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

Bubbadoyle

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 6, 2022
Messages
130
I’m sure this has been answered in here several times but scrolling through 9000 comments is not very good use of my time. Can anyone tell me the estimated low end impact velocity for good terminal performance with the 77 TMK.


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Gettincloser

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 2, 2020
Messages
237
I thought the TMK was down lower than 1800 fps. I thought it was around 1500fps to 1600fps on the low end with consistent upset. @Formidilosus you are the expert, and have more on animal experience, would you please correct me if I am wrong.
 

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Shoot2HuntU
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
10,086
I thought the TMK was down lower than 1800 fps. I thought it was around 1500fps to 1600fps on the low end with consistent upset. @Formidilosus you are the expert, and have more on animal experience, would you please correct me if I am wrong.

I am not an expert. However, while the 77gr TMK has shown to upset below 1,800fps- I would still set that as the lower limit for full upset.
 

The Guide

WKR
Joined
Aug 20, 2023
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910
Location
Montana
I’ve read through most of it but I don’t have the time to go through it again.


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I thought the TMK was down lower than 1800 fps. I thought it was around 1500fps to 1600fps on the low end with consistent upset. @Formidilosus you are the expert, and have more on animal experience, would you please correct me if I am wrong.
1000004110.jpg
 

fwafwow

WKR
Joined
Apr 8, 2018
Messages
5,556
5.56 BH TMK on doe at ~120 yards quartering to. She dropped immediately, flopped a bit, then took off into the woods. Apart from blood where she flopped around, there was zero blood trail until very close to where I found her - roughly 40 yards into the woods. In picture #2, the entry is on the left (but I don't think it's visible - the slit on that side may be from the knife when gutting) and although damage is on the right, there was no exit. No damage to the heart.
IMG_2461.jpegIMG_0960.jpeg
IMG_0959.jpegIMG_0961.jpeg
 

MEdude

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 12, 2023
Messages
171
5.56 BH TMK on doe at ~120 yards quartering to. She dropped immediately, flopped a bit, then took off into the woods. Apart from blood where she flopped around, there was zero blood trail until very close to where I found her - roughly 40 yards into the woods. In picture #2, the entry is on the left (but I don't think it's visible - the slit on that side may be from the knife when gutting) and although damage is on the right, there was no exit. No damage to the heart.
View attachment 794982View attachment 794983
View attachment 794990View attachment 794996

Is the blood at the neck body junction, in the first picture the actual impact location?
Tnx
 

Schmo

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Apr 29, 2023
Messages
960
@PNWGATOR,
Thank you for starting this thread! It’s completely changed my mind on the effectiveness of the 223. Just wrapped up a Montana hunt with my Tikka 223. Really enjoyed using it. No recoil, not very loud, and just a joy to shoot. On top of that, very effective. Now I won’t hesitate to grab it for a hunt if I need to.
 

Poe

FNG
Joined
Aug 20, 2024
Messages
43
Finally got to try the 73gr eldm on something larger than coyotes. White tail approx 200 lbs Slightly quartering away at around 200 yards. Impact velocity should be around 2450 from a tikka t3x varmint. Hit him just below halfway up on the body just behind the shoulder. Extensive damage to 1 lung and a fair bit of damage to the second. Broke ribs with a fairly large entrance wound and exited between 2 ribs on the off side but did not make it through the layer of meat between the ribs and the hide. I didn’t find the bullet I’m guessing it must have went back inside and got left with the gut pile. Deer ran 50-70 yards and flipped over backwards dead. No meat damage. Sorry I forgot to take pictures of the lungs.
 

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