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

[The Guide]

Crazy, Im off to a real slow start this year but have double that through multiple rifles already. Just cant shoot very long with sub zero highs like this weekend.

I was going to go out and try for a last chance cow elk on a shoulder hunt and ran my atmospheric conditions through my Shooter app and it shows me at -4000' DA... I have decided I don't hate either elk or myself that much to try and hunt them at -15⁰ solo. Maybe Monday when it's 10⁰ I'll go take a look.

Jay

 

[RancherJohn]

Crazy, Im off to a real slow start this year but have double that through multiple rifles already. Just cant shoot very long with sub zero highs like this weekend.

I have put more than that through 3 separate rifles in the last 36 hours. The idea of shooting less than 60 rounds a year and thinking you're good to go is baffling to me.

 

[Poe]

In my group of shooters I would say we shoot more handgun ammo than 22 centerfire, far more rimfire than 22 centerfire. Once we sight in our 22 centerfires and get used to them we use them for coyote hunting generally but some of us hunt deer with them occasionally. However the 6MM's get a lot of use also. There is no match at my club where a 223 is the best choice. We don't do three gun but plates and bowling pin shoots so a 45acp is what centerfire round I shoot the most of . I put out a lot of rimfire rounds playing rimfire silhouette . The last three days I have shot some 150 rounds of 45 Colt out of a Ruger Vaquero and a Contender Carbine. I know of no one who isn't involved in some kind of match shooting that comes even close to shooting 1500 rounds of centerfire a year. I would say the 223/5.56 are very commonly owned rifles but most of us don't burn a lot of ammo through them or plink with them. We shoot a little steel at my property out to 200 yards but after ringing it 20 or so times the fun wears off. I would say the average non match shooter probably puts less than 60 rounds a year through each of his centerfire rifles.

I have definitely increased the amount I shoot now that a 223 is one of my main guns. I pack it with me daily and with the cheap ammo I put a lot of rounds through it on small game and steel and rock shooting. The 223 is awsome for working on my longer range shooting and shooting from field positions

 

[Rockpicker]

I have put more than that through 3 separate rifles in the last 36 hours. The idea of shooting less than 60 rounds a year and thinking you're good to go is baffling to me.

You’ve obviously never met “the box of ammo lasts me 10 years” guy. 1 to make sure the scope is on and 1 to kill an animal. 2 a year\20=10 years. You have 3 boxes of ammo and that’s a lifetime.

I am not kidding.

 

[Taudisio]

You’ve obviously never met “the box of ammo lasts me 10 years” guy. 1 to make sure the scope is on and 1 to kill an animal. 2 a year\20=10 years. You have 3 boxes of ammo and that’s a lifetime.

I am not kidding.

My dad still has the same box of 130gr 270 bullets for his 270 that I used to kill my first 4 deer over 20 years ago, I think there’s still 4 or 5 rounds left in that box.

 

[Elk botherer]

You’ve obviously never met “the box of ammo lasts me 10 years” guy. 1 to make sure the scope is on and 1 to kill an animal. 2 a year\20=10 years. You have 3 boxes of ammo and that’s a lifetime.

I am not kidding.

You just totally described one of my friends. Excellent woodsman, tracker, and a heck of an elk caller, but that’s him to a T with his equipment. He wonders why he has bad luck shooting stuff in the butt or straight up missing altogether (including a massive boar black bear at 100 yards with a rest). I bet his gun is off by several inches if he’d check it. I reloaded 50 rounds (7mm rem mag 160 gr accubonds) for him 15 years ago and he still has 30+ left. Love the .223- cheap and fun to shoot = less drama in the field.

 

[Speaks]

You’ve obviously never met “the box of ammo lasts me 10 years” guy. 1 to make sure the scope is on and 1 to kill an animal. 2 a year\20=10 years. You have 3 boxes of ammo and that’s a lifetime.

I am not kidding.

Buddy of mine sights at 40 and if 3 shots are on a paper plate he assumes its good. Seen him then try to take shots over 300 without even considering that range matters, just holds dead on. Does shoot a couple boxes a year but will interchange bullets that differ in weight by close to 50% and sometimes mix in subsonics if they are on sale. Seen him mix them up all in one mag because one cartridge is all the same anyway right?

 

[Nine Banger]

The old boxes of ammo dudes show up with like that usually have an eyebrow raising price tag stuck on one side or another.

A big orange Kmart sticker or some store that shuttered its doors long ago, and it says "$6.99".

 

[Te Hopo]

I checked the magazine in my old man's Tikka 308 recently, 4 rounds, 3 different brands/weight.
At least they were all 308 and the bush he shoots in limits shots to no more than 150yds

 

[BLJ]

You just totally described one of my friends.

He just described entire states.

 

[Ckat]

Turns out the 75gr ELD-M/LVR combo makes a decent “varmint” round, though not fur friendly.

 

[Tobe_B]

Buddy of mine sights at 40 and if 3 shots are on a paper plate he assumes it’s good. Seen him then try to take shots over 300 without even considering that range matters, just holds dead on. Does shoot a couple boxes a year but will interchange bullets that differ in weight by close to 50% and sometimes mix in subsonics if they are on sale. Seen him mix them up all in one mag because one cartridge is all the same anyway right?

You live in Southwest Colorado too? I’ve got a friend that does something very similar. He couldn’t figure out why he was missing deer. Realized he took the wrong bullets hunting. Told me “once I switched bullets we started hitting deer”. I’ve never hunted with him and never will, super nice guy though.

 

[Speaks]

You live in Southwest Colorado too? I’ve got a friend that does something very similar. He couldn’t figure out why he was missing deer. Realized he took the wrong bullets hunting. Told me “once I switched bullets we started hitting deer”. I’ve never hunted with him and never will, super nice guy though.

This was in Wisconsin. I think it could apply to half the guys in the woods there.

 

[Elk botherer]

He just described entire states.

Touche

 

[Xnoheros]

Form also has a good post here somewhere about zero distance for 22LR, and the reasons why ...

@Formidilosus any chance you can remember where that was? I tried searching a couple terms related but couldn’t pull it up.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus any chance you can remember where that was? I tried searching a couple terms related but couldn’t pull it up.

Oof. I don’t know. But it’s 40 yards and for all the same reasons that you zero at 100 for centerfires.

 

[Dobermann]

@Formidilosus any chance you can remember where that was? I tried searching a couple terms related but couldn’t pull it up.

Here you go:

With common centerfire rifle cartridges and a 100 yard zero, the center of the cone never raises above the line of sight. You never have to dial down to hit anything from muzzle onward. From muzzle to around 65-70 yards you dial up or aim high, from 65-70 yards to about 120 yards it’s dead on, past 120’ish yards you dial up or aim high.

A 40 yard zero with mist .22 LR’s is the same. I zero all of my .22 rifles at 40 yards.

From the Quick Drop for 22LR thread: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/quick-drop-for-22lr.417186/#post-4292363

 

[Xnoheros]

Here you go:



From the Quick Drop for 22LR thread: https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/quick-drop-for-22lr.417186/#post-4292363

Boss moves thank you!
@Formidilosus

 

[UnckleBob]

You’ve obviously never met “the box of ammo lasts me 10 years” guy. 1 to make sure the scope is on and 1 to kill an animal. 2 a year\20=10 years. You have 3 boxes of ammo and that’s a lifetime.

I am not kidding.

You described my dad to a T. When he stopped hunting, he gave me hid 1980’s M700 BDL and three boxes of ammo with a few pieces of ammo missing from each box.

 

[TimberHunter]

What’s everyone been buying for practice 223 ammo? PSA 75BTHP been out of stock for a while, my rifle shoots the PSA 77’s at about 2”.

Anyone try the Norma match 69 grain?