Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .223 for whitetail - yes or no?

Pretty simple to answer.

Its not hard to see the pattern on the campfire...

For those that never tried it, of course they will say it won't work.

To those that have had a failure they will say it won't work.. They'll blame it on the round, the rifle, the bullet... everything but the clown pulling the trigger... few ever entertain the concept, that a failure was with them, the shooter.... They are really only fooling themselves.

If it can take down a human, what is so much tougher about taking down a deer?

as an addendum to the post about JPro's post above " how will this bullet perform at 5.56 velocity?"

Years ago, I did a trial with some steel plates that were about the size of a 4 x 6 post card, 3/8 an inch thick...

I shot a couple with a 55 gr SP, at a 100 yds, with a charge of 12.5 grains of Blue Dot, for an MV at 2600 fps.

10 rounds penetrated right thru those plates....that surprised me and I did not expect to see that result..

so I threw several of those steel plates in my vehicle and went home to load up ammo, to test Blue Dot MV against, regular military loads for a 223, with 55 grain Bullets at 3150 fps. I loaded up 10 rounds of each... 55 SP at 3150 fps, 55 FMj at 3150 fps, 55 gr SP at 2600 fps ( with Blue Dot) and 55 FMJ at 2600 fps..

What I was not expecting, but DID observe...

All 20 rounds at 3150 fps MV, both FMJ and SP 55 grainers, FAILED to penetrate the steel plates. That just shattered when they hit the plates., all 20 of them, regardless of type of bullet, FMJ or SP.,...

Then the 20 Bullets loaded up with Blue Dot, at 2600 fps MV SUCCESSFULLY penetrated the same plates, and still using Hornady Brand 55 grain bullets, both SP and FMJ.

My conclusions were this...

1. the bullets each have X amount of structural integrity...and so do the Steel Plates.

2. at 3150 fps MV and 100 yds to point of impact, the structural integrity of the steel plates overcame the structural integrity of those bullets, both SP and FMJ.

3. when the MV was slowed down to 2600 fps at the Muzzle, after the 100 yds to the point of impact, the structural integrity of the bullets ( both Sp AND FMJ) were able to overcome the structural integrity of the steel plates, and EACH bullet drilled right thru them.

so with a regular bullet ( non premium type) slow the MV down, and it will INCREASE the bullets ability to penetrate, holding its structural integrity better than at hitting something tough, at a higher velocity....

Kinda the same way I've seen people not recommend a 180 grain Ballistic Tip for hunting elk at 200 yds, shooting it out of a 300 Weatherby or 300 Win Mag, but at the same time, saying its a great bullet to use on elk at 300, 400 and 500 yds.

so my hypothesis would be that the 77 gr TMK would probably work better on penetration of a Louisiana Hog, with a slowed down MV, then it would at pushing it at max velocity, and shooting it at close range... max velocity at a further distance would be a better choice.. so match the bullets capability to a range that its velocity ( and structural integrity) would work best within its parameters... and Here I am guestimating, that more hogs are taken within 200 yds or less, than further out....

We don't have hogs running loose here in Oregon, at least not in my part of the state... so anyone interested will have to test that out for me, if anyone wants any real experienced answer to that question....

but match the bullet to the distance you shoot with a 223, and it will work just fine...

shot an antelope once with a 40 grain ballistic tip, at 4000 fps at the muzzle...yeah, the antelope ran 100 yds, but then dropped like a brick...

not ideal, but it worked... one of those use what ya have, at the time scenarios...