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

[Elk botherer]

I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...”

It’s a hard mental block to accept that such a small cartridge can perform so well. It took me a while to wrap my brain around it and undo all of the fudd lore I’ve been taught my whole life. I can assure you if you put your bullet in the vitals, you’ll have a dead deer as long as your bullet still retains 1,800 fps for proper bullet upset. I posted this picture a few days ago but I’ll post it again. If the 77gr tmk can shatter the bottom of the scapula where it meets the humerus on a mature cow elk at 226 yards and still make it to the vitals, it can take out a whitetail just fine. And if you can’t find the Sierra 77 tmk, we’ve had awesome results with the Hornady 73 gr eld which you can buy factory loaded. Good luck on your hunt!

Edit: fix quote

 

[SamsonMan22]

I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...

Anyway, I don't think I will have time to load new ammo before rifle opens here this year and all I have loaded right now are 75 ELD-Ms @~2600fps (have to single feed so maybe not the best option because my rifle doesn't always chamber these rounds easily when single feeding), 55 V-MAX @~3000fps, and factory loaded 77SMKs. Would you guys recommend I use any of these loads? Or would I be better off buying a different factory loading for this year (https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-eld-match-223-remington-73-grain-centerfire-rifle-ammo) Other recommended factory ammo? I know the 77TMK is highly recommended, but I don't see factory loads with that bullet? What about the 55 and/or 64 soft points or the 73FTX critical defense?

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-critical-defense-223-rem-73-grain-ftx-rifle-ammo

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/federal-premium-power-shok-223-remington-64-grain-jacketed-soft-point-centerfire-rifle-ammo

If it is a consideration, my archery buck this year weighed in at 136lbs field dressed and he was a fairly large deer for my area. Also, where I hunt, the max shot distance for my area is 300yds with most shot opportunities occurring from 15 - 200yds.

I do have a 6.5CM Tikka as well that I am confident in, but I (somewhat regrettably) bought that one in the varmint model and scoped it is just shy of 11lbs. Makes it really nice to shoot, but kind of sucks to carry for extended periods. I have thought about having it cut down, but it shoots so well I am very reluctant to mess with it.

Your deer are sized like ours here, the 8 point I posted earlier is a large deer here and he went 135lbs dressed. The 223 is more than enough with the proper bullets, I hunt with 77tmks but would have zero hesitation to use the factory 73eldm loads. I also have a tikka 6.5cm that hasn’t left the safe for hunting in 2 years now. I occasionally shoot it on the range but I’m lucky to put 3-400 rounds a year through it now. My current tikka 223s has one going on just over 5k rounds and my second which is the one in the picture is just shy of 9k rounds through it. I am to the point now where I have no desire to shoot or hunt with anything else especially in my home area.

My best advice is shoot the 223 a lot and hunt with it, I went from 30cal magnums and kept sizing down over the last few years. These little 223s have really changed my shooting for the better, and are just plain deadly.

 

[Heat]

https://palmettostatearmory.com/aac-5-56-nato-77-grain-sierra-tmk-20rd-box-ammunition.html

factory loaded and in stock 77 tmk.

Thanks got some. Price went up some, no?

 

[Spoonbill]

Thanks got some. Price went up some, no?

I think they were .80 cents a couple months ago. Still a good deal all things considered.

 

[wind gypsy]

I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...

Anyway, I don't think I will have time to load new ammo before rifle opens here this year and all I have loaded right now are 75 ELD-Ms @~2600fps (have to single feed so maybe not the best option because my rifle doesn't always chamber these rounds easily when single feeding), 55 V-MAX @~3000fps, and factory loaded 77SMKs. Would you guys recommend I use any of these loads? Or would I be better off buying a different factory loading for this year (https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-eld-match-223-remington-73-grain-centerfire-rifle-ammo) Other recommended factory ammo? I know the 77TMK is highly recommended, but I don't see factory loads with that bullet? What about the 55 and/or 64 soft points or the 73FTX critical defense?

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-critical-defense-223-rem-73-grain-ftx-rifle-ammo

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/federal-premium-power-shok-223-remington-64-grain-jacketed-soft-point-centerfire-rifle-ammo

If it is a consideration, my archery buck this year weighed in at 136lbs field dressed and he was a fairly large deer for my area. Also, where I hunt, the max shot distance for my area is 300yds with most shot opportunities occurring from 15 - 200yds.

I do have a 6.5CM Tikka as well that I am confident in, but I (somewhat regrettably) bought that one in the varmint model and scoped it is just shy of 11lbs. Makes it really nice to shoot, but kind of sucks to carry for extended periods. I have thought about having it cut down, but it shoots so well I am very reluctant to mess with it.

Those hornady factory match 73 ELDm shot awesome in my factory tikka lite barrel. That would be my first stop if a guy couldn't get the black hills 77 TMK.

Speer gold dot 75 gr or federal fusion 62 gr are a couple others i'd not hesitate to use on deer.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Thanks got some. Price went up some, no?

they did. Still pretty cheap compared to everything else with that bullet

 

[BLJ]

I was thinking about setting up a new Tikka RSS in .243Win for an all-around deer/varmint catcher for next year, but I already have a .223 Tikka that I am very curious (but hesitant) to give a try on whitetail this season. If it works out well maybe it would save me a few hundred dollars on another rifle. Or maybe not... I can't seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to rifles...

Anyway, I don't think I will have time to load new ammo before rifle opens here this year and all I have loaded right now are 75 ELD-Ms @~2600fps (have to single feed so maybe not the best option because my rifle doesn't always chamber these rounds easily when single feeding), 55 V-MAX @~3000fps, and factory loaded 77SMKs. Would you guys recommend I use any of these loads? Or would I be better off buying a different factory loading for this year (https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-eld-match-223-remington-73-grain-centerfire-rifle-ammo) Other recommended factory ammo? I know the 77TMK is highly recommended, but I don't see factory loads with that bullet? What about the 55 and/or 64 soft points or the 73FTX critical defense?

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/hornady-critical-defense-223-rem-73-grain-ftx-rifle-ammo

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/federal-premium-power-shok-223-remington-64-grain-jacketed-soft-point-centerfire-rifle-ammo

If it is a consideration, my archery buck this year weighed in at 136lbs field dressed and he was a fairly large deer for my area. Also, where I hunt, the max shot distance for my area is 300yds with most shot opportunities occurring from 15 - 200yds.

I do have a 6.5CM Tikka as well that I am confident in, but I (somewhat regrettably) bought that one in the varmint model and scoped it is just shy of 11lbs. Makes it really nice to shoot, but kind of sucks to carry for extended periods. I have thought about having it cut down, but it shoots so well I am very reluctant to mess with it.

Given your parameters, if the 62 grain Fusions will shoot good from your rifle, you could light the grill before you go hunting and eat well when you return.