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

[Eleven]

Penetration isn’t necessarily the goal here. Its really the wound profile that is more important. A short neck,then a massive wound cavity that encompasses the vitals. Because these bullets upset so reliably they have a tendency to turn the temporary wound cavity into a permanent wound cavity because of the fragments. This is a good thing. It means that the interior is a mess even if the bullet doesn’t exit.

This is a screen grab from another thread and is showing the profile of a different bullet, but you get the idea. The interior, from just barely inside to the offside, is a massive mess of goo. Even if the bullet ‘only gets 10” of penetration’. How wide is a deer?

 

[Igloo]

Penetration isn’t necessarily the goal here. Its really the wound profile that is more important. A short neck,then a massive wound cavity that encompasses the vitals. Because these bullets upset so reliably they have a tendency to turn the temporary wound cavity into a permanent wound cavity because of the fragments. This is a good thing. It means that the interior is a mess even if the bullet doesn’t exit.

This is a screen grab from another thread and is showing the profile of a different bullet, but you get the idea. The interior, from just barely inside to the offside, is a massive mess of goo. Even if the bullet ‘only gets 10” of penetration’. How wide is a deer?
View attachment 1037358

Respectfully, I know that. And never stated or implied that penetration is a goal or what we are looking for from these bullets.

Regardless of if its the goal or not, the point I was getting at was "does it behave like that in an animal (vs the gel) or does it behave differently"?

 

[mt terry d]

Just saw this today.

I would like to see a Sierra rep discuss similar design/mfg/testing/ goals process
of the TMKs

 

[h2so4]

Anybody have 10-12 rounds of black hills Tmk’s they’re willing to sell me? Thanks

I got you. Send me a pm

 

[Eleven]

That's fast. What powder do you use?

You talkin’ to me? Sorry I missed this…. For my reloads I’m using 23.5gr 8208xbr and its getting about 2650 in my 16” barrels. Ive also been using some Stand1 loads and they are smoking at about 2725 in a 16” barrel. With those i’m getting the ~2500+ in my 10.5” barrels. They are losing about 25fps per inch cut.

 

[Eleven]

Respectfully, I know that. And never stated or implied that penetration is a goal or what we are looking for from these bullets.

Regardless of if its the goal or not, the point I was getting at was "does it behave like that in an animal (vs the gel) or does it behave differently"?

Sorry, man. I guess I didn’t really get your question. I haven’t and I’m not going to watch that video, so I don’t know what they are saying those bullets are doing. I also don’t know if they are using calibrated ballistic gel and all that. I can tell you that the TMKs that I have used on live animals have been nothing short of destructive and all have done exactly as that illustration I posted shows: a short neck, lots of destruction with a wide permanent wound cavity and usually some pieces going out the other side.

 

[Chris in TN]

So apparently I did a thing last night.

I 'won' a used, unknown history, 8-twist tikka .223 barrel.

It's shorter and threaded. My plan is to remove the long heavy 12 twist barrel from my Tikka 595 and be able to use 75-80 grain stuff in it. The 595 223 magazine will handle 2.42" so my plan would likely be to load something to 2.4". I have a pretty good idea on powders already on hand. I know the 77TMK would work and that's the easy button but since these will be loaded to 2.4" there's a part of me that would like to save the TMKs for use in an AR and load something with a different colored tip for easy ID as being bolt gun loads.

That means 75eldm, 80 eldm, or 80 eldx.

8 twist, most shooting will be at or near 660' elevation and temps could be anywhere from 10 degrees on up. Which would y'all choose as second place to the 77TMK?

 

[43.6N]

So apparently I did a thing last night.

I 'won' a used, unknown history, 8-twist tikka .223 barrel.

It's shorter and threaded. My plan is to remove the long heavy 12 twist barrel from my Tikka 595 and be able to use 75-80 grain stuff in it. The 595 223 magazine will handle 2.42" so my plan would likely be to load something to 2.4". I have a pretty good idea on powders already on hand. I know the 77TMK would work and that's the easy button but since these will be loaded to 2.4" there's a part of me that would like to save the TMKs for use in an AR and load something with a different colored tip for easy ID as being bolt gun loads.

That means 75eldm, 80 eldm, or 80 eldx.

8 twist, most shooting will be at or near 660' elevation and temps could be anywhere from 10 degrees on up. Which would y'all choose as second place to the 77TMK?

Congrats.
Add 80gr Berger to your list
And the new 69gr ELD-VT has the same bc as your 77tmk. Should be quite a bit cheaper too if you want a training load

 

[Q_Sertorius]

So apparently I did a thing last night.

I 'won' a used, unknown history, 8-twist tikka .223 barrel.

It's shorter and threaded. My plan is to remove the long heavy 12 twist barrel from my Tikka 595 and be able to use 75-80 grain stuff in it. The 595 223 magazine will handle 2.42" so my plan would likely be to load something to 2.4". I have a pretty good idea on powders already on hand. I know the 77TMK would work and that's the easy button but since these will be loaded to 2.4" there's a part of me that would like to save the TMKs for use in an AR and load something with a different colored tip for easy ID as being bolt gun loads.

That means 75eldm, 80 eldm, or 80 eldx.

8 twist, most shooting will be at or near 660' elevation and temps could be anywhere from 10 degrees on up. Which would y'all choose as second place to the 77TMK?

I’d look at the 69-grain options.

 

[Igloo]

Sorry, man. I guess I didn’t really get your question. I haven’t and I’m not going to watch that video, so I don’t know what they are saying those bullets are doing. I also don’t know if they are using calibrated ballistic gel and all that. I can tell you that the TMKs that I have used on live animals have been nothing short of destructive and all have done exactly as that illustration I posted shows: a short neck, lots of destruction with a wide permanent wound cavity and usually some pieces going out the other side.

There was never a question.

I'll make it as concise as I can.

Dudes upset cause I said 77gr TMKs and 65gr Gamekings go deeper in animals than they do in his gel. 2500 fps and 13-14" and 2770 and 10-11" respectively.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

So apparently I did a thing last night.

I 'won' a used, unknown history, 8-twist tikka .223 barrel.

It's shorter and threaded. My plan is to remove the long heavy 12 twist barrel from my Tikka 595 and be able to use 75-80 grain stuff in it. The 595 223 magazine will handle 2.42" so my plan would likely be to load something to 2.4". I have a pretty good idea on powders already on hand. I know the 77TMK would work and that's the easy button but since these will be loaded to 2.4" there's a part of me that would like to save the TMKs for use in an AR and load something with a different colored tip for easy ID as being bolt gun loads.

That means 75eldm, 80 eldm, or 80 eldx.

8 twist, most shooting will be at or near 660' elevation and temps could be anywhere from 10 degrees on up. Which would y'all choose as second place to the 77TMK?

73 eldm

 

[Igloo]

73 eldm

Wasn't sure between those and the 69gr TMK here but the TMK was more available. 73gr sure doesn't seem lackin tho!

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Wasn't sure between those and the 69gr TMK here but the TMK was more available. 73gr sure doesn't seem lackin tho!

Just seems to want to shoot with very little effort, worked for me with Xbr,TAC,varget

Going to try some H4895

 

[Sponxx]

Not bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, or moose, but this past week I poked 2 hogs with 77gr AAC hollowpoint ammo from a 5.56.
First one was a clean pass through both lungs, including caked mud and hair, put a other below ear while running.

2nd hog was a quite further back than I'd like (I try for head/neck) hit diaphragm or liver, but dropped within 80yds. No exit on 2nd hog.
I'd have no issues shooting deer with such a bullet.


that's the exit hole and the ear shot



no exit on this one

 

[Igloo]

Just seems to want to shoot with very little effort, worked for me with Xbr,TAC,varget

Going to try some H4895

Hope it works well! So far what was your best performer?

If I get around to finding some 73s I am going to try them with Staball Match first. Meters well and supposed to be temp stable so...would be nice. Cheap too. Relatively.

 

[Sponxx]

I have no idea what bullet is loaded on that AAC ammo, got it from PSA on clearance

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

Hope it works well! So far what was your best performer?

If I get around to finding some 73s I am going to try them with Staball Match first. Meters well and supposed to be temp stable so...would be nice. Cheap too. Relatively.

23gr XBR, 24gr varget shoots very consistent

 

[Igloo]

23gr XBR, 24gr varget shoots very consistent

Thanks. I have both but almost out of TAC so that works.

 

[wind gypsy]

So apparently I did a thing last night.

I 'won' a used, unknown history, 8-twist tikka .223 barrel.

It's shorter and threaded. My plan is to remove the long heavy 12 twist barrel from my Tikka 595 and be able to use 75-80 grain stuff in it. The 595 223 magazine will handle 2.42" so my plan would likely be to load something to 2.4". I have a pretty good idea on powders already on hand. I know the 77TMK would work and that's the easy button but since these will be loaded to 2.4" there's a part of me that would like to save the TMKs for use in an AR and load something with a different colored tip for easy ID as being bolt gun loads.

That means 75eldm, 80 eldm, or 80 eldx.

8 twist, most shooting will be at or near 660' elevation and temps could be anywhere from 10 degrees on up. Which would y'all choose as second place to the 77TMK?

73 or 75 ELDm. 73s seem to be less finicky.

 

[Chris in TN]

Thanks guys - reading between the lines, it sounds like just staying with the 77TMKs is the simple solution here.