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

[Juan_ID]

I'm interested in a brown/grizzly bear. Trouble is I have a 6.5 Grendal I really like and a .308 I really like. I'd love to try a grizzly with either. The only. 223 rifles we have feel kinda "meh" in comparison (generic ARs we inherited) and none have a solid Trijicon or SWFA scope on them. But who knows I might do it. Now if Rokslide would sponsor me a short Tikka.... hey cheaper then a non resident hunt.

Hell I’ll send you mine as a “loaner”! It doesn’t have a trijicon or swfa but the new maven 1.2 and it’s short, 16.5”

 

[atmat]

I'm interested in a brown/grizzly bear. Trouble is I have a 6.5 Grendal I really like and a .308 I really like. I'd love to try a grizzly with either. The only. 223 rifles we have feel kinda "meh" in comparison (generic ARs we inherited) and none have a solid Trijicon or SWFA scope on them. But who knows I might do it. Now if Rokslide would sponsor me a short Tikka.... hey cheaper then a non resident hunt.

If you’re willing to film a bit and take good necropsy photos, I’ll send you my 16” suppressor ready Tikka 223 stainless with Maven RS1.2.

It’s got the generic stock but I’ll eventually toss a Rokstock on it.

All this pending dates of your hunt and not interfering with an Idaho elk hunt I have lined in Oct. When is your hunt?

Edit: Looks like @Juan_ID made the same offer with virtually the same gun haha. We’re twinsies.

 

[Luke S]

Juan and Atmal thanks for the generous offers. A 16 in tikka would be perfect. I'm driving to work but I'll get a schedule asap and we can see if it would work for either of you.

 

[Juan_ID]

Juan and Atmal thanks for the generous offers. A 16 in tikka would be perfect. I'm driving to work but I'll get a schedule asap and we can see if it would work for either of you.

I have other rifles I plan to use this fall so no conflicts there. Let’s do it!

 

[wyosam]

If their warranty was a little more like others, I would send mine in...

"This warranty does not cover damage that occurs in shipment or failures that result from accidents, misuse, abuse, unauthorized alterations, theft, modifications and acts of God."

I think you'd fall under "act of God"

I had an Siii 10-50 fall of the bench directly onto the bell, directly on concrete. Bent the tube and ruined the scope- 100% my fault (at least for setting it that close the edge, I’m not taking credit for the minor earthquake that put it on the ground).

They didn’t cover it, but they offered to sell me a new model deeply discounted (like sub $500 deeply discounted). Other than that event, they’ve been solid for me. Not a hunting rig, but it gets a lot of use. No wandering zero issues and tracks well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ElPollo]

Juan and Atmal thanks for the generous offers. A 16 in tikka would be perfect. I'm driving to work but I'll get a schedule asap and we can see if it would work for either of you.

That will be pretty damned cool if it works out.

 

[Luke S]

Okay here would be the plan for a brown/grizzly bear this spring. I'm heavily involved with Cross Trail Outfitters which is basically a Christian mentoring program for young men via hunting and fishing trips. They do some great work if anyone is interested in helping out or sending a kid on a trip.

https://www.friendsofcto.org/state-giving/alaska

Last year the boys shot three black bears.

So if we see a bear there is a very high chance that I won't be the shooter. More then likely I'll have a 12-14 year old boy shooting first with me as backup. So to be honest, we'll try for a grizzly but if I have a 13 year old on his first hunt I'm not going to say "no" to a black bear that is right there to wait for a grizzly that might not show up.

Here is our basic plan for whole spring to fall hunting season

May - We put out bear baits in a couple locations (for later in June). Depending on snow levels we hope to backpack hunting in the mountains. This is fun hunting. The Kenia is one destination. I might or might not try a more remote hunt with another guy, probably an adult trip that would be a bit too crazy for kids.

June - I'll be sitting on bear baits with the CTO boys pretty much every weekend. Almost a sure thing we kill some black bears. Grizzlies tend to be less consistent but we might get a shot at one.

July - Sort of a slow month but we might go hiking in the mountains to explore for bears and scout new moose hunting areas.

August - Bears start eating berries in the mountains and they don't tend to roam as far. We almost had a grizzly this way last fall but he gave us the slip. We did get a black bear and two other friends of mine got bears.

September - This is more up in the air. Berry bears are still easy to hunt (not counting the hike up the mountain) but its moose season too. If I have time we do a 10 day moose hunt in an area that often has grizzlies. If we don't have that much time we'll do weekend trips focused on spot and stack bears on berries. Its more of a black bear area but if there are grizzlies they tend to be doing the same thing (eating berries). We'd definitely chase a grizzly if we saw one.

So there is the plan if someone wants to loan us a rifle for a part of that period we'd do our best to bloody it with as many species as possible with a priority on a grizzly kill. I usually film our hunts so I could get the autopsy on video too.

A 16 inch barrel would be perfect because I'd probably stick a suppressor on it. As far as stocks I like the normal stock just fine. I'd actually prefer NOT to have a special ROkstock on it because its the part most likely to be damaged in shipping or broken if a boy takes a fall, steep places we hunt.

Actually if no one objected I might stick a compact stock on there for our smaller guys.

 

[Squincher]

I had an Siii 10-50 fall of the bench directly onto the bell, directly on concrete. Bent the tube and ruined the scope- 100% my fault (at least for setting it that close the edge, I’m not taking credit for the minor earthquake that put it on the ground).

They didn’t cover it, but they offered to sell me a new model deeply discounted (like sub $500 deeply discounted). Other than that event, they’ve been solid for me. Not a hunting rig, but it gets a lot of use. No wandering zero issues and tracks well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good company. It's hard to ask for any more than that for something that wasn't their fault.

 

[RC51kid]

Correct me if i am wrong. But it looks like the consensus is a 77gr TMK is GTG on game. I know the TMK is a Sierra. But is there a particular brand or type of ammo you guys are using? Or as long as it is actual 77gr Sierra TMK in a quality load it is GTG?

I have a T3x in 6.5 Creedmoor that i am happy to use for longer range or larger game. But have a nice handy 16" Geissele AR that i would like to use for shorter range, faster fallow ups and when a short compact rifle is nice. Mostly thinking deer and hogs.

I was talking to a friend the other night and the possibility of going to a frinds ranch in Texas for hogs and axis deer came up. I was thinking a handy 16" AR would be nice if I can find the right ammo.

 

[Veloci_Wrench]

Correct me if i am wrong. But it looks like the consensus is a 77gr TMK is GTG on game. I know the TMK is a Sierra. But is there a particular brand or type of ammo you guys are using? Or as long as it is actual 77gr Sierra TMK in a quality load it is GTG?

I have a T3x in 6.5 Creedmoor that i am happy to use for longer range or larger game. But have a nice handy 16" Geissele AR that i would like to use for shorter range, faster fallow ups and when a short compact rifle is nice. Mostly thinking deer and hogs.

I was talking to a friend the other night and the possibility of going to a frinds ranch in Texas for hogs and axis deer came up. I was thinking a handy 16" AR would be nice if I can find the right ammo.

Not to be mean, but if you have read enough of this thread, then your questions would already be answered.

It’s all about the projectile and the impact velocity. Your 16” AR with the 77 TMK is good out to 400 yards on all NA big game. Find a load that your gun shoots well, and buy a lot of it. You really only need your creedmoor if there are caliber restrictions in your state.

 

[atmat]

Okay here would be the plan for a brown/grizzly bear this spring. I'm heavily involved with Cross Trail Outfitters which is basically a Christian mentoring program for young men via hunting and fishing trips. They do some great work if anyone is interested in helping out or sending a kid on a trip.

https://www.friendsofcto.org/state-giving/alaska

Last year the boys shot three black bears.

So if we see a bear there is a very high chance that I won't be the shooter. More then likely I'll have a 12-14 year old boy shooting first with me as backup. So to be honest, we'll try for a grizzly but if I have a 13 year old on his first hunt I'm not going to say "no" to a black bear that is right there to wait for a grizzly that might not show up.

Here is our basic plan for whole spring to fall hunting season

May - We put out bear baits in a couple locations (for later in June). Depending on snow levels we hope to backpack hunting in the mountains. This is fun hunting. The Kenia is one destination. I might or might not try a more remote hunt with another guy, probably an adult trip that would be a bit too crazy for kids.

June - I'll be sitting on bear baits with the CTO boys pretty much every weekend. Almost a sure thing we kill some black bears. Grizzlies tend to be less consistent but we might get a shot at one.
View attachment 673060
July - Sort of a slow month but we might go hiking in the mountains to explore for bears and scout new moose hunting areas.

August - Bears start eating berries in the mountains and they don't tend to roam as far. We almost had a grizzly this way last fall but he gave us the slip. We did get a black bear and two other friends of mine got bears.
View attachment 673061
September - This is more up in the air. Berry bears are still easy to hunt (not counting the hike up the mountain) but its moose season too. If I have time we do a 10 day moose hunt in an area that often has grizzlies. If we don't have that much time we'll do weekend trips focused on spot and stack bears on berries. Its more of a black bear area but if there are grizzlies they tend to be doing the same thing (eating berries). We'd definitely chase a grizzly if we saw one.

So there is the plan if someone wants to loan us a rifle for a part of that period we'd do our best to bloody it with as many species as possible with a priority on a grizzly kill. I usually film our hunts so I could get the autopsy on video too.

A 16 inch barrel would be perfect because I'd probably stick a suppressor on it. As far as stocks I like the normal stock just fine. I'd actually prefer NOT to have a special ROkstock on it because its the part most likely to be damaged in shipping or broken if a boy takes a fall, steep places we hunt.
View attachment 673063
Actually if no one objected I might stick a compact stock on there for our smaller guys.

Sending a PM.

 

[grappling_hook]

I'm also down for coastal brown bear with the AR/77gr TMK this year. Didn't run across one deer hunting in brown bear country last fall, but I'll be poking around this spring for black and brown bears specifically. Maybe 2024 will bring a handful of brown/grizzly bears downed with the 77 TMK to this thread.

 

[Luke S]

Looking like I might have a .223 to try out. This should be fun. Hopefully my 2nd suppressor is out of jail too. If it works as advertised I might start building one of those ultralight ultralight ARs.

 

[zdc1775]

Looking like I might have a .223 to try out. This should be fun. Hopefully my 2nd suppressor is out of jail too. If it works as advertised I might start building one of those ultralight ultralight ARs.

Awesome that you've found a rifle to take hunting for bear this year.

However I would advise against the ultra-ultralight AR. I run tactical rifle and pistol courses as my side-gig and I have seen way too many reliability issues with the super ultra rifle that have came to the classes. Some of those have been minor, like failure to feed or light strikes, but quite a few have been major, like BCG's bulging or cracking and gas blocks blowing out.

But don't let that complete dissuade you, you can easily build a reliable AR that falls right around 5ish pounds.

 

[wind gypsy]

Correct me if i am wrong. But it looks like the consensus is a 77gr TMK is GTG on game. I know the TMK is a Sierra. But is there a particular brand or type of ammo you guys are using? Or as long as it is actual 77gr Sierra TMK in a quality load it is GTG?

I have a T3x in 6.5 Creedmoor that i am happy to use for longer range or larger game. But have a nice handy 16" Geissele AR that i would like to use for shorter range, faster fallow ups and when a short compact rifle is nice. Mostly thinking deer and hogs.

I was talking to a friend the other night and the possibility of going to a frinds ranch in Texas for hogs and axis deer came up. I was thinking a handy 16" AR would be nice if I can find the right ammo.

Stand 1, Black hills, and AAC all load the 77 TMK in factory ammunition.

 

[Reddish]

It has not been evaled. I have used them a bit, and what I’ve seen they have worked fine in normal use- I am not saying they are on the same reliability and durability level as NF, SWFA, etc. But, 100% I would choose them over what people were suggesting earlier.





Nothing is in the works. If someone wants to send one in I/we would.

PM sent on this.

 

[crich]

Looking like I might have a .223 to try out. This should be fun. Hopefully my 2nd suppressor is out of jail too. If it works as advertised I might start building one of those ultralight ultralight ARs.

Hope you and the boys can come across some brownies. I have a M77 in .223 that I might take when we hit the beaches this spring. I just need to get ahold of some loaded TMK's first. I have a few hundred TMK bullets and powders out the wazoo but havent actually jumped into reloading yet with 2 kids in diapers... time is limited.

I looked into the youth program you attached a link for pretty cool stuff

 

[BLJ]

Hope you and the boys can come across some brownies. I have a M77 in .223 that I might take when we hit the beaches this spring. I just need to get ahold of some loaded TMK's first. I have a few hundred TMK bullets and powders out the wazoo but havent actually jumped into reloading yet with 2 kids in diapers... time is limited.

I looked into the youth program you attached a link for pretty cool stuff

Don’t know if you’ve looked into it, but to my knowledge some of the older 77’s had a slower twist.
From your post it’s not clear whether you were intending to use the 77’s or 69’s.
Maybe difficult to stabilize the 77’ in anything other than 1/8 twist.
Something to consider.

 

[crich]

Don’t know if you’ve looked into it, but to my knowledge some of the older 77’s had a slower twist.
From your post it’s not clear whether you were intending to use the 77’s or 69’s.
Maybe difficult to stabilize the 77’ in anything other than 1/8 twist.
Something to consider.

Good point I honestly havent touched that gun in at least 5 years. I have several ARs that are 1/8 and 1/7 that could do the trick. There is also a Sprtsmans close that has a T3X in stock too.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Good point I honestly havent touched that gun in at least 5 years. I have several ARs that are 1/8 and 1/7 that could do the trick. There is also a Sprtsmans close that has a T3X in stock too.