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

[PNWGATOR]

Don’t over complicate things. Load the bullet at mag length at/near max pressure and go shoot. Gas or bolt gun, doesn’t matter.

 

[kevlar88]

I told myself I'd never shoot another animal with a 223 after the complete failure of a bullet using factory 55 grain GECO ballistic tip on a small 50 pound roe deer. After seeing some of the reports here I figured I'd give the 77tmk a go on a pig and as you can see it worked on this 95+- pound sow that didn't take another step after the shot. Hit highish shoulder, went through the scapula, knocked out a 1.5" section of rib and completely shredded the lungs (chunks were coming out of the entrance rib after the shoulder was removed). To my surprise there was actually enough bullet still intact for an exit between two ribs and through the opposite scapula. Shot was right at 100 yards so impact velocity was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2650 fps. I will try them again, hopefully on a larger boar to see how it handles a thick shield.
She made good Brats.

 

[roosiebull]

View attachment 387007
I told myself I'd never shoot another animal with a 223 after the complete failure of a bullet using factory 55 grain GECO ballistic tip on a small 50 pound roe deer. After seeing some of the reports here I figured I'd give the 77tmk a go on a pig and as you can see it worked on this 95+- pound sow that didn't take another step after the shot. Hit highish shoulder, went through the scapula, knocked out a 1.5" section of rib and completely shredded the lungs (chunks were coming out of the entrance rib after the shoulder was removed). To my surprise there was actually enough bullet still intact for an exit between two ribs and through the opposite scapula. Shot was right at 100 yards so impact velocity was somewhere in the neighborhood of 2650 fps. I will try them again, hopefully on a larger boar to see how it handles a thick shield.
View attachment 387014 She made good Brats.

Heck yeah! Sounds like great performance all around

 

[URE_G]

Most bullet work well when properly placed. Barnes work great as does the 77 grain SMK

 

[BigNate]

I think I'm done with Barnes altogether.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I think I'm done with Barnes altogether.

What makes you feel that way?

 

[BigNate]

I'm not a fan of the narrow wound channels, not concerned with eating lead, not suffering in Comifornia.

 

[35WhelenAI]

No heartburn there. I would ask how many animals you've taken with Barnes bullets that have given a narrow wound channel? Everything (elk, muley's, pronghorn) with a .270 Win, '06 or 35 Whelen AI I've shot in the last 12 years with a TTSX is anything but narrow. Not pulp soup like the fast expanding bullets that destroy meat but a dead animal that had its vitals destroyed in a way no reasonable person would say was narrow. To each his own based on experience.

Seriously, I feel bullets don't contaminate meat to any large extent however I don't know a person that knowingly eats lead... sounds like more than a perceived narrow wound channel is at play here. Regardless of whether a mono or lead bullet is the best for the job at hand you show Utah as your location, why reference California and give a crap about what goes on there? I don't.

 

[BigNate]

Wrong thread for another passive aggressive argument about Barnes bullets being so effective.
Feel free to start another one.

 

[Fartrell Cluggins]

What makes you feel that way?

Seriously, I feel bullets don't contaminate meat to any large extent however I don't know a person that knowingly eats lead.

Feel? Maybe think or believe?

 

[Shraggs]

The spirit of this thread isn’t a 223 caliber head stamp, it’s the wounding of tmks and how an explosive wounding Bullet can dramatically elevate a punny 22 cal to take large game and what most would consider medium to long range.

35w if you can produce photos if 55 grain tsx in a 223 in dead elk at 450 yards were all ears.

35 caliber w tsx don’t count in this thread.

 

[35WhelenAI]

When the bullet doesn't fly apart it doesn't contaminate to any large extent therefore I feel that is true. Some folks definition of what constitutes contamination (degree of) is different than others. Making sure I own what I say and let other people feel and think what they want.

Thanks for calling me out on the 223 element. 35's don't play! Wrong subject matter.

As far as effectiveness of Barnes bullets, they are effective. Nothing ineffective about cup and core either, different ways to the same end. I digressed and my bad.

Carry on, I enjoy reading about a very different perspective on how effective these projectiles are/can be.

 

[Moose83]

So... if given the choice between a Hornady 55gr spire point or a 73gr eld-m what would be your choice for spring black bear. I haven't read this thread for a while but if I remember correctly the 73 gr was a bit splashy up close while the 55 gr has a proven reputation in close on other forums. Still trying to find reasonably priced 77 tmk's here in Canada so that's off the table for now. Thanks!

 

[Te Hopo]

So... if given the choice between a Hornady 55gr spire point or a 73gr eld-m what would be your choice for spring black bear. I haven't read this thread for a while but if I remember correctly the 73 gr was a bit splashy up close while the 55 gr has a proven reputation in close on other forums. Still trying to find reasonably priced 77 tmk's here in Canada so that's off the table for now. Thanks!

I've never used the 73eldm but I do have a lot of experience with the 55sp for pest control on hogs and red deer

I'm very confident in it, put one in the chest and it'll likely make it out the other side after busting ribs, punching through lungs and heart.
I have recovered a few projectiles under the offside skin and they were perfect mushrooms

 

[jadkins223]

So... if given the choice between a Hornady 55gr spire point or a 73gr eld-m what would be your choice for spring black bear. I haven't read this thread for a while but if I remember correctly the 73 gr was a bit splashy up close while the 55 gr has a proven reputation in close on other forums. Still trying to find reasonably priced 77 tmk's here in Canada so that's off the table for now. Thanks!

I’m hoping 73s do good because I have 300 of them haha! Going 2820 fps with tac out of my ruger predator 223


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[JBradley500]

Please update with the 73 elds because I have a couple hundred and I'm not sure if I'd want to deer hunt with them because I get most shots within 25 yards.

 

[clperry]

Please update with the 73 elds because I have a couple hundred and I'm not sure if I'd want to deer hunt with them because I get most shots within 25 yards.

At 25 yards, put it in the neck or behind an ear and it won’t matter what bullet you’re using.


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[Lawnboi]

Bout time Sierra pumps out some more tmk……

Could really use another thousand or two 60tmk.

 

[PaulIV]

Bout time Sierra pumps out some more tmk……

Could really use another thousand or two 60tmk

I recently purchased 77 tmks at midway. They have cannelures and are sold as seconds.

 

[Jim1187]

So... if given the choice between a Hornady 55gr spire point or a 73gr eld-m what would be your choice for spring black bear. I haven't read this thread for a while but if I remember correctly the 73 gr was a bit splashy up close while the 55 gr has a proven reputation in close on other forums. Still trying to find reasonably priced 77 tmk's here in Canada so that's off the table for now. Thanks!

I don't have any experience first hand with the 73 ELD-m, however I have used the .223 and Hornady's 55 grain sp w/c for a couple. Neither where particularly close or large bears( both around 100 yards and between 200 and 230lbs). If you're talking eating sized bears I'd use the 55 again and probably will because they shoot well in most .22 centerfires and are cheap and readily available, but I'd prefer a Speer Golddot, Nosler Partition or Swift Sirocco based on my experiences.
If you can find TMK's in Canada at any price currently you're doing well. I occasionally see the 60's but I don't know if they have the same performance of the 69 and 77.