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

MAINE-SH👀TAH said:
New to the .223 world… (***Note: FNG status 😔)

Found a site selling 5 bullet TMK sample packs, so I bought all 85 bullets.($$$ OUCH!)
I am now the proud possessor of a limited supply to work up a load, while retaining enough for hunting this fall.
I’ve been looking for months and find ZEEERO 8208, regardless of my willingness to trade both kidneys.
I do have Varget (slowish…), CFE223, & BL-C(2). I’m seeing a site with IMR 4895 (Faster….) in stock.

I’m an East Coaster, and it’s hard to imagine a shot over 300 yards. Thinking peak velocity isn’t key, as terminal velocity that enables bullet upset is easily with reach. So planning to start with the Varget, as it has a reputation for reasonably small groups.

Am I seeing this right?
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TAC has been readily available and works well. As a bonus it meters great too. I hear it can be somewhat temperature sensitive but I haven't seen that to be an issue shooting from 30-100 degrees (I live in the Southeast). I bought 4 pounds of 8208 XBR at the same time I bought TAC just in case but haven't opened any of the XBR as I've been pleased with TAC.
 
Billogna said:
+1 for TAC. I load to 2.260 on top of 24 grains of TAC. I tried 24.5 but the accuracy wasn't any better. YMMV.
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This is exactly what I found as well. Worked great with 77TMKs and 75g BTHPs. I’ll be loading some 77SMKs for target practice soon and suspect it will be the same for them as well.
 
TAC functions, but my chopped Tikka isn't giving quite the accuracy I have been looking for. pursuing a couple of hazmat free changes to the stock/bedding/scope to see if I can get the 10 round average down to 1.25 MOA with 75 bthps and 77 tmks, because right now my 10 round average with the 75 bthp, LC brass, and 24.3 gr TAC is 1.85 MOA.
 
1685144390049.gif
I thought it would take me longer to miss the 223… Well when one popped up I found it morally irresponsible to not try and snag it. I mean I still have over 1k 77 tmk’s, what was I supposed to do with those? Sell em and regert it forever?? I think not! 🥲
37F6865B-B411-4DF9-B422-D3BA9585E248.jpeg
Now to decide where to cut the barrel… I’m thinking 16.5 or 18… 🤔
 
roosiebull said:
Will a compact stock fit a regular tikka?
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It definitely will I picked up a compact stock to put on my .223 tikka for my kiddo. Fit perfectly. If you need a different recoil pad on the compact stock, the Ruger American Compact limbsaver model will work with very minor modification. Standard tikka limbsaver pad is too big for compact stock. Probably not needed for a .223 but if for something bigger could be a factor.
 
BryanL said:
It definitely will I picked up a compact stock to put on my .223 tikka for my kiddo. Fit perfectly. If you need a different recoil pad on the compact stock, the Ruger American Compact limbsaver model will work with very minor modification. Standard tikka limbsaver pad is too big for compact stock. Probably not needed for a .223 but if for something bigger could be a factor.
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I may do it anyway just to make it as absolutely tame as possible for my daughter. Want to keep it as stock as possible while still fitting her ok, and I want to keep it on the lighter side. Putting a 2.5-10x NXS on it. Won’t be hard to shoot light, but not heavy either… it will my dedicated lion gun, and I’m sure I’ll want to shoot some other stuff with it too to add to this thread 😉
 
roosiebull said:
I may do it anyway just to make it as absolutely tame as possible for my daughter. Want to keep it as stock as possible while still fitting her ok, and I want to keep it on the lighter side. Putting a 2.5-10x NXS on it. Won’t be hard to shoot light, but not heavy either… it will my dedicated lion gun, and I’m sure I’ll want to shoot some other stuff with it too to add to this thread 😉
Click to expand...
My 5 year old has no problem shooting for several hours with a SWFA scope. It’s a little heavy for him to carry and weld safely, but he can operate the safety, bolt, and trigger just fine. Compact stock is super great. Trying to add to the thread if I can get eyes on a spring bear here in the Oregon coast range over the next few days…
 
Is anyone else finding bullet fragments in their meat using 77 tmks? We found them in meatballs and our sticks. I thought I cut out the area that was obviously damaged; but I guess I missed some. We are by no means experts at processing, so it could definitely be our fault.
 
roosiebull said:
I may do it anyway just to make it as absolutely tame as possible for my daughter. Want to keep it as stock as possible while still fitting her ok, and I want to keep it on the lighter side. Putting a 2.5-10x NXS on it. Won’t be hard to shoot light, but not heavy either… it will my dedicated lion gun, and I’m sure I’ll want to shoot some other stuff with it too to add to this thread 😉
Click to expand...
I am wanting to put an nxs on mine too, chop to 16 or so, Hyperion k and a nxs 2.5-10. Think it will make for an awesome little critter getter!
 
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TML75 said:
Is anyone else finding bullet fragments in their meat using 77 tmks? We found them in meatballs and our sticks. I thought I cut out the area that was obviously damaged; but I guess I missed some. We are by no means experts at processing, so it could definitely be our fault.
Click to expand...

You have to trim heavily. The thought process of saving every last price of scrap isn’t conducive to good meat.
 
TML75 said:
Is anyone else finding bullet fragments in their meat using 77 tmks? We found them in meatballs and our sticks. I thought I cut out the area that was obviously damaged; but I guess I missed some. We are by no means experts at processing, so it could definitely be our fault.
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I haven’t personally found any, but I can see that as being a detrimental trait with that style of bullet.
 
Has anyone chronod the Federal T223TTMK3 Tactical LE 77gr TMK? I have some on the way to try in my 223 bolt gun with a 20” Proof. They list it at 2730fps but don’t specify barrel length and sometimes they use a 16” barrel for the data. Just looking for a ballpark to true from since my chrono is 1000 miles away.
 
If you want to send a box my way, I’d be happy to get some data for you.
Just offering. 😆
 
I put together a load with staball match and 73 elem. used 25.5 gas. Velocity was 2750fps. Using a 16” ar15. Shot 2 10 rd groups both 1.7 moa. Gun usually does 1.5 with 77 gr. IMI. So I switched to IMI brass from the PMC I was using which resulted in a 1.3 MOA 10rd group. Shot at 330 and 450 meters and got 1st round impact on both. On a 12” plate. Primers are on the flatter side but no ejector marks. Hodgdon calls for a of 25.3 with both 70 and 75 gr. if I recall correctly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Greetings all, first post on this forum. Wanted to contribute to this thread as this discussion was what convinced me to use the .223 on last year's whitetail deer season in TN and I owe you some pictures. I know we're way past season, but I got busy with work and never got around to coming back and posting results. 3 deer down, 2 does, 1 buck. All good sized East TN mountain deer. All three shot from the same blind over a food plot ranged exactly 100 yards away (done on purpose for this testing). All three shot with a 16" BCM Recce 16 with a Vortex 1-6 on top. One killed using 77gr TMK, two killed using Barnes 70gr TSX (Vor-TX). Results and graphic photos of internal damage below.

Doe #1
70gr TSX at 100 yards. Fell over dead, likely due to striking shoulder blade (possibly nicked the spine too). Passed high through both lungs, 2 inch perfect wound cavity and full pass through. Minimal meat loss.
IMG_2828.jpg
IMG_2831.jpg
IMG_2834.jpg

Buck #1
70gr TSX at 100 yards
Hit single lung as he was hard quartering away, also nicked the liver. Buck ran 40 yards uphill and rolled back down. Minimal blood trail, however again minimal meat loss. Only photo I saved was of the internal damage. The small triangular wound channel beside my middle finger was around 1.5" all the way through. Had this round not also gone through the liver I think it would have passed through.
IMG_2858 (2).jpg

Doe #2
77gr TMK at 100 yards (velocity should be about 2450 fps)
Hit broadside for testing, massive 3" wound cavity pushed all the way through torso, ribs blown out both sides, shrapnel wounds all throughout internals, major meat damage to offside shoulder. Full pass through. Deer ran about 40 yards before crashing into a fallen log. Minimal blood trail until the fall location, then massive blood spray all around where she dropped. I am guessing the internal damage would have been less extreme if the round hadn't exploded on that rib on the way in.
IMG_2911.jpg
IMG_2912.jpg

Conclusions:
Neither round produced heavy blood trails, however both proved extremely deadly and animals responded the same way they do when I use my .308. I am a meat hunter rather than trophy so I actually prefer the minimal damage of the 70gr TSX for whitetail. It worked like a broadhead, nice fat wound channel and minimal damage to anything else. The 77gr TMK however I will now use in these same rifles a primary home defense/hog hunting/coyote killing load. That was some of the most ridiculous damage I've ever seen inside a body cavity, like somebody took a pen knife and just slashed a piece off of every organ on the way through. I suppose the damage would have been lessened at longer ranges but 100 yds seems standard for most whitetail hunters in the southeast. Hope to do more testing in November. Thanks again to everyone else who contributed to this thread, it was very helpful in pushing me in this direction.
 
RiffRaff,

Nice write-up, and nice shooting. Thanks for taking the time to put together the pictures as well.

I’m also a fan of the tsx/ttsx bullets. Just keep them fast and they do really well, as you have shown.
 
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