Ok so I’ve read most of this. Between losing my page coming back and guessing and scrolling passed the “can’t be done” fudds bickering I’m sure I’ve missed some stuff.
I’ve killed a good bit of shit up to deer sized game with 223 but nothing with TMK’s. I’ve shot deer and hogs with 55gr SP as well as a few Barnes bullets and they all worked well but what I saw wound channel wise with the SP’s I wouldn’t choose it for elk, maybe the Barnes though.
I’m seriously interested in just having one rifle to do it all and keep shit simple. So is anyone doing this with a 16” AR-15? I’m definitely interested in a elk hunt at some point and maybe moose. Has anyone killed a bull elk with this bullet out of a 16” AR-15?
One moose killed with a bolt gun in this thread. There’s guys that have used 60gr Vmax and NBTs from ARs for elk. My daughter uses a 16“ AR for deer and shot her buck at 237 through the shoulder and caught in the hide on the offside and it was dead in about 30-35 yards. I shot a doe through the slats (complete pass through and a nice blood trail) with my 18”AR at 320 yards and died at the same spot, 30-35 yards after hit, as her buck. Elk? I’d give it a whirl.Ok so I’ve read most of this. Between losing my page coming back and guessing and scrolling passed the “can’t be done” fudds bickering I’m sure I’ve missed some stuff.
I’ve killed a good bit of shit up to deer sized game with 223 but nothing with TMK’s. I’ve shot deer and hogs with 55gr SP as well as a few Barnes bullets and they all worked well but what I saw wound channel wise with the SP’s I wouldn’t choose it for elk, maybe the Barnes though.
I’m seriously interested in just having one rifle to do it all and keep shit simple. So is anyone doing this with a 16” AR-15? I’m definitely interested in a elk hunt at some point and maybe moose. Has anyone killed a bull elk with this bullet out of a 16” AR-15?
One moose killed with a bolt gun in this thread. There’s guys that have used 60gr Vmax and NBTs from ARs for elk. My daughter uses a 16“ AR for deer and shot her buck at 237 through the shoulder and caught in the hide on the offside and it was dead in about 30-35 yards. I shot a doe through the slats (complete pass through and a nice blood trail) with my 18”AR at 320 yards and died at the same spot, 30-35 yards after hit, as her buck. Elk? I’d give it a whirl.
Im actually surprised to see you over here.
Yes TMKs. No I haven’t chronoed them. I take all my shooting crap camping and never take the chrono for some reason. I should probably do that soon.
You won’t hit 2900 from a 16” AR. 23.4gr XBR seems to get 2700fps from 18” ARs from what I remember reading. I load 23.7gr.
From earlier in the thread
View attachment 427785
Velocity is always a concern so I figure this screen shot could help out others that come along wondering about charge weight and seating depth. The above velocities are from bolt guns.
Weird. I don't hand load, but just under 2600fps is what I get from the black hills 5.56 load out of my suppressed 12.5. 16" pushes them at just above 2700fps.I was a little under 2600 fps with 77 TMKs in my 16" AR and it was hot. I can't imagine getting 2700+ with any powder. That was a 5.56 nato chamber with CFE223 but I don't remember the load weight off the top of my head.
77 grain SMKs in stock
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Send them a link to this thread, and tell them to get hot on changing their dumb laws.223 isn’t legal for deer or big game where I hunt. Still, I have waded through this thread (took me several sessions!) and I have found it informative and interesting.
So thanks for everyone who has made constructive posts in it.
The TMK seems to punch above its caliber and is a formidable load.
Seeing mention of this thread on snipershide is what brought me to rokslide.
I shot a lion with one, and my wife shot a buck with one, and a few coyotes (smk 77gr) and certainly had mixed results… everything died, but some of them didn’t disrupt, some did.Those perform pretty poorly on game. I’ve shot a ton of groundhogs with them, some coyotes, and hogs and one small deer and they usually don’t expand or fragment at all, usually they just pencil through. I lost the deer and several yotes. Groundhogs usually required multiple shots too. I’d say maybe 20% of the groundhogs shot with them they fragmented.
I’ll still use them for groundhogs and pests in a pinch but I still prefer them to not suffer and no way would I use them on the animals that people in this thread are shooting with TMK’s.