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

[Formidilosus]

How was the accuracy?

1.5 MOA or so for multiple ten round groups.

 

[Grundy53]

Midway has 77 gr TMKs in stock.

Sierra Tipped MatchKing 22 Cal (224 Diameter) Bullets 77 Grain Polymer

MatchKing rifle bullets are super-accurate bullets with very thin jackets and are held to exacting tolerances in diameter and weight. Their accuracy has...

www.midwayusa.com

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[Deerfield]

Midway has 77 gr TMKs in stock.

Sierra Tipped MatchKing 22 Cal (224 Diameter) Bullets 77 Grain Polymer

MatchKing rifle bullets are super-accurate bullets with very thin jackets and are held to exacting tolerances in diameter and weight. Their accuracy has...

www.midwayusa.com

Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

Finally was able to jump on them fast enough!

 

[Adam Gibbs]

I have this ruger m77 mkII in 204 that I don't shoot. Ammo is fairly expensive and not the easiest to find. Thought about sending it out to be rebarreled to 223. I don't know who I should send it to though and what exactly I need to tell them for chambering, barrel contour and such. I want it to pretty much only shoot the 75 and 77gr bullets, whether it's ELDM and or TMK. Any suggestions for a gunsmith and what brand, contour and specific chamber of barrel? Want to keep it fairly light weight.

I know I'll likely be money ahead by selling this just getting a Tikka, but I'd like to turn this into something I'll use often.

 

[Castle Rock]

I wouldn't build on a Ruger for a number of reasons, but if I did I would definitely make it a 223 Ackley

 

[PNWGATOR]

Shaen Magen would be my choice, but he’s not accepting any new work right now.

If there is no heirloom family attachment to the rifle, I’d simply replace it with a Tikka 223 and be done with it. If you want the work done on your Ruger, Kampfeld Customs is where I’d send it.

 

[mt terry d]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

 

[Formidilosus]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

My man.

 

[Ryan Avery]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

This might be the best first post ever! It was great shooting with you and welcome to Rokslide.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[BradArnett]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

Ya man it's a great thread. 223 is pretty legit with the right bullets. Been using the 223/223ai for the last 15 years on deer w/75 'maxs and a bunch of other bullets. My 6 y/o will kill his first whitetail this fall with a 223ai and 77tmk's. He's been banging steel out to 200yds with my my 13# 223ai in a chassis and doing well. I'll set him up for 100yd shot. Pics will be posted here in a couple months. (Grin)

 

[BjornF16]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

Lol…he’s cost me some $$$

What scope?

 

[mtnwrunner]

This is my first post on RokSlide:
After a few days with a wild and uncurried wolf pack from north Idaho area and NW Montana, I chugged the Kool-aid and learned to never say the "F"word (*LYER) around Form.
Two days later I had in my possession a Tikka T3x Superlite Stainless, KRG Bravo & have a SilencerCo Omega 300 on the way.
Just finished a week marathon reading from Post#1. Amazing.

Ha!
Funny how that works........
And it STARTS at one.
Good to see that you've seen the light and good meeting and shooting with you also.
Now, if I could just erase Ryan's shit story..........

Randy

 

[fwafwow]

This might be the best first post ever!

Agreed. Good word count, grammar, sentence structure and immense respect from a FNG. Bravo.

Is this chatGPT or some other form of AI?

 

[mt terry d]

What scope?

6x fixed SWFA, Duh!

 

[mt terry d]

Though my passion was bowhunting elk (until the imported wolves wiped out my favorite hunting area Grrrrr ) I was firmly in the "big gun for big game" camp.
7mm WBY mag, 300 Win Mag. I've taken a few (6 or 7?) bull elk with the 7. Never missed or wounded any with that gun, however ranges probably never exceeded 200 yards or so. Went on a DIY hunt in AK for moose and caribou with the 300 Win Mag. Got both, also not over that 200 yard range. A couple years ago I had the opportunity to hunt late season cow elk. Used the 300 Win Mag, unsuppressed. I wounded and lost one. About 350-400 yards; don't recall exactly but I ranged it. Then I missed a standing broadside shot at 190 , prone, unhurried, solid rest, witnessed by a friend (just to make it more humiliating ). Tag left unfilled. Last winter I wounded one at around 350-375 and lost it. Then I killed a cow around 350 and a calf about the same. My wounding events and the clean miss probably would have ended up being kills except for the fact I could not tell which elk I'd shot at due to recoil, the fact that (in my limited experience) elk of either sex can appear as though nothing happened even though mortally wounded and the group milling as they usually do so I had no follow-up shot. There was plenty of time for multiple shots each time as they stood and looked for a while.
Of course, I'm not proud of this but those are the bare facts. I doubt I'm such a rare bird.

Of all the almost 4000 pages of this thread here's a question that hasn't been asked: Those who've shot at elk or moose with the 223 and 77 grTMK's, how many have been (assumed) missed and lost, wounded and lost VS hit and retrieved? I pose the same question to the big gun/big game crowd also.

My guess is the ratio of wounded and lost VS taken is (much) greater for the big gun crowd.
I could be wrong.
I thought I was once but I was only mistaken.

 

[Dobermann]

Lol…he’s cost saved me some $$$

What scope?

Fixed it for you!

 

[grappling_hook]

If I were given the task of exterminating an entire region of grizzlies say, it would specifically be an AR15 with 77gr TMK’s.

I'm hoping you can give an optics setup recommendation for this scenario:

You are targeting deer, but going through brown bear territory to get to your spots.
If an opportunity to take a brown bear fell in your lap, you'd take it.
Terrain is mixed, with thick brush and salmon creeks down low giving way to clear mountain terrain high up. Bears will mostly be low and deer high, but either could be in either location.
Deer shots are often 2-300 yards, but up close is also common; 400 is unlikely. Same thing for the bears. Longer shots will usually allow plenty of time to set up (e.g. bedded or feeding bucks, ambling bears).
Having a surprise run-in with a brown bear is a possibility to be prepared for.
You have an AR15 with a mag full of TMKs. It will be carried in hand at all times (or by your side while sleeping).

Optics choices:
1. Aimpoint T2 only (so requiring holdover for those 300+ yard shots).
2. Nightforce SHV 4-14 (or 3-10, or comparable variable scopes like SWFA or Trijicon).
3. Nightforce SHV with an added offset or top-mounted red dot.
4. Nightforce NX8 1-8x24 with MC-DMx reticle.
5. ???

Which would you go with?

 

[Formidilosus]

Optics choices:
1. Aimpoint T2 only (so requiring holdover for those 300+ yard shots).
2. Nightforce SHV 4-14 (or 3-10, or comparable variable scopes like SWFA or Trijicon).
3. Nightforce SHV with an added offset or top-mounted red dot.
4. Nightforce NX8 1-8x24 with MC-DMx reticle.
5. ???

Which would you go with?

#4 without hesitation. That’s what that scope was made for.

 

[PNWGATOR]

#can’twaittomovetoAlaska!

 

[Addisonjd1]

This is really all going to depend on range of engagement. While I would not personally take an elk with 223. I have shot plenty of hogs, white tail deer, and mule deer with 77gr. I place a limit of 400yds on myself with that setup to ensure maximum expansion and energy to target. Having shot elk in the vitals with 308, 6.5, 300wm, and 338wm it’s amazing what these beasts can do and their drive. Be respectful of the game is all.