Caliber recommendations

slowelk said:
The other thing about that stands out as a barrier for pushing the 223 is that you must reload. The bullet that the whole idea is built around is not factory loaded. The closest thing is the black hills 556 round.
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The Black Hills 5.56 IS factory loaded with the ideal bullet (77gr TMK). The 73gr ELD-M is also plenty. There are also a couple of smaller makers who sell 223 77gr TMKs - AAC and Stand 1.
 
fwafwow said:
The Black Hills 5.56 IS factory loaded with the ideal bullet (77gr TMK). The 73gr ELD-M is also plenty. There are also a couple of smaller makers who sell 223 77gr TMKs - AAC and Stand 1.
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Right, so one real factory option. Also, expensive for 223, and it’s often out of stock.
 
slowelk said:
Right, so one real factory option. Also, expensive for 223, and it’s often out of stock.
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Those are 4 options that don’t require reloading. I’m set for all of the above. Some were expensive compared to other 223s, but the most expensive among those was about the same as my preferred 6.5CM factory (which I have for use in any states for which 223 isn’t legal).
 
.243 with a 1:8 twist if you don’t want to go down to .223. Tikka doesn’t do 6cm from the factory. You’ll be in it for 1600$ if not more with a prefit 6cm and performance isn’t a big difference inside 400yrds. Put a decent brake on it and recoil will be very light.
 
fwafwow said:
Those are 4 options that don’t require reloading. I’m set for all of the above. Some were expensive compared to other 223s, but the most expensive among those was about the same as my preferred 6.5CM factory (which I have for use in any states for which 223 isn’t legal).
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I’ve been waiting for the 77tmk from aac to come in stock for quite a while and they haven’t. So, four options with not great availability. Not a cartridge I would recommend to the average shooter.
 
slowelk said:
I’ve been waiting for the 77tmk from aac to come in stock for quite a while and they haven’t. So, four options with not great availability. Not a cartridge I would recommend to the average shooter.
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Sounds like a reasonable conclusion for you. For me, the limited factory at the highest weight isn’t a material issue. Black Hills is widely available, but that’s a relatively recent development. ELD-M seems widely available, and while more expensive than the AAC, I make up for the difference in practice round savings.
 
Much like Vern said above me.

A 7mm-08 with 120gr ballistic tips is hell for whitetail, pronghorn, mule deer, and hogs (at least here in Texas). It kicks like a little pussy cat.

Had a elk trip that fell through, but was going to shoot the elk with 150gr Accubond.
 
PNWGATOR said:
Why don’t you not ‘want to go all the way down to a .223’?

Is it the hit rate? Wound channel? Depth of penetration?

You read this?

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

DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ 176 PAGES? HERE'S THE CHEAT SHEET. “Bullets matter more than headstamps.” “Spent primers offer the supreme tutorial”. I’ve read it here and elsewhere online. It got my attention. I started digging and asking questions and listened. The 77gr TMK delivered by a .223...
rokslide.com rokslide.com

Bullets matter. Hit rates matter. You want a rifle for your wife and daughter to shoot: Tikka T3x Compact 223 cut tans threaded for a can, 6x SWFA mil/mil milquad, UM rings and the Blackhills 77RMK.

It’s that simple. They’ll ENJOY shooting it and have a platform purposefully assembled for learning, fun and killing anything on the face of the North American continent all in one.

How about that. Easy. Fun. Deadly. Simple. It’s a win.
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Some states won’t allow less than a 6 mm/243 for deer… what kept me from going to a 223 for my kids when I lived in eastern WA. Not sure that’s his reason but it was for me.
 
PNWGATOR said:
Does your state allow .22 caliber centerfire for killing big game animals?
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Yes I can use a .223 for taking big game. I have read lots of the proof of how a .223 is plenty for taking all game in North America. Im not completely against it but I was wondering what other people were shooting instead of the .223. The 6mm Creedmoor is tempting as well. Need to do more research on seeing the comparison of the 6mm vs .223
 
Have you shot a bolt action 223 or even better a suppressed bolt 223? It really is the most shootable combo out there. Really the only thing I would assume comes close to shootability would be a howa in 6 ARC.

A 243 would be a better solution than a 6.5 creed for your purposes.
 
JohnsIsl said:
.243 with a 1:8 twist if you don’t want to go down to .223. Tikka doesn’t do 6cm from the factory. You’ll be in it for 1600$ if not more with a prefit 6cm and performance isn’t a big difference inside 400yrds. Put a decent brake on it and recoil will be very light.
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A 243win Tikka with a brake is like shooting a 22lr rimfire, it’s comically fun.
 
BearGuy said:
Yes I can use a .223 for taking big game. I have read lots of the proof of how a .223 is plenty for taking all game in North America. Im not completely against it but I was wondering what other people were shooting instead of the .223. The 6mm Creedmoor is tempting as well. Need to do more research on seeing the comparison of the 6mm vs .223
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Unless you are switching rifle brands to one chambered in 6creed there is really no reason to consider it over the 243win if it would require rebarreling a Tikka. They are both 6mm and very similar performance. Get a 243win, shoot the barrel out and then rebarrel to 6creed if you want to imho.
 
BearGuy said:
Yes I can use a .223 for taking big game. I have read lots of the proof of how a .223 is plenty for taking all game in North America. Im not completely against it but I was wondering what other people were shooting instead of the .223. The 6mm Creedmoor is tempting as well. Need to do more research on seeing the comparison of the 6mm vs .223
Click to expand...
Good.

Do your due diligence. Be objective.

In that case, hands down the combination I recommended is the solution!

Personally, I’d use the combination recommended and kill brown and grizzly bear and NEVER ‘feel’ lacking in terminal performance.

In all sincerity, I wouldn’t recommend the bullet and delivery system I did based on your circumstances/situation if I didn’t believe in it.
 
I echo most of the above statements 6CM, .243, or honestly better yet, 6.5CM with a brake or suppressor. 7mm-08 is right there too.
 
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