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

Joined
Mar 22, 2024
Messages
77
Always looking at options that will work and be a bit more reasonably priced and easily available . If you reload that’s one thing, but a box of 50 black hills 77tmk ammo is $80 plus shipping at luckygunner. I’ve never seen a box in a LGS near me.
Well I don't really know what blinkered means. But the 77 TMK works very well, has been available lately, and shoots good. So i don't have any reason to buy/test/shoot anything else in .224. I'm certain there are others, but why bother?
 

SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
1,687
Anyone using 5.56 cans on their .223's? I have a DA Nomad Ti and a RSS in the works. Wondering if it's worth it to have a dedicated can, especially given the short wait times.
Using a dilligent defense wolf hunter and it's amazing. I'll eventually try my 30cal cans on it but there's no way they're better. It's stupid.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2023
Messages
11
Location
South Carolina
I’ve shot 2 does with 77gr SMKs from a 14.5” Criterion barreled AR at 65 yards and the furthest I’ve had to track was 3 yards so far. I was extremely hesitant to try the round on deer at first but after reading this thread for weeks I gave it a “shot” and it was actually pretty astounding the amount of shock that it sent through both deer.
 

z987k

WKR
Joined
Sep 9, 2020
Messages
1,822
Location
AK
Elusive Kimber Montana in 223 ready to rock.

Curious to see if the 9 twist will stabilize TMKs at my elevation, will shoot 75 BTHPs and 62 Fusions if they don't cooperate.
View attachment 727775
I know the tmk is the end all but for slow twist guns the 79gr DRT which is also a fragmenting round, is tungsten which is heavier and therefore shorter than lead will stabilize at sea level in a 9 twist.
 

Anschutz

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 19, 2017
Messages
253
Location
Fairbanks, AK
Any thoughts on the Starline brass? I'm considering Starline for other calibers if it's decent.
I just picked some up for service rifle loads. Seems to be good so far in testing/practice. I'll be shooting a match next week with it.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2022
Messages
749
@PNWGATOR I'm contemplating a Nilgai hunt on South Texas next year. I WANT to believe, but what says the hive mind? This is given they allow it with a 300WM minimum stipulation, but they allowed my parents to use a 7mmRM back in the 80s with two bulls on the ground for their efforts. Their consideration for diverting from the requirement was a little smaller of a gap than what I'm asking, but we'll see!
They die like anything else when shot in the right spot. The commentary on this video after the 223 kills is exactly the tom-fuddery I'd expect when someone sees it in person for the first time. Like others have said, the vitals are more forward than most American game so it adds to the mystique when people take a "classic lung shot" and it runs off into the scrub brush never to be seen again. I did a hunt last year in a muzzleloader/shotgun only area and saw a few fall to ballistics that a centerfire deer rifle would scoff at.

 
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Robobiss

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 3, 2024
Messages
200
Elusive Kimber Montana in 223 ready to rock.

Curious to see if the 9 twist will stabilize TMKs at my elevation, will shoot 75 BTHPs and 62 Fusions if they don't cooperate.
View attachment 727775
My 9 twist savage stabilizes them good enough at sub 1k feet, shoots surprisingly good groups for being a $300 rifle.

That was this spring at 40-50 degrees or so. Need to test again at 20 degrees or so to know for sure if I would trust them hunting. Just in case it doesn’t I have a separate load worked up for my 7 twist AR. Less powder because they’re seated deeper in the AR.
 

Nomosendero

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 21, 2021
Messages
250
Thanks for the video, great stuff!
I have never shot the DRT bullet, I wonder how different the 77TMK would be on a Nalgai?
Likely would be fine!
 

Tmac622

FNG
Classified Approved
Joined
Apr 16, 2022
Messages
9
Who’s going to show this to KB with Q and tell him he’s wasting his time with those 8.6BLK?
 

SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
1,687
Who’s going to show this to KB with Q and tell him he’s wasting his time with those 8.6BLK?
But the energy with a 3 twist barrel is unmatched! I really wanted to like that round but good god there's nothing about it to like outside of a suppressed range toy.
 
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