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

MTN BUM

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 4, 2018
Messages
228
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Montana
aeammo dot com has 50 ct and larger boxes of Black Hills listed as in stock.
Edit, the google link I searched up took me to the hollow point, but if you change google search term to "Black Hills Ammunition 77 TMK" you will get the right link. $1.40 per round right now
 
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Odd1out

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 6, 2023
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Wondering what average velocities ppl get with a 22" tikka and the 77tmk? Which are closer to the 77tmk, the 73 or 75eldm?

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Wondering what average velocities ppl get with a 22" tikka and the 77tmk? Which are closer to the 77tmk, the 73 or 75eldm?

2700-2900+ depending on powder and how hot you run it, seating length, etc.

73 ELDm is more comparable. Basically the same BC as a 77 TMK and is made to work at 223 SAAMI COAL to mag feed like the 77 tmk is. The 75 ELD needs extended magazines.
 

Odd1out

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 6, 2023
Messages
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2700-2900+ depending on powder and how hot you run it, seating length, etc.

73 ELDm is more comparable. Basically the same BC as a 77 TMK and is made to work at 223 SAAMI COAL to mag feed like the 77 tmk is. The 75 ELD needs extended magazines.
Thx man

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Carolinas
Wondering what average velocities ppl get with a 22" tikka and the 77tmk? Which are closer to the 77tmk, the 73 or 75eldm?

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Running 77gr SMK Black Hills factory loads for practice and getting 2,882fps with factory 22” barrel, I imagine the Black Hills TMK load would have similar velocity.
 

Elk botherer

Lil-Rokslider
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May 11, 2020
Messages
135
Wondering what average velocities ppl get with a 22" tikka and the 77tmk? Which are closer to the 77tmk, the 73 or 75eldm?

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I average 2,740 fps out of my 22” tikka with 24.0 gr of Tac. My 73 eldm load trajectories are very close to the 77 gr tmk.

Edit: for comparison the 77 tmk drop at 500 yards is 10.7 moa and the 73 eldm is 10.6 moa; pretty dang close
 
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Odd1out

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 6, 2023
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166
I just have varget to use. See where that goes. Looking for tac and xbr. Also wouldnt mind trying some staball match

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bpctcb

WKR
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
337
I absolutely love shooting an accurate and low recoiling .223 but I can’t ever see myself carrying one on a mule deer or elk hunt.
My kids and I have certainly killed several whitetail deer with a suppressed .223 off my back porch but our field of fire was limited to 220 yards.
No doubt a .223 with correct ammo is as lethal as anything when hitting the heart & lungs, but I would hate to be limited to 450 yard shots and these little bullets get blown around bad as distance increases on a windy day.
I am curious to know how many people use a .223 as their first choice for mule deer & elk rifle when a step up to a 6.5 w/140+ grain bullets would basically double their effective range.

BP
 

crich

WKR
Joined
Jul 7, 2018
Messages
856
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AK
Where are people getting loaded ammo from? Anything in AK? I’ll be headed to L48 in a couple weeks so I can ship to where I’m going and fly home with it too if anywhere has it ready to ship.

I haven't seen the 73 ELDM load. I am in a similar situation. I'd love to send some to family in the lower 48 and pick it up later.

I havent personally used them for ammo yet but from what I understand Carlisle MyConnect is the answer. Very easy to set up an account and use. Supposedly theyll ship haz up no problem.
 

D R T

FNG
Joined
Nov 9, 2023
Messages
29
Location
Texas
100 pages down and only 240 to go.
My RS special shoots lights out with BH 77 TMK’s! Love it.
Next up is shortening and threading. I know. I know. It’s a shooter, don’t mess with it. I don’t like the noise pollution.
Love this thread.
 

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mt terry d

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
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715
I am curious to know how many people use a .223 as their first choice for mule deer & elk rifle when a step up to a 6.5 w/140+ grain bullets would basically double their effective range.

BP
I have a 7mm WBY and a 300 win mag and have shot elk with both.

I prefer the 223.

I'm not a skilled enough shooter or wind caller to shoot past the effective terminal range of the 223/TMK combo.

If/when I am I would consider moving up.

That said, I hope I don't ever lose the desire to plan and execute a stalk to get closer ( if at all possible) even though I might be within my "effective range". I like hunting more than shooting.
 

Odd1out

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 6, 2023
Messages
166
I average 2,740 fps out of my 22” tikka with 24.0 gr of Tac. My 73 eldm load trajectories are very close to the 77 gr tmk.

Edit: for comparison the 77 tmk drop at 500 yards is 10.7 moa and the 73 eldm is 10.6 moa; pretty dang close
I'm getting 2650 with 23.5 varget, might speed up a bit. New barrel

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D R T

FNG
Joined
Nov 9, 2023
Messages
29
Location
Texas
The whittle Tikka is now in Portland, TX at Red Beards getting a 2.4” haircut and thread.
And they just so happened to have an AB Raptor 6 556 that called my name. So I got that going too. I keep seeing these new super short wait time reports. Won’t happen that way for me but we’re giving it a go.
 

sneaky

"DADDY"
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Did any of you shoot a bull elk in the ass with a 77 TMK a few months ago and fail to recover it? Someone on tw*tter found a crippled elk with a little green plastic tip in what used to be its hip. Rokslide actually mentioned in the comments as being at fault.
22cal isn't the only green tipped offering from Sierra... could just as easily been a bad shot from a number of calibers.

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sneaky

"DADDY"
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I absolutely love shooting an accurate and low recoiling .223 but I can’t ever see myself carrying one on a mule deer or elk hunt.
My kids and I have certainly killed several whitetail deer with a suppressed .223 off my back porch but our field of fire was limited to 220 yards.
No doubt a .223 with correct ammo is as lethal as anything when hitting the heart & lungs, but I would hate to be limited to 450 yard shots and these little bullets get blown around bad as distance increases on a windy day.
I am curious to know how many people use a .223 as their first choice for mule deer & elk rifle when a step up to a 6.5 w/140+ grain bullets would basically double their effective range.

BP
If 450 yards is the max for 77tmks because of wind... then stepping up to 140s isn't going to make a difference at 800. If someone can't shoot 450 in the wind, they sure don't need to be trying 800 in the wind just because they are using a bigger caliber. Wind calls don't get easier with a bigger caliber.

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Odd1out

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 6, 2023
Messages
166
22cal isn't the only green tipped offering from Sierra... could just as easily been a bad shot from a number of calibers.

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Could have been a nosler ballistic tip

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bpctcb

WKR
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
337
If 450 yards is the max for 77tmks because of wind... then stepping up to 140s isn't going to make a difference at 800. If someone can't shoot 450 in the wind, they sure don't need to be trying 800 in the wind just because they are using a bigger caliber. Wind calls don't get easier with a bigger caliber.

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The 77 TMK is showing a bc of .420.
There are several 6.5 caliber bullets with a bc over .600.
There will simply be less wind drift with the larger caliber, higher bc bullets.
If I’m shooting 300+ yards on a windy day then no way in hell do I want a .223 rifle in my hands. My wind calls aren’t perfect and I’ll take all the help I can get from a higher bc bullet.

BP
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2023
Messages
50
22cal isn't the only green tipped offering from Sierra... could just as easily been a bad shot from a number of calibers.

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I was tempted to focus complaint on the cartridge assumption, but in the context of that shot placement it would have felt like correcting the grammar of someone in the middle of having a stroke.
 
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