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

[Old Dog]

77gr TMKs have dramatic effects on foxes, prarie dogs too.

If a fox has enough mass to cause expansion/fragmentation the it would seem logical that a coyote would do the same.

Now I just need to see if my rifles like them.

 

[mcr-85]

I have a 1-9

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

 

[beerbucksducks]

I have a 1-9

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[PNWGATOR]

Big game seasons are open or going to be opening in the immediate future. PLEASE post your experiences here! Promise you’ll be impressed with wound channels and shootability!

 

[The Guide]

Is it worth the extra money to get a 223 in the Tikka CTR or Super Varmint over getting the T3X Lite? I plan on running it suppressed once my stuff is out of jail so I am looking at adding $150 for barrel threading on the base model.

Jay

 

[ztc92]

Is it worth the extra money to get a 223 in the Tikka CTR or Super Varmint over getting the T3X Lite? I plan on running it suppressed once my stuff is out of jail so I am looking at adding $150 for barrel threading on the base model.

Jay

I have a T3X lite in .223 (A Rokslide Special) and also recently bought a CTR in 6.5CM. In my opinion the T3X lite makes the most sense for .223 because the recoil is so minimal that the added weight of the CTR from the heavier barrel is unnecessary. You may also want to go shorted than 20” depending on your priorities.

The only scenario I would prefer my 223 was a CTR is if I had to have 5/8 threads on the barrel because I didn’t want to use an adapter, or if I frequently shot long strings of fire and didn’t want the barrel to heat up as quickly. For hunting and field practice, the T3X lite is about perfect.

 

[Pharmseller]

As light as the recoil is, I still lost the sight picture with my T3 Lite. Seeing the bullet hit the critter is the best part for me, so I bought a T3 Varmint with the heavy, longer barrel and heavier stock. As long as I’m not carrying it up and down mountains it’s fine.

 

[grappling_hook]

Big game seasons are open or going to be opening in the immediate future. PLEASE post your experiences here! Promise you’ll be impressed with wound channels and shootability!

This was a fun hunt from Sunday. I snuck up a valley low on one side and heard antlers rattling, then spotted two Sitka Blacktail bucks sparring/push fighting on the opposite steeper hillside above me. I had my suppressed AR15 and thought "I bet I can get them both." 325 yards shooting uphill at them, 77gr TMK, wind was a little tricky but I thought it averaged out to about 10mph L-to-R. I set up my KUIU pack as a front rest and shot from the seated position. With their antlers still locked, I shot the orange-brown one first, and it jumped and turned around in a circle and then tried to go uphill, then fell and gradually slid/flopped 75-100 yards directly down toward me. The grey-brown one stood there looking at its sparring partner try to go uphill as I shot it, and it took a couple of steps before it started running on a diagonal in my general direction, clearly not knowing where the shots were from (thanks, suppressor!) and as it ran I put in a quick second shot, then hit it with a third shot as it plowed into the ground behind the bushes in the photo. Wound channels were good-- lost some rib meat, and glad I was doing gutless deboning because the wound channel on the grey-brown went through the diaphram and a little into the gut. No exits, but no tracking or searching for them either.

 

[Nomosendero]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Pharmseller]

Good looking Sitkas. The second one looks big-bodied.





P

 

[Lawnboi]

Sadly going to be without this year. It’s getting dumped off with a new tube at LRI on the way out this year.

I guess I’ll have to deal with the recoil of the 22cm

 

[The Guide]

I've been reading and using the search to come to the conclusion that my 10.5 inch pistol barrel and my 16.5" RAR barrel should be respectfully at approximately 2350 to 2450 fps and 2600 to 2650 fps with the "typical" 77 grain load discussed in this thread. Are my assumptions correct by others experience? I have ordered a few hundred of the 77 TMK loaded ammo from Black Hills to try in the guns I already have. I have a 24" Bushmaster that I bought 15+ years ago that I could use but that thing is heavy as sin and has a fixed clunky stock. It works good for coyotes, ground squirrels, and rock chucks with 55 grain Ballistic Tip type bullets so no need to change it.

Jay

 

[wind gypsy]

Sadly going to be without this year. It’s getting dumped off with a new tube at LRI on the way out this year.

I guess I’ll have to deal with the recoil of the 22cm

What are the details on the barrel length/contour and chamber you're going with?

 

[Billogna]

I've been reading and using the search to come to the conclusion that my 10.5 inch pistol barrel and my 16.5" RAR barrel should be respectfully at approximately 2350 to 2450 fps and 2600 to 2650 fps with the "typical" 77 grain load discussed in this thread. Are my assumptions correct by others experience? I have ordered a few hundred of the 77 TMK loaded ammo from Black Hills to try in the guns I already have. I have a 24" Bushmaster that I bought 15+ years ago that I could use but that thing is heavy as sin and has a fixed clunky stock. It works good for coyotes, ground squirrels, and rock chucks with 55 grain Ballistic Tip type bullets so no need to change it.

Jay

Those speeds sound like they're in the ball park. And it'd be a good idea to measure the twist rate on that older Bushy. A lot of those were 9 twist. Too slow for the heavies!!

 

[The Guide]

Those speeds sound like they're in the ball park. And it'd be a good idea to measure the twist rate on that older Bushy. A lot of those were 9 twist. Too slow for the heavies!!

Ya. My brother and I both bought rifles in the same time frame. One of us got the Predator (has a 1-8 twist) the other got the Varmint (1-9 twist) and I can't for the life of me remember which one I got other than my barrel is blued and his is SS. Took the handguard off and there are no distinguishing marks on the barrel. Not even a cartridge stamp. Guess I can take it out to 200 yards with some 77 gr bthp rounds I have and see if it is still stable. I hate using the cleaning rod method to determine a 1" twist difference.

Jay

 

[Lawnboi]

What are the details on the barrel length/contour and chamber you're going with?

It’s a proof blank, stainless, from when they were making tikka lite contoured blanks. 8 twist, and I’ll probably do 18”.

I’m going to stick with a wylde chamber for versatility. Should allow me to take advantage of case capacity on the 75/77s and still be serviceable with 60s.

I’m sick of my 17hmr and 3006 shooting tighter than my 223.

 

[Elk botherer]

Ya. My brother and I both bought rifles in the same time frame. One of us got the Predator (has a 1-8 twist) the other got the Varmint (1-9 twist) and I can't for the life of me remember which one I got other than my barrel is blued and his is SS. Took the handguard off and there are no distinguishing marks on the barrel. Not even a cartridge stamp. Guess I can take it out to 200 yards with some 77 gr bthp rounds I have and see if it is still stable. I hate using the cleaning rod method to determine a 1" twist difference.

Jay

If your barrel is 20”, it’s a predator. If it’s 24”, it’s a varminter if I remember correctly.

 

[prairieboy]

finally found a box of these to try. I have varget and h4895 and would like to stick to those 2. I understand h 4895 will probably get better speeds. For those who use h-4895 in 223 with the 77 gr tmk, out of 22.5 inch barrels, standard 2.25 mag, what kind of volocities are you getting? looks like imr 8208 can get to over 2800 with great accuracy, but would like to stick to h4895.

 

[Axlrod]

finally found a box of these to try. I have varget and h4895 and would like to stick to those 2. I understand h 4895 will probably get better speeds. For those who use h-4895 in 223 with the 77 gr tmk, out of 22.5 inch barrels, standard 2.25 mag, what kind of volocities are you getting? looks like imr 8208 can get to over 2800 with great accuracy, but would like to stick to h4895.

With 23.5 gr. H4895 and a 20" 2762 fps

 

[The Guide]

If your barrel is 20”, it’s a predator. If it’s 24”, it’s a varminter if I remember correctly.

I wish it was that easy but my research has found 24" versions of each in both blued and SS. I'll just have to try to double patch a jag and see if it is closer to 8" or 9". The ultimate verification will be if it holds stability at distance with the heavies.

Jay