.223 For Deer Hunting

[Harley Quinn]

Hamourkiller,

The one picture shows a pretty good wound on the upper right shoulder/back area. Was that an exit wound made by a .223

Gunsight, again your information is appreciated.

I am in H&H's corner here, the best thing is to get a better round for shooting bambi .270 a real good one for it, .308/06 is a great one also.

But, if all you have is a .223 and you are truly interested in testing your skills, I'd stay inside all the parameters set down

 

[DDawg]

Thank you for all the comments.
My friend(an experienced hunter and reloader) has custom loaded some deer rounds and the field I'll be hunting in is no more than 100 yards across. I primarily plan to hunt with my bow and my Marlin 35. I think the Ruger #1 .223 will be fine for small does.

 

[txgolfer45]

Hamorkiller said:

"To each his own, in Texas the .223 is legal and it is an efective round when the hunter is competent.

If it is legal in your state and want to use it, lay with the heaviest expanding bullets and you will do fine. Shoot them behind the shoulder or through the shoulders and they will be down within 40 yds or so.

My AR-15 has done great service for me since 1976 and will continue to do so.

Have a good hunting season and shoot them deer with that .223."

Agree. People have to realize that most deer in TX are not big like in the Midwest or Colorado. Does may only weigh around 110 lbs and bucks not much more. If I'm meat hunting for does, a .223 will do just fine in TX.

 

[hamourkiller]

No that wound was a quick second shot that I got high on and the bullet clipped the top of the shoulder. At that time I was used to a Rem 742 bdl 30-06 and if you could see the deer after recoil you beter shoot again. The AR-15 kicks such a small amount you can put several rounds into the deers shoulder area. I soon learned to make my shot and let the deer have time to expire. The 70gr speer round nose bullet has great penetration.

Where the CAR-15 shines is in the thickets, with the stock 2/3rds collapsed and its 16" bbl it is very quick, its overall dull finish helps hide if you are stump sitting. When you come to trail and can see, it can also reach out further than my ruger 44 carbine. (Another fantastic brush rifle).

The main problem with the AR platform is at extreme close range, 10 to 15 yds or closer. The sights being so much higher than the bore means you will shoot low, I had to learn to aim as if I was going to break a deers back then the round would hit center mass of the kill zone. This problem is made even worse with a scope as the sight gets higher off the bore. The solution was to use the Colt 3 power scope with its bullet drop compensator and zero dead on at 100yds then turn the comp to 300 setting. This gave raised the impact and if a deer stepped out at distance just turn it back to 100.

I hope all enjoy the new season.

Hank

 

[Buzz]

For those who missed it, a 223 has 2.5x the energy of a 50 caliber round ball at 100 yards and 1.5x that of a 44 magnum at the same range. If the 223 is inappropriate for hunting, then using the same criteria, no one should be allowed to use BP rifles or handguns for hunting deer either.

Will all due respect, this strikes me as one of those cases where paper ballistics are given far more credence than they deserve. By the same token a Remington factory loaded .45-70 using a 405g bullet at 1330 fps has less energy than a .22-250 using a 55g Pointed Soft Point at 3680 fps. Now - which one would you rather have in your hands for big game? A load that will blast broadside through a bison or one that is made to kill varmints? I've killed big game with both and can tell you there is no comparison in the wound channels between them.

As I said before - there is no doubt that a .22 caliber centerfire will kill a deer. I just hate the smallish or non existent blood trails they create. The following pictures are the type of terrain I tend to hunt. The first swamp picture is when the water was up several feet, but you can get an idea of the vegetation. Even standing in the middle of this flooded road you can't see 20 feet in the woods. The second one is swamp privets. This stuff is so thick you have to crawl in to get your deer out. We cut shooting lanes for them to step out in and even if an animal runs 40-60 yards, you can have a serious mess on your hands without good blood.

The swamp


Swamp privets - these are about 12' to 15' tall


I realize my hunting parameters are certainly different that what some may want but I want something that can bust through both shoulders and have one dead within a few steps every time. For me that just isn't a .22 caliber centerfire. I notice a lot of you guys that like the .22 centerfires are from Texas. Even though we are your southern brethren, I do think the deer in the Piedmont region of Georgia tend to be a good bit bigger.

This is a pretty typical mature doe for the part of the state I hunt. I'm not a midget either - 5'10" and about 210#.

 

[eliphalet]

This subject seems to get beaten to death every few months. I wonder if anyone on either side of this ever changes their mind as everyone sure seems set in their opinions.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Every time some dude gets a new .223 rifle we have one of these threads.

Like I said if you have to ask.......

 

[Jimmy Newman]

Just to add one more worthless opinion:

I live in Texas with our "tiny little deer." I haven't shot a single deer with a rifle smaller than a 7mm-08 or handgun smaller than .41mag. I don't plan on changing that any time soon .

 

[GunTech]

Well, I'll admit I've never used a 223 on deer myself, just know plenty that do.

Terrain where I hunt is mostly open, with the occasional arroyo or strips of trees. Shots range from a few feet to several hundred yards. Most of my deer have been shot in the 200-400 yards range. The 223 is not appropriate for this.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Shots range from a few feet to several hundred yards. Most of my deer have been shot in the 200-400 yards range. The 223 is not appropriate for this.

GunTech,

That is precisely and exactly what I have been saying this whole time. The use of the .223 is a very limited proposition on deer sized game.

As I stated in my first post I HAVE killed deer and even cow elk with a .223. Everything must be perfect for it to work. The .223 is not a suitable deer round. It can however be pressed into service in certain conditions.

Let me define suitable in this case I think that is the fly in the ointment for some.

Suitable means to me a round which will perform at reasonable distance in the case if deer hunting out to 300 yards and closer and will reliably kill the chosen species even if the shot is from less than perfect angles. It should also have the capability top break major bone and have enough energy and mass left to continue to penetrate to the vitals at the furthest distance used. Of course the bullet chosen must be up to the task as well.


Just like the .275 Rigby is not a suitable elephant round because it will only get the job done reliably in two circumstances. A side brain shot at close range or a rear brain shot at close range. If you get in a tight situation in close cover and are charged you are as good as dead with a 7X57 in your hands.

I never said either won't kill the specified species. They are simply very minimal for the job and inadequate unless everything is perfect.

There are no flies on the .223 it is a fantastic round for it's intended purpose. Shooting deer with it is pushing the outside of it's design envelope.