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

[Fartrell Cluggins]

I have no reservations with the 77gr TMK and elk to 1,800fps or so. It’s extremely effective. You won’t get many exits with body shots, however they don’t go far and bone is no issue. Even with bad shots it is quite effective.

Can you give me a little more to help me understand the "bad shots" comment?

 

[Formidilosus]

Can you give me a little more to help me understand the "bad shots" comment?

Elk, especially when suppressed, don’t flat out run like a whitetail does when shot. With gut shots, they go 100’ish yards and lay down. Hits to the pelvis/femur and they drop. There is “no margin of error” on bigger guns. The same reactions are happening regardless of caliber, the only difference being the bullet and impact velocity.

What I meant by the first “bad shots” comment, is that this idea that “it’ll work when everything is perfect, but not when a bad shot happens”, is nonsense. With the couple of bad hits we’ve seen, the reaction of the animal has not been discernibly different from big calibers except that the elk tend not to move as far after the hit, regardless of placement.

 

[Pharmseller]

Remind me again of your load recipe for the Tikkas, please.



P

Take a 77gr TMK, put 23.7gr (or 23.5or 23.3gr) of 8208 in a case (any case), with any standard SR primer, seat it to 2.26” COAL, shoot. That’s it. That combo has shot well in every single 223/5.56 we’ve tried it in.

Okay, probably this, on page 51.




P

 

[Formidilosus]

Okay, probably this, on page 51.

Yes.

 

[jermck]

If only I could find some 8208.......

 

[Pharmseller]

Yes.

Muzzle velocity about 2850?





P

 

[Formidilosus]

Muzzle velocity about 2850?

P

22” barrel, 2,840 +/- 20fps.

 

[Axlrod]

If only I could find some 8208.......

You any where close to S.W. Montana?

 

[BryanL]

@Formidilosus

Any similar recipes for 73gr ELD-M? I’ve seen TAC at 25gr and 2.26 OAL as well as 8208 at 23.7.

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus

Any similar recipes for 73gr ELD-M? I’ve seen TAC at 25gr and 2.26 OAL as well as 8208 at 23.7.

Same load, substitute the 73gr ELD-M for the 77gr TMK.

 

[jermck]

You any where close to S.W. Montana?

Unfortunately no. I have put together two of the Form specials in the last few weeks. I finally found a compact for my 11 yr old son yesterday. I have some loaded tmk's from the place in TX for now. Just need some 8208 so i can start loading.

 

[jadkins223]

I’ve got a other statistic. 400 yards white tail doe. Entry just behind shoulder. Exit just behind front leg. She ran 40 yards and had a large foam nose full of lung blood. Exit hole was a 50 cent piece. I didn’t gut her during processing but based off the lung blood I’m sure they were destroyed. Same 20” AR 77 tmk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SouthPaw]

Muzzle velocity about 2850?





P

20" 223 Tikka 77tmk 2830fps with 23.5 XBR. Loaded .010 off.

 

[SouthPaw]

@Formidilosus

Any similar recipes for 73gr ELD-M? I’ve seen TAC at 25gr and 2.26 OAL as well as 8208 at 23.7.

20" 223 Tikka CTR 73eldM 2910fps with 23.5 XBR. Loaded .010 off.

 

[Mulyhuntr]

If only I could find some 8208.......

H4895 works real good too and is more available.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

I shoot 24.5grn of TAC. 1 inch 10 shot group. 2.26. Didn’t do any development. It’s just easier to shoot than waste components.

 

[Axlrod]

Unfortunately no. I have put together two of the Form specials in the last few weeks. I finally found a compact for my 11 yr old son yesterday. I have some loaded tmk's from the place in TX for now. Just need some 8208 so i can start loading.

This is an older article, but good stuff, on loading the 223 & 223 AI from Accurate Shooter:

223 Rem + 223 AI Cartridge Guide

223 Rem Guide for .223 Remington reloading, 223 Rem accuracy, .223 Rem hunting, 223 AI and 5.56x45 rifles. 223 Remington Brass, 22 bullets, powder, primers and loading dies for .223 Remington. Ballistics drop chart for .223 Rem, .223 Ackley AI, 2-250. 223 Remington Black rifle, service rifle...

www.6mmbr.com

 

[Juan_ID]

Tac and varget jugs both in stock at powdervalley…

Ramshot TAC Smokeless Gun Powder

When quality and consistency matter, hand loaders choose Ramshot Tac smokeless rifle powder. Find great prices on Ramshot Tac smokeless powder at Powder Valley.

www.powdervalleyinc.com

Hodgdon Varget Smokeless Gun Powder

Small-grained for uniform metering, Hodgdon Varget smokeless powder is popular with reloaders. Get great prices on Hodgdon Varget powder at Powder Valley.

www.powdervalleyinc.com

 

[Billy Goat]

I made it for a different thread, felt like it was better here.....

 

[Jake Leibke]

The last 8 or so years I’ve been a fan of using rapid expanding bullets over more traditional hunting type bullets. This is due to the rapid of transfer of energy from bullet to animal resulting in quick kill. Mostly using 6.5 mm and 6mm cartridges. Until reading this thread and my experiences this fall I thought or assumed ft lbs of energy played a bigger role then it does and not even paying attention to the velocity thresholds for proper bullet performance.

Late last summer I bought a 300 PRC, because why not. We shot 7 deer with it this fall and I thought I’d share a few of the results to maybe dispel the thought of needing a certain amount of energy.

I’m shooting a 205 gr Berger elite hunter bullet leaving the barrel at 3003 fps. What I expected form this round was pass through shots with massive trauma. By massive trauma I’m talking large exit holes and lots of blood loss. What we experienced was not large exit holes with trauma not much different from what is pictured in this thread with a caliber on the opposite end of the spectrum.



This deer was unexpectedly close, 25-30 yards. Deer ran about 80 yards and died. No blood until he fell over. Basically zero meat loss.
Impact velocity : 2959 fps
Foot pounds of energy : 3987 ft lbs

Entrance Hole

Exit Hole

Bullet recovered under hide on exit side. Yes almost 4000 lbs of energy and no pass through.

This deer was about 125 yards. CNS shot. Quartering away entrance through left shoulder (no pic of that.) Dropped in tracks. Zero external bleeding. Basically zero meat loss again.

Impact speed about 2825 fps
Energy about 3630 ft lbs

Exit Hole.

Bullet again recovered just under hide. Again lots of energy and no exit.

Again posting this for those who think mega foot pounds of energy is the golden ticket, which for a long time I also thought was the key.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk