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

[ThatDUDE]

It's interesting mucking around with various bullets

I wish I could just "muck" around with different bullets on a regular basis. Major jealousy.

 

[Tahr]

I wish I could just "muck" around with different bullets on a regular basis. Major jealousy.

I would like to try the 79 DRT projectiles too but they don't freight to NZ.

 

[BAC]

Here are the in and out holes from the Red stag (a page back) that I posted about. 60 grn Hammer Hunter. The in hole is the bigger one, the out the smaller one. The exit only made a tiny hole in the skin (its just the unexpanded shaft that flies through.

It's interesting mucking around with various bullets but I think day in day out under all conditions the TMK (matched by 80 grain Berger jacketed customs that I also use) probably wins. But, the Hammers do excel on the bigger deer.

I'm looking at these hammer bullets and I see they have a tipped one. Have you used that? Do you have a preference if so?

 

[Tahr]

I'm looking at these hammer bullets and I see they have a tipped one. Have you used that? Do you have a preference if so?

No I haven't used the tipped ones. The tips come seperate with the projectiles and you have to put them in yourself. Seems odd. I guess the tips might improve the BC by a smidge and perhaps start the upset/expansion a bit quicker but I cant see much advantage for a .223.

 

[BAC]

End user installing them is a little odd yeah. Hard to imagine it will have the same repeatability as being seated by a machine. I'll have to look for some tests or uses showing wound tracts to compare. Do you have a preference in bullet weight for your rifle or do you kinda stick with what's shooting well?

 

[jadkins223]

Bear creek just dropped a line of 6 ARC uppers. Just FYI. Going to be tempting for sure.

BC-15 | 6mm Arc Upper | 20” 416R SS Straight Fluted Heavy Barrel | Rifle Length Gas System | 1:8 Twist | 15” MLOK | with BCG & Charging Handle

Looking for a 6mm Arc upper? Check out our 6mm Arc complete uppers with a 20” 416R SS Straight Fluted Heavy Barrel. BCA's ultimate shooting experience!

www.bearcreekarsenal.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ACHILLES]

End user installing them is a little odd yeah. Hard to imagine it will have the same repeatability as being seated by a machine. I'll have to look for some tests or uses showing wound tracts to compare. Do you have a preference in bullet weight for your rifle or do you kinda stick with what's shooting well?

Hammer is having the customer install the tips until they get machines set up to do it rather than holding off a year or more to release them. I’m pretty sure they tested the tipped version extensively on game of all sizes in Australia, Africa, and NA. The main priority is terminal performance for their bullets. I believe their tester in Australia tried to make these tipped bullets fail and couldn’t. Along with shooting animals at severe angles and hitting bone, and damaging tips on purpose before using.
I’ve had great success with their bullets in several calibers. I like the fact that night hunting hogs I can use smaller cartridges and still get pass throughs on big boars so there’s actually a blood trail. Im moving to we’re im mostly using their absolute lines since they give an extra 100fps. From talking with a few custom bullet manufactures who have purposely damaged tips, seated them off center, or used warped tips it makes very little difference in accuracy or terminal performance at short to medium ranges. Although machine installed tips ready to load will be ideal of course.

 

[mt terry d]

223 77gr TMK 2775 fps MV
140 yards downhill quartering away
One shot. (Actually hit where I was aiming )
20' or two jumps from impact to laying stone cold dead
Clipped the liver, destroyed lungs, tomato soup.
Zero meat ruined.

 

[amassi]

I’m very tempted to order a couple boxes

Won’t help this year but I ordered the 79s to try in my 22cm next year, would be nice to throw back into the California rotation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jadkins223]

223 77gr TMK 2775 fps MV
140 yards downhill quartering away
One shot. (Actually hit where I was aiming )
20' or two jumps from impact to laying stone cold dead
Clipped the liver, destroyed lungs, tomato soup.
Zero meat ruined.

Great shot and buck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[rifletuner]

Here are the in and out holes from the Red stag (a page back) that I posted about. 60 grn Hammer Hunter. The in hole is the bigger one, the out the smaller one. The exit only made a tiny hole in the skin (its just the unexpanded shaft that flies through.

It's interesting mucking around with various bullets but I think day in day out under all conditions the TMK (matched by 80 grain Berger jacketed customs that I also use) probably wins. But, the Hammers do excel on the bigger deer.

Hi mate. Interesting to hear. Which 80 grain Berger specifically?

 

[ElPollo]

Won’t help this year but I ordered the 79s to try in my 22cm next year, would be nice to throw back into the California rotation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Let us know how they work for you.

 

[roosiebull]

Won’t help this year but I ordered the 79s to try in my 22cm next year, would be nice to throw back into the California rotation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, my thoughts exactly, would like to find something suitable if we go non lead here, which I assume will be sooner than later… we like to copy Cali, but we wait a few years so they can act like it’s their idea so we get more virtue signaling points.

On a better note, got off the ocean today, cleaned up the boat, started driving home and checked my phone before I was out of town to make sure I didn’t miss any calls… and I did, and it was the number I was hoping to see… turned around and went and picked up my tikka!

Ordered a case of 73 eldm for plinking while I was in there. Now I have to wait painfully until Wednesday to shoot because it’s rifle elk starting tomorrow, and I’m not going to be that guy shooting a bunch during their short hunting season… I know I hate it when people do it during archery season around where I’m hunting, so I’ll just wait.

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

223 77gr TMK 2775 fps MV
140 yards downhill quartering away
One shot. (Actually hit where I was aiming )
20' or two jumps from impact to laying stone cold dead
Clipped the liver, destroyed lungs, tomato soup.
Zero meat ruined.

Nice buck! Was it a pass-through?

 

[mt terry d]

Nice buck! Was it a pass-through?

Funny thing. There was a pencil sized hole on the inside but no hole in the hide. The bullet was not trapped under the hide and I couldn't find it in the mush pile. So, technically not a pass through, right?

 

[Gwchem]

Bear creek just dropped a line of 6 ARC uppers. Just FYI. Going to be tempting for sure.

BC-15 | 6mm Arc Upper | 20” 416R SS Straight Fluted Heavy Barrel | Rifle Length Gas System | 1:8 Twist | 15” MLOK | with BCG & Charging Handle

Looking for a 6mm Arc upper? Check out our 6mm Arc complete uppers with a 20” 416R SS Straight Fluted Heavy Barrel. BCA's ultimate shooting experience!

www.bearcreekarsenal.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Please do yourself a favor and find a better rifle than BCA.

 

[jadkins223]

With rifle season starting tomorrow I can’t decide if I wanna take the 73 Eldm or 77 TMKs. 5 harvest with 77s. None yet with the 73s. Maybe I should initiate the 73s. Goodluck to all


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SouthPaw]

I’d love to see some data on what these non-lead DRT 79 gr loads do on game. Anyone try them yet? They seem like they’d be a much better approach than most of the other non-lead options, and the BC is actually a little better than the 77 gr TMK. I saw a post in the 6.5 thread of someone who used the 135 gr .264 on a Roosevelt elk. The wound channel looked impressive. Would be interested to hear about lower end upset velocities.

.223 79gr Elite Series Terminal Shock™ 20 Round Box – DRT Ammo

drtammo.com

The 79g DRT is a slick little bullet. I had them loaded up in the .223 for deer season here in CA, but ended up punching my deer tag during the early archery season while scouting for that elk hunt (where I used the 6.5 135g DRT). They have a good BC and have been very accurate in the .223 to 700ish yards I've played with them. They have to be loaded deep in the case for Tikka, but a crunchy load of Varget or max load of 8208xbr both made ~2800fps in my 20" 223. I will have them loaded up in the 22 creedmoor for CA going forward.

79g DRT / 77tmk / 88eldm

 

[PNWGATOR]

Funny thing. There was a pencil sized hole on the inside but no hole in the hide. The bullet was not trapped under the hide and I couldn't find it in the mush pile. So, technically not a pass through, right?

Magic.

 

[Tahr]

End user installing them is a little odd yeah. Hard to imagine it will have the same repeatability as being seated by a machine. I'll have to look for some tests or uses showing wound tracts to compare. Do you have a preference in bullet weight for your rifle or do you kinda stick with what's shooting well?

I settled on 60 grain with the Hammers 'cos they gave me good velocity with a higher BC than the 52 grn. If I went up in weight I lost too much velocity on the longer shots and I wanted to ensure good petal upset. But, hey, Im talking heresy here amongst the 77 TMK people . Anyway I wouldn't dis the TMK 'cos I was a very early user and know their worth.