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

Heat said:
Did Black Hills quit making 77 TMK or is it just gone everywhere due to the popularity of this thread? I don't reload or know anyone that does.
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hard to source. Sign up for in stock alerts and when they have it buy as many bricks as you can.
 
It’s more likely out of stock due to military contracts and Sierra’s method of doing bullet “runs” sporadically rather than continuous production.
 
Heat said:
Did Black Hills quit making 77 TMK or is it just gone everywhere due to the popularity of this thread? I don't reload or know anyone that does.
Click to expand...
That 73 gr eldm is a killer bullet as well and easy to find on the shelves. I'll be loading the 77's but killed an antelope and a cow elk with the 73's this year. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it next year.
 
Dave0317 said:
It’s more likely out of stock due to military contracts and Sierra’s method of doing bullet “runs” sporadically rather than continuous production.
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Cool, I'm seeing bullets on the street, maybe the loaded ammo isn't far behind.
 
hunterjmj said:
That 73 gr eldm is a killer bullet as well and easy to find on the shelves. I'll be loading the 77's but killed an antelope and a cow elk with the 73's this year. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot it next year.
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Appreciate the experienced recommendation. I have seen that will pick some up to try.
 
I also won't hesitate to use the 73eldm. I have a 16" Ruger American Ranch that shoots that ammo phenomenally and my daughter has taken two whitetail does with it and it has become her preferred carry rifle. With the 223 she has zero anxiety about recoil and wants to shoot more often. I'm to the point where I just buy the 73eldm ammo by the case and let her ring steel to 500 yards. We have a 400 yard limit on game and that is ok for us.

Jay
 
Heat said:
Appreciate the experienced recommendation. I have seen that will pick some up to try.
Click to expand...
I was going to make the same suggestion, both because BH isn’t around at the moment, and because even if you can find it, the price is significantly higher than the 73 pricing
 
Another photo to add. 77gr TMK AAC ammo. 230yds whitetail doe. First time trying it out after reading the thread and being slightly skeptical before reading. I have No hesitation using this on elk in the future. That will be the next project. Happy hunting everyone.
 

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My daughter shot her first deer, a small doe, at just over 100 yards with Tikka 223/SWFA 6x/77gr TMK. Impact velocity about 2450. Doe was facing us and she hit him exactly where I told her on the point of the chest resulting in her humping up and stumbling a couple feet before falling.

Externally, no obvious damage, upon breaking her down the top of the heart was gone and the remainder was free floating in a chest cavity full of blood. I forgot to take pics of entrance/tissue, there was no exit.

Zero meat damage, almost immediate death, and a happy girl. The RSS continues to impress, up to two WT does and an antelope with it this year.

IMG_5506.jpeg
 
Got some ELD-M inbound. Thanks everyone! Will be keeping my eye out for the TMK but have something to mess with in the meantime. Just tinkering right now, no hurry for a hunt or anything. Appreciate the help.
 
Heat said:
Did Black Hills quit making 77 TMK or is it just gone everywhere due to the popularity of this thread? I don't reload or know anyone that does.
Click to expand...
I purchased some Black Hills factory seconds (cosmetic blem only) from @h2so4. He shipped very quickly and the ammo shot .75moa at 200 yards from my RSS and has so far crumpled one small whitetail buck.
 
Couple more deaths to the mighty 223. The first was mine personally shot at very close range maybe 30yds. I snuck up on top of a shelf to glass the other side and he was down below me when I looked over. Quartering away slightly, took out the top half of the heart completely and good damage to both lungs. Entry hole in the ribs was golf ball sized and damage to the offside shoulder but no exit. Good blood trail for the 30yds it traveled but I saw it go down so no need to track.

The smaller buck was shot by a family member with my rifle at 90ish yds entry through the shoulder and about a 2” hole through the ribs one lung was heavily damaged but the offside lung was totally intact, I didn’t have a lot of time to examine it further as we had a long hike ahead of us. Both deer were able to be moved to water and taken out whole with a canoe so once I get to butchering tomorrow I will try to look more at the internal damage. The second deer didn’t have what I would call drastic internal damage, the penetration was a little less than I would have preferred but the blood trail was stellar and it only went maybe 100ish yds downhill.

I’m still loving this combo and I have sold several others on it. The ability to just be so precise with it and watch impacts on animals in the scope has been a big game changer for my hunting style in this terrain.

*Edited to add pics

First is the entry on the smaller buck with the shoulder removed. Bullet just hit meat in the shoulder but no actual bone.

Second with the knife is the larger buck, the offside shoulder had no damage a small fragment was caught by the hide just ahead of the offside shoulder.
 

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Last edited:
I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...

Anyway, I don't think I will have time to load new ammo before rifle opens here this year and all I have loaded right now are 75 ELD-Ms @~2600fps (have to single feed so maybe not the best option because my rifle doesn't always chamber these rounds easily when single feeding), 55 V-MAX @~3000fps, and factory loaded 77SMKs. Would you guys recommend I use any of these loads? Or would I be better off buying a different factory loading for this year (https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-eld-match-223-remington-73-grain-centerfire-rifle-ammo) Other recommended factory ammo? I know the 77TMK is highly recommended, but I don't see factory loads with that bullet? What about the 55 and/or 64 soft points or the 73FTX critical defense?



If it is a consideration, my archery buck this year weighed in at 136lbs field dressed and he was a fairly large deer for my area. Also, where I hunt, the max shot distance for my area is 300yds with most shot opportunities occurring from 15 - 200yds.

I do have a 6.5CM Tikka as well that I am confident in, but I (somewhat regrettably) bought that one in the varmint model and scoped it is just shy of 11lbs. Makes it really nice to shoot, but kind of sucks to carry for extended periods. I have thought about having it cut down, but it shoots so well I am very reluctant to mess with it.
 
igethangry said:
I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...

Anyway, I don't think I will have time to load new ammo before rifle opens here this year and all I have loaded right now are 75 ELD-Ms @~2600fps (have to single feed so maybe not the best option because my rifle doesn't always chamber these rounds easily when single feeding), 55 V-MAX @~3000fps, and factory loaded 77SMKs. Would you guys recommend I use any of these loads? Or would I be better off buying a different factory loading for this year (https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-eld-match-223-remington-73-grain-centerfire-rifle-ammo) Other recommended factory ammo? I know the 77TMK is highly recommended, but I don't see factory loads with that bullet? What about the 55 and/or 64 soft points or the 73FTX critical defense?



If it is a consideration, my archery buck this year weighed in at 136lbs field dressed and he was a fairly large deer for my area. Also, where I hunt, the max shot distance for my area is 300yds with most shot opportunities occurring from 15 - 200yds.

I do have a 6.5CM Tikka as well that I am confident in, but I (somewhat regrettably) bought that one in the varmint model and scoped it is just shy of 11lbs. Makes it really nice to shoot, but kind of sucks to carry for extended periods. I have thought about having it cut down, but it shoots so well I am very reluctant to mess with it.
Click to expand...

factory loaded and in stock 77 tmk.
 
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