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

Tahr

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 13, 2018
Messages
127
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.

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Lung shot exit. Spewed blood
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Lung shot
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Heart shot
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Thegman

WKR
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
670
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 😅

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Exit
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Body cavity...

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Poe

FNG
Joined
Aug 20, 2024
Messages
41

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
 

Poe

FNG
Joined
Aug 20, 2024
Messages
41
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
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
9,517
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.
 
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SloppyJ

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
1,613
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.
 

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Joined
Oct 14, 2023
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1,381
Location
Houston (adjacent) TX
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.
 
Joined
Sep 30, 2024
Messages
1
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.
 
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