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

[redneckbmxer24]

How do you know it went poof, vss you just plain missed?
I started shooting 88 ELDM’s this summer, & during load development had a couple shots that never landed on paper at 100 yds, but the rest of the group was sub-M.O.A.
I was guessing it self disassembled enroute, but how to know….

There was about a dozen people on glass spotting the stages that saw the grey poofs and shrapnel raining down. I only caught the shrapnel through the scope.

 

[MEdude]

There was about a dozen people on glass spotting the stages that saw the grey poofs and shrapnel raining down. I only caught the shrapnel through the scope.

I shoot alone, and am trying to learn to spot my own shots. Gaining…
Does it sound different? Thought one shot in the string sounded odd, and then was missing one on target.

 

[JohnDough]

I am working my way through this thread and have really enjoyed it so far. I killed my first deer with a 5.56 (RA556B), and each year give my friends different rounds to hunt with (One year it was 70gr TSX, one year it was 75gr Gold Dot, etc). So far we have harvested deer with:

RA556B (The entrance was more impressive than the exit, the deer ran 75m with minimal trail and died. Interior damage was "what one would expect")

75gr Gold Dot (Blood everywhere, deer stumbled around in a stupor an died. Interior damage was "worse than my .30-30!"-Friend)

70gr GMX (This one was variable. My friend shot a deer at about 120m and the projectile ice-picked and tumbled. It was a 5.56 Black Hills loading, and fired from a 16" gun. The deer had a minimal reaction to being hit and required follow-ups). (I shot a deer with this round from a 14.5" gun at 27m, and there was tons of blood, the deer ran about 80m, and literally hit a tree. The damage could be described as "the same as I see from TMK in this thread".) I have also shot a deer with this round at 74m, and the deer died instantly as it was a shot that intersected the spine. Damage was reasonable. In water jug testing, I noted that this round from my 14.5 would often shear the petals off. I believe that this round is "brittle" and either fragments or fails to expand, with a very small "goldilocks" zone where proper expansion will occur. My 74m deer may have been within that zone.

70gr TSX: This one has reliably just killed stuff. No insane damage, no poor damage, it just tends to poke 0.5-0.75 inch holes through things.

I have bought a case of 77gr Black Hills TMK this year to try out. I found it for $700 shipped, and figured I'd snag it.

 

[PNWGATOR]

I am working my way through this thread and have really enjoyed it so far. I killed my first deer with a 5.56 (RA556B), and each year give my friends different rounds to hunt with (One year it was 70gr TSX, one year it was 75gr Gold Dot, etc). So far we have harvested deer with:

RA556B (The entrance was more impressive than the exit, the deer ran 75m with minimal trail and died. Interior damage was "what one would expect")

75gr Gold Dot (Blood everywhere, deer stumbled around in a stupor an died. Interior damage was "worse than my .30-30!"-Friend)

70gr GMX (This one was variable. My friend shot a deer at about 120m and the projectile ice-picked and tumbled. It was a 5.56 Black Hills loading, and fired from a 16" gun. The deer had a minimal reaction to being hit and required follow-ups). (I shot a deer with this round from a 14.5" gun at 27m, and there was tons of blood, the deer ran about 80m, and literally hit a tree. The damage could be described as "the same as I see from TMK in this thread".) I have also shot a deer with this round at 74m, and the deer died instantly as it was a shot that intersected the spine. Damage was reasonable. In water jug testing, I noted that this round from my 14.5 would often shear the petals off. I believe that this round is "brittle" and either fragments or fails to expand, with a very small "goldilocks" zone where proper expansion will occur. My 74m deer may have been within that zone.

70gr TSX: This one has reliably just killed stuff. No insane damage, no poor damage, it just tends to poke 0.5-0.75 inch holes through things.

I have bought a case of 77gr Black Hills TMK this year to try out. I found it for $700 shipped, and figured I'd snag it.

Please post your experiences with the TMKs.

Glad you’re enjoying the thread and thanks for contributing.

 

[JohnDough]

None of those bullets will consistently exit. All of them will caught by the offside hide about 50% of the time on 120-150 plus pound deer.

The monos are your best bet for an exit, however even they aren’t guaranteed, and you will deal with the relatively slow deaths they provide.

My friends and I have used 75gr gold dot, 70gr gmx, 70gr tsx, 64gr ra556b (nosler bonded), and none of us have recovered a single projectile on 120-180# deer, even hitting spine diagonally and ribs in and out etc.

 

[BLJ]

@JohnDough
How much experience with the 64 Nosler bonded? Any pictures?
These caught my eye earlier this week but I could find a lot of information on them.
The pictures of gel tested bullets looked impressive.

 

[JohnDough]

@JohnDough
How much experience with the 64 Nosler bonded? Any pictures?
These caught my eye earlier this week but I could find a lot of information on them.
The pictures of gel tested bullets looked impressive.

It was almost 8 years ago, but Ill look. It broke 3 ribs on the way in, and 1 on the way out iirc. 160# or so doe. 25m. Broadside. Double lung and heart. Lungs soupy, heart a neatish hole.

 

[WestTN2288]

@JohnDough
How much experience with the 64 Nosler bonded? Any pictures?
These caught my eye earlier this week but I could find a lot of information on them.
The pictures of gel tested bullets looked impressive.

@BLJ: do you have a load for these bullets? I have a few but can’t find a load that makes me happy with them

 

[JohnDough]

@BLJ: do you have a load for these bullets? I have a few but can’t find a load that makes me happy with them

I used winchester ra556b. Factory ammo.

 

[BLJ]

@BLJ: do you have a load for these bullets? I have a few but can’t find a load that makes me happy with them

I don’t. I ran across them in factory loaded form this week online. Looked very interesting to me. Especially if you had something with less than an 1/8 twist.

All assumptions, though.

 

[JohnDough]

You can get larger wounds with larger calibers if you maximized the bullets, however almost no one does that, and almost no one would want that.







No hesitation.





If I were given the task of exterminating an entire region of grizzlies say, it would specifically be an AR15 with 77gr TMK’s.






Nah. Those are cool too.

Is this gest? Has anyone shot a large, mad bear frontal charge with a TMK 77?

 

[Boltgun]

Does anyone have the BC for 77TMK? Running the AAC stuff from a 14.5” barrel if that matters.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Does anyone have the BC for 77TMK? Running the AAC stuff from a 14.5” barrel if that matters.

It’s right on Sierras website with velocities.

 

[Sandstrom]

Here you go.

 

[mt terry d]

Is this gest? Has anyone shot a large, mad bear frontal charge with a TMK 77?

That would be a real gest, boy howdy!

If you meant jest,
Formidilosus said: You can get larger wounds with larger calibers if you maximized the bullets

 

[BigThig09]

Finally got to take my Tikka .223 to the range yesterday. If these TMKs do as well as everyone says and the pictures show, I may never use anything else around here for whitetails…

First 3 shots at 100 with the factory Black Hills TMK load:

Two more at the end of the range session to verify zero:

Can’t wait to see what they do to Georgia whitetails! Good luck this year to everyone!

 

[PNWGATOR]

Finally got to take my Tikka .223 to the range yesterday. If these TMKs do as well as everyone says and the pictures show, I may never use anything else around here for whitetails…

First 3 shots at 100 with the factory Black Hills TMK load:View attachment 605481

Two more at the end of the range session to verify zero: View attachment 605482

Can’t wait to see what they do to Georgia whitetails! Good luck this year to everyone!

Please let us know about your experiences this coming season and share how they do.

 

[hunterjmj]

I started reading this thread last night for the entertainment aspect I thought I'd get. About 30 pages in I opened up gun broker and started looking at .223's. Another rifle is never a bad idea but wow, the power of persuasion is strong. Anyhow, I came to my senses and realized I already have plenty of rifles and even a .243. This thread is full of some great info to learn from. I'll get back to more reading today and who knows, maybe I'll end up buying a .223.

 

[PNWGATOR]

I started reading this thread last night for the entertainment aspect I thought I'd get. About 30 pages in I opened up gun broker and started looking at .223's. Another rifle is never a bad idea but wow, the power of persuasion is strong. Anyhow, I came to my senses and realized I already have plenty of rifles and even a .243. This thread is full of some great info to learn from. I'll get back to more reading today and who knows, maybe I'll end up buying a .223.

Lotta good entertainment in this thread for sure!

I promise you’ll be thrilled with you he value a .223 brings to your riflemanship journey. You’ll shoot it exponentially more than any other centerfire rifle you own. Plus, with correct bullet selection, there is no compromise in terminal performance.

 

[atmat]

Lotta good entertainment in this thread for sure!

I promise you’ll be thrilled with you he value a .223 brings to your riflemanship journey. You’ll shoot it exponentially more than any other centerfire rifle you own. Plus, with correct bullet selection, there is no compromise in terminal performance.

And barrel life is supreme on a .223. The rifle pays for itself in ammo and barrel replacements.