Successful .223 for deer

[BigBore45]

Just thought I would share this timeless debate tested. I started a small reloading side job after receiving my 07ffl.

Had lots of customers ask about my 55gr. Softpoint for deer. I decided to test it. I'm usually a .308 win deer hunter.

Results are good. Have some pics. 55gr. Softpoint. 3100fps 18" AR-15. Medium doe 100-110 yards. She ran 20-30 yards and folded. Double lung shot.

 

[caribou]

You made meat, so all did their part right!

Carry on.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Most folks are going heavier, 70 grains + on deer with the .223 Remington, BUT you can't argue with success. Folks need to remember one of the strengths of the .223 (imho) is accuracy, and thus need to have good glass and to practice with it some. I'm sure with a "reloading" side job you know what the round will do on paper as well as now on deer.

LD

 

[IdaD]

It's smaller than what I would prefer to use but there's no doubt it's effective if the shot placement is good. I just don't see any real disadvantages to stepping up a few calibers unless 223 is all that's available.

 

[BigBore45]

It's smaller than what I would prefer to use but there's no doubt it's effective if the shot placement is good. I just don't see any real disadvantages to stepping up a few calibers unless 223 is all that's available.

Right. I somewhat agree. I do have too say. This gun is very modular on size and fit. It had fast follow up shots while hunting coyotes. I can also use it for deer limited distance imo. And to top it off it is my 3-gun ar. So very useful from one gun and caliber.

 

[BigBore45]

You made meat, so all did their part right!

Carry on.

Yep. Thanks. I decided to quit running my own HVAC company this year and go back to work for someone after 7 years. Been great to have time to hunt now. I've had one of the best hunting season of my life this year. My game freezer is filling up nicely. If I do well with birds the rest of this season I may well not have to buy meat or poultry at the store which is a huge goal of mine ever year! Can not wait to get back my garden this spring!

 

[jmr40]

I killed a decent 4 point buck last year with my AR. I've always said a 223 with the right bullets works fine, and I've seen too many dead deer killed by others using the round. But since I have more powerful rounds, and 90% of the places where I hunt have as many black bear as deer (the seasons run together) I've never hunted with it.

But I was in a place where no bear are and it was really a spur of the moment decision to carry the AR that morning. I didn't really have any ammo on hand that I thought would be ideal, but loaded the magazine with some 60 gr V-max bullets. The shot was at about 40 yards and broke the right front shoulder then messed up the lungs, no exit. He went straight down, tried to get back up but couldn't because of the shoulder. Was dead in about 10 seconds.

I've since bought some ammo better suited for deer. I don't trust a 55 gr conventional bullet. The all copper 55's yes. But those didn't shoot well in my rifles. The Hornady 75 gr BTHP bullets do. But so far I've not had another chance to use it.

 

[Birdhunter1]

What 55 gr softpoint are you loading? I don't doubt one bit it would be a sufficient deer dropper as I load a 5 gr Hornady soft point and it makes devastating holes in fleshy things.

 

[marksman13]

I killed a bunch of deer with 69 gr Federal GMM ammo. I know people will poo-poo that choice, but it worked well and I never had a deer take an extra step after a center-shoulder or neck shot. I don’t take the 5.56s out much anymore, but I’d probably still shoot the ol 69 GMM.

 

[MCgunner]

Only deer or anything I've taken with my M4 was a 6 point shot through the shoulder quartering away and HE went 20 yards and collapsed dead. I used a handload involving a 62 grain Barnes TSX. I'm pretty sure with that hit, my .308 would have been a bang/flop, but heck, dead is dead. I really wanted to shoot a pig with that load first. I might swap my laser spotlight over to that rifle when pigs start showing up again, or not. My SKS ain't broke. Just be kinda cool to see how the .223 works on a pig. But, then, I REALLY like bang/flops in the dark and pigs don't tend to leave much blood trail.

We'll see. I kinda like that M4, though.

 

[BigBore45]

What 55 gr softpoint are you loading? I don't doubt one bit it would be a sufficient deer dropper as I load a 5 gr Hornady soft point and it makes devastating holes in fleshy things.

They are hornady 55gr sp/wc.

 

[camsdaddy]

I am wondering about favoring neck shots with smaller calibers. I have always gone for the heart, I had taught my son to do the same. I had a friend suggest neck shots. This year he has shot two deer with a 243 in the neck and neither ran further than it took to fall.

 

[d2wing]

I also used a Hornady 55 Gr Sp to kill a 14 pt buck and several other deer.

 

[BigBore45]

I am wondering about favoring neck shots with smaller calibers. I have always gone for the heart, I had taught my son to do the same. I had a friend suggest neck shots. This year he has shot two deer with a 243 in the neck and neither ran further than it took to fall.

Neck shots to me are iffy. As you can see the lungs in my picture have holes about the size of a quarter or a bit bigger. The neck is always moving and on an angle when compared to the "boiler room". I cannot say I have seen a neck shot fail except 1 time. I have seen quite a few neck shots. I'd hazard to say it is less than 5% failure rate from my experience. A .243 with 100 grain soft point was the one that failed.

 

[WestKentucky]

I haven’t used a 223 on deer, but there are a lot of “better” options in the 223 now than ever before. When ARs became more common and a lot of people started looking at 223 for the same roles as they used to look at 22-250 the bullet selection jumped. There have always been soft point rounds, JHP, and FMJ, but over the last 20 years LOTS of new bullets and good bullets for any realistic purpose you can name have come down the pipe. As a ammo buyer there are lots more options now, as a reloader the options are now so plentiful that it’s hard to choose.

 

[Birdhunter1]

They are hornady 55gr sp/wc.

It is the 55 gr Hornady SPSX that I load up in my .223 with H322 powder. Very accurate and quite the explosive bullet.

 

[MCgunner]

.223 was never used on deer in my youth. In fact, at that time, the .243 was illegal as Texas state regulation required .25 caliber or bigger. The state changed regulations to "center fire" so I suppose a .218 Bee, .219 Zipper or .22 Hornet would be legal now. With the popularity of the AR platform in the last 20 years and the advent of decent controlled expansion bullets, .223 has become popular with the younger hunters, especially, and .223 is at least viable at shortish ranges. Of course, there are better caliber choices and I'm not taking my M4 on my Uvalde hunt next week, strictly bolt action deer rifles for that hunt. Ranges might be longish, too, but I know my .308 can handle it.

In the last 40 years, .22-250 has attained a following for deer hunting in Texas, especially for the recoil sensitive. It does make a good bit more umph than .223, but it has a good reputation even with .55 grain soft point bullets. The only thing it really offers over .223 is range. So, keep the range under 200 yards and I think you're gold, providing, of course, that you can shoot straight.

 

[d2wing]

After I broke my shoulder pretty bad, I tried using an SKS and a variety of AK's. I was not happy with the accuracy and being very restricted in range with any of them. Plus they arefront heavy for the kids to use. After that the State DNR made .223 legal. Having liked the M-16 in the Army and it's 400 meter accuracy I bought an AR and gave it a try. Opening day a huge 14 pt. buck presented a good broadside shot and bang. Because of terrain and other tracks it took awhile to get on the right trail. The deer had cleared a high embankment and downed tree.I was afraid I lost it. eventually I found it in thick brush about 40 yards away very dead. Opening it up, the heart and lungs were all mush. I am convinced of it's effectiveness with 55 gr soft points. Since I prefer a bolt action I now shoot a 7-08. I would be concerned with long range shots and quartering shots though with a .223. I have shot several dozen deer with all kinds of weapons. A soft point .223 is better than any pistol or shotgun slug I have ever used and I tried several.

 

[jono]

Killed a few, it works...

 

[Sniper66]

I killed a large doe with my reloads, a Sierra 60gr HP out of my Rem 700 .243. Hit it right behind the ear and was dead before it hit the ground. That said, I would not hesitate to hunt with my .223 if I didn't have anything else. I have a .270 and have killed deer with it, but prefer my .243. Mostly because I'm more confident with it. Having killed 100s of prairie dogs with my .223, I am confident that I could place a bullet about anywhere I chose to. My friend killed one with a neck shot with .223, a 50gr varmint round. It was a target of opportunity and it's all he had. The deer dropped in it's tracks.

 

[FL-NC]

I use a Hornady factory 75 grain BTHP match, which kills them DRT. I only had 1 run on me- a whole 25 yards. According to the internet, both you and I are foolish and unethical. Yesterday I put a perfect shot in a management doe with a 50 caliber inline muzzleloader, and she ran 50 yards. It seems that gun is ok, but the 223 isn't, even though my 223 has a better record for dropping deer quickly.

 

[Bfh_auto]

Just thought I would share this timeless debate tested. I started a small reloading side job after receiving my 07ffl.

Had lots of customers ask about my 55gr. Softpoint for deer. I decided to test it. I'm usually a .308 win deer hunter.

Results are good. Have some pics. 55gr. Softpoint. 3100fps 18" AR-15. Medium doe 100-110 yards. She ran 20-30 yards and folded. Double lung shot.

I used a 17HMR one time. You're way overkill

 

[jono]

A .224 Valkyrie with a 90 or 100 gr bullet and an appropriate twist barrel seems to be a fairly exciting option in this caliber as well.

 

[Hookeye]

Better than "any" pistol or shotgun slug?


Ever shoot a WW BRI style slug (but not the BRI original design, the WW High Impact Supreme)?
I saw deer crumple when hit with mid height double lung shots. Also seen em hit on shoulder w slug in hide on opp side ham (strong quartering to).

What big strong bullets do is allow you to take steeper angles to the vitals.

I liked the lightweights in .44 mag handguns, 180s and 200s cranked. But there I shoot both lungs, no steep angle stuff.
Usually a hole in and out and deer down within 75 yards. Accuracy exceptional.

Have never tried the 300's on deer (broke a 629 w a few so said 240's and under in Smith pre endurance package rigs). I dunno if something magical starts taking place with the longer/heavier bullets there. Maybe, maybe not. Just throwing it out there.

I rather liked the 150 gr Rem Core Loks in my Contender .35 rem. Unfortunately nothing of size came around to test and all since have been in rifle form, w the 200 Hornadys. Might get another bbl for my latest Contender. Had a rig set up, w reddot.........and it loved the 200gr FTX............but my arthritis was lit up in 10 shots (even w Pachmayr Grippers).

I might have to wear a glove or limit myself to 5 shots from the bench................dang that is a cool handgun. This would be my 3rd one LOL.
Was thinking maybe .357 mag.......and 180s. Not Maximum.
Think Hornady dropped the .35 cal 180 single shot pistol bullet.

 

[Hookeye]

I don't care what people use.
If it's legal, have at it.

But I don't get to hunt all the time and if a buck gives me a good shot I take it.
I don't wait for the perfect shot.

Took a deer w .243 win and did not feel over gunned.