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

[Formidilosus]

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.)

Literally nothing you wrote above is correct. “The shooter” was me. The elk got shot twice- the first through both shoulders and it started going down 4-5 seconds later, and the second shot was hard quartering away as it went down.

Both bullets upset fully and the wound channels were indistinguishable from nearly identical placement from a 300PRC and 225gr ELD-M’s at 300 yards one day later.

 

[Pharmseller]

My brother, his boy, and I went through 1200 rounds of 75 ELDM .223 in three days.





I’m not likely to do that with my 7mm-08.

 

[Big_wals]

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.)

It was two shots. You can’t seriously look at the picture of that wound and claim that elk would have took hours to die. I am 100% not advocating for anyone to attempt to kill an elk at 800+ with a .223, but that particular one wasn’t the “spray and pray” you’re making it out to be. This is a publicly searchable forum, just wanted to set the record straight that none of the 223 shooters on here are recommending shooting 7 times at 800 until you kill something.

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.'
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-2903623

 

[MeatMissile]

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?

Just as many as I know who only have one rifle. Taking a 223 hunting vs a 30-06 doesn’t mean you practiced more. It just means you took a 223 hunting. I can’t legally hunt with a 223 in my state of residence, but I shoot one a lot. Other than recoil tolerance, the skills transfer to my other rifles.

 

[Big_wals]

Just as many as I know who only have one rifle. Taking a 223 hunting vs a 30-06 doesn’t mean you practiced more. It just means you took a 223 hunting. I can’t legally hunt with a 223 in my state of residence, but I shoot one a lot. Other than recoil tolerance, the skills transfer to my other rifles.

I guess we know different types of people. Of everyone I know personally that has one rifle, generally somewhere between a .270 on the low end to a .300 win mag on the upper, I would guess that 90%+ only shoot 1-2 boxes a year max. And most of that from a lead sled.

Edited to add not Roksliders, who are generally a little more passionate about hunting. I’m talking average Joes who buy an elk and deer tag to hunt on gramps back 40. IME, 2 boxes of ammo is several years worth for them.

 

[MeatMissile]

I guess we know different types of people. Of everyone I know personally that has one rifle, generally somewhere between a .270 on the low end to a .300 win mag on the upper, I would guess that 90%+ only shoot 1-2 boxes a year max. And most of that from a lead sled.

Edited to add not Roksliders, who are generally a little more passionate about hunting. I’m talking average Joes who buy an elk and deer tag to hunt on gramps back 40. IME, 2 boxes of ammo is several years worth for them.

I think the “beware the man with one rifle” thing should end with “he doesn’t shoot much and probably uses his scope vs binoculars”.

 

[DisplacedHusky]

My brother, his boy, and I went through 1200 rounds of 75 ELDM .223 in three days.

View attachment 997972

View attachment 997973

I’m not likely to do that with my 7mm-08.

1200 rounds…how about some suppressors. Luckily the State of Oregon still allows them.

 

[Pharmseller]

1200 rounds…how about some suppressors. Luckily the State of Oregon still allows them.

Earplugs and Walker’s are skookum.

Getting ready for late March.

 

[Gettincloser]

Literally nothing you wrote above is correct. “The shooter” was me. The elk got shot twice- the first through both shoulders and it started going down 4-5 seconds later, and the second shot was hard quartering away as it went down.

Both bullets upset fully and the wound channels were indistinguishable from nearly identical placement from a 300PRC and 225gr ELD-M’s at 300 yards one day later.

I will need to tag you when I reference you so you can set me straight. I could have sworn it was on a shoot2hunt podcast where you had talked about having a 2nd mag ready to go due to the distance and lower velocity. I clearly must be misremembering as I have not listened to the shoot2hunt in a while due to language and a 5 year old passenger.

I knew it was you and truly thought I had the details correct. Sorry for the bad memory. I sure thought I had that one right!

 

[Mideerhunter]

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

Lmao, that is my drag strap to get it out of the field. Ik that isn't the biggest one but the farmer wanted them all gone and I know enough people that could use some meat.

 

[Formidilosus]

I will need to tag you when I reference you so you can set me straight. I could have sworn it was on a shoot2hunt podcast where you had talked about having a 2nd mag ready to go due to the distance and lower velocity. I clearly must be misremembering as I have not listened to the shoot2hunt in a while due to language and a 5 year old passenger.

I knew it was you and truly thought I had the details correct. Sorry for the bad memory. I sure thought I had that one right!

It’s alright, I just didn’t want people to read that and then go off the deep end.

The 7 shots was at 280’ish yards and a simultaneous fire on elk. The guy with the MK12 was a skilled shooter, shooting prone from a bipod buried in the snow. I was spotting for the other guy shooting at 400 and something yards, and when they fired my guy reloaded and shot another elk. The guy with the MK12 had killed a bunch, but was from the “bigger is better” his whole life so he just machine gunned it- 7 shots in something 5 seconds in video. I had to tell him to stop shooting as the bullets were keeping it up. It fell over, and was one of the biggest messes inside (and outside) an animal that I have seen.

 

[Dobermann]

It’s alright, I just didn’t want people to read that and then go off the deep end.

Meh, that never happens around here ...

 

[mt terry d]

….you had talked about having a 2nd mag ready to go….

I always have a second one ready to go

 

[Speaks]

I always have a second one ready to go

Yea I always keep 2 extra loaded mags in the right side pocket of my bino harness where the range finder used to go.

I one time had a buddy take a terrible shot starting a rodeo. I sent two follow ups but was in far from ideal position and delivered one killing but not fast killing shot. I only had the 3 bullets in the gun so saved the last one. Had I had an extra mag we likely could have anchored it there and avoided a real long tracking job.

There is zero down side to always having extra mag(s) ready to go.

Side note this rodeo was with a 30 cal and 270..... bad shots are bad shots.

 

[Thegman]

Lmao, that is my drag strap to get it out of the field. Ik that isn't the biggest one but the farmer wanted them all gone and I know enough people that could use some meat.

You don't have to explain shooting little deer to me...


I just felt bad for the crying kid...

 

[FredH]

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?

When it was all I had I used my 30-06 for plinking, jackrabbits, prairie dogs, coyotes, shooting steel and all my big game hunting which at the time spanned 4 states. There is this thing called reloading, you can tailor your loads and come up with nice shooting light kickers for play. My favorite play load used the 110 gr. Speer or Hornady bullet going 3000 fps using I3031. I didn't need to shoot 50-100 as 40 usually sufficed being the number of rounds I had loaded most of the time. To answer your question on how many guys shoot 50-100 rounds of anything centerfire 4 times a year I know very few of those. If they don't show up at the matches generally they are not volume shooters.

 

[Kaleb]

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!)

That's awesome. I already shot girly guns before I had my girls so it's been easy...haha. The tikka rimfires/223's with the vertical grip 6x scopes and same trigger adjustments have been great. They can shoot a ton of rimfire and pick up a 223 set up the same and keep shooting. The Tikka is heavier than my Montanas and howa mini's but the girls are a little more accurate with the Tikka and most of their shots hunting are using a rest. I haven't worked with them as much as I should but they need a rest. I'm sure lots of 8-10 year olds can shoot fine without but mine can't yet.

My kids are still little but it sure seems to go by fast. I fully believe what you fellas are saying about it being over in a flash. I try to soak it all up.

To the gent wanting to get the topic back to bullets. If you are still confused on the difference between a 77tmk and a 178eldx in 600 some odd pages then fellas talking about children is not what's holding you back.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Used a .243 in the 2024 deer season. My baby girl made a perfect first shot, but developed a fear of recoil. She probably weighed 50#’s. (@Formidilosus used her as an example of how hard that gun kicks a little person). After her second shot (still a kill shot), she was too afraid to shoot again.
Switched to the .223 this year (and locked it onto a heavy tripod). After convincing her to try shooting again, she realized she is not afraid of this gun’s recoil. She went 5/5 with perfect shots on deer this season. None went more than 60y, and the blood trails were shocking. Here is a pic of the last one she shot (freeze frame taken from a video). The before and after. The doe was quartering away, bullet went in behind the shoulder and out the neck. Even I could follow that blood trail. Deer went 30y. Hornady 73g ELD-M factory ammo.

 

[SC HUNTER]

@packgoatguy what kind of knife is that in your pictures working on the elk? I like the looks of it.

Another data point. 220ish pound S Ga. boar hog shot at about 50 yards through a thermal. 55 grain soft points first shot hit him in the shoulder and he went to doing the two step shuffle spin. 2nd shot hit him in the neck mid shuffle and 3 hit him in the head. First shot would have killed him but as much trouble as they cause just shoot them until they stop moving. My buddy killed him and enjoys feeding them lead as much corn as he's fed them lately, I think this is number 4 or 5 from last week.

 

[Pharmseller]

When it was all I had I used my 30-06 for plinking, jackrabbits, prairie dogs, coyotes, shooting steel and all my big game hunting which at the time spanned 4 states. There is this thing called reloading, you can tailor your loads and come up with nice shooting light kickers for play. My favorite play load used the 110 gr. Speer or Hornady bullet going 3000 fps using I3031. I didn't need to shoot 50-100 as 40 usually sufficed being the number of rounds I had loaded most of the time. To answer your question on how many guys shoot 50-100 rounds of anything centerfire 4 times a year I know very few of those. If they don't show up at the matches generally they are not volume shooters.

My experience is the opposite of yours. I don’t know any match shooters but most of my people shoot a lot. And most of what they shoot is 22 cal.