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

Poe

FNG
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Aug 20, 2024
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24
Something’s should remain quiet.
I have been reading through this thread but it’s going to take awhile before I get all the way. It seems you have a lot of experience with both 22 cal and 6mm’s. I currently have rifles chambered for both but I’m looking at picking up another one with a faster twist to shoot heavier for cal bullets. In your opinion would I be better off going with a .223 or going with a fast twist .243 or 6 creed. It will be an everyday truck gun and get used for everything from varmints to coyotes and shooting steel. I may do some deer hunting with it also.
 

atmat

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Jun 10, 2022
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Colorado
I have been reading through this thread but it’s going to take awhile before I get all the way. It seems you have a lot of experience with both 22 cal and 6mm’s. I currently have rifles chambered for both but I’m looking at picking up another one with a faster twist to shoot heavier for cal bullets. In your opinion would I be better off going with a .223 or going with a fast twist .243 or 6 creed. It will be an everyday truck gun and get used for everything from varmints to coyotes and shooting steel. I may do some deer hunting with it also.
Do you, or will you, hunt in a caliber-restricted state?
 

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Shoot2HuntU
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Oct 22, 2014
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I have been reading through this thread but it’s going to take awhile before I get all the way. It seems you have a lot of experience with both 22 cal and 6mm’s. I currently have rifles chambered for both but I’m looking at picking up another one with a faster twist to shoot heavier for cal bullets. In your opinion would I be better off going with a .223 or going with a fast twist .243 or 6 creed. It will be an everyday truck gun and get used for everything from varmints to coyotes and shooting steel. I may do some deer hunting with it also.

A fast twist 223.
 

3one5

FNG
Joined
Aug 3, 2024
Messages
13
I have always wondered about this.

Decades ago, I had a rifle scope fail when checking zero as soon as we got to the hunt. We were all shooting 30-06s and 300 win mags but another hunter lent me his backup 222 and said is would work fine if I shoot well placed shots. With this beautiful but puny little rifle, I shot a walking deer through the lungs and he ran about 50 yards and fell over dead. No exit wound, no bullet or bullet pieces found, but lungs on this animal were vaporized. But whenever I have told this story, I have been immeditately told it was an unethical shot and that I was just very lucky.

I have a 6.5 Grendel in the Howa mini action that loves the 123 gr ELD-M Hornady BLACK. So now the question: Within the range that is above say 1900 ft per second impact velocity, do you guys think I can ethically use (assuming of course, well placed shots) with this on Elk?

I apologize for asking this after 400 pages of this forum, but I don't shoot a lot of big animals.
I plan to hunt with mine in November, I'll let you know ;)
 

Camv

FNG
Joined
Aug 27, 2024
Messages
2
New guy here,
I read the entire 415 pages :)
I was taking notes but don't have anything written down about a 75 eldm recipe?
Unfortunately in northern bc the only heavy grain bullet available around is the 75gr eldm. The tmk is unobtainable

Is anyone willing to share a recipe?
I'd like to pm pharmseller but am not able.
 

ztc92

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 8, 2022
Messages
276
New guy here,
I read the entire 415 pages :)
I was taking notes but don't have anything written down about a 75 eldm recipe?
Unfortunately in northern bc the only heavy grain bullet available around is the 75gr eldm. The tmk is unobtainable

Is anyone willing to share a recipe?
I'd like to pm pharmseller but am not able.

No personal experience with the 75 ELDM (yet) but I did get curious after you mentioned it and found a few other threads that may help…



 
OP
P

PNWGATOR

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
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Oct 14, 2014
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New guy here,
I read the entire 415 pages :)
I was taking notes but don't have anything written down about a 75 eldm recipe?
Unfortunately in northern bc the only heavy grain bullet available around is the 75gr eldm. The tmk is unobtainable

Is anyone willing to share a recipe?
I'd like to pm pharmseller but am not able.
TMKs are available.

Don’t give up!
 

Moose83

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 30, 2020
Messages
278
New guy here,
I read the entire 415 pages :)
I was taking notes but don't have anything written down about a 75 eldm recipe?
Unfortunately in northern bc the only heavy grain bullet available around is the 75gr eldm. The tmk is unobtainable

Is anyone willing to share a recipe?
I'd like to pm pharmseller but am not able.
You didn't say what you are shooting them out of, but if you are mag length restricted like in a tikka, then Nechako outdoors in Vanderhoof has the 73ge eld-m in stock. The 75 gr bthp hornady makes a good practice bullet as well.
 

SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
1,380
Loaded up my first batch of 77tmks for my son's birthday present, a 16" Tikka .223 compact. Holy short throat and mag. I damn near ran out of adjustment on my seating die even moving the stem all the way down. Going to try 100rds at 2.98 COAL with 24gr of varget. I had forgotten that my .223 had a custom throat and can run out to 2.5".

Fingers crossed they'll work well with that jump. Powder got a bit crunchy seating that far in so I vibrated a few to condense the powder and that seems to help.
 

Harvey_NW

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Joined
Feb 13, 2019
Messages
1,831
Location
WA
Read what it says… It clearly states no “hunting” with it in the regulations not no “killing”. I was hunting with my knife but happened to kill it with a .224
Maybe your .224 identifies as a 300 Win Mag? Use a blue wig as a scope cover and put a rainbow sticker on the side of the buttstock, not a single form of law enforcement will do anything that violates it's feelings.
 
Joined
Oct 14, 2023
Messages
1,244
Location
Houston (adjacent) TX
Loaded up my first batch of 77tmks for my son's birthday present, a 16" Tikka .223 compact. Holy short throat and mag. I damn near ran out of adjustment on my seating die even moving the stem all the way down. Going to try 100rds at 2.98 COAL with 24gr of varget. I had forgotten that my .223 had a custom throat and can run out to 2.5".

Fingers crossed they'll work well with that jump. Powder got a bit crunchy seating that far in so I vibrated a few to condense the powder and that seems to help.
I need to check my COAL (I measure base to ogive) but the ones I loaded for my daughters rifle didn’t shoot very well at mag length.
 

SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
1,380
I need to check my COAL (I measure base to ogive) but the ones I loaded for my daughters rifle didn’t shoot very well at mag length.
Let me know. I typically load for cbto as well but with this setup the limiting factor was mag length. I found the lands, loaded 20 off of them and realized I was still quite a far ways off from getting that round into the magazine. Like right around a full tenth of an inch.
 

Brazo264

FNG
Joined
Feb 22, 2021
Messages
28
Loaded up my first batch of 77tmks for my son's birthday present, a 16" Tikka .223 compact. Holy short throat and mag. I damn near ran out of adjustment on my seating die even moving the stem all the way down. Going to try 100rds at 2.98 COAL with 24gr of varget. I had forgotten that my .223 had a custom throat and can run out to 2.5".

Fingers crossed they'll work well with that jump. Powder got a bit crunchy seating that far in so I vibrated a few to condense the powder and that seems to help.
2.98 COAL - you sure about that?
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,176
Loaded up my first batch of 77tmks for my son's birthday present, a 16" Tikka .223 compact. Holy short throat and mag. I damn near ran out of adjustment on my seating die even moving the stem all the way down. Going to try 100rds at 2.98 COAL with 24gr of varget. I had forgotten that my .223 had a custom throat and can run out to 2.5".

Fingers crossed they'll work well with that jump. Powder got a bit crunchy seating that far in so I vibrated a few to condense the powder and that seems to help.

Yes, longer mags are nice or varget gets crunchy in a hurry with 77 TMKs. Doesn't mean it doesn't work. Varget and 77 TMKs was my primary load in an AR for a handful of years for steel shooting.
 
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