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

[PistolPete]

Nice work to all you guys; impressive!

code MUSA1024 gets you 20% off and is a little cheaper than midsouth.

Side question: any idea what the deal is with Midway and their coupons? I see products (like these TMKs) on their site saying "eligible for MUSA1024", yet I am not able to apply it in my cart...

 

[Juan_ID]

Side question: any idea what the deal is with Midway and their coupons? I see products (like these TMKs) on their site saying "eligible for MUSA1024", yet I am not able to apply it in my cart...

Do you by chance have another code already entered that’s keeping this one from being applied? Works for me

 

[JPW13]

I posted previously about a mule deer that I shot at 100 yards with a 80 eldm (3450 MV) where it ran a short distance and died, no blood trail at all. My first experience with this tiny bullet had me a little worried that had it run further it would have been an issue to track.

Since that time I was able to take a WT at ~60yards facing me, DRT.


Very impressed with the performance. No exit, minimal blood, but highly effective.

Fast forward to later that day and my hunting partner took another WT using my rifle at 440yards, also DRT with a high shoulder impact that would have been around 2500fps.

Entered right through the armour plating of a deer scapula

Nice exit right out the armour plating on the far shoulder...

Nothing but soupy vitals. I'm a believer and now developing a load for a 223 with the 77TMKs. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the 22CM at 3450MV almost seems overkill.

Thanks to all the posters and great info in this thread.

 

[Bluumoon]

Nice work to all you guys; impressive!



Side question: any idea what the deal is with Midway and their coupons? I see products (like these TMKs) on their site saying "eligible for MUSA1024", yet I am not able to apply it in my cart...

I had to call, had a useless birthday month code. The gals in CS were very helpful

 

[Yooper25]

Tikka shooting 73 eld m, 26gr leverevolution, cci br4 primers.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

Tikka shooting 73 eld m, 26gr leverevolution, cci br4 primers.

adjust that zero and go kill something

 

[Matt5266]

Tikka shooting 73 eld m, 26gr leverevolution, cci br4 primers.

Nice! What's your velocity and barrel length?

 

[Jesseb]

Code doesn’t work for me either. Tried everything and I don’t even see that code as an option anywhere on there site.

 

[Yooper25]

Nice! What's your velocity and barrel length?

Not sure on velocity. 22.5” factory barrel

 

[xsn10s]

I used the code this morning for some brass. You might need to sign up for the rewards program.

 

[Gettincloser]

I am highly impressed! This tikka T3X Lite choped and threaded to 18" with the SWFA 3-15x42 is one slick setup. No recoil, the suppressor allows open ears and it is dead steady. Probably a 3mph breeze today on and off and at 100 yes it kept all shots just under 1 1/4"! I was using the Black Hills 77gr TMK. Much more consistent than the AAC but a bit more per shot.

I will take it out to 400yds and confirm everything ASAP but this will be my go to rifle for hogs and deer here in TX. Just need to wait until we butcher a steer and see if I can convince dad to let me take it with the 223. That way I can check vitals on something larger! That should be a good test for me!

 

[BAKPAKR]

My daughter got a doe this afternoon with the 77 gr TMK at about 100 yards. It ran about 25 yards after being shot in the onside shoulder. The entrance into the rib cage is on the left and exit on the right (tip of blue arrow). It didn’t go through or break the offside shoulder.

 

[Marbles]

This morning it was cold enough that my 22 LR was light striking, so I grabbed the 223. 5 pigs today, 4 of the 5 had skulls that looked like this
That should be the base of the skull, the knife tip is touching the remains of the brain.

The one that did not have the base of the skull blown apart was shoot more downward and the bullet passed through the roof of the mouth.

It depends on how the skull is hit, the bullet always goes through it, but doesn't always break it up so much.

On a side note, a pig with a brain that looks like that still kicks and flops for a bit, even after it has stopped bleeding out from the cut carotids.

 

[mt100gr.]

MT youth deer hunt 2024 is in the books again with 2 shots fired and 2 nice bucks in the cooler. The Tikka .223/ 77gr TMK / AB Raptor 10 is wicked combo!!

My oldest daughter (14) took her fifth (with the .223) buck at 305 yds with zero drama. We found him bedded and crawled to a spot to set up. He was bedded with about 25 other deer, and she was hesitant about that. But I asked if she could visualize where his neck meets his shoulder? If so, I said "shoot him there". She touched the trigger and we both watched him simply tip his head to the ground, lights out, done. Barely a wiggle. None of the other deer so much as stood up! I was amazed by that!! I didn't photograph the wound channel on this buck as I avoid rooting around where spinal tissue has been disrupted, but it was basically a Red Bull can or greater volume amount and shape of destruction with jacket pieces piled up against the offside hide. As he lay when we walked up:

My middle daughter (12) and I finally caught up with another nice buck (her 2nd with the .223) and got set up for a 208 yard shot at a slightly quartering deer. She hit him just a hair high in the lungs, but "middle of the front half" nonetheless. He did a short loop and fell within 10 seconds - maybe 20 yards total. Entrance with shoulder intact:
Entrance inside, 2 broken ribs:

Bullet path, no exit, but broke the offside ribs and ended up against the hide.

Entrance side upper lung wound channel

Off side lung wound channel



The more I see it, the more I love it!! And again this year, I watched 2 other young hunters spend 10 rounds of .243 to get their deer....just sayin'.