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

[fwafwow]

Keep us updated on how the transaction goes with them. I almost bought from them but their shipping was substantially higher than others. As long as it’s a solid transaction I may end up biting the bullet so to speak

The ammo arrived today.

 

[fwafwow]

The ammo arrived today.

Sorry to have been terse. More details for anyone who cares.

Shopping cart filled Wednesday (1/1) but left to sit. Very shortly thereafter, company emailed with 3% discount to complete transaction (accepted). Transaction completed on 1/1 and confirmation email received same day. Email of 1/2 confirmed order "released to warehouse" - which I initially took as a bad sign. No shipment confirmation email with tracking. Package received 1/4.

Yep, the shipping charge is poor relatively speaking, but I only care about all-in cost to me. Now I realize it may not be best to always use the ammoseek shipping filter.

 

[Deere_Man]

Sorry to have been terse. More details for anyone who cares.

Shopping cart filled Wednesday (1/1) but left to sit. Very shortly thereafter, company emailed with 3% discount to complete transaction (accepted). Transaction completed on 1/1 and confirmation email received same day. Email of 1/2 confirmed order "released to warehouse" - which I initially took as a bad sign. No shipment confirmation email with tracking. Package received 1/4.

Yep, the shipping charge is poor relatively speaking, but I only care about all-in cost to me. Now I realize it may not be best to always use the ammoseek shipping filter.

Thank you! This has made my day.

 

[Jay Ell Gee]

I was able to get two deer down this week on the gulf coast.

Wednesday, I the opportunity to take a small-ish doe, about 140lbs. 135 yards, hit square in the front shoulder (last opportunity to shoot it, I was hesitant about the size of the doe). Damage was as expected, nasty bloodshot mess of the impacted shoulder, very small rib exit on other side. Dropped where she stood.

Yesterday, I was able to down a nice 200lb 10 point. Hit just behind the shoulder around 75 yards. Heart had a hole through it that I could put my thumb into, lungs were a mess. Small entrance and exit, very little blood trail. Enough to follow for the 100 yard death run through timber, but found him quickly.

This is my best buck to date and after my 2023 season was hijacked by chemo treatments, I wasn’t going to be too picky about the deer that I put in the freezer this season. Luckily, it has worked out well so far.

Hopefully my wife can get one or two meat deer as well and we will be eating really well for the next year!

Rifle setup is a Tikka T3X 223, 22” Cabela’s edition with the fluted barrel. Nightforce 2.5-10x42, UM rings. Dead Air Nomad LTi. Factory Black Hills 77 TMK.

I actually picked up this 223 early into chemo last season, as I had a mediport in my chest. Most rifles with recoil were a no-go, so I decided to build a Rokslide special out of what I could get locally. Really love this setup, and it has become my primary deer hunting rifle now.

 

[KyleR1985]

I was able to get two deer down this week on the gulf coast.

Had the opportunity to take a small-ish doe, about 140lbs. 135 yards, hit square in the front shoulder (last opportunity, was hesitant about the size of the doe). Damage was as expected, nasty bloodshot mess of the impacted shoulder, very small rib exit on other side. Dropped where she stood.

Yesterday, I was able to down a nice 200lb 10 point. Hit just behind the shoulder around 75 yards. Heart had a hole through it that I could put my thumb into, lungs were a mess. Small entrance and exit, very little blood trail. Enough to follow for the 100 yard death run through timber, but found him quickly.

This is my best buck to date and after my 2023 season was hijacked by chemo treatments, I wasn’t going to be too picky about the deer that I put in the freezer. Hopefully my wife can get one or two meat deer as well and we will be eating really well for the next year!

Rifle setup is a Tikka T3X 223, 22” Cabela’s edition with the fluted barrel. Nightforce 2.5-10x42, UM rings. Dead Air Nomad LTi. Factory Black Hills 77 TMK.

I actually picked up this 223 early into chemo last season, as I had a mediport in my chest. Most rifles were a no-go, so I decided to build a Rokslide special out of what I could get locally. Really love this setup, and it has become my primary deer hunting rifle now.

Silver linings.

Excellent buck

 

[KHntr]

I was able to get two deer down this week on the gulf coast.

Had the opportunity to take a small-ish doe, about 140lbs. 135 yards, hit square in the front shoulder (last opportunity, was hesitant about the size of the doe). Damage was as expected, nasty bloodshot mess of the impacted shoulder, very small rib exit on other side. Dropped where she stood.

Yesterday, I was able to down a nice 200lb 10 point. Hit just behind the shoulder around 75 yards. Heart had a hole through it that I could put my thumb into, lungs were a mess. Small entrance and exit, very little blood trail. Enough to follow for the 100 yard death run through timber, but found him quickly.

This is my best buck to date and after my 2023 season was hijacked by chemo treatments, I wasn’t going to be too picky about the deer that I put in the freezer. Hopefully my wife can get one or two meat deer as well and we will be eating really well for the next year!

Rifle setup is a Tikka T3X 223, 22” Cabela’s edition with the fluted barrel. Nightforce 2.5-10x42, UM rings. Dead Air Nomad LTi. Factory Black Hills 77 TMK.

I actually picked up this 223 early into chemo last season, as I had a mediport in my chest. Most rifles were a no-go, so I decided to build a Rokslide special out of what I could get locally. Really love this setup, and it has become my primary deer hunting rifle now.

That’s fantastic.
Glad you have been able to keep hurting through your treatment. Good luck and hope it goes well for you.

 

[35WhelenAI]

I was able to get two deer down this week on the gulf coast.

Wednesday, I the opportunity to take a small-ish doe, about 140lbs. 135 yards, hit square in the front shoulder (last opportunity to shoot it, I was hesitant about the size of the doe). Damage was as expected, nasty bloodshot mess of the impacted shoulder, very small rib exit on other side. Dropped where she stood.

Yesterday, I was able to down a nice 200lb 10 point. Hit just behind the shoulder around 75 yards. Heart had a hole through it that I could put my thumb into, lungs were a mess. Small entrance and exit, very little blood trail. Enough to follow for the 100 yard death run through timber, but found him quickly.

This is my best buck to date and after my 2023 season was hijacked by chemo treatments, I wasn’t going to be too picky about the deer that I put in the freezer this season. Luckily, it has worked out well so far.

Hopefully my wife can get one or two meat deer as well and we will be eating really well for the next year!

Rifle setup is a Tikka T3X 223, 22” Cabela’s edition with the fluted barrel. Nightforce 2.5-10x42, UM rings. Dead Air Nomad LTi. Factory Black Hills 77 TMK.

I actually picked up this 223 early into chemo last season, as I had a mediport in my chest. Most rifles with recoil were a no-go, so I decided to build a Rokslide special out of what I could get locally. Really love this setup, and it has become my primary deer hunting rifle now.

Congrats, great to see your success with the things you've gone through.

 

[Poe]

I was leaning 243, but this dang thread has me back on the fence.

I got a 8 twist tikka in .223 that I have been really happy with. Since picking it up it has been my every day gun. I like the .223 for hunting and target shooting. I picked up a 6 creed barrel super cheap about a month ago and eventually I think it will become the main deer hunting rifle and coyotes on windy days. I think having both will be a good combination.

 

[rclouse79]

I got a 8 twist tikka in .223 that I have been really happy with. Since picking it up it has been my every day gun. I like the .223 for hunting and target shooting. I picked up a 6 creed barrel super cheap about a month ago and eventually I think it will become the main deer hunting rifle and coyotes on windy days. I think having both will be a good combination.

I actually bought a new threaded X Caliber 25-06 barrel for my tikka 270. I think between that and a 223 my kids and I will be set.

 

[woods89]

Here's a bit of a non-scientific take based on a small sample size that nevertheless may be interesting here.

I think I've killed 5 or 6 whitetails now with a 1-9 twist 223 and the 69 Gr TMK. All 223 should be 8 twist, and the 77 TMK is the way, but it has worked quite well for me. Typically they run 30-40 yds and crash, with heart/lung shots.

Last week I killed 2 whitetail does with a 50 cal muzzleloader shooting 80 grains of Pyrodex and a 420 gr No Excuses lead bullet ( just a big solid lead conical). People have been talking about the term ''wallop'', I'd guess this combo would fit the term, quite slow but heavy! They basically just punch a big hole, and mushroom some but not a lot.

Both deer were shot at about 30 yds through the lungs. One shot was a little high, and shocked the spine enough that the deer immediately dropped, and couldn't use its hind legs. The other was simply through the ribs, and that one ran about 40 yds, stopped for a few seconds, and dropped.

What I though was interesting was how long they both acted alive. I was a little intrigued at how long it took to apparently bleed out. I'm not talking about the twitches, but flopping heads around, etc. For me it was instructive in how much more effective a fragmenting bullet kills. Generally with the 69 TMK they drop, thrash for a few seconds, and the switch is off.

The difference was stark enough to certainly take note. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of a small caliber fragmenting bullet!

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Those high lung shots that put the deer down by damaging the spine take forever to kill the deer. I shot two deer this year and just by chance both shots were a little higher and a little further back than I wanted. Both deer went down immediately and could not get back up, but after 20 minutes, neither was dead. I was using a .243 and a 6.5 Grendel.

The first one could get up on his front legs, but not move his back legs. I ended up shooting him in the head.

The second one couldn’t get up at all, so I cut his throat.

Both lungs had holes in them, but I guess it takes longer for the tension pneumothorax to kill them when it’s a high lung shots?

Also, neither of them had any external blood loss until the final killing blow. If I hadn’t damaged the spine, I expect I would have been tracking them a while with no blood trail.

Neither of the bullets failed, I just didn’t put them where I should have put them.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

 

[Jay Ell Gee]

I actually bought a new threaded X Caliber 25-06 barrel for my tikka 270. I think between that and a 223 my kids and I will be set.

I agree. I used to have a 25-06 and anything shot by it just went down on the spot. I really should get another…

 

[woods89]

Those high lung shots that put the deer down by damaging the spine take forever to kill the deer. I shot two deer this year and just by chance both shots were a little higher and a little further back than I wanted. Both deer went down immediately and could not get back up, but after 20 minutes, neither was dead. I was using a .243 and a 6.5 Grendel.

The first one could get up on his front legs, but not move his back legs. I ended up shooting him in the head.

The second one couldn’t get up at all, so I cut his throat.

Both lungs had holes in them, but I guess it takes longer for the tension pneumothorax to kill them when it’s a high lung shots?

Also, neither of them had any external blood loss until the final killing blow. If I hadn’t damaged the spine, I expect I would have been tracking them a while with no blood trail.

Neither of the bullets failed, I just didn’t put them where I should have put them.


____________________
“Keep on keepin’ on…”

100% agree, low lung shots kill a lot quicker than high.

I got one a little high with my 223 a couple years ago, though. It was definitely faster as I remember. I think those little fragments do a lot of tearing, resulting in a lot of bleeding.

 

[Bluumoon]

I didn’t think he needed, I was just curious if he had tried it and how it worked out. I don’t know anyone with an astigmatism.

Red dots are more of a janky red bar for me.