- Thread Starter
- #8,901
THANK you for sharing your experience!
Bullets matter.
Wound channels matter.
Hit rates matter.
WELL done!
Thank you for sharing your experience and results.
.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.
- Thread starter PNWGATOR
- Start date
Bullets matter.
Wound channels matter.
Hit rates matter.
WELL done!
Thank you for sharing your experience and results.
It's only started on antelope and so far I'm committed. Taking it deer and elk hunting here in a couple weeks.
bigeyedfish
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2021
- Messages
- 133
My deer hunting this weekend was unsuccessful, but I did put the .223 to use for the first time. A coyote stepped out at last light at ~100 yards. 75 gr sabre black tip did the job. I didn't take any pictures, but the exit was smaller than expected. I'm still hoping to kill at least one whitetail with this rifle/bullet this year. I'll post a picture if I can make it happen.
Got my first kill with Black Hills' 77-grain TMK last night. From 17-inch Tikka barrel, impact speed was estimated at 2,200 fps at 330 yards. This mighty bullet (entrance shown) devastated the lungs and top of heart and then exited far side of 'lope.
Learning about this impressive bullet is one of the biggest "aha!" moments of my hunting life, and after seeing the results firsthand, I won't be going back to those big boomers like the 6.5 CM and 7x57 Mauser. Thanks to everyone for sharing the power of placing the right bullet in the right spot at the right speed.
Learning about this impressive bullet is one of the biggest "aha!" moments of my hunting life, and after seeing the results firsthand, I won't be going back to those big boomers like the 6.5 CM and 7x57 Mauser. Thanks to everyone for sharing the power of placing the right bullet in the right spot at the right speed.
First kill with new RSS: Tikka/SWFA/UM Rings shooting BH 77TMK ammo. Around 200 yards, bang flop. No drama, insides sloshing and full of blood (gutless so didn’t see). Shot was directly behind front shoulder, minimal/almost no meat damage. Very tidy killing tool.
Entrance with undamaged front shoulder removed.
Exit with undamaged front shoulder removed.
MT’s 2 day youth season is this week so I hope the kids can put it to use on deer soon.
Entrance with undamaged front shoulder removed.
Exit with undamaged front shoulder removed.
MT’s 2 day youth season is this week so I hope the kids can put it to use on deer soon.
How do you like that MDT 26?
Love it. This is a very nice chassis. It’s a lot of money, but for transport or pack carry, it’s unbeatable. I’ve had an HNT26 on a Zermatt TL3 6.5 PRC for almost 5 seasons now, so I built this Tikka .223 as a little brother. I like it even more.
Pharmseller
WKR
Got any pics of the rear shoulders?
Seems like they always get destroyed.
Has the folding action gotten sloppy after 5 seasons?
Zero slop so far. Hope my luck continues!
woods89
WKR
Just for interests sake, I processed this deer tonight, and that little bullet dead centered the dreaded shoulder bone on the entry side. Not the scapula, the bone section below it. Still worked great! Not that anyone is surprised......
Good work!
I am fired up for the MT youth hunt again this year, too. My girls have been burning powder in our RSS and we're hoping to put another couple pics up here a week from now. The .223/TMK combo has been beyond impressive for us the last few seasons. (And it's my favorite rifle to shoot, too. )
Good luck to you and the youngsters!
Well i got a .223 bolt gun because i just am not an AR guy. I call it the Budget "Budget" RSS. Ruger American with a MDT field stock and custom Rattle can pain job (scope will be upgraded to maven when funds become available). Handloaded 77TMK using 24gr of Varget and moving about 2700fps. dumped this coyote that came into a mouth call on a string, shot was about 50yds I'm guessing he bang-flopped.. I did not necropsy the yote because i was pressed for time but after some investigation found the bullet entered under his chin and excited out the back and basically exploded his neck tissue and spine chunks falling out a 2in hole on the back of his neck. Cant wait to try this on a deer if the opportunity present itself. (i always have my 300wm as a backup) LOL 
270 Win and 223 comparison. No pictures, both elk were taken in the last few minutes of legal shooting and we focused on getting them hung up on a very warm evening. But I thought it may be an interesting comparison.
I gutted both myself for my grands, so I had my hands in all the goo. Both cows were taken at about 60 yards. One with. 270 Win using a 140 gr trophy bonded tip impacting at approx 2,750 fps. A moderate sized cow, 221 lbs hanging. The second with a 223 using a 77 gr TMK impacting around 2,650 fps, a medium sized cow 251 lbs. hanging. Largest cow we have taken there was 341 lbs hanging. Both impacts fully broadside and centered on the lungs, neither exited.
140 grain bullet under skin on far side and fell out when skinning, No sign of the 77 gr TMK. Both dropped at the shot, both had intact hearts and lung soup. Could not tell which was which looking at the guts or carcass. The 77 TMK actually caused more damage against the far side ribs in terms of blood shot goo between the skin and ribs.
I’d have expected the 140 to exit and the 77 to not cause so much goo to blow through the far side. The elk taken by the 77tmk was the larger of the two. Thought it was an interesting comparison as the elk were taken a day apart from the same spot for both shooter and elk, same body position on the elk, and both dropped at the shot.
I gutted both myself for my grands, so I had my hands in all the goo. Both cows were taken at about 60 yards. One with. 270 Win using a 140 gr trophy bonded tip impacting at approx 2,750 fps. A moderate sized cow, 221 lbs hanging. The second with a 223 using a 77 gr TMK impacting around 2,650 fps, a medium sized cow 251 lbs. hanging. Largest cow we have taken there was 341 lbs hanging. Both impacts fully broadside and centered on the lungs, neither exited.
140 grain bullet under skin on far side and fell out when skinning, No sign of the 77 gr TMK. Both dropped at the shot, both had intact hearts and lung soup. Could not tell which was which looking at the guts or carcass. The 77 TMK actually caused more damage against the far side ribs in terms of blood shot goo between the skin and ribs.
I’d have expected the 140 to exit and the 77 to not cause so much goo to blow through the far side. The elk taken by the 77tmk was the larger of the two. Thought it was an interesting comparison as the elk were taken a day apart from the same spot for both shooter and elk, same body position on the elk, and both dropped at the shot.
I would greatly appreciate your opinion on the Field Stock. Especially forearm flex. You can PM if you prefer. Thanks.
Mideerhunter
FNG
Hey guys, do you see any difference between 73 and 75 eld-m other than a 2 grain difference?
Castle Rock
WKR
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2020
- Messages
- 925
The 73 is a lot easier to get shooting well, 75s are fussy with seating depth
Alot of times mag length is the restriction. I prefer the 73 eldm
I found the same with the 80eld also.
73s hammer in most barrels pretty easy and are proven killers
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