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

[ElPollo]

I didn't read all 463 pages of this thread.

On page 1, the OP wrote "Based on my sample of one, the 77 TMK out of a .223 is truly a lethal combination well suited to a dedicated lower 48 big game rifle."

I saw further posts showing pictures of animals killed with .223s.

Yes, if all things are perfect, a .223 will kill any of the animals that he listed.

I've had friends that used their .22-250 or .220 Swift to kill a black bear every year, multiple elk, 3 mountain goats that I knew of, and at least 4 buffalo. They were all excellent shooters, and they only talked about the animals that they had killed, they never said much about the ones that they wounded and got away.

My Eskimo guide on my Musk ox hunt told me he killed a polar bear with his .223. When I asked him how many shots it took, he just smiled.

I have 2 rifles chambered in .223, and another in .22-250 that I used to make one shot kills on at least 4 deer and pronghorn antelope. I have also killed around a dozen deer with a .22 LR (and not wounded or lost any), but I don't recommend it as a deer cartridge either.

I have also successfully DIY hunted all of the animals listed in the OP's first post, so my opinion is based on my first hand experiences and not on internet posts. Many new and inexperienced hunters look to the internet for advice for their own hunting.

Not all shots in hunting situations are perfect, and I hate to see animals being wounded and suffer after being shot, so I stand by my opinion that a .223 is lethal, but it is NOT truly well suited to a dedicated lower 48 big game rifle.


So can I only repy if I agree with the OP's post?

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

I have not become a Kool-Aid drinker, but I am willing to tasted test. 1) Tikka T3X in 223 2) Starline Brass + 69g TMk bullets Anything else I need to test the Kool-Aid? I have Tallley Rings. For now, it has a Leupold VX-Freedom. It will do until I decide what kind of scope I really want...

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