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

Tahr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
140
Hi mate. Interesting to hear. Which 80 grain Berger specifically?
They are made here in NZ. He is using Berger jackets and his own core mix which is not the "usual" wire lead that most makers use. They are excellent but he cant export because of a constraint put on him by the before mentioned jacket maker.
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2023
Messages
45
After several days of hunting and a couple of missed opportunities I walked into this guy standing head on to me. 86 yards. Rokslide special, .223 77gn TMK from Black Hills Ammo. Placed the bullet just below his chin. Absolutely destroyed his neck. The damage biased right side.
I saw the hit, watched him fold up. He turned off instantly. I checked his neck for an exit in the field and there was nothing. Just the tiny entry hole. The bullet probably hit the spine and traveled down his neck a bit. Got him home and processed so took a couple pics of the damage while working.

You can see the small hole where he lays. High on the neck. Right where I wanted it. There was a little damage to the front of the back strap where i like to cut on that side.
 

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Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
895
Location
South Dakota
I’ll add a few 77 TMK kills. Not 223 however, 22 creedmoor.

Deer 1 : 180 yard shot. 2790 impact velocity. Deer dropped instantly. Shot was high and needed a finishing shot, well might not have but we got over to it within 2 min.

Did lose some meat from high hit and devastating damage.

Angle for this shot entered high, spine, and exited top of shoulder blade opposite side.

Entrance :
db579edfccb936cdb4310492a048c76f.jpg


Exit :
a5367094e6ab19e8e410cec13a97941c.jpg


Hole : literally

2b1f27d18d28e27e3837bc6a6074b7be.jpg



Deer 2 : 206 yard 2730 impact velocity

Downhill quartering to shot. Shot in shoulder no exit. Deer went maybe 60 yards. Down in maybe 30 seconds
People talk about loosing meat. Didn’t keep maybe 5 pounds tops from shoulder of unprocessed meat, maybe 3 lbs processed.

Entrance :

a90380e1a6d64fce994b8d511f8c3bec.jpg

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Internal :
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Deer 3 : 625 yard 1920 impact velocity

Quartering to again. Deer went in a small circle and went down within seconds. Bullet exited body and caught under opposite hide.

Entrance :
6c7b72caf399918d338fe69d25c12fb0.jpg

d278fb986213ffa4547aa6148379c490.jpg


Exit :
babea8f10a6e99f4d7b444f0ac21f8fa.jpg


Internal entrance :
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Internal Exit :
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aba8d570c1c3ac09e7b446ef2db2723e.jpg


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Lawnboi

WKR
Joined
Mar 2, 2012
Messages
8,506
Location
North Central Wi
Tmk at 3k out of a 22 creed is too much! I’ll stick with the 223. The most destruction I have ever seen a bullet do. Below is the entrance, 100 yards, off the shoulder but still obliterated it, took out 3 ribs. Picture is with shoulder still attached and that is the entrance. Bullet remains found in offside hide, got full penetration.


IMG_0223.jpeg
 

SDRuger21

FNG
Joined
Jul 28, 2020
Messages
44
Location
Black Hills, SD
First deer with the Tikka .223 & Factory 73 ELD-M! 100 yard shot. Ran about 50 yards. Clean pass through. 2500 FPS impact velocity. Exit hole was huge!
 

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Drenalin

WKR
Joined
Nov 15, 2018
Messages
3,043
First kills with the 223 tonight, 73 ELD-M. Two whitetail does, 80 yards and 120 yards. No pics of the damage because it was dark by the time I started working on them. Neither exited, but the damage to the lungs was very impressive. One bang flop, the other ran about 60 yards in a circle.
 

jadkins223

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 21, 2022
Messages
115
Location
Oklahoma
Bummed to report my first loss with the 77s. Doe at 190 yards. Broadside. Shot was right behind shoulder in the crease. I saw the impact through scope. She bucked up on her back legs like a heart shot and ran into the thicket behind her. Searched for 2 hours and no blood. Did find the bullet jacket on the ground where she was standing. Jacket has hair in it. No blood to be found. Thoughts ?
670c8b8046230ee580df9ba211621263.jpg



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Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
10,412
Bummed to report my first loss with the 77s. Doe at 190 yards. Broadside. Shot was right behind shoulder in the crease. I saw the impact through scope. She bucked up on her back legs like a heart shot and ran into the thicket behind her. Searched for 2 hours and no blood. Did find the bullet jacket on the ground where she was standing. Jacket has hair in it. No blood to be found. Thoughts ?
670c8b8046230ee580df9ba211621263.jpg



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If it wasn’t leg hits only, she’s deader than a doornail. However that you found the jacket points to legs below the chest cavity.
 

jadkins223

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 21, 2022
Messages
115
Location
Oklahoma
If it wasn’t leg hits only, she’s deader than a doornail. However that you found the jacket points to legs below the chest cavity.

I’m agreeing with you there bud. I think it’s definitely possible I hit a little low and maybe that’s why she bucked up on her rear legs. Kinda wild how we found the jacket. Will try again this week.


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eric1115

WKR
Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
835
Bummed to report my first loss with the 77s. Doe at 190 yards. Broadside. Shot was right behind shoulder in the crease. I saw the impact through scope. She bucked up on her back legs like a heart shot and ran into the thicket behind her. Searched for 2 hours and no blood. Did find the bullet jacket on the ground where she was standing. Jacket has hair in it. No blood to be found. Thoughts ?
670c8b8046230ee580df9ba211621263.jpg



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You didn't happen to see a guy with a mustache and a doofy cowboy hat in the area did you? DOAL is never safe if AVB is around.

Edit to add: In seriousness, I'm sorry that happened. My daughter's first deer was a good lung shot that ran 150-200 yards, over a ridge and then opposite direction from what I expected. Two hours of searching in the dark, then another two the next morning. Found the deer, but very very little blood. I know how that feels. If it was indeed behind the shoulder in the crease, 100% that is a dead deer. I don't know what to make of the jacket recovery.
 
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swavescatter

Pain in the butt!
Joined
Apr 3, 2021
Messages
1,306
My oldest son's first kill. Muley buck near 600yds! Steep uphill so AMR was 550 yds, so my guess is that impact velocity was down near 1600 fps. Black Hills 5.56 TMK. Tikka T3X Compact in XLR chassis, kneeling off a jenky lightweight Vortex tripod setup (improvised during the heat of the moment.)

Hit him twice with 4 shots (I was probably a half MOA low on the dope). Went 5 yds. Lots of jelly inside...

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jadkins223

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 21, 2022
Messages
115
Location
Oklahoma
You didn't happen to see a guy with a mustache and a doofy cowboy hat in the area did you? DOAL is never safe if AVB is around.

Edit to add: In seriousness, I'm sorry that happened. My daughter's first deer was a good lung shot that ran 150-200 yards, over a ridge and then opposite direction from what I expected. Two hours of searching in the dark, then another two the next morning. Found the deer, but very very little blood. I know how that feels. If it was indeed behind the shoulder in the crease, 100% that is a dead deer. I don't know what to make of the jacket recovery.

When you found her were the insides mush or did it pencil through? I heard the bullet smack her. Bummer deal when it happens.


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Joined
Aug 10, 2019
Messages
2,604
Location
Lowcountry, SC
After several days of hunting and a couple of missed opportunities I walked into this guy standing head on to me. 86 yards. Rokslide special, .223 77gn TMK from Black Hills Ammo. Placed the bullet just below his chin. Absolutely destroyed his neck. The damage biased right side.
I saw the hit, watched him fold up. He turned off instantly. I checked his neck for an exit in the field and there was nothing. Just the tiny entry hole. The bullet probably hit the spine and traveled down his neck a bit. Got him home and processed so took a couple pics of the damage while working.

You can see the small hole where he lays. High on the neck. Right where I wanted it. There was a little damage to the front of the back strap where i like to cut on that side.

Beautiful buck! Congratulations!

Oh, why did you take the photos with an 80s cellphone? :)
 

Reburn

Mayhem Contributor
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
3,494
Location
Central Texas
What are you guys paying per round for black hills TMK?

I paid 1.40 for my last 2000.
More then I wanted to pay which is 1.00 but 1.40 wasnt more then I was willing to pay to have.
When I need more hopefully they are cheaper.
Hornady 73 eld-m is 0.95 some places right now.

Shoots pretty ok out of my factory tikka on the new lot I tested yesterday.
1000008280.png
 
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atmat

WKR
Joined
Jun 10, 2022
Messages
3,225
Location
Colorado
I paid 1.40 for my last 2000.
More then I wanted to pay which is 1.00 but 1.40 wasnt more then I was willing to pay to have.
When I need more hopefully they are cheaper.
Hornady 73 eld-m is 0.95 some places right now.

Shoots pretty ok out of my factory tikka on the new lot I tested yesterday.
View attachment 629180
“Pretty okay” get the heck outta here.
 
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