

 

[D2wing]

Interested in thoughts and real world use on some factory loads I've shot through my 223 Wylde. I'm sighted in for HSM 55 Blitzking ammo. Looking to try out the 223 on a whitetail doe for curiosity. I've shot Winchester 64 grain power point, DT 55 grain Barnes TSX, Hornady Match 73 grain ELDM, Hornady C.D. 55 grain FTX, and both Federal Fusion 62 grain versions. Hornady 55 FTX shoots half the group size of all others (0.5 Moa) and is close in point of impact. Currently leaning toward using the Winchester then Double Tap but would like to hear any results with any of the above and specifically the Hornady 55 FTX since it shoots so well. Shots will be 150 max and obviously be selective and wait for a broadside opportunity.

Should work well. I hunt Northern Minnesota deer. I've shot several big deer with 55 gr soft points including a 300 lb 14 point buck. Made mush of the heart and lungs. Shot placement and proper expanding bullets are as always imperative.

 

[BAKPAKR]

For factory ammo, I have had good results using Federal 62 gr Fusion and Black Hills 77 gr TMK. In reloads, 62 gr Barnes TTSXs have worked very well. The farthest shot was with the TMKs at a little over 235 yards out of a 14.5" barrel.