.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

[redneckbmxer24]

I shot some more of the AAC ammo TMK today that’s a different lot. Accuracy was better this time around but about 25% of the cases were very tight closing the bolt and 3 wouldn’t chamber at all and I didn’t want to force it. It was still dirty nasty shit like the other lot. I didn’t retrieve my targets because it started pouring but the groups were right at .4mil on shoot n see 2” dots which is wider than the actual edge to edge because of the splatter plus bullet diameter so it’s safe to say that it was under 1.25MOA center to center for 5 rounds but not better than 1MOA. I won’t be buying any more, it’s shitty ammo.

I put some other loads through it today too. Federal LE 77gr TMK was cutting little knots pretty much going through the same hole. Those were .2mil or a little under which is sub .5 MOA and then some factoring in the target splatter and bullet diameter. Norma 77gr SMK was averaging just a little larger but still under 3/4MOA including the 10 shot group I shot.

The Federal and Norma shoot to the same POI too which is nice. I have a pile of Norma since it’s what I feed my DMR rifles so I’ll run that for range use and have my dealer order me a few more cases of the Federal.

The rifle is T3X Lite SS in stock form with the pressure point still in the forend and action screws torqued to 40inlbs. I bought a Lumey bottom metal kit with pillars and I was planning to pillar and glass bed it and fully free float the barrel but I’m not even going to bother. That kit will go in the T3X Varmint SS Walnut model I just picked up instead that will benefit much more from pillar bedding.

 

[rbutcher1234]

So it sounds like the federal blue tipped tmk LE load is a good substitute for the black hills 77 tmk?

 

[redneckbmxer24]

It’s going to be a little slower but it shoots well across 3 rifles for me. The issue is getting it, Federal is very strict about dealers selling it to people that aren’t LE so you’ve either gotta be LE, have someone that’s LE buy it for you, or be friends with a dealer who gives no ***** and will order it for you. I fall under the latter category.

 

[swavescatter]

Finally joined the club - got some 77gr TMK's on the way!

Question for everyone - has anyone run an XLR Element Chassis? I'm having some AICS mag fitment issues. Thread here.

Curious if it's a one-off or a known issue. I had zero issues dropping my Rem700 based rifle in the same model of XLR chassis.

 

[4090Sharps]

I had a couple tell me my 223 was too weak for any big game while I was at the range… They were two range trips and $300 (very conservative estimate) in ammo into struggling to dial in their magnum rifles.

 

[xsn10s]

I had a guy at the range tell me he switched from a bolt 223 to an AR because it hit em harder.

I stopped going to the range not long after that.

Did it shoot like a laser beam?

 

[xsn10s]

He was your typical range rat. Camoed up, biggest revolver you could buy on one hip. Survival knife on the other. Large an in charge LOL

Perfect.

 

[Old Dog]

FNG here.
So I'm your basic ol boomer. All my deer hunting has been with either a 270 or 300wm, but I pretty much gave up shooting bambi a decade or so ago. (that might change) Now I hunt coyotes. One of the issues with 223 on coyotes can be spinners and because of that many go with 243. After reading this entire thread I'm pretty sure one of the issues is bullet selection. So I'm wanting to try the 77 TMK, the photos on here it look like it should be devastating. I'm not saving fur this is strictly predator control.

I'd be shooting either a 16inch AR, stainless 223 wylde, 1-8 or a 14.5inch DD barrel 5.56 chamber, 1-7. I have TMK ordered probably go with whichever one shoots these the best.


So for those who have used 77TMK on coyotes is there enough animal to start expansion? Our coyotes aren't real big, probably in the 30 lb range.

 

[mcr-85]

FNG here.
So I'm your basic ol boomer. All my deer hunting has been with either a 270 or 300wm, but I pretty much gave up shooting bambi a decade or so ago. (that might change) Now I hunt coyotes. One of the issues with 223 on coyotes can be spinners and because of that many go with 243. After reading this entire thread I'm pretty sure one of the issues is bullet selection. So I'm wanting to try the 77 TMK, the photos on here it look like it should be devastating. I'm not saving fur this is strictly predator control.

I'd be shooting either a 16inch AR, stainless 223 wylde, 1-8 or a 14.5inch DD barrel 5.56 chamber, 1-7. I have TMK ordered probably go with whichever one shoots these the best.


So for those who have used 77TMK on coyotes is there enough animal to start expansion? Our coyotes aren't real big, probably in the 30 lb range.

The 60 tmk and 69 tmk work well on coyotes with .22-250 velocity. I haven't shot a coyote with a .223 in a while.

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[Bluumoon]

77gr TMKs have dramatic effects on foxes, prarie dogs too.

 

[damnbluedog]

The 60 grain vmax are very effective on groundhog/rockchuck sized animals. North/South shots out of a 20" 1:9 twist 223 often have the results you would expect to see when shooting prairie dogs. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot coyotes with the vmax. With the better BC of the 60 TMK, seems worth trying.

 

[beerbucksducks]

The 60 tmk and 69 tmk work well on coyotes with .22-250 velocity. I haven't shot a coyote with a .223 in a while.

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

What twist 22-250 for the 69 grainer?


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[Old Dog]

77gr TMKs have dramatic effects on foxes, prarie dogs too.

If a fox has enough mass to cause expansion/fragmentation the it would seem logical that a coyote would do the same.

Now I just need to see if my rifles like them.

 

[mcr-85]

I have a 1-9

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[beerbucksducks]

I have a 1-9

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Thanks!


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[PNWGATOR]

Big game seasons are open or going to be opening in the immediate future. PLEASE post your experiences here! Promise you’ll be impressed with wound channels and shootability!

 

[The Guide]

Is it worth the extra money to get a 223 in the Tikka CTR or Super Varmint over getting the T3X Lite? I plan on running it suppressed once my stuff is out of jail so I am looking at adding $150 for barrel threading on the base model.

Jay

 

[ztc92]

Is it worth the extra money to get a 223 in the Tikka CTR or Super Varmint over getting the T3X Lite? I plan on running it suppressed once my stuff is out of jail so I am looking at adding $150 for barrel threading on the base model.

Jay

I have a T3X lite in .223 (A Rokslide Special) and also recently bought a CTR in 6.5CM. In my opinion the T3X lite makes the most sense for .223 because the recoil is so minimal that the added weight of the CTR from the heavier barrel is unnecessary. You may also want to go shorted than 20” depending on your priorities.

The only scenario I would prefer my 223 was a CTR is if I had to have 5/8 threads on the barrel because I didn’t want to use an adapter, or if I frequently shot long strings of fire and didn’t want the barrel to heat up as quickly. For hunting and field practice, the T3X lite is about perfect.

 

[Pharmseller]

As light as the recoil is, I still lost the sight picture with my T3 Lite. Seeing the bullet hit the critter is the best part for me, so I bought a T3 Varmint with the heavy, longer barrel and heavier stock. As long as I’m not carrying it up and down mountains it’s fine.

 

[grappling_hook]

Big game seasons are open or going to be opening in the immediate future. PLEASE post your experiences here! Promise you’ll be impressed with wound channels and shootability!

This was a fun hunt from Sunday. I snuck up a valley low on one side and heard antlers rattling, then spotted two Sitka Blacktail bucks sparring/push fighting on the opposite steeper hillside above me. I had my suppressed AR15 and thought "I bet I can get them both." 325 yards shooting uphill at them, 77gr TMK, wind was a little tricky but I thought it averaged out to about 10mph L-to-R. I set up my KUIU pack as a front rest and shot from the seated position. With their antlers still locked, I shot the orange-brown one first, and it jumped and turned around in a circle and then tried to go uphill, then fell and gradually slid/flopped 75-100 yards directly down toward me. The grey-brown one stood there looking at its sparring partner try to go uphill as I shot it, and it took a couple of steps before it started running on a diagonal in my general direction, clearly not knowing where the shots were from (thanks, suppressor!) and as it ran I put in a quick second shot, then hit it with a third shot as it plowed into the ground behind the bushes in the photo. Wound channels were good-- lost some rib meat, and glad I was doing gutless deboning because the wound channel on the grey-brown went through the diaphram and a little into the gut. No exits, but no tracking or searching for them either.