Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Longest 223 kills on medium game

What’s the longest kill you’ve made on a medium or large game animal using 223 or 223ai, 222 or similar small capacity 22’s.

Cartridge, bullet, distance, details…..

Boys and I have not killed anything past 150 yards or so 63 sierra. Worked good on the few whitetail we have used it on.

Just thought it might be interesting to hear.

Haven't used the .223 (or similar .22 centerfires) on game larger than deer, but a good friend here in Montana (and Campfire member) has taken elk with it out to 500 yards. But he's a former U.S. Army sniper. if he sees this thread he might respond....

Killed pigs at 225 with 62 grain Bear claws

I am wanting to say a touch past 550 yards, maybe 558? Can’t quite remember.

Pronghorn buck
Vanilla .223 REM
62 TSX

My view that day, waiting for him to stand.

Impressive. Shot placement trumps all…

The furthest I’ve killed a deer with a .223 was 250 - 275 yards with a 65 grain SGK over 27 grains of Varget from my 9 twist 700, 20” barrel.

Distance measured is only relevant to the distance the varmint flies in the air…

Lots of hogs have died at the hands of my Rock River .223. I take 90% head shots and most are within 150 yds.

Got my last antelope at 308 lasered yards with the .223AI and a 50 Gr TTSX.

DRT

8 pt. whitetail 220 yards, Tikka .223 Compact, 77 TMK

Out of the car window, real nice, not!

Hundreds of hogs out to 450... one yote at 460... lots of deer out to 250...

Shooting from a vehicle on private land at varmints is perfectly legal out here...not so much back in the colonies.


But what I find MOST disturbing here Shrapnel is the fact that the rifle appears to be a Savage.......

All them .22 rifles are savage.

So, this is an interesting thread, but I'm wondering what the longest shot you fellas have made without the use of sights? Mine was about 1,050 meters.

This season, Mulie buck at 475 yards, 75 gr ELDM started at 2900 fps. Tikka Varmint .223.

Hit a little high, took out the bottom of a vertebrae.




Still got both lungs, too. Bullet exited.




The buck didn’t take a step.




P

Great thread!


Yeah, but that was cheating....you were closing on the target at 120 knots!

I shot a big body 10 point whitetail at 500yds with a 16 inch 5.56 AR. Bullet was 68gr Hornady HPBT. Have it on video somewhere.

Buck was rubbing antlers on corn stalks and never reacted to being shot. Shot trace is easy to see on the video and the bullet penciled through the lungs.

A few more shots before the buck was down.

I now try and stay around 300yds max and use a bit better bullet for the task. The Hornady is fine if you have some speed but it has a low BC.

I’ve always enjoyed the 22 center fire threads here. Actual experience and successes shown on here have opened my eyes over the years.

Impressive kills for sure

Got this one with my Ruger M77 MarkII UL 223 Rem. It's a 12 twist so I was using the 50gr Barnes TTSX. Distance was 255yds, heart shot, ran about 50yds across the hayfield and collapsed.



Also took a 200lb buck in Missouri about a year ago with my Swift at about 225yds using the tried and true 55gr Hornady SP. That one went about 30yds.

.223 55 gr. SP 80 to 125 yards



.223 55 gr SP With a OLD!! Bush Master about 80 yards running like his tail was of fire



.223 55 gr. SP and a few truck loads of Predators

Rio7

.

I was doing a review on a Cooper Model 21 .223 single shot rifle about 30 odd years ago, and my handload using the then 53gn Barnes X bullet was sighted 3" high at 100 yards.
During a 'roo cull, I took out a 6 footer with a guessed 4 foot holdover. (2 over the head to allow for 2 more to drop into the chest) The upright stance was an asset during culling.

After a few more animals fell, it was a lesson in the value of a good bullet over the paper ballistics we all used to rely upon back then. Back then, the BC and SD would have been frowned upon for any long range work, especially for those that didn't do it.

Closest was a boar at around 80 yards also during a cull. He wasn't happy about it either, but once the first bullet connected he started clicking his tucks as they sometimes do until the second one hit home.

Was not! Mebbe doin’ about 30 kts and was shootin’ just a lil bit uphill.

I love the sight of tracers in the afternoon. It looks like victory.

Besides coyotes and javelina, I've only killed a few Texas WT does with head shots out to 115.

Big mule deer buck, somewhere around 250 yards, wouldn't do it again. The first two shots failed to break the near shoulder, sight followed him for quite a ways before he laid down. Without snow and being in low sagebrush he would have gotten away.

Maybe 100 yards on a 9 point. At the shot he ran 60 yards or so, stopped and started backing up a few yards and fell over.

GreggH

Large wild boar at 270 yards, head shot and lights out. Shot was at dusk with a Kimber Montana 223 and a Leupold M8 4x. Bullet was the 70 grain Speer Semi-Spitzer. Awesome bullet…

I shot a small mule deer buck with the 65gr Sierra out of 1:9 twist 222 at about 325 yards. Had been poorly hit by another hunter and made it onto our place.

Fall of 2021 shot an antelope at 200 yards with 55gr GMX out of same rifle.
Pictures of recovered GMX. Starting velocity is about 2990fps.

I killed my largest whitetail with a 70 gr TSX from a .223 around 150 yards.

Cow elk out to just a touch under 500 yards, 75 grain Amax @ 2750.
Deer out to 575, same rifle setup.
Antelope at 400ish, 52 grain whatever Black Hills loads in their blue box reman ammo.
Shot a six point bull elk this season at 325 yards in the bleedy-breathy region; died most promptly and slid down the hill in the right direction for a closer pack out. Same 75 grain setup as before.

Wow. Any boolits recovered?

Out of that bunch, most animals were packed out, so the bullet stayed with the carcass. The cow elk had the 75 grain Amax bulging the skin on the far side of the heart/lungs, so it had good penetration. As I recall the bullet looked like a typical cup and core - fairly mangled. Don't think I kept it to bring home and ascertain weight.

150 yards, control hunt, skinny sick deer mostly at night. 55 grain M93 fmj.

oddtimr1: I have shot tens of thousands (thats right I said TENS OF THOUSANDS!) of Varmints "out the vehicles window" over the last 6+ decades!
It is perfectly legal under most circumstances where I Varmint Hunt, and quite ethical, as I get a VERY solid rest from a VERY comfortable position, for more humane kills!
I know the ranchers and farmers sure appreciate me doing so.
Try it sometime and see what I mean.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

And you can run the A/C, too.




P

My kids have shot whitetails with a RAR compact and 50 gr GMX’s from 90- 177 yards, hand full of recovered bullets that were all 95%+ retention - most have been quartered to and onside shoulders broken and bullets caught under the hide by the last rib. One was facing dead on, shot in the lower throat and the bullet travelled down his spine smashing vertebrae for a couple feet.
A couple ex gf’s have shot some pretty big muleys with my 223AI’s, one with a Sako Vixen and a 45 TSX at 160-ish yards, both shoulders broken and bullet under the offside hide.
The other gf shot a great buck quartering to at 394 yards with a Kimber Montana 223AI and a 75 Amax. Broke onside shoulder, bullet under the hide behind the last rib.

Buddy of mine has used that Montana out to 300 on a couple whitetails, usually both shoulders broken and the bullet under the hide.

I’ve used that rifle with 45/53/62 TSX and TTSX’s on whitetails and black bears, shots from 75 to 200-ish yards.
And with the 75 Amax black bears and whitetails from 3 feet to 450 yards.

I’ve used the 88 ELD m from a Remington 700 223AI on a black bear and a couple moose. All three of those were between 151 and 166 yards. Bear and one moose both square through the shoulders with both blades punched. Moose caught the bullet under the hide - 48% retention I think I remember, the bear was an exit.
Other moose was this year and quartered to me, shoulder knuckle at the bottom of the scapula smashed to dust, and bullet was under the hide at the last rib or so. 68% retained.
One moose and the bear both went straight down, one moose managed 3 hops and got a second round - nothing but ribs and lungs - as he was falling sideways, just for giggles. That one exited.

Buddy used his 223AI on a nice muley this year, 404 yards (I think at any rate, somewhere around there) in at the last rib, caught on the offside just behind the shoulder. 80% retained weight.

Beautiful rifle shrapnel, I like the cool checkering!

225 yards. Whitetail. 55 TTSX over TAC.

Great work! Those moose were the Western Canada subspecies, and they were bulls? How much do you figure those guys weigh?

Northeast BC bulls, less than 200km from the Northwest Territories.

The 2 point was 196 lbs of meat, so roughly 475lbs on the hoof.
The 10pt/tripalm bull this year was 404 lbs of meat, so 950-ish pounds I think. Although, possibly a bit heavier than that as his neck had some big infected puncture wounds that gushed out a liter or so of mint green pus so some of that stayed with the spine.

Bigger than a southern whitetail at any rate….(grin)

I can’t catch eld-m or tmk bullets at distance.

I’m pretty sure I could run a 75gr eld-m or 88gr for the rest of my life and never blink (if legal)

That would include moose, grizz and buffalo.


Ribs on any critter I’ve pulled a tag on are absolutely minimal, and lungs are very soft tissue.. thin heavy eld-m and 77gr tmk do more tissue damage then what hunters traditionally use bullet/cartridge wise.

My elk at just under 500 had a way bigger exit and internal damage with a 108gr eld-m from a 6br then my stag did at 550 with a 270win this last summer.

Guys claiming marginal success with a 223 either makes me think they didn’t use a good bullet, or they can’t shoot.


2” plaster at 100.

20second shot timer. Standing and pack on.

A hit gets ya 2$.. let’s call a miss what an average hunt costs… 5grand.

10 shots..

10lb 6br is the only rifle I can clean it everytime.. a 223 doesn’t change hit probability but the absolute lack of fuss finding loads, coupled with it being elk legal where I draw tags means I stick with 6br.

Interesting! Dealing with infected wounds on cattle is always a good time.
Just a tad larger than southern whitetail, indeed!

A few years ago I had a couple pronghorn doe tags in Wyoming. I came across a group of several does and took two from the same group. Distances were 308 and 292, both does fell in their tracks drt. I used a .223 NULA shooting 63 gr Sierras. My son also took a buck and doe antelope on this hunt at 168 and 275 yard respectively, using a 223 and 63 gr Sierras.

320ish with a 77TMK from an 18” AR. Exited and sprayed blood. Doe went less than 40 yards and tipped over.

I have read hundreds of " .223 Rem./ 22 cal. " for deer threads. There are 3 different types of people that comment.. 1 , I would NEVER use something so small for deer and the deer deserves better...... 2, " sure it will work but why , when there are so many better rounds"... 3 .. " have shot many deer and hogs with the 22 cal. and they are devastating to the organs... I have come to realize , it is not the size of the case or bullet. The reason for the " Use a min. of 25-06 ," is cause it is engrained in peoples minds that you need a .270 , or 30-06... In a sporting goods store once. A young buck turned down a dandy rifle cause it he wanted a 30-06 , but it was a .270 Win... cause he wanted something a little bigger than .270 Win... I used a .270 Win. for 40 yrs. but went to a .243 WIn. and I am very impressed with it.. It smashes the organs , and a 22 cal. will do the same.. I even think a 22 or 24 cal. will kill even faster than my .270 WIn. It has to be in the bullet than does something like take the energy and separate the blood vessels from the organs.. I had my very worst shot in my life on a deer this year . It was way back , and just below the tenderloins and dropped it right there. It had to go into shock and killed it. It didnt die right away , but it never moved. It may have hit the liver but not sure. A bullet that is going 3,000 fps is going 2,000 mph.. If the bullet does it's job , its all over.

Years ago, I was hesitant to use a .223 on deer. At the time my wife had been using my old 30-06 and hated it. I talked to an acquaintance who had killed numerous deer with a .223 and convinced me to give it a try. We got some 55 gr SP and took it out she shot this muley doe at 300 (single lung and liver) and it ran up the hill. She the followed it up with a heart shot at 360yds. That evening she dropped this whitetail doe with one shot at 200yds. I believe to this day the 360yd shot was the longest we took with a .223.


About 3 years ago I switched to using a 22-250 with 60 grain Noslers (Can't find them anymore unfortunately). Unreal how killing of a round that is. The farthest we have used that was again my wife, who shot a buck on the last day of the 22' season at 500 yds. He jumped up, spun around, and fell over dead. We have probably shot 50+ deer with that 22-250 now, little does to big bucks, and I am always impressed at the killing power of such a small bullet. It feels like shooting a pellet gun, but hits like a lightning bolt!

I’ve shot lots of hogs with one out to about 250 yards I guess (never ranged them).

The Rokslide .223 77 TMK thread is an eye opener. I shot two NC deer with the 77 grain TMk this fall via an 18” AR. . Internal trauma was unbelievable. If I do it again I’d put them in the shoulder.

That thread is long and lengthy but it’s educational for sure.

This. Whitetails. 75 amax at the time on that shot because I had firm zeros on the iron sights on the AR.

Lots more 500 and under with various bullets.

People just seem to not realize a decent bullet and correct placement is all it takes.

Very interesting thread considering another thread in same forum section has people who question using a 150 grain bullet out of a 300WBY for moose.

Different strokes for different folks. I agree proper bullet and good placement is the best recipe for a full freezer.

Clifford

Bagged a bull moose with a 22 in 1981 or 82. First saw it at 500 yards. It moved into the thick stuff as I approached. All at once it ran out in front of me and I killed it. That Cavalier's 2.2 engine never ran again, nor did the car😉

.223 with a 60 grain partion, 200 yards doe pronghorn DRT. Rifle was a AR with a Varmint weight barrel.
A friend told me about using a 17 cal on a small game safari. He was collecting animals for a museum. He shot a zebra in the neck, said the whole neck was like jelly.

You need to tell us the speed and weight of the car on impact so we know the ft. lbs . it took to kill it.

I've killed 1 doe at 320 yards with a 63 smp. She ran maybe 15 yards after the shot. The bullet exited.

Killed a doe at 380 yards with a 75 amax out of a 223 ai. No issue. Quite a few with that same rifle and load between 250 and 300 yards.

Shot few hogs around 300yards. Took a perfect head shot on a 6pt walking away at 200yrds.
All using 55gr psp coreloks.


Here is a old video of a hog I shot at 236yrds.

Did you use the "Grease Pencil" crosshair or calibrated eyeball.

Oh wait, I just realized you may have carried that ammo on the AH1!

Come out front door, spot coyote loping across fresh combined bean field at about 325 yds. Run in and grab rifle (Rock River Varmint, 20" bull barrel, 1:8 twist, Hornady Varmint Express 55gr.) and back out onto porch. Coyote now loping at about 500 yds, first shot missed low, coyote breaks into run, second shot at about 520 yds, elevation good, but hits behind, coyote turns on afterburners, third shot at about 550 to 560 yds, graze bottom of spine at last rib, coyote flops around a few seconds, and expires. Big exit wound.

Farthest deer kill with a 223 was probably 275-280 yards. Sierra 1365. Killed 80-90 give or take with 22-250’s. Mostly 1365 sierras. A few 55&60 hornady sp mixed in. Farthest was 538 yards. Bang flop from a 1365. The most damage I’ve ever seen to a deers heart was from a 55 horn sp from my 22-250… it was literally just gone. After reading all the positive remarks on the ELD’s and TMK’s I might have to build a fast twist 22BR.

First off this is a longest shot question, not sporting shots question. I have two buddies that have a combined 90 deer per annum predation permit from the state of Florida on 4,000 acres of peanut fields.They surveyed and laser ranged the fields, set stakes with placards every 50 yards out both sides and set survey tape streamers in the trees, built picnic benches with sand bags on two hills.

They use custom built AR-15 platform rifles with fast twist 20" match barreled guns and 80 grain SMKs. Both shooters are team member on the USAF rifle team. Longest one shot kills on a WT deer is 800 yards. I asked about penetration and was tod the 80 will penetrate a WT deer need to end on a facing shot.

Again, this is not sport shooting, it is predation or eradication of problem animals over planted crop fields, shot with match rifles off sandbag rests and fully measured for range and wind. Just a what can the 223 actually do question.

Just over 550 out the window of a truck with an AR15 and 75amax bullets. It worked just fine

How’d you get 75gr a max into the magazine? Single shot sledding?

2.39 is ogive at the case mouth if memory serves

Shot a pile of animals at 500 with a 223..

Does good work.

75gr eld-m work well. So does factory 77gr tmk from black hills ammo.

That one was single shot loading long rounds. But I've shot em at 2. something in cut out mags years ago. Wild weird looking but shoot a 8x/clean at Perry at 300 and with irons I called both of the 10s exactly where they landed about half an inch out. .. ugly or not they did shoot.

I"m not much on the newer versions on game though... they have shown some pretty erratic stuff, at least in bigger calibers.

And fwiw that shot was irons, and witnessed by 4 people.... lol. It was after they challenged me as the guide to shoot a deer in the head about 200 yards out. I called which eye and got lucky and hit that eye. With a 416 Rem mag. lol. That's how we made it to if you think that was anything what about an AR and iron sights on out there....

Rost, what do you mean by “newer versions”?

What’s an “annum?”




P

After all these years, you're still on your headshot bullschit? It's never too late to get over yourself.

The time it takes the earth to go around the sun.

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