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

Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,711
Somebody around Page 140 said "No cheat sheet" but I say "Yes cheat sheet"


Page 1 thru 10: Lot of arguing, couple of pictures. Some urban legend type of stuff, I can see why somebody would abandon thread because it looks like it's going to be another 160 pages of memes and shitposts

Page 10 thru 40 though, it gets interesting with lots of pictures of dead things
Form kill pics
Many pics, pic, pic, pic, Moose scapula, 4 elk

PNWGator:
OP's wife shot a moose
A frigin moose, holy shit
I mean, if a chick can do it...

Other posters kill pics
62gr TSX, deer
75gr Gold Dot, deer
antelope
62 TSX, deer
antelope
deer
deer gold dots
More damage from 223 (pictured) than 300RUM (not pictured)

After around page 40 the pictures of dead things slowed down.

A hunting season starts around page 60, pics roll in
deer
pic
Form, multiple deer
deer
deer
deer
deer
deer
deer
deer
Form, elk, 18" AR
deer
deer
deer

Pages 70 to 100ish lots of loading, rifle set up and complaining about component availability

Another year of hunting season starts, 104 thru 124 or so
deer
deer
elk
elk, 22Creed
same elk, 22 creed
antelope lookin thing, 330m, 22-250
elk, 22-250, 270yd
Another friggen moose, 223
bear and moose (same moose?)
deer(?) 393 yards
deer
deer
deer

125 to 131 or so, lot of rifle talk.

multiple elk, all 223 77TMK
deer(?)
elk (over 800 yards?)
elk (maybe same elk?)
deer
deer
bunch of deer

Page 144ish, complaining about availability continues
Nothing huge since then

I read the thread pretty thoroughly on the first go around, but skimmed on putting together this cheat sheet.
There are pictures scattered in everywhere, but after a while I only grabbed the ones that caught my attention with either exploded insides, long range, or being elk or moose. Skipped the coyotes because nobody really doubts that .223 is a coyote gun. Same with the hogs.
So if I missed your picture, no offense intended. If I linked your picture and got something wrong, let me know. It's not always easy for me to tell what animal I'm looking at with just a picture of the inside.


Near the start of the thread, .30 caliber, it "got away"

@PNWGATOR - Can you link to this in the OP for anyone searchin?
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,711
@Ryan Avery can you help me with this as I want to make information easy to find, but I don’t know how to do what @wind gypsy is asking.
If you edit the OP by copy and pasting this link in there that should do it. The link should take people directly to @ORJoe’s nice summary.
 
OP
P

PNWGATOR

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Oct 14, 2014
Messages
2,744
Location
USA
I’m hoping it comes to fruition and he’s successful! Please post pics when you get them.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,392
Location
oregon coast
Well, I just found a t3x super lite in .223 with a 8” twist… so I’m getting back in the 223 game!

I was just curious what they had in 8” twist 223’s not expecting to find a tikka, so I’m stoked. Have to drive back to the valley in the morning but it’s for a good cause

You guys made me feel like finding a tikka would be nearly impossible, so I was pretty surprised, and even better yet a stainless superlite
 

Lawnboi

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
8,391
Location
North Central Wi
So, what powders should I be keeping an eye out for to load for 73gr eldm and 77gr tmk?
Xbr or H4895,
But you’re not going to find it. I look fairly regularly and havnt seen any for quite a while.

If I were in the market for powder now I’d get some tac or try the new Staball match.

Varget works okay but you’re going to fill your case before you reach pressure. Speeds will be slower than the faster powders as well.
 

rabbithuntr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 13, 2023
Messages
267
Got some staball match hopefully I can get a load put together and dialed in before the CBC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,392
Location
oregon coast
Xbr or H4895,
But you’re not going to find it. I look fairly regularly and havnt seen any for quite a while.

If I were in the market for powder now I’d get some tac or try the new Staball match.

Varget works okay but you’re going to fill your case before you reach pressure. Speeds will be slower than the faster powders as well.
I bought a bottle of tac today thinking I recalled it being mentioned. Just trying to get some options together to at least get me shooting, and ideally something I can be content with
 

ztc92

WKR
Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
355
I’m a pretty novice reloader and started reloading for my .223 in April. I also went with TAC because it was all I could find and had a good reputation in the .223. I don’t have a chronograph so can’t speak to speed, but as a new reloader it was consistent and easy to work with.

I did a few ladders with 75g BTHP and 77g TMK ranging from 23-24.5g of TAC. I used once fired brass from the Hornady frontier ammo I’d previously been shooting and just loaded to mag length. My Tikka seems to like 24.5g for the 75g BTHP and 24g for the TMK, though be warned as these are above some book values I found. I just picked up some factory seconds of 77 SMK’s and I’m hoping they’ll shoot same POI as the TMK’s for range and practice use.

Edit - Regarding the groups, please ignore the fliers, as I’m still getting over the flinch that came with using a .270 at age 12 and my shooting is a work in progress. All the more reason to keep practicing with the .223 though!
 

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