Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Why do you think a 223 works better than larger bores on deer

I'm that guy also, hence the reason I generally throw Barnes X bullets at [bleep]. I always aim for bone and with the exception of a 64gr PP I haven't recovered a 224 bullet in a deer.

223AI ain't bare minimum, but what folks don't know, they don't know. Ignorance is a Badge of Honor around here with MANY.

Point taken on the barnes, but I do think you need to make that clear on the argument, because otherwise it doesn't hold much water.

Seems killing [bleep] with a 223AI holds water, as I've posted about it many times.

Seems the idiots that have never used it and post on this thread are the ones that are holding piss water.

Well, if you ALWAYS aim for bone and HIT IT, you wouldn't have deer running off with the bigger cals. either. Dick head.

But they do wetspot, that's the whole ever loving point that you are again to obtuse to follow

Not if you hit em right schitthead. BTDT more times than your stupid ass can count.

Like I posted above, the only deer I had to go find was hit through the heart from about 10 yards with a .270 and the far shoulder was destroyed by the exiting bullet.

I usually donate the hearts of deer to a lady I work with who's science teacher daughter lets the kids dissect them. This one was destroyed and un-usable.

So, anyhow, I guess my point is that you are wrong, sometimes you can hit them "right" with less than bang-flop results.

Just say'n, since I've BTDT as well.....

I've no doubt you've had plenty of [bleep] dicks.

Heart shot ain't "right" for bang/flop results with anything.

Lol....

"...out past 150 yards where velocity has fallen off their effectiveness definately falls off..."

Yeah, like the one my buddy shot at a measured 380 yards. The effectiveness dropped off so badly that the deer instead of being DRT, made it 30 yards. That's terribly ineffective.

But hardly as ineffective as you trying to get a clue.....

Wow, a sample of one ! I'm so friggin' impressed ! Your buddy was lucky. His luck would run out if he kept shooting at deer 380 yards away with a .223. You're the one who needs to get a clue, or maybe just a little more experience would help.

I don't think it works "better", and probably marginally not quite as well. Here's one study done in SC (a bit smaller deer than further north), which found very little difference between .243 to .30 caliber weapons:

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/deer/articlegad.html

Sadly, the .22s weren't included in the study. One thing that's more important here in the often heavy undergrowth of the South is a good blood trail, and for that I personally think 6.5mm and up is the way to go. An expanded 6.5mm has almost 40% more surface area than an expanded 5.56mm.

I'd honelstly not say it works "better" either, but it can certainly work adequately and is a "better" tool for the job in some applications. Judging from the results I've seen on hogs and deer, a 62gr X at 3200+ can make a dandy setup for a young shooter or even an older shooter who doesn't like recoil. I'd not want to stick an animal at 300yds or more but don't feel handicapped inside of that range.

Most of the deer I killed with my .223's were under 150 yds. and it killed like lightning there. Never had a single one go more than 40 yds. and most dropped where they stood. I only stretched it's legs a few times and found it had lost that lightning bolt effect on the few I shot past 225 yds. The one I shot at about 350 ran 175 yds. before going down, despite a well placed shot through the lungs.

The blunt little bullets do bleed speed.....

PreciousLiberty, I personally agree with you and Ruraldoc and feel better shooting deer with'deer' calibers - so everyone go buy a 260 Rem and STFU!!!!! Unless whatever it is you are using works for you now.

Guys, it ain't the caliber that kills, it is the design of the bullet and the speed it impacts that does the killing. X bullets rule in the .22 CF rounds. "Some" of the soft points aren't bad either, like the 55 grain Hornady spire point flat base and the 64 grain Winchester power points. Precious few others will hold together and that is when things get ugly.

The same can be said for just about any caliber. I have seen .243 bullets .260, .270 and 7mm bullets go to pieces in less than 4" of deer. 99% of guys would blame the cartridge, when it was the bullet that failed.

Pick the RIGHT bullet for the RIGHT task, put it in the right place and punch tags. Pick the wrong bullet for the wrong task and stick it in the wrong place and get out your tracking tape.

I know what works in .22 CF's based on experience. I know what works and doesn't work in .260's, 7mm's and .30's as well, based on experience. I have seen them all fail miserably when the wrong bullet was used. The failures weren't based on scientific data, but LOTS of field experience with hundreds of dead critters I have been privy to. Flinch

Difficult, ain't it......

I am surprised that a few Kiwi's haven't jumped on this one.

.224's (.22 Hornet and .222 Rem) were the chosen caliber for the professional deer cullers of past generations who killed tens of thousands of fallow, reds and sika deer. You could carry more ammo for their long stays in the bush.

John