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

I bought a Tikka 20” Compact about a month ago. I did the usual, degreasd, opened the barrel channel, lightened the trigger, added a Titan cheek rest, installed EGW rail, Burris rings and Burris scope.

Not planning on threading but may keep the compact stock. After shooting it for a month I’ve got used to it and may work out good when cold weather gets here and wearing extra clothes.
 
No. You listened to conventional wisdom with regards to small calibers, and while I’m sure I’ve not killed as many animals as most, between hunting and depredation I have killed and seen killed hundreds of deer.... and a few more than that. Around 40 deer with Barnes it was clear that they create less damage, and the animals run farther after being shot. I’m only personally at around 100 deer with 77gr TMK’s and the farther animal has traveled less than 30 feet sliding downhill.



This is why I constantly go against the grain with “shoot a Barnes!”

Barnes TSX’s and other monos create relatively narrow wound channels and consequently kill slower. The wound from a 62gr TSX really isn’t a whole lot different than from a mechanical broadhead. 77gr TMK’s, 75gr SPGD, 75gr AMAX/ELD-M, etc. create horrific wounds, and kill very quickly.
Based on all the pictures they created horrificly bloodshot animals as well.

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Based on all the pictures they created horrificly bloodshot animals as well.
In comparison to what? I've seen similar and worse from basic factory hunting ammunition. Any expanding bullets will give some type of bloodshot with larger calibers being worse at short range.

Jay
 
In comparison to kills that aren't bloodshot. My main point is, I don't like bloodshot meat. I've certainly had it and that's what you get with fast bullets that fall apart like this. But they certainly kill.

I've had good luck with ballistic tips but the last two years I've had some really shot up animals, partially my fault. It makes me want to go back to a mono metal or a bonded bullet. I hate throwing away meat and the thought of hundreds of tiny pieces of lead in my meat.

The meat in the pictures I'm commenting on look worse than my recent experiences with regard to blood shot. So I guess I'm comparing to my experiences.



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High velocity impact with expanding bullets will cause bloodshot damage even with monometal and bonded bullets. The extent of it depends on the impact velocity and the shot placement. Sometimes bone fragmentation is worse than the bullets!

Jay
 
Based on all the pictures they created horrificly bloodshot animals as well.

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I’m not sure what your point is provided if you have read the entire thread?

If a 223 is already causing more damage than you want, then going to a larger caliber is going backwards. That’s the point of this whole thread- 22cals are already “more” than needed and way more than most people want if bullets are optimized. If you want less meat damage, shoot different bullets. Increasing caliber, weight, recoil, and cost; while decreasing shootability- just to yank spark plugs out to damage less meat doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.
 
I’m not sure what your point is provided if you have read the entire thread?

If a 223 is already causing more damage than you want, then going to a larger caliber is going backwards. That’s the point of this whole thread- 22cals are already “more” than needed and way more than most people want if bullets are optimized. If you want less meat damage, shoot different bullets. Increasing caliber, weight, recoil, and cost; while decreasing shootability- just to yank spark plugs out to damage less meat doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

My point was those bullets suck. The 77 grain sierras I mean. You can have the same problem with most any caliber. But if you don't mind bloodshot meat then it's not a problem.

I know guys that shot 35 AI's and they never blood shot. . That often times what a slower 275 grain bullet will do for you. I don't think a larger caliber is going backwards. Definitely less shootable than a 223 though.

I haven't read the entire thread. There are several thousand comments so I'm sure I've missed something...other than how those pictures looked.

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