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

[HairyScandinavian]

I haven't seen any issues with the Zulus stuff. I have the regular NV but it's the same housing they use on the thermals. Mine is on an AR that gets tossed into an aluminum boat and pounds crossing a big bay and I've not had to adjust the zero on it. These things all have the one shot zero that gets it close enough for hogs so wouldn't be terribly difficult anyway but it would be annoying.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

First kill with the new .223/77 tmk.
360 yds across a canyon. One shot and rolled downhill 20 yards, drt. I'm sold!

View attachment 942701

That’s a good looking bear and rifle

 

[gbflyer]

Blacktail, 150 yards broadside. 77TMK leaving at 2815. Stood up on hind legs then flopped. One front quarter is toast unfortunately. It would be no more dead with a .375 H&H

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LimeSpoon]

Has anyone chronographed any recent 2025 lots of Black Hills 77 gr TMK?

Found a rumor that it was downloaded so now I have to bother people again with this question.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

Has anyone chronographed any recent 2025 lots of Black Hills 77 gr TMK?

Found a rumor that it was downloaded so now I have to bother people again with this question.

Haven't had a new batch of BH 77 TMK but some BH 108 ELD-M's that were so slow compared to Hornady I thought the chrono was broken.

 

[glock233]

Has anyone chronographed any recent 2025 lots of Black Hills 77 gr TMK?

Found a rumor that it was downloaded so now I have to bother people again with this question.

Wow do I have some great data for you. See below. Shot a full box of 2025 BH TMK 5.56. 1200 ft of elevation. 82 degrees temp. Tikka factory stainless 22” barrel.

I’d call it underwhelming but not terrible. The spread and deviation wasn’t great.

 

[LimeSpoon]

Damn, that’s pretty disappointing, it’d always been my go-to source for 77 gr TMK. It’s slow enough that I feel like you might as well just shuffle that under the .223 instead of the 5.56 ammo category on their website.

Oh well, good excuse to get into handloading it, I guess.

 

[Deere_Man]

Damn, that’s pretty disappointing, it’d always been my go-to source for 77 gr TMK. It’s slow enough that I feel like you might as well just shuffle that under the .223 instead of the 5.56 ammo category on their website.

Oh well, good excuse to get into handloading it, I guess.

Or a 22-250! I’m looking forward to some mild loads with 77TMK and 2950-3050 fps mv.

 

[Tahr]

Do we know of any thermals that are relatively trouble-free in the commercial market?

The notion that thermals and NV are unreliable and have to be sighted in "daily" is absolute rubbish. The current crop are reliable and hold zero very well. I use them extensively culling deer and they are as reliable as any day scope I have.

368yds. .223. 74 grn projectile.

 

[omicron1792]

The notion that thermals and NV are unreliable and have to be sighted in "daily" is absolute rubbish. The current crop are reliable and hold zero very well. I use them extensively culling deer and they are as reliable as any day scope I have.

368yds. .223. 74 grn projectile.

I agree with this fully. I’ve killed close to 100 coyote now and my pulsar hasn’t lost zero once.

 

[schmidty3]

Has anyone chronographed any recent 2025 lots of Black Hills 77 gr TMK?

Found a rumor that it was downloaded so now I have to bother people again with this question.

Im not sure what lot I have, but just got them.

2790 fps out of my 20" AR criterion barrel

 

[LimeSpoon]

Im not sure what lot I have, but just got them.

2790 fps out of my 20" AR criterion barrel

Strange. That’s much closer to what I was expecting.

 

[h2so4]

Has anyone chronographed any recent 2025 lots of Black Hills 77 gr TMK?

Found a rumor that it was downloaded so now I have to bother people again with this question.

I got 2735 fps from a 17" Tikka a couple of months ago. I don't recall the lot number...

 

[glock233]

Strange. That’s much closer to what I was expecting.

I bet I had newer rounds. I'm very sure on my data. Tikka barrels are slow but they aren't that slow.

I am trying out the "bone frog" 5.56 TMK loading next.

 

[Georgedubya]

Bone frog works

 

[Nutkin13]

I had a 1/7” twist barrel put on an old Remington Model Seven and chambered in 223AI. Got it dialed in with 8208XBR at 2710fps. Two 3 round groups fired on different days:



And here’s the first critter on the ground, a yearling doe at 185 yards went about 10 yards. Bullet diameter entrance, broke both shoulders, exit was about dime size with the jacket stuck in the offside hide

 

[Deere_Man]

I had a 1/7” twist barrel put on an old Remington Model Seven and chambered in 223AI. Got it dialed in with 8208XBR at 2710fps. Two 3 round groups fired on different days:
View attachment 944818
View attachment 944819

And here’s the first critter on the ground, a yearling doe at 185 yards went about 10 yards. Bullet diameter entrance, broke both shoulders, exit was about dime size with the jacket stuck in the offside hide

View attachment 944820

Noicccccce!

What bullet?

 

[h2so4]

@LimeSpoon I can confirm that NO changes have been made to the BHA 77gr TMK from the factory. current lots are the same as previous years.

 

[Nutkin13]

Noicccccce!

What bullet?

77gr TMK

 

[omicron1792]

@LimeSpoon I can confirm that NO changes have been made to the BHA 77gr TMK from the factory. current lots are the same as previous years.

Yep. 2700-2750 is what it has always been from 16-18” barrels