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

[The Guide]

Oh boy...

He quoted himself...

Just need him to say "Suck it"...

Jay

 

[Tell]

I’ve seen all the pictures and shot a deer with it, and read as much as I could find about the terminal performance. But for some reason, it’s nice to validate it first hand.
Another data point. 77 TMK, 2460 impact velocity out of a 223. Cow elk. She ran for about 5 seconds and dropped. Big entrance wound (straight on a rib) and great damage to both lungs. There was only an entrance wound on the second lung. It didn’t make it to the other side of the ribs.

If the impact velocity had been lower - like near the 1800fps threshold, would the results have been mostly the same? It’s been a couple months since I read the thread all the way through and this may have been addressed before.

 

[BAC]

From what I'm reading yes. It seems that 1800fps mark is more of a safety-net than a hard floor because there are a number of animals shot south of that speed exhibiting almost, if not exactly, the same wounds. 2460fps makes me think a pretty short-range shot or a 22cm or something a bit hotter?

 

[Tell]

Entrance through ribs in the first picture, chest cavity in second, lungs in third

 

[Tell]

From what I'm reading yes. It seems that 1800fps mark is more of a safety-net than a hard floor because there are a number of animals shot south of that speed exhibiting almost, if not exactly, the same wounds. 2460fps makes me think a pretty short-range shot or a 22cm or something a bit hotter?

185yds, 223 with 22” barrel

 

[BAC]

Seems fast. What's your mv? Maybe I'm just confused because I've been mostly paying attention to 16-18" barrels lol.

 

[Tell]

In the spirit of the thread, I wanted to go the same route as the OP. He and the rest of the people validating that choice have convinced me. I saw the impact on the elk, had another round in the chamber right after and was ready for a follow up if necessary.
My experience this year with a 223 and this bullet has been all I could hope for. Two kills done as cleanly and ethically as you can, very little meat damage, and catastrophic damage to the vitals. And I’ve had a blast shooting, too. I’ve put more rounds through this gun than any other hunting rifle I’ve owned by a long shot.

 

[Tell]

Seems fast. What's your mv? Maybe I'm just confused because I've been mostly paying attention to 16-18" barrels lol.

2860. Blc2. I had my gunsmith ream a longer throat and the bullet is sitting out a ways. I could be wrong on the muzzle velocity, but I changed it to match what I was dialing for impacts at 550 and 600 using the bc’s listed for the tmk

 

[BAC]

Huh. That's pretty zippy out the gate even for the barrel length. Nice load recipe you landed on. Hopefully you'll share more of future animals taken with it!

 

[Tell]

I have hornadys load app and they have blc2 getting 2850 for 75eldms, and 2900 for cfe223 out of a 20” barrel.

 

[5811]

Has anyone been able to make lung soup and pop the stomach on one shot from broadside? I tried 223/tmk for the first time this year on a large whitetail doe and was surprised by that.

I talked a friend into trying the 77tmk out of a 22 creed and he had the same results on a larger buck, otherwise Id figure mine was an anomaly. So high impact velocity, behind the shoulder shots. Definitely not gut shots but the stomach was popped is the only way to describe it. The lungs were mush.

I'd rather not high shoulder and lose meat on a whitetail, but im thinking I will use the tmk as a neck shot round inside reasonable ranges. No chance it's penciling through.

 

[Huntsalot]

Has anyone been able to make lung soup and pop the stomach on one shot from broadside? I tried 223/tmk for the first time this year on a large whitetail doe and was surprised by that.

I talked a friend into trying the 77tmk out of a 22 creed and he had the same results on a larger buck, otherwise Id figure mine was an anomaly. So high impact velocity, behind the shoulder shots. Definitely not gut shots but the stomach was popped is the only way to describe it. The lungs were mush.

I'd rather not high shoulder and lose meat on a whitetail, but im thinking I will use the tmk as a neck shot round inside reasonable ranges. No chance it's penciling through.

Got any pictures of the entrance/exit? I'd be curious to see how close to the liver/guts you were. Is it possible a bullet fragment went that direction and popped a hole. Or are you talking the guts were completely torn open?

 

[Lawnboi]

I don’t gut animals anymore but the 77 at 16” 22cm speeds, on close deer is border line too much carnage.

I posted pictures in the 22 creed thread but at 100 yards I could have stuck my iPhone through the entrance wound. Grape fruit sized hole in the rib cage and near side shoulder, which the bullet was off of by an inch or so, completely mushed. Bullet found in offside hide.

So if you want margin for error…. I’d just run it faster. I have no desire for any more damage on a deer.

I can’t imagine what a fast 130tmk would do

 

[5811]

Got any pictures of the entrance/exit? I'd be curious to see how close to the liver/guts you were. Is it possible a bullet fragment went that direction and popped a hole. Or are you talking the guts were completely torn open?

I didn't take any photos. It seemed like a standard double lung with where I hit and how she went down. I was probably 3" back from the shoulder. There was liver damage as well as the stomach was opened. It was a surprise when dressing and it was too messy to clean myself up for photos.

I'm guessing it was fragments that did it. It was caliber sized entrance and stuck in ribs/hide on the other side. I just wouldn't have shot behind the shoulder if I'd have known it would be that messy. I was just curious if it was common, but 2/2 same result for my friend and I.

 

[Thegman]

I'm not surprised by this happening. I posted pictures of a double lunged buck. The shot took out ribs on both sides, but also blew a hole up through the spine, even though the shot wasn't really even close to the spine.

Seems like the TMK can damage stuff in a pretty big radius. Doubt you'll pop rumens every time, but not too surprised that you guys did it two times in a row.

 

[Formidilosus]

My how times have changed…

2019- “.223 calibers are way to small to kill reliably!!!”

2023- “77gr TMK’s cause too much damage”.


Haha.

 

[KHNC]

I shot a whitetail doe with a .223/77 grain TMK. Impact velocity was around 2350 FPS. She ran about 40 yards and piled up. There was no blood trail. Here's what's left of the heart and lungs.
View attachment 633309

Definitely a 9mm used here.

 

[Shraggs]

Definitely a 9mm used here.

?

 

[Pharmseller]

?

He’s making fun of Biden claiming a 9mm Parabellum will blow a lung out of the body.




P

 

[Pokerface]

Because a 9mm "will blow there lungs out" according to the President....Joe