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

[roosiebull]

.223 is waaaay to light of chambering for game!!!!!!!!!!!
Not matter what bullet one uses.

obviously... duh

haha

 

[Formidilosus]

One question for you, what is the practical difference in smk’s and tmk’s? Would you expect similar results on game?

Go back a page or two and you can see what I wrote about the 75gr Hornady HPBT. The same applies to SMK versus TMK.

If you have something that’s working, I would say great! Hard bullets are what have and do give the “marginal” label to .224 and a bit to .243 cartridges. They’re just not as emphatic in killing. However if someone is using something else and like it’s performance, that’s good.

 

[Formidilosus]

OT but any experience with Berger 135 or 140 in the creed?

Quite a bit. They perform well, in the usual Berger manner. That why I tend to slightly prefer ELD’s generally more than Berger’s for hunting.

 

[roosiebull]

Go back a page or two and you can see what I wrote about the 75gr Hornady HPBT. The same applies to SMK versus TMK.

If you have something that’s working, I would say great! Hard bullets are what have and do give the “marginal” label to .224 and a bit to .243 cartridges. They’re just not as emphatic in killing. However if someone is using something else and like it’s performance, that’s good.

yeah, i should have held off on that question, haha... made it through page 25 so far, and there are all of the answers i was looking for so far, as well as many answers to questions i didn't know i had

this is quite possibly the most insightful thread i have ever read on a forum. good stuff and it's been an education for me. the beauty of not having a closed mind... i'm glad i am wrong, because i have not had any problems in the past, but it looks like i can improve my effectiveness.

i have killed coyotes, lions, and my wife killed a buck with my AR and 77gr smk's the past couple years without issue, but nothing showcased the performance i have seen in this thread.

as far as the "marginal" label, i can totally see that. my first thought when i bought my AR (got it for lion calling) was to try some mono bullets, that's what my mind told me was the best option for a small bullet. they didn't shoot great so i wrote them off for the time being.

gonna order some TMK's here soon, and hope my rifle likes them as well as the SMK's (or within practical reason) now deer and elk seasons are winding down and there are some cats that need killing around here.... timely thread to read, and i certainly have a new respect for the little .223. i may have to kill a buck with it next year.... always want to pack it for certain situations but also had reservations about deer hunting with a .223.

this thread is great, not just in the .223, but terminal performance in general. i have seen a good deal of critters die, but myself and friends/family stick to the "normal" in cartridges and bullet construction, so i don't have a great deal of comparison. i have avoided soft bullets in general, mostly because i have not seen a bunch of critters killed with them, and never heard much compelling explanation of why they work... and never had issues with accubond/partitions.

i once shot a really big bear with a 270 at 12yds with a 130gr sst, not a single little fragment made it to the opposite side of the rib cage... hit a rib on entry and bullet exploded... killed the bear dead as shit, but it was in the back of my mind... i also know that's not much of a testimony due to the impact velocity.... they aren't designed to perform at that speed... it could be argued it DID perform fine.

i'm not going to abandon what i trust across the board, but i'm glad to have a better understanding.... right tools for the job, the job changes by season.

 

[robtattoo]

A young friend of mine borrowed my Axis .223 while i'm working on her '06 (it constantly misfires)
I took her to the range for a couple of hours, just to be sure she could do what she needed to get the gun right for her & she was astonished by what a good shot she was, compared to shooting her Rem 700CDL She expected a cheap gun to be a POS in comparison. I'm convinced the lack of recoil just made her feel more confident.
She took this buck and the doe he was dogging at 250 & 210yds last night. No wound pics i'm afraid. 77gn TMK dropped both on the spot. Clean rib-rib on the buck with a 1.5" exit. Doe was quartering away, hit the last rib, broke her offside shoulder & kept going.
She offered me half tempting money for the gun, on the spot

 

[Ryan Avery]

Well you SOBs talked me into it! Haha!!

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[kickemall]

Well you SOBs talked me into it! Haha!!

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Money well spent right there!

 

[204guy]

Well you SOBs talked me into it! Haha!!

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How long is that going to last in factory form.

 

[Ryan Avery]

How long is that going to last in factory form.

Chassis is on the way

 

[Castle Rock]

Chassis is on the way

Fastest way to spoil it right there

 

[EastMT]

Chassis is on the way

I’m not a tikka fan but the 223 fast twist is attractive and everyone has almost talked me into it instead of rebarreling to a fast twist, almost.....


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[Ryan Avery]

Fastest way to spoil it right there

Good thing I didn’t buy you one....

 

[Lawnboi]

Quite a bit. They perform well, in the usual Berger manner. That why I tend to slightly prefer ELD’s generally more than Berger’s for hunting.

As in too explosive?

 

[Ryan Avery]

The ELD-M is more explosive than the Berger especially the target Berger’s.


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[Formidilosus]

As in too explosive?

Penetrate 2-6” before nose collapses and rapid fragmentation.

ELD’s begin expansion/fragmentation immediately.

 

[HighUintas]

How about this same bullet out of a 224 Valkyrie?

 

[JMDsir]

How about this same bullet out of a 224 Valkyrie?

I appreciate all that I've learned from this site, and have never posted. Hopefully this will contribute a bit to the thread...
The past few months I've been shooting the 88 grain ELD-M from a bolt action 224 Valkyrie. 20" barrel with 1 in 7 twist. MV 2660.

Limited experience, but so far I have had good results on whitetail deer in Texas. Shot a doe in the crease (slightly higher than anticipated at last light) from 145 yards that ran approximately 60 yards. Very little blood but easy to find.

Next shot was a doe at 430 yards. Wind pushed shot slightly forward, bullet impacted just forward of middle of shoulder. Quarter sized exit on opposite shoulder. Deer ran 15 yards and kicked twice then dead. Not a lot of blood, but enough to follow if I had needed to.

Another doe at 100 or so yards. Quartering away, bullet entered behind shoulder and exited opposite shoulder just forward of center. 25 yard death run downhill with very strong blood trail. See attached pic of exit. Note: Dog was not needed for any of these trails, but he's always with me at the ranch!

On another note, both my boys killed their first bucks this year with a 223! One just turned 6 and the other 8.

 

[roosiebull]

has anyone messed with hammer bullets in the .223 platform?

 

[Cahunter805]

Anyone shooting a 22Creed? Should be able to push some of the heavy 22cal pretty fast.

 

[amassi]

Anyone shooting a 22Creed? Should be able to push some of the heavy 22cal pretty fast.

Yes- not sure if the tmk would enjoy 3500+fps.
I use 88 eld-m around 3300 but just for targets and coyotes. It's pretty explosive on dogs though

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