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

[HRH2K]

This was my first year with the Tikka .223 after hunting with a Tikka 270 WSM for about 10 years. I took my first bear in September with 73 ELDM hand loads. The shot was about 100 yards and 2500 fps impact velocity. The bear spun, took a couple bounds, and rolled down a slope dead. I didn’t take any autopsy photos or cut into the chest cavity, but one leg bone was broken and the vitals were sloshed. Kill time was at least on par with my average for 270 WSM if not a bit better.

I’ve practiced more this year than any other and making the swap was a great move in my goal to become a better rifleman. I’m looking forward to logging more results with the .223 Thanks to all who have contributed to this thread!

 

[Reddish]

62gr Gold Dot added another doe to the freezer. Centered the lungs at 100yds, good size hole through both and body cavity filled with blood. She made it a few yards and was down.

 

[Trapperkid]

It’s very clear the 223 is marginal at best but possible for smaller bodies deer at under 100 yards.
I actually used to believe something similar till about two years ago when I found this thread.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

Just adding some data points.

Dad's rifle tikka 22-250 handloaded 88gr ELDs @3050fps. Shot ~50yards straight on. Buck made it about 50 yards away in a dead run. Bullet didn't exit and no obvious blood trail. Poor picture but shoulder was destroyed.


Mine: AAC 77gr TMK from a 16" tikka at ~50 yards, he made it about 30 yards. Hard quartering away shot.
Nice blood trail

Bullet caught in hide on the exit side

Entry side

 

[SURVEYOR]

I posted this in the youth forum and no its not a 223 kill but a 22lr to the brain pan from 15’ and delivered by my 4 year old with his Jagd Terrier

 

[pacoalcracker]

holy smokes..now we have a new bear, deer, elk, moose rifle....and the terrier didn't even have to track it. who needs that overpowered 223? just think...less recoil! less cost too.

 

[hunterjmj]

It’s very clear the 223 is marginal at best but possible for smaller bodies deer at under 100 yards.
I actually used to believe something similar till about two years ago when I found this thread.

Some older guys I use to hunt with still think it's way too small for basically everything regardless of the evidence. Change or new info is tough for some people to swallow I guess.

 

[SURVEYOR]

holy smokes..now we have a new bear, deer, elk, moose rifle....and the terrier didn't even have to track it. who needs that overpowered 223? just think...less recoil! less cost too.

Who needs a cannon when your close and have a 22?

 

[ElPollo]

Killed a nice dry doe this morning and dropped her where she stood with a 77gr TMK. It was sort of anticlimactic. I was sitting on a transmission right of way on USFS land and had a 450 yard view across two drainages in either direction. But the doe walked in on my left and stood there staring at me straight on at 30 yards. I opted for less meat damage and put one through her neck. A 22 lr would have killed her.

I want to add another thought or two on this morning’s harvest. This was my first 223/TMK kill. While the shot wasn’t something that tested or showcased what the combo can do, it was an amazingly pleasant experience. This is the first combo that I’ve been comfortable shooting suppressed without ear protection. No ear ringing at all. It’s was quiet enough that the other doe with her stuck around snorting and stomping because she couldn’t figure out why her friend suddenly disappeared. I might have taken her with a second shot if she weren’t screened out by brush. And second, the near lack of recoil is just really nice. I’ve shot and hunted with plenty of big kickers. I am just getting to the point where I don’t see the point when I can kill stuff just as dead at similar distances (inside 450) with much more pleasant shooting rounds.

And the last thing I’ll add here is that my fixed 6x scope did just fine on a quick 30 yard shot in brush. I was able to quickly find and exploit a small hole in the vegetation to make the kill.

 

[Hardly_Hangin]

73gr eldm 50 yards. Poa halfway up shoulder, poi in front of front leg. Looked like he lost leg mobility and plowed the ground for 20 yards or so. 73 yards to first blood. 80 ish yard blood trail. 3 finger exit hole blew out front right lung. Enter in front of right shoulder Exited in front of left shoulder.

I was hesitant to post because im rather embarrassed at the shot placement, but decided to for posterity illustrating effectiveness despite a marginal shot placement. I did zero my rifle on a bench. it's a junky 1-9 twist cheap milspec ar shooting a horrendous 8moa. Currently Im building a new upper and upgrading the trigger to improve accuracy and shootability. Hope to have more data points before end of season

 

[Dust Rider]

15 year old daughter took her first WT buck with the Black Hills Factory 77gr TMK, Tikka .223, Maven Rs1.2 and Scythe Ti. It was a 120 yard down hill shot from above into the neck. He was hooked up with a doe and would not move in the thicket. Neck was only option for shot. He only went a few feet. This is our 6th kill with the 77gr TMK out of our Tikka .223. It just works and kills. No necro pics of the hole in neck. Deer coughed out a lot of blood.

 

[ra3043]

Can officially confirm for myself that the RSS works on mule deer. Impact velocity around 2000 fps (360 yards, 18 inch tikka with handloads around 2750). 77 TMK mushroomed and retained 56 grains of weight. Shot was a tiny bit back and hit liver HARD - completely destroying it. Buck left his doe and laid down within 10 yards of hit. Bullet was caught on the offside hide, it fully expanded to over a half inch in diameter. I have no doubt this first shot was fatal. Finishing shot was much closer and much more destructive (25 yards, i could fit all 5 fingers horizontally into the entrance wound it left). My biggest advice if this is something youre looking to use, is to be very good at judging and rangefinding distance- closer shots or front shoulder hits at distance will be beneficial. The largest downside I could find to this combo, is that its not as flat or as destructive as my 6 creed with 108 eldms. Damage at this distance and with these speeds was very similar to my brothers 243 with core lokts at 100 yards, had a good opportunity to compare the two as we processed this weekend.

 

[Gettincloser]

73gr eldm 50 yards. Poa halfway up shoulder, poi in front of front leg. Looked like he lost leg mobility and plowed the ground for 20 yards or so. 73 yards to first blood. 80 ish yard blood trail. 3 finger exit hole blew out front right lung. Enter in front of right shoulder Exited in front of left shoulder.

I was hesitant to post because im rather embarrassed at the shot placement, but decided to for posterity illustrating effectiveness despite a marginal shot placement. I did zero my rifle on a bench. it's a junky 1-9 twist cheap milspec ar shooting a horrendous 8moa. Currently Im building a new upper and upgrading the trigger to improve accuracy and shootability. Hope to have more data points before end of season
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It is not the goal... but still good to see what less than ideal impact location will do. 8moa is pretty rough. Even my muzzleloader with irons holds tighter than that! (Glad you are getting the rifle tuned up for better accuracy.) And I am glad you were able to recover your game quickly.

 

[teamsprock]

First elk with the 77gr TMK 223 (16” tikka) combo. Shot was roughly 150 yards in the timber. Shot hit lungs and heart, bull was dead in less than 20 yards. Very happy with the combo.

 

[igethangry]

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.

I poked around a few local shops and unfortunately did not come across any of these factory loads. I could order online, but I found that I also have some factory loaded sierra 69 blitzking rounds in the safe.

Does anyone know if these bullets produce similar terminal effects on whitetail as the generally recommended suite of match bullets?

The other option I have is to just treat my tikka like a single shot with my 75 ELDM load and not plan for a quick follow up…

 

[Gettincloser]

I poked around a few local shops and unfortunately did not come across any of these factory loads. I could order online, but I found that I also have some factory loaded sierra 69 blitzking rounds in the safe.

Does anyone know if these bullets produce similar terminal effects on whitetail as the generally recommended suite of match bullets?

The other option I have is to just treat my tikka like a single shot with my 75 ELDM load and not plan for a quick follow up…

Are you not able to find the factory loaded 73gr ELDM in stock? I have not been to a shop that did not have the loaded ammo ready to go. This way you are out and hunting and have the option of follow up shots. In my vast experience of (1), if fell 2 feet. Straight down from where it was standing!

Given only the 2 option of handloads and ignoring the 73gr ELDM, I would opt for the fancy single loader of the 75 ELDM. It has been proven by others to be an effective killer. No knowledge on the 69gr blitzking.

 

[brolo]

73 gr eld-m for Kodiak blacktails:


2000 fps at 260 yds full broadside; saw the bullet impact vitals right behind shoulder. Deer jump kicked and started trotting downhill, so i shot again, hitting forward shoulder. Deer dead 30 yds from initial hit. 1st shot left golf ball wounds on both sides of ribs, jello lungs. 2nd shot ruined a bunch of shoulder meat.


2200 fps at 155 yds full head on shot to high neck; full pass through, broke spine and severed bunch of blood vessels, deer moved 0 yds after shot


2450 fps at 40 yds completely facing away, shot through back of neck; full pass through broke spine, deer moved 0 yds after shot