.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

[Smenning]

I’ll give them a shot, will follow up if I have success.

 

[Txmike]

Stand 1 Armory 77gr TMK

Amazing! Thanks so much!

 

[woods89]

I’ll give them a shot, will follow up if I have success.

Here is a set of lungs from the above mentioned situation. 100 yd shot, she was dead within 50 yds of impact. Through the ribs behind the shoulder if I remember correctly. The bullet did not exit.

I'd use them again if that's what I had. Only thing I would say is that if you are hunting brushy areas the lack of exit can mean a little tougher trailing. Just a sample size of 1.

I think @mt100gr. has some experience with them as well.

 

[Smenning]

View attachment 478030
Here is a set of lungs from the above mentioned situation. 100 yd shot, she was dead within 50 yds of impact. Through the ribs behind the shoulder if I remember correctly. The bullet did not exit.

I'd use them again if that's what I had. Only thing I would say is that if you are hunting brushy areas the lack of exit can mean a little tougher trailing. Just a sample size of 1.

I think @mt100gr. has some experience with them as well.

Looks like it did the trick! Can’t argue with dead animals.

 

[BLJ]

Wanted to ad to my post from yesterday. Although my shot was under 20 yards on an eastern whitetail and I had an exit, I did not see one drop of blood. I didn’t spend a lot of time looking, but did make an effort to try and find some and didn’t see anything. Just for reference.

 

[Txmike]

What goes into the decision making process of choosing a behind the shoulder shot, or a high shoulder shot? I def like the idea of not having to track and DRT. Thanks in advance.

 

[OdinIII]

What goes into the decision making process of choosing a behind the shoulder shot, or a high shoulder shot? I def like the idea of not having to track and DRT. Thanks in advance.

To me it’s always how much meat you’re ok with wasting and how much you need to plant the animal due to darkness or other considerations like property lines.

I know I’ve posted in this thread a few times about how important an exit hole is for blood trailing. I’m a little hesitant to admit it but must report that I shot a smallish doe the other day with a 150 gr. “Deer Season XP” from a 300 win mag and the bullet did not exit!

I guess I should use a bigger gun? better bullet? Not a serious question but this does highlight the point that all modern cartridges do a good job with a good bullet and vice versa.

 

[woods89]

@Formidilosus , and anyone else.

If a guy wanted an exit 80% of the time, even catching one scapula, inside 2-300 yds, on mid size whitetails, what's the best way to get there? 80+gr bullets out of a really fast twist 223? Hotter 22 cal and 88s? Mild or mid 6mm with 100+ gr bullets? I know my 6.5 with 130-140s basically always exits.

It may sound weird but I hunt some steep, thick country every year where more leaking is better. I've pondered putting a rifle together for that specific type of hunting and wondered just what I would choose.

 

[amassi]

@Formidilosus , and anyone else.

If a guy wanted an exit 80% of the time, even catching one scapula, inside 2-300 yds, on mid size whitetails, what's the best way to get there? 80+gr bullets out of a really fast twist 223? Hotter 22 cal and 88s? Mild or mid 6mm with 100+ gr bullets? I know my 6.5 with 130-140s basically always exits.

It may sound weird but I hunt some steep, thick country every year where more leaking is better. I've pondered putting a rifle together for that specific type of hunting and wondered just what I would choose.

6mm- cm, xc, gt, x47 ,winchester etc and 95g nosler ballistic tips.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[PNWGATOR]

Don’t over think it.

If you put the 77TMK in the body cavity of an animal, it will die.

Shoot it through the vitals and it will die predictably.

Breaking them down through bone isn’t an issue.

Learn to kill efficiently.

 

[woods89]

If you put the 77TMK in the body cavity of an animal, it will die. Shoot it through the vitals and it will die predictably. Breaking them down through bone isn’t an issue.

Don’t over think it.

Learn to kill efficiently.

There's a 98.7% chance I am overthinking....

In well over half of my hunting it's a non issue. Sometimes in the really thick stuff, without snow, if you don't get blood until he starts blowing it out his nose, it can make for some queasy moments.

I'd be lying if I said it's ever actually cost me an animal, though.

 

[Lawnboi]

@woods89

For what it’s worth with the 77 on the 7 fairly large bodied deer I have shot, only a few exited, and none left holes large enough for significant blood to leak out. That said 50 yards has been a long death run. I did have a large exit on a frontal shot but all my behind the shoulder shots have mostly resulted in a 20-50 yard run. I try to put the bullet just at the top of the heart.


The thing I like most is being able to watch what happens when you shoot.

Tmk also expand very rapidly, not inches like a Berger or a bonded bullet but it hasn’t been uncommon for me to have some more impressive entrance wounds than exit.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Exactly.

Terminal performance is predictable and deadly.

They’re ****!ng devastating in their terminal performance. Put it where you aim it, watch the impact. DRT. Keep shooting, as you can spot your own impact and run the rifle like a rifleman. Hits on target. Killing efficiently.

Done.

 

[Pharmseller]

75 ELDM at 288 yards.













Just kidding.

 

[hseII]

I have a RA Ranch 5.56. I love it. Granted it’s not a Tikka, but it has done very well for me. I’m at around 500 (I think) rounds through it now without any issues. I’d like to buy another one.
The only drawback with this setup (kinda, IMO) is having to load the longer bullets to AR mag length. But, it uses AR mags. I’m okay with it. It’s an MOA gun with 69 SMK or 77 TMK.

Do a little poking around- I believe those came with both an AR magazine & a rotary.

This being a LH it came with the rotary- I swapped it for the $29 AICS kit from Ruger customer service that comes with most of the newer RH models. ELDXs kill.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[PNWGATOR]

What’d you kill it with?

 

[Castle Rock]

@Formidilosus , and anyone else.

If a guy wanted an exit 80% of the time, even catching one scapula, inside 2-300 yds, on mid size whitetails, what's the best way to get there? 80+gr bullets out of a really fast twist 223? Hotter 22 cal and 88s? Mild or mid 6mm with 100+ gr bullets? I know my 6.5 with 130-140s basically always exits.

It may sound weird but I hunt some steep, thick country every year where more leaking is better. I've pondered putting a rifle together for that specific type of hunting and wondered just what I would choose.

Dead on the ground is easier than looking for leakage

 

[BLJ]

Do a little poking around- I believe those came with both an AR magazine & a rotary.

This being a LH it came with the rotary- I swapped it for the $29 AICS kit from Ruger customer service that comes with most of the newer RH models. ELDXs kill.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I didn’t mean to sound like I was complaining. I like the AR mags for simplicity and availability. And when I swapped to XBR powder I ended up with an acceptable velocity.
Thanks for the help, though.

 

[KHntr]

@Formidilosus , and anyone else.

If a guy wanted an exit 80% of the time, even catching one scapula, inside 2-300 yds, on mid size whitetails, what's the best way to get there? 80+gr bullets out of a really fast twist 223? Hotter 22 cal and 88s? Mild or mid 6mm with 100+ gr bullets? I know my 6.5 with 130-140s basically always exits.

It may sound weird but I hunt some steep, thick country every year where more leaking is better. I've pondered putting a rifle together for that specific type of hunting and wondered just what I would choose.

Personally, in that scenario you describe, I’m busting shoulders every single time with a 223AI. I’m a few pickup boxes deep with the 75 Amax out to 400+ yards on deer and black bears and prefer to see them ball up inside 20 yards. That said, last year’s whitetail made it about 60 yards. (For what it’s worth though, I once shot a spike whitetail in the same presentation- quartering in, bullet placed in the front edge of the onside shoulder - with a 300 Ultra and a 180 TTSX and he made it over 300 yards).
However, on a deer farther out than your requirements I would expect an 88 Eld m to exit after crunching both shoulders from what I have seen to date.
Should have a few more data points after the end of this month though.

 

[fwafwow]

I got a bit ahead of myself/excited and purchased these - not withstanding a domestic ammo embargo (although delivered at home - I don’t have the stones to have ammo delivered to work), and my lack of a RS Special. My ARs will be considered, but I’m sort of on the fence. Reminds me of when I bought the Asteroids Atari cartridge, but I didn’t have Atari. Yet.