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

[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(Trandy)]

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.

 

[grappling_hook]

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

Thanks, much appreciated.

 

[fwafwow]

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.

There is no way you have read this thread.

 

[Dobermann]

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.

@fwafwow - You know that if you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption.

@Addisonjd1 - Have you read the whole thread? Asking for a fwafwiend ...

 

[fwafwow]

@fwafwow - You know that if you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption.

True. And upon later reflection last night, I realized I could have been more diplomatic in my post and merely asked how he was able to read the entire thread in less than 6 hours since joining, BUT he could have been a lurker for longer than that.

However, the post itself makes me think that for his first post he may have skipped to the end, in contrast to @mt terry d

@Addisonjd1 - Have you read the whole thread? Asking for a fwafwiend ...

 

[BigCountry376]

Okay guys, I haven't read the entire thread yet, it will take a while...so I want to go ahead and ask this question that's burning me up.

How does the 75gr Hornady T2 bullet used in their Frontier line stack up to the 77tmk? My rifle shoots the 75 frontiers lights out and have plenty in hand. So I was wondering how it fared.

Thanks and I apologize if this has already been asked.

 

[Formidilosus]

Okay guys, I haven't read the entire thread yet, it will take a while...so I want to go ahead and ask this question that's burning me up.

How does the 75gr Hornady T2 bullet used in their Frontier line stack up to the 77tmk? My rifle shoots the 75 frontiers lights out and have plenty in hand. So I was wondering how it fared.

Thanks and I apologize if this has already been asked.

Keep reading, it’s in this thread. Short version- not anywhere near a TMK.

 

[PathFinder]

Okay guys, I haven't read the entire thread yet, it will take a while...so I want to go ahead and ask this question that's burning me up.

How does the 75gr Hornady T2 bullet used in their Frontier line stack up to the 77tmk? My rifle shoots the 75 frontiers lights out and have plenty in hand. So I was wondering how it fared.

Thanks and I apologize if this has already been asked.

I've only shot coyotes with them, but over the couple months I used them I was anything but impressed. All but two out of about a dozen were runners, and those two hit shoulders. Far less fragmentation, and they need higher impact velocities.
I'm in the same boat where I have a ton on hand and my rifle loves them, but I only use them for target now.

 

[SBR Sarge]

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

Once again you show your impeccable taste!

That very scope is on my ‘next-scope-to-buy’ list. As soon as I get the requisite spousal approval, that is.