350 legend/ 223 / 6.5 Grendel - bolt action

[omicron1792]

Placed perfectly as in almost perfectly broadside and don't expect an exit hole generally. Yes with bigger bullets easier to track because you will more likely get a blood trail and if you don't get a center lungs hit you have penetration enough to break big bones on the far side while going through any organs in it's way. Hard quartering shots are doable, shots I won't take with either my 22 ARC or my 223 running Eldm's. Which by the way my 22 ARC is going out this afternoon and will most likely take a deer. Would I expect a young kid to have the self control to take only the shots the 22 ARC is good at? No.

There are pages and pages and pages of information that show that what you say is incorrect

 

[FredH]

There are pages and pages and pages of information that show that what you say is incorrect

Not true there are pages and pages of dead animals hit almost perfectly and stories where animals went farther than expected. Funny how people rarely report lost animals.

 

[omicron1792]

Not true there are pages and pages of dead animals hit almost perfectly and stories where animals went farther than expected. Funny how people rarely report lost animals.agaib

Much much more impetus for people that make the switch to small caliber because of the thread to post their losses. That argument just doesn’t hold water.

The distance run trends toward less than monos and larger calibers.

 

[Bluefish]

Another large cal state whitetail hunter (35 cal min) here. I would be using a 6 arc if I could, but I can’t. I think from looking at the data, the 22 arc is about the best AR based cartridge, with the 6 arc, and then the grendle. All the same case, just smaller calibers, so velocity is higher. Imho the case doesn’t have enough capacity for the 6.5. Makes you run the lower grain weights and thus lower bc to get any velocity.

The 6 arc was designed to equal the 308 with the 103/105’s and the numbers suggest that the 22 outruns it by a little. I like the idea of the 6 as I can use it in Colorado for elk as well.

350L are super common around here and two of the guys I hunt with use them. Both have had kills out to 200 yards and take a deer or two every year with them.

 

[Mikido]

There are pages and pages and pages of information that show that what you say is incorrect

Sorry I skimmed the 223 thread and not trying to start a fight….you’re saying a 223 is just as recoverable as a .30 when not immediate death (non double lung or heart) shot is taken?

From my chair, all immediate death shots are recoverable regardless of caliber, non immediate death shots, the jury is still out.

I agree people don’t post losses, regardless of caliber

 

[omicron1792]

Sorry I skimmed the 223 thread and not trying to start a fight….you’re saying a 223 is just as recoverable as a .30 when not immediate death (non double lung or heart) shot is taken?

From my chair, all immediate death shots are recoverable regardless of caliber, non immediate death shots, the jury is still out.

I agree people don’t post losses, regardless of caliber

i shoot most of my deer high shoulder with 223. They all drop.

What are these shots and angles you speak of on a deer?

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

I'm getting to a point where I'm in this same scenario as well. Not in a straight walled state, have 3 children. 7, 4, and 2 in age. My middle son is definitely left handed, my oldest and daughter is right handed, baby Walter is TBD, but odds would say right handed. All of my kids are big for their age and I expect that trend to continue. I was put behind a .270 when I was 9. Bang/flopped two deer that year but went the next 2-3 being recoil shy.

I specifically remember shooting a doe with a .243 that we didn't find. Most likely a gut shot. Again, I was recoil shy too and wasn't given enough opportunity to practice with a small cartridge, let alone the one I was hunting with.

All of this is to say, I will be looking at a single shot rifle for my kids, but am thinking more along the lines of a 6.5 CM, 7mm-08, or even 308. I've got the suppressor already.

While I understand the logic behind a .223, larger diameter does equal larger hole, which in turn equals faster blood loss. There's no denying that. And kids are kids. Mistakes will happen, shots will get pulled, shot angles not always ideal, bones can deflect.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

No. Caliber alone doesn't tell you the size of the wound, you have to consider bullet construction and impact velocity.

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

No. Caliber alone doesn't tell you the size of the wound, you have to consider bullet construction and impact velocity.

Correct and no argument there, but in general, 5.56 isn't bigger than any of the rounds I mentioned. With all of the different variables that occur while hunting, in general, a 77 TMK from a .223 isn't going to make a bigger hole than a 150 grain Nosler Partition in .308.

My rationale is the same reason why I shoot a 2 blade, cut on contact 125 grain Magnus Stinger, rather than the ole 100 grain Rage in the Cage. Sure, a well placed Rage on a calm deer at 20 yards perfectly broadside on a small bow plot will work just fine, and even better, but when hunting in the woods, that small vine you can't see can put you directly on the scapula and a lost deer due to blade deployment malfunction or lack of penetration.

I'd rather give my children and myself even better margin for error. Building confidence is also key with hunting. I'm looking to find/build a happy middle ground for my children, where there's confidence in shooting the firearm, as well as having confidence in the round when there's the potential for something to go sideways.

I can tell you from experience as a young hunter, that my confidence was in the crapper with missed and wounded deer during that above mentioned time frame.

Different strokes I guess.