Small caliber regret

[allstajacket]

I wonder if anyone would (or has) gone to Africa in a dangerous game situation and taken a .223 with 77tmk. (Other than I don’t think it’s legal in Africa lol)

But I wonder if they seriously would..


I’m picturing a fancy English double rifle chambered in .223 lol

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[Chris in TN]

Does it though? I have never shot an animal up its ass, but seeing the carnage a 130TMK does for example on multiple animals, I’m curious to what would happen. I would guess the absolute destruction of the guts would not feel too good and may even result in some spine damage allowing for a follow up shot.

I saw another hunter hit a deer in the hindquarter not too long ago with a fairly small caliber and the animal dropped dead. Never moved. Later on we saw that apparently - best I could tell - they'd shattered the femur then what was left of the bullet angled forward and got into the aortic artery and I think the hip-shot sort of stunned it for a minute while it bled out from the artery. The shot was a mistake made in a hurry, not intentional, but it certainly paid off. Some times things just work out.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

It makes an utter mess of the hind quarters, the femurs and hip are usually in dozens of pieces.

People that think deep penetrating, hard bullets are the way for shooting animals heading straight away from them- haven’t tried it very much. The general response from the animal to sprint away. Lots of times the bullet gets stuck in the stomach when full of grass- even large 338’s.
Conversely, if you’ve done it much, you understand that bullets that penetrate 12’ish inches and create very wide wounds are much more effective. Put an 130gr TMK into the rear end it basically any animal and it’s utterly destroys the use of their back legs. Animals drop immediately and tend to turn sideways allowing an immediate follow up chest shot.

That’s what I figured. Then with the ability to stay in the scope, boom - quick follow up shot.

 

[Formidilosus]

That’s what I figured. Then with the ability to stay in the scope, boom - quick follow up shot.

Correct. Usually for me it’s about 3-4 seconds from first shot in the hips, to the chest shot.

I/we see lots of shots through the rear end- most of them are follow-up shots after the chest shot when the animal is facing away.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I saw another hunter hit a deer in the hindquarter not too long ago with a fairly small caliber and the animal dropped dead. Never moved. Later on we saw that apparently - best I could tell - they'd shattered the femur then what was left of the bullet angled forward and got into the aortic artery and I think the hip-shot sort of stunned it for a minute while it bled out from the artery. The shot was a mistake made in a hurry, not intentional, but it certainly paid off. Some times things just work out.

I have seen hips shots from the side (and have done one on the mtn lion in my avatar, which has its own story) but never straight up the butt.

The hipshot deer I witnessed was crippled and allowed for a lethal follow up.

If your guy shattered the femur he likely destroyed the femoral artery which could cause very rapid blood pressure loss, leading to incapacitation, then death.

 

[Chris in TN]

I have seen hips shots from the side (and have done one on the mtn lion in my avatar, which has its own story) but never straight up the butt.

The hipshot deer I witnessed was crippled and allowed for a lethal follow up.

If your guy shattered the femur he likely destroyed the femoral artery which could cause very rapid blood pressure loss, leading to incapacitation, then death.

That's entirely possible. It was a quartering-away shot. Either way I'm pretty sure an artery (or two) were compromised, but it made a mess of a lot of hindquarter meat.


I shot a deer that way 30+ years ago with a bow, and a punchcutter broadhead of all things. She made it 100 yards. Arteries are important, yo.

 

[RWT]

That's entirely possible. It was a quartering-away shot. Either way I'm pretty sure an artery (or two) were compromised, but it made a mess of a lot of hindquarter meat.


I shot a deer that way 30+ years ago with a bow, and a punchcutter broadhead of all things. She made it 100 yards. Arteries are important, yo.

I’ve shot hogs this way a few times. Mainly after you shot the first one then the others started running away. They have dropped in there tracks as the impact from 223 to 45/70 destroyed the rear
Mechanisms that allows them to run. When you blow out the pelvis the legs can’t propel them forward. It is a fatal shot, but generally not a quick one. Most require a follow up in the heart or head.
You really only need 6” ish of penetration to destroy the pelvis if you enter between the cheeks.

 

[bpitcher]

Man, to think I didn't even have "Ass-shooting Deer" on my 2025 bingo card...

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Only because the BCs can be worse…I love my 6 creed and 6 arc, but glad I have some bigger rifles that launch some really high BC bullets.

Velocity trumps BC out to most realistic hunting yardages within the chambering. Food for thought.

We're seriously missing out in not rebranding it as 556 Nitro Express.

One of my 22CM barrels is stamped…

6.5x224 Magnum

 

[omicron1792]

You are correct- I only talk about things I have done repeatedly- not fictitious dreams. Of course you didn’t answer the question, because yours is much closer to “0” than “lots”.

The last going away shot was 10 days ago or so with @ztc92. The bull fell immediately.

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That looks like a Blaser r8 @Formidilosus. Atta boy!

 

[Deerfield]

We're seriously missing out in not rebranding it as 556 Nitro Express.

I kinda want to make a wildcat now and name it the 22 Bull Slayer.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I may have to add “Nitro Express” to all my cartridge names whenever an older gentleman asks me what I am shooting. “Hey dad, check out this new 264 Nitro Express! It fires Extremely Lethal Death Murder bullets!”

 

[wind gypsy]

That looks like a Blaser r8 @Formidilosus. Atta boy!

Looks like a tikka in a rokstok to me?

 

[wind gypsy]

Man, to think I didn't even have "Ass-shooting Deer" on my 2025 bingo card...

Folks might have heard "rage in the cage" is all ya need for a dead deer.. But did they know that the new "Anchor 'em shot" is a pea shooter powered TMK to the hips?

 

[huntnful]

I saw another hunter hit a deer in the hindquarter not too long ago with a fairly small caliber and the animal dropped dead. Never moved. Later on we saw that apparently - best I could tell - they'd shattered the femur then what was left of the bullet angled forward and got into the aortic artery and I think the hip-shot sort of stunned it for a minute while it bled out from the artery. The shot was a mistake made in a hurry, not intentional, but it certainly paid off. Some times things just work out.

This JUST happened to a friend. Hit square in the back hips, broadside, never moved. DRT. Best I can guess it shocked the nerves and then proceeded to bleed out extremely fast.

 

[43.6N]

You really only need 6” ish of penetration to destroy the pelvis if you enter between the cheeks.

Ermmm
We are still talking about things we regret doing while hunting right?

 

[omicron1792]

Looks like a tikka in a rokstok to me?

Why you got to go and ruin my excitement?

 

[rclouse79]

Switched my 270 tikka to a suppressed 25/06 and bought a suppressed 223. Zero regrets.

 

[KyleR1985]

This JUST happened to a friend. Hit square in the back hips, broadside, never moved. DRT. Best I can guess it shocked the nerves and then proceeded to bleed out extremely fast.

I stopped to picked up a road hit whitetail a while back. Put my brights in his eyes and swung around behind him with the intent to grab rack (spindly little spike/3pt) and cut throat. He was barely able to lift his head. Just as I made my move a car came from behind me and he turned his head and saw me. I was committed at that point and it turned into a little bit of a wrestle match for a few seconds. Feel bad for the family that drove up on that.

Brought the deer home and processed it. The only internal damage I could find was his hip ball was cracked, and a slow bleed out of artery in his leg, either caused by bone splinter or what I imagine was a pretty stretched muscle/artery from impact. Spine all looked intact no internal bleeding otherwise. I have to imagine I overlooked something, but the deer looked complete fine other than the hip.

A bullet anywhere near a deers pelvis, hips, spine, of pretty much any flavor, is an incapacitated deer. Too much infrastructure.

 

[CJ_BG]

A lot of fluff is online about how every elk or deer is as easy to kill, and that’s just not correct unless you believe every animal will turn for a good angle. If you mind waiting for good shooting angles within the limitation of the cartridge/bullet then sure, use the smallest thing that will kill it if you want to. For most of my adult life I’ve enjoyed focusing on antler or horn size and early on had a tremendous mulie just walk into the trees because the shot angle was outside of the limitations of the rifle. Since then I will never feel under gunned trophy hunting with a 7 mag or larger since I’ve already paid the price once for carrying a less capable combination. Real life comes with a lot of less than ideal situations.

Are you really willing to pass up a big deer or elk at an angle like this? Nothing wrong with your answer either way, but more than once I’ve seen first hand how big talk about shooting ethics go out the window quickly. (Cue the dude saying he shoots everything at 500 yards in the neck and has never lost an animal, or a 223 would easily kill it.)

View attachment 961987

Another case for a bullet that fragments a lot that you can place accurately. You're gonna have a helluva time getting through enough deer and still reaching the heart, best you could really hope for is single lung and liver.

Or just put it up in the top 1/3 of the closest leg where the spine, hip, and femoral artery are all in close proximity. Animals don't move well with a broken hip, paralyzed legs, and bleeding profusely.