.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

[PNWGATOR]

My daughter harvested her first deer tonight. A good doe. Shot was 30 yards and she ran maybe 25 yards. This was the most impressive damage I’ve seen yet from the 77 tmk. Wrecked the heart and lungs. 2800 fps from my 20” AR suppressed. A great youth setup.

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GREAT setup for anyone, regardless of age or experience!!!!!!

Well done!!!!

 

[roosiebull]

Finally have some tmk’s in route, I will figure out a rifle after hunting seasons slow down, I hate doing anything but hunting my free time this time of year, but I can shop for reloading supplies in the meantime

Have lots of loaded ammo to get brass and will probably get a few hundred loaded tmk’s as I find them to have in hand… when I do finally get a rifle in hand, lion season will be open and I’ll be trying hard to test out the new toy

 

[Sandstrom]

I don’t remember if this has been discussed before in this thread. I was looking at some of my black hills 77 TMK and noticed it has a cannelure and that my box of 77TMK loose bullets do not.

Is there any difference in terminal ballistics from the cannelure?

Does it have any effect on BC?

If it has no effect, why would they add an extra manufacturing step?

I also noticed the same difference with Hornady frontier 75 BTHP.

Ryan

 

[LiveFire]

Simply a guess but I'd imagine they added the extra step as you put it for reliability in detachable box magazine fed guns. The crimp will hold the bullet in place under recoil as well as neutralize the forward inertia of the bullet as an automatic bolt slams the cartridge into battery.

I shoot both the cannelured and non cannelured 77smk and I do not notice a difference. My long range where im at though is 300-400yds.
The shape of the tmk cannelure though is arrowhead shaped and it is on the ogive of the bullet it appears so it must effect BC at some range but again my guess is no significant difference.

Edited to add: I dont crimp any of my 77gr smk with or without a cannelure.

 

[EDDAKA]

If I remember correctly black hills originally wanted the cannelure on Sierra 77 OTM for the military, and Sierra did not want to do it, thinking it would affect accuracy, but apparently it does not.

 

[THLR]

My experience with the 80gr ELDM is limited but his behaviour is quite similar to their 75gr. If I were to establish a difference between the two I would say the 80gr penetrates more with less damage than the 75gr.
Muzzle speeds in my 5,6x50R are 2,840 and 2,930.
77gr TMK penetrates as much and with more damage.
View attachment 616093
Here is a Chamois I shot with it last week in the French Alps. Distance was 250 meters ca. 275 yds. Bullet passed through biting the rear section of both scapulas. It did not touch the spine and the Chamois was dead before reaching the ground.

Waidmannsheil!
Is that an original Blaser 5,6x50R barrel or are you using a custom barrel?
The caliber was suddenly more interesting if i can reload heavier bullets than the factory options...

 

[chamois]

Waidmannsheil!
Is that an original Blaser 5,6x50R barrel or are you using a custom barrel?
The caliber was suddenly more interesting if i can reload heavier bullets than the factory options...

Waidmannsdank!

It is a custom barrel made with a 1:8" twist by Bix'n Andy in Austria.

Blaser's original is 1:12" if memory serves, unable to stabilize projectiles like these.

Here is my second Alpine chamois of this season, also taken with the 80gr ELDM at 390 meters ca. 430 yds.

 

[THLR]

Thank you, suspected as much! Also love the K95, same as you: Use it more and more...

 

[chamois]

Thank you, suspected as much! Also love the K95, same as you: Use it more and more...View attachment 617560

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

 

[Montana Slim]

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

View attachment 617564

OH my.... outstanding!!!

 

[THLR]

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

View attachment 617564

That is almost cheating!

Lovely collection!

 

[TX_Diver]

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

View attachment 617564

Nice! Interesting scope mount too. What is it?

 

[Billy Goat]

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

View attachment 617564

But do they pass the drop test??






I'm too hard on my stuff, just can't justify having stuff that purdy.

 

[THLR]

Droptest a K95?

Sure.
Behold the miracles of modern adhesives!

 

[chamois]

Nice! Interesting scope mount too. What is it?

It is the original Blaser detachable mount. Incredibly simple and holds zero perfectly. They are also available with rings but the scopes I always use have a rail underneath to which the mount attaches directly. They do not require rings and it is impossible to mount the scope canted.

 

[chamois]

But do they pass the drop test??

I'm too hard on my stuff, just can't justify having stuff that purdy.

So far so good!

 

[PNWGATOR]

Nice photo! Looks like the Scottish Highlands?

I almost use no other gun...

View attachment 617564

Care to send one over for drop testing?

They’re stunningly beautiful rifles.

Would like to get the thread back on track with more photos and necropsy photos of BIG game via 223.

 

[mt100gr.]

MT youth deer hunt 2023. My 11 year old's mule deer buck taken with a Tikka .223, 77gr TMK at 225yds.

Entrance center shoulder with hide peeled back.
Entrance side with scapula peeled back
Scapula removed
Exit side with bullet jacket just under the hide in the "arm pit"
Hit was a bit high, but mashed the top of the lungs and shocked the spine

 

[PNWGATOR]

MT youth deer hunt 2023. My 11 year old's mule deer buck taken with a Tikka .223, 77gr TMK at 225yds.
View attachment 617675
Entrance center shoulder with hide peeled back. View attachment 617676
Entrance side with scapula peeled backView attachment 617816
Scapula removedView attachment 617817
Exit side with bullet jacket just under the hide in the "arm pit"View attachment 617818
Hit was a bit high, but mashed the top of the lungs and shocked the spineView attachment 617823

SO happy for your kid!!!!!! AND you!

Thanks for posting.

Thank you for trusting the components and the process.

 

[mt100gr.]

SO happy for your kid!!!!!! AND you!

Thanks for posting.

Thank you for trusting the components and the process.

Thank you!

This was my middle daughter's 1st buck. My oldest daughter took her 4th buck with the .223 /TMK the day prior. Her's was at 285 yds and we called the wind a few inches wrong....impact at the neck/shoulder put it down instantly and the internal damage was impressive but field pics were hasty and they didn't tell what I had hoped. Completely severed the spine, shredded the wind pipe and exited with authority. My oldest also has an elk tag this year and we were discussing the .223 for elk on the drive home from our hunt.

I have posted quite a few pics in this thread over the years and am continually amazed by the 77TMK.

My buddy that allows kiddos on the ranch to hunt is still a bit skeptical of the .223 but great shot placement and terminal performance like this is making him a believer, too - My girls have shot 5 rounds to take their 5 bucks, so far....some of the other kids we take have shot that many (and even more) on single deer.