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

[Pharmseller]

This post is about 6 years in the making. Been lurking here for longer than that, and been reading this thread since its inception. Before that, I was shooting a 300wm on everything, mostly deer. Shooting barnes ttsx's and noslee accubonds. As the data points started to roll in in this thread, I started to question my "knowledge" of terminal ballistics. The stuff Form (and others) were preaching started to make sense.
So I bought a 6.5 cm and killed a few deer- it worked fine, and lots more fun to shoot than the 300. Then I bought a tikka t3x in 22-250, 8" twist. Loaded up some 80gr eldx, and took it deer hunting last year. First deer I shot with it was a young 8 point, about 70 yards. Missed the first shot, causing him to turn 180 degrees, but not run. Never lost him in the scope, racked the bolt and hit him, hard quartering away, right about at the last rib. He ran maybe 100 yards, pouring blood (easy tracking), and died in a field. Bullet under offside shoulder, heart and lungs soup. I was amazed at the damage. . . Just like if you said I would be.
Second deer was a die, 274 yards. Was right at dark, so I used Form's recommended shot placement forward in the shoulder. Deer dropped where it stood, didn't even twitch. Heart and lungs soup. So consider me a concert, sold my 300, and probably gonna get a tikka in .223 with a short barrel to go with my 6.5cm and 22-250.

Resistance is futile.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The 3-9x is better glass, and I find the upper end of the 3-15 terrible.

Most people seem to like the 3-15x up to 12x. I still think the 6x and 10x are their best offerings.

 

[Treeman_MG]

Resistance is futile.

Given up trying to resist. This year is all .22's. . . .223/tmk's up to bat first!

 

[Pharmseller]

I have a GrandSon about her age...

Arranged marriages have an excellent retention rate.

What’s the dowry?

 

[TX_Mike D.]

The 3-9x is better glass, and I find the upper end of the 3-15 terrible.

I doubt I would use it past 9x, but next time I'm out in the west Texas panhandle the upper end might help me see some prairie dogs.

Still planning on sleeping on it though.

 

[YaakRiver]

I'm sure I would be happy with the 3-9x, but considering they are the same length and only adding ~3oz of weight, I think I'm going to go with the 3-15x. I'll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning.

I appreciate the feedback.

Hoping to get everything together before my wife's cousin is ready to head down to their property to hunt. Our freezers are full from an axis I was lucky enough to get a chance at, so I don't plan on taking a whitetail this year, but there are more pigs down there than there should be. Hoping to come across one bigger than I would bring home to eat to add more data points to this thread. Not that it really needs any at this point... the data seems to be in.

I like using the same optic on multiple rifles. If the field of view is the same at 3x, there's no reason to change.

 

[TX_Mike D.]

Most people seem to like the 3-15x up to 12x. I still think the 6x and 10x are their best offerings.

I don't know why, but I like to have the option of having variable zoom power. Where we hunt a 3-9x would be plenty, but I'd like options incases my hunting location area increases to more open terrain.

I remember reading something somewhere about how the only 3-9x scopes that are zoomed all the way to 9x are from us TX hunters shooting at a whitetail from a blind at 100 yards or less. It gave me a good laugh in part because it is true...

I'd considered the fixed 6x (especially for the price), but they are currently sold out. I'd like to get everything in, mounted, and to the range to sight in before December when we would be heading down there. A 10x would likely be too much for a fix magnification in that area.

 

[TX_Mike D.]

I like using the same optic on multiple rifles. If the field of view is the same at 3x, there's no reason to change.

I agree with you. I'm going to sleep on it tonight and make a decision in the morning. I might just snag the 3-15X off the WSM and stick it on this rifle to take with me.

Apologies y'all, I'm high jacking the thread talking about optics and this is about hunting with a .223. I will submit the necropsy results if I get everything in and ready in time. I don't have a chronograph, so I won't have velocities, but I can cut them open if they don't go too deep into the thick prickly stuff.

 

[longmire-mt]

More .223 TMK success. Cow was at 60 yards. Bang flop. 2 shots, one in the lungs one scapula. Bull was 450 yards stopped in off side hide for both shots. Lungs and neck. Only complaint so far is no blood trail but they dropped so not much of an issue.

 

[Deere_Man]

I'm sure I would be happy with the 3-9x, but considering they are the same length and only adding ~3oz of weight, I think I'm going to go with the 3-15x. I'll sleep on it and make a decision in the morning.

I appreciate the feedback.

Hoping to get everything together before my wife's cousin is ready to head down to their property to hunt. Our freezers are full from an axis I was lucky enough to get a chance at, so I don't plan on taking a whitetail this year, but there are more pigs down there than there should be. Hoping to come across one bigger than I would bring home to eat to add more data points to this thread. Not that it really needs any at this point... the data seems to be in.

I cannot make the SWFA reticle out very well in low light. My next scope purchase will likely have some sort of illumination like a Trijicon Accupoint.

 

[TX_Mike D.]

I cannot make the SWFA reticle out very well in low light. My next scope purchase will likely have some sort of illumination like a Trijicon Accupoint.

I haven't gotten a chance to hunt with the SWFA in low light yet. It looks good in the few conditions I've used it though.

My main deer rifle up to getting on this forum is/was a 7-08 Remington 700 from the 1990's with a 3-9x Nikon Buckmaster scope. I got it as a gift so it's very sentimental. While it has killed quite a pile of deer and I won't get rid of it or stop hunting with it, this thread has me making moves on other go to rifles.

That being said, I'm used to even more basic entry level scopes, and I just can't justify spending another ~$1,200 bones on another Maven R1.2.

 

[Schmo]

That being said, I'm used to even more basic entry level scopes, and I just can't justify spending another ~$1,200 bones on another Maven R1.2.

No shame in a SWFA whatsoever! They’re great scopes, and more reliable than Leupold, Vortex, and a bunch of others!

 

[Deere_Man]

I haven't gotten a chance to hunt with the SWFA in low light yet. It looks good in the few conditions I've used it though.

My main deer rifle up to getting on this forum is/was a 7-08 Remington 700 from the 1990's with a 3-9x Nikon Buckmaster scope. I got it as a gift so it's very sentimental. While it has killed quite a pile of deer and I won't get rid of it or stop hunting with it, this thread has me making moves on other go to rifles.

That being said, I'm used to even more basic entry level scopes, and I just can't justify spending another ~$1,200 bones on another Maven R1.2.

I found a good used Nikon Buckmaster and mounted it on my T3X 223.

 

[Pharmseller]

I’m a fan of a fixed 12. AO is handy.

 

[ElPollo]

I found a good used Nikon Buckmaster and mounted it on my T3X 223.

View attachment 958599

My last Nikon would lose zero regularly from riding in my truck on washboard roads. Hope yours does better.

 

[TX_Mike D.]

I found a good used Nikon Buckmaster and mounted it on my T3X 223

Looks good on the rifle! How does it shoot? Is it a simple duplex recital?

I think the one on my 7-08 is a bit older. It's done well and has held zero (with occasional adjustments over the years), but it doesn't take any kind of beating. It gets used but is basically a safe queen compared to the abuse a day-to-day rifle will take. If Form, or any of the members, did the drop test on it that I've read here I'm sure it would fail miserably. I'll try to take a picture of it tomorrow for you to get a good laugh at my "antique" scope and rifle.

Reading the scope reviews got me interested in the SWFA for their durability. Especially for their price point.

 

[ElPollo]

That's mostly a rhetorical question because I had some beer and then got on the Internet. But here are the speeds just for some extra data.

75gr Hornady black, 2703avg first out of barrel
Blackarc 77otm 2633avg
Aac 77 otm 2526avg
Aac 75bthp Avg 2643
AAC 75bthp Avg 2680 (probably post speed up)

I haven't handloaded anything yet. I've got some 77tmks and some aa2520 to try but haven't done so yet. I'm allergic to reloading now and will probably hunt with either my 223 or flintlock next season to avoid having to load for my 243.

Have the same allergy to reloading. Worse than watching paint dry.

My 18” gets 2680 from the AAC 77 TMK and 2750 from the BH 77 TMK.

 

[pattimusprime22]

Have the same allergy to reloading. Worse than watching paint dry.

My 18” gets 2680 from the AAC 77 TMK and 2750 from the BH 77 TMK.

I'm just about to get my 223 back from getting chopped to 18 and only shoot BH 77tmks and was hoping to get somewhere close to 2750. Do you have the factory barrel chopped to 18 or prefit?

 

[ElPollo]

I'm just about to get my 223 back from getting chopped to 18 and only shoot BH 77tmks and was hoping to get somewhere close to 2750. Do you have the factory barrel chopped to 18 or prefit?

Factory

 

[Deere_Man]

Looks good on the rifle! How does it shoot? Is it a simple duplex recital?

I think the one on my 7-08 is a bit older. It's done well and has held zero (with occasional adjustments over the years), but it doesn't take any kind of beating. It gets used but is basically a safe queen compared to the abuse a day-to-day rifle will take. If Form, or any of the members, did the drop test on it that I've read here I'm sure it would fail miserably. I'll try to take a picture of it tomorrow for you to get a good laugh at my "antique" scope and rifle.

Reading the scope reviews got me interested in the SWFA for their durability. Especially for their price point.

Yes, regular old duplex. I have no idea how it shoots! It’s holding it down in the safe currently. I have another couple of rifles that I set up prior to deer season and I am committed to using those for now. I’ll get it sorted out after January for sure.