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

[Chris_in_Idaho]

If your standard is "it fits and I didn't die," then yes.

If you want to be operating within the designed pressure, then it depends on the leade.

A 5.56 chamber has a long leade so the bullet gets a head start before hitting the rifling. This lowers pressure. Also, it's loaded hotter so even with the long leade it's higher pressure than 223.

If you put that 5.56 in a straight 223 chamber, where the bullet engages the rifling as soon as it moves, you get even higher than 5.56 pressure.

Many "223" chambered rifles, including the T3X, have a more gradual leade than the original "223 Remington" design, so they handle 5.56 fine.

 

[glock233]

In my Tikka

Negative on the BH

@fwafwow ive got some comparison. I’ve posted them previously but if you send me a message I’ll send it all to you.

Short version- The black hills is faster and the bone frog groups almost as good as black hills, maybe equivalent.

I think Bone Frog and BH are comparable. In my 20" Tikka 1:8 stainless:

-35 rounds of Bone frog 77tmk. 20” tikka stainless barrel. 2747fps average velocity. 44fps spread. STD dev. 13.6. Done at 82 degrees.
-59 rounds of BH 77tmk. 2728 average velocity.

This was 2025 production Black Hills, which some say has been reduced in power, but I've also seen that denied.

Having played around with 100 rounds of each, I would buy whichever is cheaper.

 

[Schmo]

If your standard is "it fits and I didn't die," then yes.

If you want to be operating within the designed pressure, then it depends on the leade.

A 5.56 chamber has a long leade so the bullet gets a head start before hitting the rifling. This lowers pressure. Also, it's loaded hotter so even with the long leade it's higher pressure than 223.

If you put that 5.56 in a straight 223 chamber, where the bullet engages the rifling as soon as it moves, you get even higher than 5.56 pressure.

Many "223" chambered rifles, including the T3X, have a more gradual leade than the original "223 Remington" design, so they handle 5.56 fine.

Yeah. I think any modern, quality 223 is going to be fine. In a Tikka for example, the same action can be used for 223 or 300WM. So how is 5.56 gonna be too much pressure?

 

[Steve300xcw]

For every 223?

I know it's fine in the Tikka T2X

My m77 doesnt like to extract 556's all the way unless you run the bolt real easy. Tis the only issue I have ran into running 556 though 223's.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

The Bone Frogs claim 2750 but don't specify a barrel length. I get about 2700 out of my 18" Tikka with the Black Hills. Hoping they are close.

I got 2650 out of a 16” Suppressed AR with the bone frogs 77TMK

 

[h2so4]

2025 Black Hills has not been downloaded. It’s the same as ever.

In my Tikka




I think Bone Frog and BH are comparable. In my 20" Tikka 1:8 stainless:

-35 rounds of Bone frog 77tmk. 20” tikka stainless barrel. 2747fps average velocity. 44fps spread. STD dev. 13.6. Done at 82 degrees.
-59 rounds of BH 77tmk. 2728 average velocity.

This was 2025 production Black Hills, which some say has been reduced in power, but I've also seen that denied.

Having played around with 100 rounds of each, I would buy whichever is cheaper.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

18” 22-250 77 tmk 180 yards quartering away. Bullet went behind shoulder and exited opposite shoulder. Buck ran 60 yards or so and tipped over.
View attachment 966633
View attachment 966632

That’s awesome congrats

 

[mt terry d]

440 yards
223AI 77TMK
2188 impact velocity
One & done. DRT. never twitched.
Slightly quartering to. Hit forward of shoulder beneath the spine. (held too much wind)
After breaking the rib it did not hit the spine or even mess up the little "loin-like"
meat under the spine. Never found bullet or pieces of bullet
Picture of the jelly-like stuff that was not only inside but a chunk about 10" long and
1 1/4" diameter had come out his mouth when I got to him
What exactly is that stuff?
The lungs and heart were fully intact as far as I can tell.
I expect the only reason he died was I had enough wallop

 

[Matt5266]

440 yards
223AI 77TMK
2188 impact velocity
One & done. DRT. never twitched.
Slightly quartering to. Hit forward of shoulder beneath the spine. (held too much wind)
After breaking the rib it did not hit the spine or even mess up the little "loin-like"
meat under the spine. Never found bullet or pieces of bullet
Picture of the jelly-like stuff that was not only inside but a chunk about 10" long and
1 1/4" diameter had come out his mouth when I got to him
What exactly is that stuff?
The lungs and heart were fully intact as far as I can tell.
I expect the only reason he died was I had enough wallop

Beautiful buck! I love how tall he is and his little kicker. Congrats!

 

[Gettincloser]

440 yards
223AI 77TMK
2188 impact velocity
One & done. DRT. never twitched.
Slightly quartering to. Hit forward of shoulder beneath the spine. (held too much wind)
After breaking the rib it did not hit the spine or even mess up the little "loin-like"
meat under the spine. Never found bullet or pieces of bullet
Picture of the jelly-like stuff that was not only inside but a chunk about 10" long and
1 1/4" diameter had come out his mouth when I got to him
What exactly is that stuff?
The lungs and heart were fully intact as far as I can tell.
I expect the only reason he died was I had enough wallop

The "jelly stuff" is the blood clotting. You can thank vitamin k for that. It is amazing how big some of the blood clots are!

 

[mt terry d]

Beautiful buck! I love how tall he is and his little kicker. Congrats!

He's smaller than he looks in the picture but better than average for around here
Only weighed 190# before field dressing.
But I'm still happy

 

[HuntHarder]

Im jealous that you are able to weigh your animals. Probably 95% of mine have to be quartered and packed out. Congrats on a nice buck

 

[mt terry d]

It was a rare opportunity and I was curious. When at all possible I don't want to quarter and
pack because I save a lot more meat but, yeah, it's not often possible.

Note to self: Never gut deer hanging in shop. Ever.

 

[Yooper25]

What power are you using for the 53 vmax? I tried that bullet with the XBR and it was 2moa plus. Thanks

26 grains of leverevolution. That stuff is so consistent out of a powder drop and shoots really good for me.

 

[Nine Banger]

That stuff is so consistent out of a powder drop and shoots really good for me.

Totally.

Makes other powders frustrating to work with.

Accurate 2520 is great too.

 

[TheUgly]

Brother took his deer today at 40y with the classic Tikka .223/77 TMK/SWFA 6x combo. Impacted at 2700. The deer death sprinted 60y with essentially with no heart before dropping dead

No exit. Bullet hit ribs and the damage was aggressive which resulted in some meat loss

 

[Reddish]

My 6yr old son shot his first deer today. Tikka .223 62gr Gold Dots. 2750fps. Tore up heart and lungs.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Brother took his deer today at 40y with the classic Tikka .223/77 TMK/SWFA 6x combo. Impacted at 2700. The deer death sprinted 60y with essentially with no heart before dropping dead

No exit. Bullet hit ribs and the damage was aggressive which resulted in some meat loss

Amazing the tenacity of these critters to be hit that good and still run 60 yards.

 

[Schmo]

My 6yr old son shot his first deer today. Tikka .223 62gr Gold Dots. 2750fps. Tore up heart and lungs.

Congratulations to him!

 

[omicron1792]

Went to a big hunt at a friends for deer youth weekend. Prob 20 kids and 12 dads at a big farm.

He had a steel target at 200 yards off the porch. Lots of kids sat down with calibers way too strong for them to shoot. I would say hit rate was 10-20%. Lots of talk about “I don’t know what’s going on, rifle was zeroed last season.”

My boys 9 and 11 sat down with my Blaser r8 in 223 suppressed. One went 5/5 and other 4/5 on the plate. My friends all got real quiet. Ha.