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

[Lawnboi]

Blue collar has big boy boxes in stock.

Sierra 22cal 77gr TMK

Product Information Caliber: 22cal Bullet Diameter: 0.224” Bullet Weight: 77 Grains OAL: 1.072" Bullet Style: Tipped MatchKing Boat Tail G1 BC: 0.420 Part Number: 7177 or 7177C Quantity: 100ct or 500ct

www.bluecollarreloading.com

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus if someone were to go the Tikka Route and wanted to maximize their effective range, what would be your choice between the .223/77TMK, 6ARC/108 or 103, or the new 22 ARC/88 ELDM? I have a Tikka .223 bolt on the way and I have really been debating about having it sent off and opened up to run one of the ARC's.

Everyone should have the 223/Tikka rifle- so if you don’t have that, that is where I would start. As for maximizing range, the large .224 and 6mm are where that is. 22 cm and larger fast twist .224’s, and the large 6mm’s starting at 6cm and especially something like the 6UM is where maximum terminal range comes in.

 

[Luke S]

Okay so we have convincing evidence a 223 rifle will work for big game. Now how about a 308 with TMK bullets or something similar for a grizzly bear. Maybe a soft bullet for a chest shot and premium bullets for backup if the bear charges? I'm half serious. I have shot two Grizzlies with a 375 Ruger. That combo works very well. It is overkill for black bears in Caribou those tougher bullets actually don't expand much more on smaller animals than a 308 does. So 8375 with premium bullets definitely beats a 308 with premium bullets. But a 308 with a softer bullet at high velocity I wonder. I'm curious because I have a 308 I really like but I often don't use it because I might want to hunt a grizzly bear. If I lived in a lower 48 I would probably use that 308 for everything. If people are killing elk with a 223 I wonder if I could make my 308 work responsibly for a grizzly

 

[jofes]

Okay so we have convincing evidence a 223 rifle will work for big game. Now how about a 308 with TMK bullets or something similar for a grizzly bear. Maybe a soft bullet for a chest shot and premium bullets for backup if the bear charges? I'm half serious. I have shot two Grizzlies with a 375 Ruger. That combo works very well. It is overkill for black bears in Caribou those tougher bullets actually don't expand much more on smaller animals than a 308 does. So 8375 with premium bullets definitely beats a 308 with premium bullets. But a 308 with a softer bullet at high velocity I wonder. I'm curious because I have a 308 I really like but I often don't use it because I might want to hunt a grizzly bear. If I lived in a lower 48 I would probably use that 308 for everything. If people are killing elk with a 223 I wonder if I could make my 308 work responsibly for a grizzly

I've used a 6.5.creedmoor with 143 factory eld-x on a small grizz, should be fine

 

[wind gypsy]

Okay so we have convincing evidence a 223 rifle will work for big game. Now how about a 308 with TMK bullets or something similar for a grizzly bear. Maybe a soft bullet for a chest shot and premium bullets for backup if the bear charges? I'm half serious. I have shot two Grizzlies with a 375 Ruger. That combo works very well. It is overkill for black bears in Caribou those tougher bullets actually don't expand much more on smaller animals than a 308 does. So 8375 with premium bullets definitely beats a 308 with premium bullets. But a 308 with a softer bullet at high velocity I wonder. I'm curious because I have a 308 I really like but I often don't use it because I might want to hunt a grizzly bear. If I lived in a lower 48 I would probably use that 308 for everything. If people are killing elk with a 223 I wonder if I could make my 308 work responsibly for a grizzly

You musta missed the begging and pleading for a rokslide sponsored brown bear trip with 77 TMKs

The outfitter i used didn't have any issue with me using a 6.5. I think you're thinking of it right. I'm sure a 308 with TMKs would make just as big of wounds as a 375 with hard bullets.

Even the AK F&G seems kind of anti big boomers https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms

 

[The Guide]

There is a guy on the forum that killed a grizzly with his 300 Ham'R which is a 30 cal 223 variant.

Check it out. I think you should be able to make that happen.

Jay

Post in thread 'Ultralight Ultralight Rifles' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/ultralight-ultralight-rifles.329402/post-3293231

 

[Thegman]

I've killed grizzlies with 300 WM, 30-06, 308 Win and 300 HAM'R. Used hard bullets (ETips e.g.) and soft bullets (BTs, e.g.). None died noticeably slower than the others. Actually, the fastest kill was probably from a 168 BT from a 30-06. Broadside and no exit. Probably acted like a giant 77 TMK.

You'll kill grizzlies just fine with a 308. I plan on testing a 77 TMK on one this spring.

 

[Moosehunter]

I've killed grizzlies with 300 WM, 30-06, 308 Win and 300 HAM'R. Used hard bullets (ETips e.g.) and soft bullets (BTs, e.g.). None died noticeably slower than the others. Actually, the fastest kill was probably from a 168 BT from a 30-06. Broadside and no exit. Probably acted like a giant 77 TMK.

You'll kill grizzlies just fine with a 308. I plan on testing a 77 TMK on one this spring.

Post the results...

 

[ThatDUDE]

You'll kill grizzlies just fine with a 308. I plan on testing a 77 TMK on one this spring.

Darn you people who live in cool places and get to hunt so many cool animals. I need to move.

 

[Thegman]

I will. From what I've seen so far, I predict it will kill about as fast as the 30 cals have, as long as it's placed properly, which goes for the 30 cals as well.

 

[Luke S]

Just to clarify...
Plenty of examples exist of bears shot with tiny rifles. But often they are brain shots. What is interesting about this thread is the evidence 223 with the right bullet can do well on body shots. A lot of bigger guns are probably wasting energy because they blast through with a to tough bullet. To give an example, my 375 makes a half inch entrance wound and a 2 inch exit on smaller animals. My 308 does basically the same. The difference seems to be the 308 probably has less energy left as it exits but so what? The animals die about the same. Now a softcTMK out of my 375 might do more damage as in, to much. But that extra energy is nice on a bear because I might need to shoot through the skull or take a Texas heart shot up the stern of a wounded bear headed into the brush. Despite all the pictures I don't the a 223 would do well there. But if a 223 can handle a moose my 308 could certainly kill a grizzly. I'm just a bit hesitant about going that light. Grizzlies are the only animal that stops my 375 broadside. So the extra energy and frontal area may not be wasted. If I recall the would was wider and the bloodshot area was huge.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Just to clarify...
Plenty of examples exist of bears shot with tiny rifles. But often they are brain shots. What is interesting about this thread is the evidence 223 with the right bullet can do well on body shots. A lot of bigger guns are probably wasting energy because they blast through with a to tough bullet. To give an example, my 375 makes a half inch entrance wound and a 2 inch exit on smaller animals. My 308 does basically the same. The difference seems to be the 308 probably has less energy left as it exits but so what? The animals die about the same. Now a softcTMK out of my 375 might do more damage as in, to much. But that extra energy is nice on a bear because I might need to shoot through the skull or take a Texas heart shot up the stern of a wounded bear headed into the brush. Despite all the pictures I don't the a 223 would do well there. But if a 223 can handle a moose my 308 could certainly kill a grizzly. I'm just a bit hesitant about going that light. Grizzlies are the only animal that stops my 375 broadside.

Energy is a meaningless metric when it comes to terminal performance.

Bullets matter.

 

[Marbles]

Just to clarify...
Plenty of examples exist of bears shot with tiny rifles. But often they are brain shots. What is interesting about this thread is the evidence 223 with the right bullet can do well on body shots. A lot of bigger guns are probably wasting energy because they blast through with a to tough bullet. To give an example, my 375 makes a half inch entrance wound and a 2 inch exit on smaller animals. My 308 does basically the same. The difference seems to be the 308 probably has less energy left as it exits but so what? The animals die about the same. Now a softcTMK out of my 375 might do more damage as in, to much. But that extra energy is nice on a bear because I might need to shoot through the skull or take a Texas heart shot up the stern of a wounded bear headed into the brush. Despite all the pictures I don't the a 223 would do well there. But if a 223 can handle a moose my 308 could certainly kill a grizzly. I'm just a bit hesitant about going that light. Grizzlies are the only animal that stops my 375 broadside.

I think you over estimate the 375. A former coworker, using a 375 Ruger, shot a brown quartering away and when he finally tracked it down and killed it 3 days later, his bullet had broken the rear femur and stopped before reaching the diaphragm. I forget the bullet he was using, but a high spine shot would have worked better than trying to get into the boiler room.

 

[Luke S]

PNWGATOR I am referring to the size of the wound cavity. A 375 with tough bullets is inefficient on a black bear because a 308 with softer bullets makes a similar wound cavity.

 

[Luke S]

I think you over estimate the 375. A former coworker, using a 375 Ruger, shot a brown quartering away and when he finally tracked it down and killed it 3 days later, his bullet had broken the rear femur and stopped before reaching the diaphragm. I forget the bullet he was using, but a high spine shot would have worked better than trying to get into the boiler room.

I did a high spine shot on a black bear someone else wounded. It dropped the bear. I found the bullet lodged in the spine. So yes a 375 won't go through a bear at any angle. Your friends experience brings up another point. Breaking a bears shoulder is pointless if you don't also hit something vital. Bears travel fast on 3 legs.

 

[Lawnboi]

Hornady ELD-X Bullets .224 Diameter (22 Caliber) 80 Grain Polymer Tipped Box of 100

The ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag – eXpanding) bullet is a technologically advanced, match accurate, ALL-RANGE hunting bullet featuring highest-in-class ballistic coefficients and consistent, controlled expansion at ALL practical hunting distances. BEST-IN-CLASS BCS Verified by Doppler radar, the...

www.powdervalley.com

Someone buy some and compare the terminal performance to the tmk.

 

[Pharmseller]

Hornady ELD-X Bullets .224 Diameter (22 Caliber) 80 Grain Polymer Tipped Box of 100

The ELD-X (Extremely Low Drag – eXpanding) bullet is a technologically advanced, match accurate, ALL-RANGE hunting bullet featuring highest-in-class ballistic coefficients and consistent, controlled expansion at ALL practical hunting distances. BEST-IN-CLASS BCS Verified by Doppler radar, the...

www.powdervalley.com

Someone buy some and compare the terminal performance to the tmk.

See my post regarding 75 ELDM




P

 

[Pharmseller]

Energy is a meaningless metric when it comes to terminal performance.

Bullets matter.

I quit paying attention to energy a long time ago.

Velocity at distance and bullet construction.




P

 

[Dust Rider]

10.29.23 More data: 14 year old daughter got a WT doe with the Black Hills 77gr TMK and Tikka .223. Shot off tripod in ag field @ 285 yards. Complete pass thru front leg, heart, out other side. Doe ran about twenty yards and did a death flip. I asked her what rifle she wanted to use, answer was the Tikka with supressor. So much fun using the Tikka .223 with TMK. The kids love it and will be buying another.

 

[Lawnboi]

See my post regarding 75 ELDM




P

Which one? Iv seen what some of the eldm do, and while I havnt been disappointed, I still think the tmk makes the ideal wound channel. Particularly like how fast they seem to upset. They seem to have no neck length where the eldm seem to have atleast some.

Just curious if the 80eldx behaves more like the tmk or if it’s just another eldm(which is likely correct).

Either way nice seeing more killing bullets in 22 cal.