Wow, I gotta admit I wrote this thread off because I thought it was sure to be a lot of Fudds poo-pooing the 223 as a big game round (which a lot of it is). BUT....Read it all from page 1 and learned a lot. I never had doubt that the 223 could kill big game, but I have been pretty impressed with some of the pics on here showing just how effective it can be. Probably the most surprising thing to me is that the 62 or 70 grain Barnes isn't the bullet of choice. Posts on here are probably 50/50 on great vs poor performance, maybe a few better on the great side. That 77 TMK seems to be a real death ray though. Seems that for this round, a fragmenting bullet is better than monolithic. For me though, I just can't shoot an animal with a fragmenting lead bullet. Meat loss is just too great. That's why I've been a Barnes guy for years. The AR I am currently building will definitely see some big game use, but first I am going to have to do some bullet testing. Really interested in how the hammer bullets perform since they frag, but in much larger pieces.
.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.
- Thread starter PNWGATOR
- Start date
BAKPAKR
WKR
My daughter and I have shot a few deer with the 62 gr Barnes TTSX out to about 125 yards. They have worked fine. Her first deer dropped in its tracks to a heart shot from that bullet. I don’t know how they would work at longer ranges. I know the 77 gr TMK performed well out of a 14.5” barrel at close to 240 yards.
Those 62gr TSX are Nasty little buggers! I'm curious to see what happens with some 70gr TTSX's I managed to get.
RyanT26
WKR
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2020
- Messages
- 1,457
.338 WM using mono’s!
awildswanger
WKR
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2020
- Messages
- 551
Can’t wait, looking for a trainer lol
Lawnboi
WKR
What do you need? They are out there.
IDK. I have a Lee press. Haven't even looked.
Midway had Redding 223 dies yesterday
Lawnboi
WKR
As said above midway has Redding. What do you have for a rifle? Mag space will help with those bullets.IDK. I have a Lee press. Haven't even looked.
Over in SD I’d think a guy needs a 223 and a couple hundred rounds on hand all the time. Pretty year round target rich environment out there.
Oh, I have a pile of stuff sitting around. Trying to put a rifle together for my younger kids to shoot deer with.
I have a Stevens 200 in .223 with 1:8 barrel. Very accurate and should stabilize those 77gr well.
What are you guys shooting mostly? ARs or bolt guns? I had another thread asking about using tipped bullets in an AR that asked whether the tips sustained damage riding up the feed ramp in an AR that would cause them to break or or distort to where they effect BC and accuracy. Is that something that happens or just a unfounded worry?
- Banned
- #715
robtattoo
WKR
I shoot tipped bullets out of both my ARs, all the time. Various different makes & flavors & I've never even considered it before. I can't imagine it'd be an issue in the slightest.
Only if your feed ramps were bubba-ed up by a monkey on meth with a Dremel. Otherwise, tipped ammo should feed fine. Your biggest issue should be making sure you have a 1-8" or faster twist to stabilize the heavy bullets.
Out of spec feed ramps or parts can cause issues with tipped bullets; if the bullet is impacting at an excessively steep angle and/or there's not enough space in the barrel extension cutouts you can see problems. If your rounds are feeding at the appropriate height into correctly shaped ramps then I doubt you'll have trouble
TSX and tough bonded bullets obviously can work, but heavy fragmenting expanders are simply going to produce broader wounding at comparable case pressures due to the way fragmentation works synergistically with the temporary stretch cavity. Truth be told I share in Form's frustrations in regards to the advocacy of less devastating rounds within the firearms community but I think it's also been evidenced aplenty that deer are not as immune to .223 as many people think, whether that be 77 gr TMK or 62 gr TTSX...if you can make excellent shots I don't think you'll be wasting tags but frankly, I am not the authority on that subject anyway.
TSX and tough bonded bullets obviously can work, but heavy fragmenting expanders are simply going to produce broader wounding at comparable case pressures due to the way fragmentation works synergistically with the temporary stretch cavity. Truth be told I share in Form's frustrations in regards to the advocacy of less devastating rounds within the firearms community but I think it's also been evidenced aplenty that deer are not as immune to .223 as many people think, whether that be 77 gr TMK or 62 gr TTSX...if you can make excellent shots I don't think you'll be wasting tags but frankly, I am not the authority on that subject anyway.
I need to book mark this thread. I got everything but projectiles a while ago because I was indecisive, now I've have some good material to browse
Edit-Roughly 6-1/2 hours later-
I guess TMKs are the route for 223, thanks all who have contributed its pretty incredible. I almost went TSXs and I'm happy I read this first. It seems 223 really can hold it own if you know what to expect and what your skill level is.
Now we need the 270 guys to rally like this since I have one I want to load for
Edit-Roughly 6-1/2 hours later-
I guess TMKs are the route for 223, thanks all who have contributed its pretty incredible. I almost went TSXs and I'm happy I read this first. It seems 223 really can hold it own if you know what to expect and what your skill level is.
Now we need the 270 guys to rally like this since I have one I want to load for
Last edited:
Similar threads
Featured Video
Latest Articles
- TT#60 Henry Ferguson Killing Big Muley’s with a Bow
- Zeiss SFL 12×50 Review
- Swarovski EL Range 12×42 TA Binocular Review
- Battle of the 2.0s: Seek Outside Cimarron vs Redcliff Floorless Shelters
- Quiet Kat Ranger XR Review
- Shoot2Hunt A Female Perspective
- Goodbye 270 WSM, Hello 6UM
- 2025 Head-to-Head Bow Test
- Sitka Ascent Pants Review
- TT#59 Wesley Warner Stalking Big Mule Deer Bucks