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

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus I saw your post where you took an animal with a 77gr TMK impacting about 1500fps, could you share what impact velocity you would trust the following rounds to be efficacious at?

77gr TMK
73gr ELD-M
130gr TMK
140gr ELD-M
147gr ELD-M

I’m curious to the range a Tikka shooting factory loads can be taken to when hunting, though these numbers are certainly useful in a broader context.

1,800fps is where I would suggest keeping them above. Some will work lower, some need a bit more- the TMK’s do a bit better at lower impact sleds, ELD-M’s do a bit better at higher impact speeds, but 1,800fps is where I would suggest as a lower limit for consistent performance.

 

[Jbehredt]

Patiently waiting for the day the new vaporized lung pictures start popping up. Soon, very soon.

 

[FCCDerek]

Well not 180's but 215's

Thats the single best 30 cal mag hunting bullet. It's a solid killer, and very easy to develop a load with. Also, as of last night creedmoor sports had 500 count boxes of 77TMK's in stock. I finally scored some to work up a load for my 22CM with. I'll have that along with my 88ELDM load. Should be a fun fall season with those two. I want to do a side by side comparison. Both will be doing 3050fps give or take out of my 18" 22CM.

 

[MidGAHunter]

Patiently waiting for the day the new vaporized lung pictures start popping up. Soon, very soon.

Plenty of good pictures of damage in this thread. My son (9 year old) killed two whitetails with the 77 TMK last year (my first direct experience with them killing animals) and while I don't have wound pictures, the damage was remarkable. I was a major skeptic when I first started reading this thread back in its early days. Not anymore. The more I read, the more my mind was opened so I jumped in. Glad I did. I'd shoot anything in North America inside 400 yards (personal preference based on my abilities) with the 77TMK after seeing what it does to tissue in person.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Plenty of good pictures of damage in this thread. My son (9 year old) killed two whitetails with the 77 TMK last year (my first direct experience with them killing animals) and while I don't have wound pictures, the damage was remarkable. I was a major skeptic when I first started reading this thread back in its early days. Not anymore. The more I read, the more my mind was opened so I jumped in. Glad I did. I'd shoot anything in North America inside 400 yards (personal preference based on my abilities) with the 77TMK after seeing what it does to tissue in person.

Yes!

Appreciate your willingness to put bias aside and go forth, fill freezers, feed your family and enjoy the process.

 

[Elk botherer]

I’ve been following this thread for a long time and have been converted. I guess I need to post more evidence of the effectiveness of the 77 gr tmk out of the .223.
My nephew has harvested two deer now with the .223/77 tmk combo: first one was at 143 yards and the bullet punched through the neck of the humerus just under the knuckle, went through the top of the heart, the lungs, then through the opposite scapula, and the bullet was then recovered under the hide in the off shoulder. No tracking was required and it went down like a sack of bricks. His second deer was a broadside double lunger at 189 yards away and it made it 15 yards before going hooves up. My daughter shot one doe at 220 yards and it went on a death run/tumble for 30 yards. The wound channels were devastating on them all.
For the fudds and fng posting that this is a marginal combo need to read this thread in its entirety. Tons of empirical data support the effectiveness of it. There is no conjecture or opinion here. The wound channels are in the same ballpark as the 160 gr accubonds out of my 7mm rem mag.
For recoil and muzzle blast sensitive shooters, this is a great way to get them behind a gun and gain skill with proper shooting fundamentals. My daughter did not enjoy shooting her 7mm-08 with reduced loads and after 4 rounds she wouldn’t shoot it any more. Enter the .223/77 gr tmk combo. After the first shot with that combo she looked up at me with shocked look on her face and said, “that’s it? That was easy!” She proceeded to shoot about 30 more rounds and was punching milk jugs past 300 yards when she couldn’t hit a milk jug at 100 yards with the 7mm-08 due to her trepidation of the muzzle blast. This combo saved her hunting future! Thanks Form, PNWGator, and everyone else that has contributed to this thread.

 

[Jbehredt]

Plenty of good pictures of damage in this thread. My son (9 year old) killed two whitetails with the 77 TMK last year (my first direct experience with them killing animals) and while I don't have wound pictures, the damage was remarkable. I was a major skeptic when I first started reading this thread back in its early days. Not anymore. The more I read, the more my mind was opened so I jumped in. Glad I did. I'd shoot anything in North America inside 400 yards (personal preference based on my abilities) with the 77TMK after seeing what it does to tissue in person.

Oh I was an early adopter. I’m jonesing for this seasons new material.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Just picked up 500 of the TMKs from Creedmoor Sports. This should get me through load development for the 223 and the 22 Creed I have yet to build.

 

[Billogna]

I just got 1000 of em! Time to load!!

 

[philson208]

I am really curious about the American Bullet company 77gr @ Creedmoor sports. I have loaded up a couple hundred w 24gr Varget and they seem to shoot fairly well. They shot well enough to order up another 500 to have on hand. I saw they had the og 77tmk in stock and jumped at the chance to pick up 500. I have been following and have read the entire thread. I know the American Bullet company 77gr have been talked about and even compared via cross section on here. Creedmoor sports answered a question stating that the ABC 77gr is very similar to the Sierra... does anyone have anymore data or knowledge about the ABC 77gr? are they seconds, or blems, or simply filling a void in the supply chain? I also have picked up any factory ammo i could find loaded w 77gr tmk, stand one, AAC, federal blue tip. My handloaded ABC 77gr have shot the best so far. I guess I'm curious how similar they are in their terminal performance??

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

I am really curious about the American Bullet company 77gr @ Creedmoor sports. I have loaded up a couple hundred w 24gr Varget and they seem to shoot fairly well. They shot well enough to order up another 500 to have on hand. I saw they had the og 77tmk in stock and jumped at the chance to pick up 500. I have been following and have read the entire thread. I know the American Bullet company 77gr have been talked about and even compared via cross section on here. Creedmoor sports answered a question stating that the ABC 77gr is very similar to the Sierra... does anyone have anymore data or knowledge about the ABC 77gr? are they seconds, or blems, or simply filling a void in the supply chain? I also have picked up any factory ammo i could find loaded w 77gr tmk, stand one, AAC, federal blue tip. My handloaded ABC 77gr have shot the best so far. I guess I'm curious how similar they are in their terminal performance??

Bought 500 as well if the ABC 77s. Would love to know if someone has done some testing.

 

[HandgunHTR]

Well, I can say nothing but positive things about Creedmoor Sports. Ordered yesterday afternoon, showed up at my door this morning. It helps that I am only two states away (AL to SC), but still. Guess I need to get off my ass and get the long throated .223 barrel going.

 

[huntercole]

Tikka is ordered and going straight to the gunsmith to cut and thread it. 500 TMKs on the way from Creedmoor. Just need to figure out what I want to get for 223 dies.

 

[robtattoo]

Just need to figure out what I want to get for 223 dies.

I'm sure some will laugh at me, but I've had nothing but spectacular results from my Lee dies. I think they were about $30 on Amazon.
Or I got them at a swapmeet. Either way, they were cheap as anything & I've probably loaded north of 20k rounds with only 1 replacement decapping pin needed (Berdan primed 5.56? Really?

 

[mt terry d]

Color me "anxious" to try out my Rokslide Special on deer and elk !!

Here's a thought: How about accounting for every shot you fire at an animal with the 223/TMK combo?
First shot hit or miss? Vitals or wounding? Follow up shots?

I believe (forgive me form ) the rate of first shot fatal hits and similar follow up shots will be higher than practically every higher recoiling round but, as this thread attempts to show, evidence trumps belief.

I'd like to see the same for the big bang supporters.

Of course there are variables we probably can't quantify such as more experienced/skilled
shooters shooting larger calibers vs beginners shooting 223, etc. Even so, that would be an interesting comparison.

Maybe a seperate thread where anyone shooting any cartridge can "bare their soul" ?

a) Good idea?
b) Bad Idea?
c) stfu fng?

 

[N2TRKYS]

Tikka is ordered and going straight to the gunsmith to cut and thread it. 500 TMKs on the way from Creedmoor. Just need to figure out what I want to get for 223 dies.

I’ve had no reason to use anything other than RCBS dies for all of my rifles.

 

[huntercole]

I'm sure some will laugh at me, but I've had nothing but spectacular results from my Lee dies. I think they were about $30 on Amazon.
Or I got them at a swapmeet. Either way, they were cheap as anything & I've probably loaded north of 20k rounds with only 1 replacement decapping pin needed (Berdan primed 5.56? Really?

I’ve had no reason to use anything other than RCBS dies for all of my rifles.

I normally just go with rcbs basic dies for everything. Wasn't sure if I'd need an eld type seating stem for the tmk or not. I saw Hornady offers one for their dies. I've tried lee recently for 350 legend and 450 bushmaster and they seemed fine too. I don't think I'll need anything fancy since it will pretty much be set for the one bullet and then left there

 

[Colby]

I’ve used the normal rcbs dies with tmk’s. They work fine.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I normally just go with rcbs basic dies for everything. Wasn't sure if I'd need an eld type seating stem for the tmk or not. I saw Hornady offers one for their dies. I've tried lee recently for 350 legend and 450 bushmaster and they seemed fine too. I don't think I'll need anything fancy since it will pretty much be set for the one bullet and then left there

I guess I’ll find out in the next couple of days if I’ll need something different for the tmks.

 

[amassi]

I'm sure some will laugh at me, but I've had nothing but spectacular results from my Lee dies. I think they were about $30 on Amazon.
Or I got them at a swapmeet. Either way, they were cheap as anything & I've probably loaded north of 20k rounds with only 1 replacement decapping pin needed (Berdan primed 5.56? Really?

No laugh at all
Does are some of the biggest waste of money


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