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

[Choupique]

Not everyone with a 223 shoots a ton and some guys might shoot a 30-06 a shit load. But on average….

I shot my first .223 more on the first range trip than I've shot my .338 in all of 2025.

Shooting a .223 with a can is fun and reasonably affordable. Time and money are the only constraints. Shooting a bare muzzle .338 50+ rounds in a morning gets not fun and very expensive by the time its over.

So while ill continue to hunt with my big gun because I like it, I learned that my Shooting has degraded over the past 5ish years. I had forgotten how nice it was to be able to shoot at less than 3-5 bucks a pull.

 

[MeatMissile]

I fully believe that shooting is a perishable skill. I know I was a whole bunch better with a rifle as a teenager shooting 1000-1500 pellets a week than I am now. I know I was better offhand when I shot a couple hundred rounds of small bore silhouette a week in my 20’s.

I also know that my 264/280AI/7wsm/300wm/300RUM etc etc etc all behave differently under recoil while executing a shot for me than my various 22 centerfires do. And I know that I can call my shots better with my 8lb m700 223AI than I can with my 6.8lb Montana 223AI, even though they shoot the same bullet at the same velocity.

Trigger time is transferable, yes, but I don’t think it’s on a 1:1 ratio.

You make a good point. The mechanics are transferrable, but other factors are not. I believe recoil tolerance is as perishable as basic marksmanship.

 

[Gettincloser]

Baby boy or girl? My first was a girl and she loves to go out in the woods with me. She’s also a heck of a fisherman.

I have been blessed with 2 girls. That is what started the 223 journey for me. What what a low recoil with high conviction bullet that I could get her hunting the soonest with me. My oldest is now 5. She has not hunted deer or hogs yet as I am not confident with her consistentcy yet. She is, however, my dedicated rooster shooter when we need to thin the flock! She is also my racoon/fox dispatcher when we trap them!

She also like to kayak fish with me and run noodle lines (the kind with a pool noodle... not the kind where you put your arm in thier mouth!)

 

[Mikido]

Can we get back to the bullets? Why wouldn’t my 178 eld-x do significantly more damage than my 77tmk on elk? I shoot both equally well. (Braked .30)

Holding both in my hand, i don’t see why I wouldnt choose the eldx every time for elk.

Anybody with extensive experience with this bullet?

 

[Mideerhunter]

Fifth deer with 223, 73 ELD-M. First for this year. 98 yard shoulder shot dropped it with lots of damage to both lungs and exited out opposite shoulder.

 

[Gettincloser]

Can we get back to the bullets? Why wouldn’t my 178 eld-x do significantly more damage than my 77tmk on elk? I shoot both equally well. (Braked .30)

Holding both in my hand, i don’t see why I wouldnt choose the eldx every time for elk.

Anybody with extensive experience with this bullet?

I agree. The 178gr is going to do significant damage! I do not have personal experience with this particular grain bullet. I love the eldx as a rounded statement.

The question might be... "How much damage are you willing to accept? And How far out do you need that bullet to do that much damage?

The 800 yard elk kill with a 223 is not one I would use as a metric. IIRC, the shooter knew that the distance to the elk had the bullet well below the effective velocity to give the beautiful terminal performance you see in this threads pictures. The shooter had a 2nd mag set up ready thank for a quick reload. The 800 yard elk recieved 7 shots in very rapid order. I am certainties the 1st would ha e done him in after a few hours but they wanted it down there and fed it a few more rounds. (This was not a "hunting" situation.)

If you want to hunt at 800 yards. You have the bullet/cartridge in your hand!

If you are hunting under 400 yards and the 77gr TMK is already doing this much damage, why do more (unnecessary?) damage and deal with more (unnecessary?) recoil if you do not need to?

 

[Choupique]

Fifth deer with 223, 73 ELD-M

How have the blood trails been (assuming you've needed at least one)?

 

[Tobe_B]

I finally get my message typed out with 1 thumb as I am holding a baby in the other ar. Trying to get her down... once I hip post, 2 people have already said what I was trying to say more direct and simplistic.... I am slow.

I am also a fisher and a hunter and like to tell stories...

I feel your pain. I’m rocking mine to sleep for the second time tonight right now. There’s been several instances reading here the past few months I’ve delayed bedtime from laughing out loud.

 

[Mideerhunter]

How have the blood trails been (assuming you've needed at least one)?

All 5 were shot with 73 eldm between 100 and 225 yards. 3 dropped, and 1 stumbled for a second before I put a second in the neck. 1 ran about 75 yards with a lung hit, the blood trail wasn't crazy but was still there and it was shot in the rain so that affected it. I would recommend the round to anyone.

 

[Pharmseller]

I would trade places with you dads in a hot minute. My youngest is 25, so it’s been a looong time since I had the honor of baby duty.

When it’s over it’s over, brothers, and it don’t come back unless you have another. Savor every moment. You’re gonna blink and it’s graduation day.

 

[MeatMissile]

If you are hunting under 400 yards and the 77gr TMK is already doing this much damage, why do more (unnecessary?) damage and deal with more (unnecessary?) recoil if you do not need to?

It’s not like we are playing shuffleboard. Sometimes you wanna go ballz deep.

 

[MeatMissile]

I would trade places with you dads in a hot minute. My youngest is 25, so it’s been a looong time since I had the honor of baby duty.

When it’s over it’s over, brothers, and it don’t come back unless you have another. Savor every moment. You’re gonna blink and it’s graduation day.

My oldest is 8, but she’s already 5’ tall and wears her mom’s shoes. I look at her baby and toddler pictures and sometimes my heart hurts that’s she’s past that.

My son, on the other hand, is a terrorist.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

I would trade places with you dads in a hot minute. My youngest is 25, so it’s been a looong time since I had the honor of baby duty.

When it’s over it’s over, brothers, and it don’t come back unless you have another. Savor every moment. You’re gonna blink and it’s graduation day.

My youngest is 21 but I'm a brand new grandpa so I'm already dreaming of pink 223's and cricket 22's.

 

[Mikido]

I agree. The 178gr is going to do significant damage! I do not have personal experience with this particular grain bullet. I love the eldx as a rounded statement.

The question might be... "How much damage are you willing to accept? And How far out do you need that bullet to do that much damage?

The 800 yard elk kill with a 223 is not one I would use as a metric. IIRC, the shooter knew that the distance to the elk had the bullet well below the effective velocity to give the beautiful terminal performance you see in this threads pictures. The shooter had a 2nd mag set up ready thank for a quick reload. The 800 yard elk recieved 7 shots in very rapid order. I am certainties the 1st would ha e done him in after a few hours but they wanted it down there and fed it a few more rounds. (This was not a "hunting" situation.)

If you want to hunt at 800 yards. You have the bullet/cartridge in your hand!

If you are hunting under 400 yards and the 77gr TMK is already doing this much damage, why do more (unnecessary?) damage and deal with more (unnecessary?) recoil if you do not need to?

The area I hunt regularly has shots above 400. 2024 bull elk I shot was at 425 with a 150gr SST. (Backup rifle). Although I recovered the bull in short order, I wasn’t “impressed” with the wound channel.

I killed a WT point blank with the 77tmk for the first time, and it will be my eastern whitetail rifle going forward. I’m just not convinced with elk. (Yet)

I realize my experience is antidotal.

 

[Choupique]

would recommend the round to anyone.

Sweet! I like how they shoot in my rifle so ill try them out on a deer after I try the TMK's

 

[Mideerhunter]

Sweet! I like how they shoot in my rifle so ill try them out on a deer after I try the TMK's

They're also a lot cheaper compared to factory loaded tmk ammo and easier to find even in stores. I haven't tried TMK's but I haven't seen a reason to with the performance I've seen out of the ELD- M.

 

[eric1115]

I would trade places with you dads in a hot minute. My youngest is 25, so it’s been a looong time since I had the honor of baby duty.

When it’s over it’s over, brothers, and it don’t come back unless you have another. Savor every moment. You’re gonna blink and it’s graduation day.

Truth! My youngest is 4½, and while being done with diapers, almost done with car seats, etc is really nice, the day is coming when I carry him to bed for the last time. I fear it's already happened with my girls. Photos and videos of them in the 2-5 year old times make me a little misty eyed sometimes.

 

[Big_wals]

Why is it always “guy with 223 practices, guy with xxxx doesn’t”? Owning something else doesn’t mean you don’t shoot.

This has already been said, but since you were replying to me…. Obviously there are exceptions to everything. But how many guys do you know who will take a 30-06 and shoot 50-100 rounds in an afternoon with it? Much less do that several times over the summer?

 

[Thegman]

Fifth deer with 223, 73 ELD-M. First for this year. 98 yard shoulder shot dropped it with lots of damage to both lungs and exited out opposite shoulder. View attachment 997928

Is that a leash and collar on that deer? Did you shoot some kid's pet?

 

[Big_wals]

Can we get back to the bullets? Why wouldn’t my 178 eld-x do significantly more damage than my 77tmk on elk? I shoot both equally well. (Braked .30)

Holding both in my hand, i don’t see why I wouldnt choose the eldx every time for elk.

Anybody with extensive experience with this bullet?

Not the x, and I only shot one elk with it but… I shot a small bull at around 80 yds a few years ago with a 178 eldm from my 06. I lost an entire front quarter and some of the backstrap from one fairly broadside shot through the lungs. And he still ran 100ish yards with zero blood trail….