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

What bullet did you use on that 300 lb'er?

Two consecutive deer I shot last year, one shot with a 16” 223 and one with a 7mm-08. Identical shots identical range. The 223 did more damage.

It must have been a difference in bullets.

🙋‍♂️

I personally would not use it for myself, but like others have said, my 9 year old sure appreciates the thrill of the hunt with a real cartridge that can be chambered in a really small rifle. 55gr soft point, it gets it done.

Oh yea. Good bullet. Lungs preferably, but a Barnes breaks many rules.

My question is a 53 gr TTSX thru the lungs a bad idea or try for the shoulder at under 100 yds here in the east. I need to drop the deer in my area. My 06 gets the first deer tho, then a doe with 223.

I’d be shooting for bone regardless with a Barnes. They make very narrow wound channels IME. A 55gr Hornady or Speer or a Tipped Matchking will give much more dramatic results on lung shots.

This has been my experience as well. Catch bone with a barnes, especially the smaller caliber ones. They will run a lot farther on a lung shot with a TSX than a similar weight soft point.

That's what I need to know, I have expanding bullets especially the 60 Partition I'll load.

Will work like you never imagined possible.

The good thing about a Partition is it is very soft so immediate expansion kills quickly.

Not like these tougher bullets everybody wants to use in sub calibers that leave narrow wound channels.

Doesn't this stupidity ever die.

So you haven’t used a Barnes you’re saying…

What stupidity?

If you have to ask, I see the problem..

I’m saying I’ve killed a train car full of schit with the 53TSX and it leaves small diameter wound channels.

This is correct

😁😁😁

There are two sides in this conversation.
Both, think you are talking about the other.😂😂😂😂😂😂😂


I think it's both.

Anyone who would think a 223 won't kill deer is an idiot.
22LR kills tens of thousands of cows ever year.
Most, easily.

Don't think many here think it can't work.

They think there are better choices.


Ones that don't require such specific bullet choices.
Ones that don't require using marksmanship as a virtue signal.

Not that often a 270 and up, for deer, conversation becomes so
focused on bullet. Or there are so many quotes about
"It's where you hit 'em, marksmanship first..."
Curious that?

Have seen numerous deer shot with a 22-250. Never a fail, big meat loss
if the shoulder got hit.

Would try a fast twist 223 just to see what all the fuss is about.
Can't use an AR, no interest in buying a bolt just to find a deer rifle.
Got that covered from 243-338.

I can’t be believe that 2 grains makes a difference. The 55gr ttsx has tiny entrance and exit but the wounding inside is remarkable.

Think he is comparing the wound channel to that of a conventional SP.