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

[Randle]

If I understand correctly the 62 grn Fusion will do well with exits at 200 yards and less?

 

[Reddish]

If I understand correctly the 62 grn Fusion will do well with exits at 200 yards and less?

I’ve killed a dozen or so deer with the 62gr Fusion and they have all exited so far. Longest shot was just over 200yds.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I'm thinking 75 grain Gold Dots might exit more reliably, but haven't seen any of them for sale (for reloading). I'll give them a try at some point.

I suppose a 62 TSX would as well, but the Gold Dot might do a little better terminally? So many things to try out!

So far though, 77TMKs and 73ELD-M have been pretty good at not requiring any tracking...but when it does happen, yes, an exit is probably helpful.

Mine have run about 50 yards. If I shot them right at dark, I would have lost them.

If the 70 grain Accubonds don’t work out, I’ve got some Nosler 64 grain boned solid base bullets. I bet they do the trick. I’ll try them before I go the copper route.

 

[Thegman]

Mine have run about 50 yards. If I shot them right at dark, I would have lost them.

If the 70 grain Accubonds don’t work out, I’ve got some Nosler 64 grain boned solid base bullets. I bet they do the trick. I’ll try them before I go the copper route.

Sometimes it takes that distance for a blood trail to even start, even with 30-caliber bullets that exit, but would be worth trying for sure. I like messing with stuff anyway, just to see the difference. Lung shooters like us have to consider that a little more, I think.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Sometimes it takes that distance for a blood trail to even start, even with 30-caliber bullets that exit, but would be worth trying for sure. I like messing with stuff anyway, just to see the difference. Lung shooters like us have to consider that a little more, I think.

It is very rare that mine don’t start bleeding within a few steps with any of my other cartridges. The 223/77TMK combo just doesn’t do that for me. Based off what I read in this thread, I knew it was gonna be that way, though. I love shooting that bullet at targets out to 650 yards, though.

 

[Tahr]

Regardless of what bullet you use in .223 the possibility of a blood trail is very random, but less likely with the 77TMK. There is no .223 bullet that Ive used (most of the bullets mentioned in this thread and more) that will reliably leave a good blood trail. Ive shot 56 deer this year and only a few would have been trackable through a blood trail. If the bullet is too hard you get a small exit and no blood, and if too soft no exit and no blood. The best for blood (but not necessarily killing) have been mid weight lead tip like 62grn Norma (very similar to 62 grn Sierra Game King) and 60 grn Hammers (driven very fast).

 

[SamsonMan22]

Mine have run about 50 yards. If I shot them right at dark, I would have lost them.

If the 70 grain Accubonds don’t work out, I’ve got some Nosler 64 grain boned solid base bullets. I bet they do the trick. I’ll try them before I go the copper route.

I will be curious to hear about the accubonds, in a 308 I caught more than not. Some times they gave excellent blood trails with the occasional pass through but more often than not I had near zero blood and caught the bullet.

I wonder how the 88s would do at 223 velocities. Might be slow enough and have enough bullet remaining to get out the other side.

 

[wind gypsy]

If a guy wanted reliable exits, good wound channels, and high likelihood of blood trail, that is asking an awful lot of a 223.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I will be curious to hear about the accubonds, in a 308 I caught more than not. Some times they gave excellent blood trails with the occasional pass through but more often than not I had near zero blood and caught the bullet.

I wonder how the 88s would do at 223 velocities. Might be slow enough and have enough bullet remaining to get out the other side.

It’s very rare for me to catch an Accubond in my 308 or 7-08 or any of my other cartridges, honestly.

I’ll report back after my season opens. My search for the perfect 223 bullet continues….

 

[SamsonMan22]

It’s very rare for me to catch an Accubond in my 308 or 7-08 or any of my other cartridges, honestly.

I’ll report back after my season opens. My search for the perfect 223 bullet continues….

In their defense my shots were fairly close range normally and 150g accubonds. Never had any rodeos with them but no consistent exits either.

My best blood trail ever came from a 150 accubond out of a 308 even in the rain you could see almost end to end the whole 70yds it traveled. The pic isn’t great but it was impressive to see in person.

 

[huntnful]

If a guy wanted reliable exits, good wound channels, and high likelihood of blood trail, that is asking an awful lot of a 223.

That’s asking a lot from any cartridge/bullet really.

Even the biggest cartridges/bullets don’t produce all 3 repeatedly from what I’ve seen.

 

[omicron1792]

It is very rare that mine don’t start bleeding within a few steps with any of my other cartridges. The 223/77TMK combo just doesn’t do that for me. Based off what I read in this thread, I knew it was gonna be that way, though. I love shooting that bullet at targets out to 650 yards, though.

I find they drop quicker with fragmenting bullet. So less need to track

 

[Ozarkansas]

That’s asking a lot from any cartridge/bullet really.

Even the biggest cartridges/bullets don’t produce all 3 repeatedly from what I’ve seen.

I think it depends on the game. Most of us who want reliable blood trails are hunting whitetail in the east. In my experience it’s pretty easy to get all 3 on a whitetail, especially at typical Eastern Whitetail ranges.

I think it’s a lot harder to ensure on something like an elk, especially out west where ranges vary a lot more

 

[huntnful]

I think it depends on the game. Most of us who want reliable blood trails are hunting whitetail in the east. In my experience it’s pretty easy to get all 3 on a whitetail, especially at typical Eastern Whitetail ranges.

I think it’s a lot harder to ensure on something like an elk, especially out west where ranges vary a lot more

I don’t have any experience with whitetails, but the bucks look pretty good sized. It’s mostly just a product of the bullets that cause the biggest wound channels, don’t reliably exit. Not just on elk, but deer too. I’ve seen 195 EOL, 180 VLD, 230 Hybrid and 225 ELDM all hit deer near or under 100 yards and not exit. The wounds were insane though.

I haven’t killed anything with the McGuire copper bullets, but from what I’ve seen from friends terminal reports, their nose fragments pretty good (like 20+ pieces of shrapnel) at high impact velocities and the shank provides exits more often than not. For closer range bucks that guarantee high impact velocities, that could possibly be a good combination??

 

[N2TRKYS]

I find they drop quicker with fragmenting bullet. So less need to track

Unfortunately, that hasn’t been my experience.

 

[N2TRKYS]

In their defense my shots were fairly close range normally and 150g accubonds. Never had any rodeos with them but no consistent exits either.

My best blood trail ever came from a 150 accubond out of a 308 even in the rain you could see almost end to end the whole 70yds it traveled. The pic isn’t great but it was impressive to see in person.

Most of my shots will be inside of 100 yards.

 

[Choupique]

don’t have any experience with whitetails, but the bucks look pretty good sized.

200 pounds is a monster buck where i hunt. My average doe kill is probably 80 pounds and the average buck probably 150. They get big, but not where I hunt.

Going sight in my AR with the 73gr eldms this evening, and got a feeder set up at 50 yards, since I have a red dot on it for this year. I'm not expecting an exit hole, but I'm huntjng where the tracking will be easiest if I don't get one.

 

[huntnful]

200 pounds is a monster buck where i hunt. My average doe kill is probably 80 pounds and the average buck probably 150. They get big, but not where I hunt.

Going sight in my AR with the 73gr eldms this evening, and got a feeder set up at 50 yards, since I have a red dot on it for this year. I'm not expecting an exit hole, but I'm huntjng where the tracking will be easiest if I don't get one.

Appreciate the info. Yeah I thought they were bigger than that honestly. Must be those Saskatchewan whitetails I’m always seeing on the internet haha. They look like tanks

 

[Gettincloser]

I wonder how the 88s would do at 223 velocities. Might be slow enough and have enough bullet remaining to get out the other side.

This is what interests me about the 22 ARC. Using a 20" barrel and 88eldm rounds you would be in about the same range as a 223 for velocity but pushing 88gr vs 77gr.

I have 1 example of the 77gr TMK and am sold on it. With everyone else's experience, it gives me confidence. The only reason for interest in the 22 ARC and 88gr is to fight the wind. You can find the 22 ARC 88gr eldm on sale for $24/box of 20. This puts it at about the same cost per round as the Black Hills 77gr TMK. (About $1.25/round) The down side is that in 223, you can use the AAC 77gr TMK for practice at $0.80/ round and there is not a cheaper practice round for the 22 ARC to my knowledge in the 88gr option... as of today.

For convenience, practice and performance, the Tikka 223 and 77gr TMK is still the all around winner!

 

[MEwaters]

AAC TMK has been .90 cpr for a while and is OOS as well. I wonder if it will be like this for a while like the BH