If its an outrageous deal on a great rifle then buy it for reasons. My opinion on it being a first deer rifle is find something else. There are more cartridges suited for this now than ever with 6.5 grendel, 300 blackout, .243, the creedmoors, 30-30. Obviously it has a following but I wouldn't/wont do it.
Will you state exactly what you believe you are getting with the 6.5 Grendel, 300BO, 243, Creedmoors, or 30-30; over a fast twist 223 with 75gr ELD-M/AMAX, 77gr TMK, or 75gr Gold Dot when used on deer?
Worth repeating. Form proved that it is sufficient with 77 tmk but you want at least an 8 twist for that bullet. If shooting the 62 grain fed fusion you should be fine with a 9 twist. I’m not even sure what most factory options offer these days but a 1-12 for varmint bullets is a poor choice.
It’s more than sufficient with the 77gr TMK. Matter of fact it’s almost too much. We’ve started to use “less” bullet as a general steak getter.
Killing animals quickly and consistently is all about placement and tissue destruction. A fast twist .22 cal centerfire setup correctly and correct practice takes care of the placement part, and those three bullets above take care of the tissue destruction part. 20+ inches of straight line penetration and a massive wound channel isn’t “mediocre”.
It’s ironic- 8-9 years ago I started using 223’s on deer because I wanted to see what the new bullets we were using at work would do. I knew they would kill, but I expected a noticeable difference between them and much bigger rounds. Guess what? Using bonded projectiles there just wasn’t and isn’t a big difference between any of the calibers between .224 and 7mm or so on deer. But what I did notice is that angles on deer actually opened up, not shrunk, because it is so very easy to steer the bullet where you want it. Not only that, but you watch everything happen behind the reticle. After the first dozen or so animals I started using .22’s more and more, but still chose 243-30cal for “serious” hunts.
When the 77gr TMK came out, that changed. I’ve carried a .22 cal centerfire with the 77gr TMK or 75gr Gold Dots, as my primary deer hunting rifle since they came out. I’ve been with two people who chose it for elk. The 224 Valkyrie or the like, with Hornady 88gr ELD-M’s is maybe the ultimate 300lb mammal setup.
I’ve taught dozens of new hunters how to shoot, and taken them on their first hunt for their first big game animal, and not one in a blind over an alfalfa field. Everyone from 6 year olds to 60 year olds. What I’ve seen and learned is the weaker the shooter, the smaller the round I want them using. The ONLY rodeos I’ve had with young/new hunters is when using big cartridges. The absolute most drama free shooting from 20 yards to 400 has been with fast twist 223’s and good bullets.
