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

[Tahr]

Different perspective. .223
60 grn Hammer Hunter. 3280fps. About 200 yards.
Broadside lung shot and quartering front on heart shot.
Lung shot ran 15 yds. Front on one tipped straight over.
Not better or worse than the 77 TMK. Just different. More likely to leave a blood trail.



Lung shot exit. Spewed blood


Lung shot


Heart shot

 

[Thegman]

Took a smallish, mediumish, black bear with the 77TMK today. Shot was at just over 50 yards. It was feeding in some light brush so was difficult to see exactly what shot angle I was taking...and didn't worry about it much. By now I'm pretty confident a 77TMK at any angle through a black bear is going to do the job...and it did.

I did put a second in as it was still moving...I've seen bears suddenly decide they're not hurt all that bad and take off one too many times.

Not sure which shot is which, but by this time it's pretty much just typical 77TMK stuff



Exit


Body cavity...

 

[Poe]

75 Eldm advice in a 1-8” Tikka

Looking for recipes for my Superlite .223. I have Varget, H4895, Benchmark, and TAC. I use CCI 400 primers. I call load long, into the lands if need be. Thanks, P

www.24hourcampfire.com

2934, 24” Tikka Varmint.




P

I was wondering what Mag you are running. I have the same rifle and it shoots the 73’s great but it is a lot easier to find the 75’s around here but from what I have read the 75’s don’t seem to work at factory tikka mag length

 

[Pharmseller]

I have some of those Australian mags but now I’m using the 3-D printed mags. Cheaper and lighter.

I can load into the lands if I want.





P

 

[Poe]

I have some of those Australian mags but now I’m using the 3-D printed mags. Cheaper and lighter.

I can load into the lands if I want.





P

Did you have to change anything else with your rifle. I was doing some reading on some 3d printed mags and some people are saying you might have to change the bolt stop

 

[wind gypsy]

Did you have to change anything else with your rifle. I was doing some reading on some 3d printed mags and some people are saying you might have to change the bolt stop

no change with the waters rifleman mags, id be surprised if the new 3d printed ones needed a bolt stop modification too.

 

[Gettincloser]

Where do you get the 3d printed mags?

 

[atmat]

Where do you get the 3d printed mags?

Not an expert, but probably from a 3D printer.

 

[Gettincloser]

Not an expert, but probably from a 3D printer.

You're killing me smalls! I did not know if someone was selling them directly or if the was a link to a file to download with the prefered material!...

That was a good laugh!

 

[SloppyJ]

Big thank you to everyone for all of the info on the kids rifle thread. I took my son (7) out to shoot his new 16" Tikka for the first time this weekend. I loaded up some 77tmks and 75 BTHPs since I have a boatload of those.

We started with the 22 and he is damn good on that spinner target with a red dot. So then we went to the Tikka at 50yds. First shot, bullseye. He shot about 15 through it and then I did some load testing. I left the chrono at home on accident but I certainly found the 75BTHP load it wants with 5 shots in the picture below. 24.5gr varget at 20 off.

I had a decent 77tmk load but I know it can do better so I'll keep testing. Can't wait to see what these will do to a whitetail in a month or so. Anyone had any luck with the hornady 75hpbt on game? If it keeps shooting this good it's going to be hard to swap to 77tmks unless they're that much better.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Big thank you to everyone for all of the info on the kids rifle thread. I took my son (7) out to shoot his new 16" Tikka for the first time this weekend. I loaded up some 77tmks and 75 BTHPs since I have a boatload of those.

We started with the 22 and he is damn good on that spinner target with a red dot. So then we went to the Tikka at 50yds. First shot, bullseye. He shot about 15 through it and then I did some load testing. I left the chrono at home on accident but I certainly found the 75BTHP load it wants with 5 shots in the picture below. 24.5gr varget at 20 off.

I had a decent 77tmk load but I know it can do better so I'll keep testing. Can't wait to see what these will do to a whitetail in a month or so. Anyone had any luck with the hornady 75hpbt on game? If it keeps shooting this good it's going to be hard to swap to 77tmks unless they're that much better.

Great stuff. I took my daughter out this weekend to shoot hers as well. IMO the 75bthp won’t come close to terminal performance of the TMK despite the fact that the bthp might group smaller. Personally I would settle for slightly less “accurate” and better terminal performance with the TMK.

 

[austinbo1988]

Personally, I'm sticking with something bigger I feel more comfortable with. Even with all the data and your success, I'd still be in my head about it and feel like that would impact my shot.

 

[gtriple]

Personally, I'm sticking with something bigger I feel more comfortable with. Even with all the data and your success, I'd still be in my head about it and feel like that would impact my shot.

Shoot something with it and see if it changes your mind. Maybe not a once a year elk hunt, but a doe whitetail?

 

[SloppyJ]

Great stuff. I took my daughter out this weekend to shoot hers as well. IMO the 75bthp won’t come close to terminal performance of the TMK despite the fact that the bthp might group smaller. Personally I would settle for slightly less “accurate” and better terminal performance with the TMK.

That's what I figured. The TMKs didn't group horribly and I bet I can get them to a better group. I think the ticket is the seating depth as much as some people here say it doesn't matter.

Probably end up getting a waters mag or one of the 3d printed ones pharmseller was mentioning.

 

[Formidilosus]

That's what I figured. The TMKs didn't group horribly and I bet I can get them to a better group. I think the ticket is the seating depth as much as some people here say it doesn't matter.

Probably end up getting a waters mag or one of the 3d printed ones pharmseller was mentioning.

Is the TMK load over 2 MOA for ten rounds? Are you shooting deer past 600 yards or so?

 

[Pharmseller]

You're killing me smalls! I did not know if someone was selling them directly or if the was a link to a file to download with the prefered material!...

That was a good laugh!

Tikka .223 T3/T3X 2.55" OAL Magazines For Sale

Hello Everyone, My name is Adam and my company is Ascension Industries. I was approached by a friend and member of this forum about a project that he wanted me to take a shot at. He explained to me the capabilities of the Tikka .223 T3/T3X series of rifles and how they were limited by the...

www.24hourcampfire.com

 

[MoeFaux]

I was raised by a man who likes big bores, and he always brought more than enough gun to get the job done in the field. Consequently, I would have spent my life swearing up and down that a 223 is just barely enough to down a whitetail, and it would be irresponsible to shoot it anything bigger or tougher.

But this thread and a few others like it have changed my thinking.

Now, I'm still gonna shoot my 45-70 at bears, my 7mm Rem Mag at elk, and my .357 at pigs and deer. I'm not gonna be one of those weirdos who shoots everything with a 22 caliber bullet. . . but at least I won't tell them they're wrong anymore

 

[Pharmseller]

I was raised by a man who likes big bores, and he always brought more than enough gun to get the job done in the field. Consequently, I would have spent my life swearing up and down that a 223 is just barely enough to down a whitetail, and it would be irresponsible to shoot it anything bigger or tougher.

But this thread and a few others like it have changed my thinking.

Now, I'm still gonna shoot my 45-70 at bears, my 7mm Rem Mag at elk, and my .357 at pigs and deer. I'm not gonna be one of those weirdos who shoots everything with a 22 caliber bullet. . . but at least I won't tell them they're wrong anymore

FYI, you don’t need a 7mm Rem Mag for elk…








7mm, but not a magnum…




P

 

[Ajsomp]

Big thank you to everyone for all of the info on the kids rifle thread. I took my son (7) out to shoot his new 16" Tikka for the first time this weekend. I loaded up some 77tmks and 75 BTHPs since I have a boatload of those.

We started with the 22 and he is damn good on that spinner target with a red dot. So then we went to the Tikka at 50yds. First shot, bullseye. He shot about 15 through it and then I did some load testing. I left the chrono at home on accident but I certainly found the 75BTHP load it wants with 5 shots in the picture below. 24.5gr varget at 20 off.

I had a decent 77tmk load but I know it can do better so I'll keep testing. Can't wait to see what these will do to a whitetail in a month or so. Anyone had any luck with the hornady 75hpbt on game? If it keeps shooting this good it's going to be hard to swap to 77tmks unless they're that much better.

The 75 HPBT can be used for practice - same with the AAC 75 Sabre black tip. I’d still stick with 77TMK for game and actual data collection for the gun.

Reminds me, I need to pick up more ammo.

 

[Thegman]

I was raised by a man who likes big bores, and he always brought more than enough gun to get the job done in the field.

It seems that the guys using 223s are indeed bringing more than enough gun to get the job done.

I really appreciate all the data presented in this thread. It has opened up an entirely new angle on hunting that has, so far, been really useful and really successful.

If you're thinking about it, the only way to really be sure is to give it a "shot". It may not be something you'll keep doing, but it will not likely fail.