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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,747
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,747 |
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,249 Likes: 6
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,249 Likes: 6 |
The 70 grain Speer semi-Spitzer is a bonafied deer killer and doesn’t need a fast twist. Super accurate in my Kimber. I’ve killed deer from 50-200 yards with that rig and the results were seemingly identical. Complete pass throughs with good expansion. I once killed a large boar pig with a single shot to the skull at 270 yards with that load. Instant death and an awesome audible thump on impact. I've always heard that the 70gr Speer is an excellent deer bullet. But I saw a box today on the shelf at a LGS and it says "VARMINT" in large letters on the box. Have they changed the design? The box has always said “varmint” on it for as long as I have used them, which is only a few years. But it’s just a word on a box. I have cut one lengthwise and it’s a simple thin jacket with uniform lead core. I think the weight and velocity hit the sweet spot of expansion and penetration in the 223. Besides, our Texas deer are like varmints anyhow. Give them a try and see what you think.
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,983 Likes: 26
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 43,983 Likes: 26 |
You're all lucky to kill a doe much less a big buck with a 223.
Nuff said...... hint.....
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,866 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,866 Likes: 7 |
Surprised no one has mentioned Speer Gold Dot. Not easy to find but used to be made in 55, 62 and 75 grain versions. Those bullets expand beautifully and hold together, and Speer put them in factory ammo. Again, if you can find it. Been mentioned several times. In fact was mentioned in the OP. ?? I looked again, saw no mention of the Speer Gold Dot. OP mentions the Federal Fusion. Both are good choices IMO but the Gold Dot bullets would be my first choice for deer. Pretty sure they are the exact same bullet. Fusion is a factory load, Gold Dot is a component bullet. I recommended the Power Point because of availability. My favorite.224 bullet for deer and such is the 75gr Gold Dot hands down. They’ve been hard to find as a component for a couple years now. All three Gold Dots are loaded in Speer’s LE line and can be found online.
Will Munny: It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.
The Schofield Kid: Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.
Will Munny: We all got it coming, kid.
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Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,048
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,048 |
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,657 Likes: 21
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 26,657 Likes: 21 |
Did you, perchance, read the first page of this thread?
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Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 538
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 538 |
The 70 grain Speer semi-Spitzer is a bonafied deer killer and doesn’t need a fast twist. Super accurate in my Kimber. I’ve killed deer from 50-200 yards with that rig and the results were seemingly identical. Complete pass throughs with good expansion. I once killed a large boar pig with a single shot to the skull at 270 yards with that load. Instant death and an awesome audible thump on impact. Same here. Got a nice 6 pointer with the Speer 70 grain in my 223 Rem. 150 yds., Pass thru, 2" exit hole behind the shoulders, did the mule kick, DOA 25 ft. later.
Last edited by nimblehunter; 12/01/23.
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Joined: Oct 2019
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 1,079 |
I’ve shot several truck loads of deer with Sierra 1365’s out of 22-250 and 223. No complaints. Also like 55 and 60gr hornady SP. Of the 3 I’d probably pick the 60 horn SP but put any of those in the right place and it’ll be time to get the knife out.
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Joined: Feb 2004
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,747 |
This one is not a fan of the .223/55gr ttsx. Shot him in the heart at 40-50 yds. Death run of 30 yards, watched him fall. When I gutted him, the heart was actually off. Not much blood on the dry ground but enough if you needed it. [/quote]
Camp is where you make it.
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,213
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,213 |
Surprised no one has mentioned Speer Gold Dot. Not easy to find but used to be made in 55, 62 and 75 grain versions. Those bullets expand beautifully and hold together, and Speer put them in factory ammo. Again, if you can find it. Been mentioned several times. In fact was mentioned in the OP. ?? I looked again, saw no mention of the Speer Gold Dot. OP mentions the Federal Fusion. Both are good choices IMO but the Gold Dot bullets would be my first choice for deer. Pretty sure they are the exact same bullet. Fusion is a factory load, Gold Dot is a component bullet. I recommended the Power Point because of availability. My favorite.224 bullet for deer and such is the 75gr Gold Dot hands down. They’ve been hard to find as a component for a couple years now. All three Gold Dots are loaded in Speer’s LE line and can be found online. Why has the 75gr Gold Dot become your favorite? I’ve shot 3 deer with the 77TMK and one with the 64BSB, no exits with any of that small sample. If the 75gr Gold Dot would give me exits, it would likely become my favorite as well if I could find acceptable accuracy. Thanks. Frank
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Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,866 Likes: 7
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 8,866 Likes: 7 |
Surprised no one has mentioned Speer Gold Dot. Not easy to find but used to be made in 55, 62 and 75 grain versions. Those bullets expand beautifully and hold together, and Speer put them in factory ammo. Again, if you can find it. Been mentioned several times. In fact was mentioned in the OP. ?? I looked again, saw no mention of the Speer Gold Dot. OP mentions the Federal Fusion. Both are good choices IMO but the Gold Dot bullets would be my first choice for deer. Pretty sure they are the exact same bullet. Fusion is a factory load, Gold Dot is a component bullet. I recommended the Power Point because of availability. My favorite.224 bullet for deer and such is the 75gr Gold Dot hands down. They’ve been hard to find as a component for a couple years now. All three Gold Dots are loaded in Speer’s LE line and can be found online. Why has the 75gr Gold Dot become your favorite? I’ve shot 3 deer with the 77TMK and one with the 64BSB, no exits with any of that small sample. If the 75gr Gold Dot would give me exits, it would likely become my favorite as well if I could find acceptable accuracy. Thanks. Frank That’s exactly why, it exits. I’ve shot probably a dozen deer so far with the 75gr Gold Dot and haven’t caught one yet.
Will Munny: It's a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he's got and all he's ever gonna have.
The Schofield Kid: Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.
Will Munny: We all got it coming, kid.
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Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,175
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Sep 2008
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I have used a wide range of .224 bullets on deer through various cartridges. I like the tougher bullets driven fast by the larger platforms and the various 70-80 grain bullets have their use but a good 55-65 grain soft point is hard to beat, especially from a .223. Not fancy but they work.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,306 Likes: 2
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,306 Likes: 2 |
I have used a wide range of .224 bullets on deer through various cartridges. I like the tougher bullets driven fast by the larger platforms and the various 70-80 grain bullets have their use but a good 55-65 grain soft point is hard to beat, especially from a .223. Not fancy but they work. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Exactamundo
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,306 Likes: 2
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 78,306 Likes: 2 |
You're all lucky to kill a doe much less a big buck with a 223.
Nuff said...... hint.....
"...the left considers you vermin, and they'll kill you given the chance..." Bristoe
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,412
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 3,412 |
You're all lucky to kill a doe much less a big buck with a 223.
Nuff said...... hint..... Hint, hint……
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Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 35
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 35 |
77 Tipped game king if you can find them
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,828 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,828 Likes: 2 |
77 Tipped game king if you can find them Sierra doesn't list a 77 grain game king on their website. Do you mean a match king?
Mathew 22: 37-39
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,828 Likes: 2
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 10,828 Likes: 2 |
Perhaps germane to this discussion... Today I was boning out a shoulder roast from a buck I shot about seven weeks ago with a .223, the bullet being a 65 grain SGK. Distance was about 30 - 35 yards. When I got the meat off the shoulder blade, I found a dime sized hole in the middle of the shoulder blade. There was a crack running vertically from the hole to the top of the shoulder blade. There were a few particles of core and jacket in the muscle around the hole. That was the shoulder on the off side of the deer.
I was shooting from above and only had a couple of seconds to take the shot as he left where he'd been standing in a spot to obscured to take a shot and was heading across a small opening to more brush. I shot him in the neck just ahead of the chest, smashed the spine and down through the forward part of the heart-lung area before busting through the offside shoulder, stopping under the skin. He dropped DRT and never moved.
I think that's pretty good performance from a 65 grain bullet traveling pretty fast.
Mathew 22: 37-39
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,213
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,213 |
Surprised no one has mentioned Speer Gold Dot. Not easy to find but used to be made in 55, 62 and 75 grain versions. Those bullets expand beautifully and hold together, and Speer put them in factory ammo. Again, if you can find it. Been mentioned several times. In fact was mentioned in the OP. ?? I looked again, saw no mention of the Speer Gold Dot. OP mentions the Federal Fusion. Both are good choices IMO but the Gold Dot bullets would be my first choice for deer. Pretty sure they are the exact same bullet. Fusion is a factory load, Gold Dot is a component bullet. I recommended the Power Point because of availability. My favorite.224 bullet for deer and such is the 75gr Gold Dot hands down. They’ve been hard to find as a component for a couple years now. All three Gold Dots are loaded in Speer’s LE line and can be found online. Why has the 75gr Gold Dot become your favorite? I’ve shot 3 deer with the 77TMK and one with the 64BSB, no exits with any of that small sample. If the 75gr Gold Dot would give me exits, it would likely become my favorite as well if I could find acceptable accuracy. Thanks. Frank That’s exactly why, it exits. I’ve shot probably a dozen deer so far with the 75gr Gold Dot and haven’t caught one yet. Thanks for your reply. What was your load?
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,747
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 46,747 |
Perhaps germane to this discussion... Today I was boning out a shoulder roast from a buck I shot about seven weeks ago with a .223, the bullet being a 65 grain SGK. Distance was about 30 - 35 yards. When I got the meat off the shoulder blade, I found a dime sized hole in the middle of the shoulder blade. There was a crack running vertically from the hole to the top of the shoulder blade. There were a few particles of core and jacket in the muscle around the hole. That was the shoulder on the off side of the deer.
I was shooting from above and only had a couple of seconds to take the shot as he left where he'd been standing in a spot to obscured to take a shot and was heading across a small opening to more brush. I shot him in the neck just ahead of the chest, smashed the spine and down through the forward part of the heart-lung area before busting through the offside shoulder, stopping under the skin. He dropped DRT and never moved.
I think that's pretty good performance from a 65 grain bullet traveling pretty fast. That's been my experience with the 55gr too for the most part.
Camp is where you make it.
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