Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles .223 and deer bullets

Largest bloodtrail I've seen from a deer to date was with a .257 Wby Mag with 120 gr. NPs. Hunting partner was watching my shot with binos and freaking out... said he could see a thumb-sized jet of blood pumping out of the offside of the buck as he ran 40 yards and keeled over. He immediately tried (and failed) to buy my rifle...

These stories of no blood crack me up. The last doe I shot with a 53gr TSX left a trail that Stevie and Ray could follow. They don't bleed outside of the body real well if the shots are above the half line of the body. Shoot them below that and they pump the blood out real well.

Or do the high shoulder shot and drop them like everyone else here does (except me).

If you want a blood trail use a .270 Winchester.

It will just be a very shot blood trail.

I have seen the ghey leave a DRT, short 10 yard trail, and 100+ yard trail and everything in-between. Just like every other cartridge on the market.

If everyone knew this the internet would be a slow place for us that are interested in ballistic gack and nit picking.

No.....don't feel like the lone ranger. Lung shooter here.....but I haven't found my Holy Grail trophy yet.

He's seven.

For the record I shot a buck last year with a 270 and 130 grain TTSX that ran 100ish yards and never left a drop of blood either.

I've seen 12 gauge shotgun slugs poke holes as big as a broomstick clear through both sides of a deer yet no blood trail. Alot depends on the location of the wound.More than halfway up the body may not leak any blood to speak of, regardless of the size of the holes. Holes in the lower one third tend to leak profusely. I've killed over 30 deer with various .22 centerfires and have yet to need a blood trail. Truth be told, it's been VERY rare to actually NEED a blood trail no matter what cartridge/caliber I've used as the VAST majority have gone down either within sight, within hearing or are easily found just by going to the spot they were last seen and looking ahead. A high percentage of my deer have been killed in what most folks would refer to as "heavy cover" too. Most just don't go very far after a well placed shot.

Its illegal in most places, immoral and unethical everywhere......


Savage99 told me so.

I meant you can't.

I'll use it all day long.

RAR 223/62TSX in the Desert...from a coupla days ago.

Pardon the variable being on 6X.



May have been a "fluke"?!?



Hint................

If you want a blood trail with a 223 yet still have plenty of penetration, your best bet is the Nosler 64 Bonded Solid Base. Push it as fast as you can.

Over the decades I've shot a few deer with my 220 Swift. I got inconsistent results, and I think the problem was the bullet. More bullet choices now, though I haven't tried it on deer again. That could change now that the 64 Gr Nosler BSB stabilizes in the 220. Had to run it at redline to make it shoot good. In the 223, the BSB shoots great, also at full max with H335. I was gonna try them both out on pigs, but the pigs won't cooperate.

If a fellow wants a blood trail, my 270 with the 130 gr BT will give you what you want, though the king of blood trails for me has always been my old 35 Remington. That 200 gr punkin ball bullet at 2000 fps or so will drill through most anything.

I know the swift kills like lightning bolt with the old speer 70 gr..
It's kinda round nose. And going about 3700 ( guessing)

I've seen an absolute ton of deer killed with 55grn softpoints, .223 and 22/250. I have seen that going lower weight than 55grn has caused trouble though.

I'd be curious of reports with the heavier cup and cores like the 65grn Sierra and 75grn Amax.

65 grain GK kills deer dead.

I'll be using the 70 gr. VLD next...

+1 on blood trail and the 35 Remington with a 200 gr bullet.

Good to hear Rancho, I have a batch of the 65grn Sierra's loaded up ready to go in 10 days for the openner.

I'll get the mag mod for my RAR and try the 75grn amax after this season is over. The Amax's are wicked looking little javelins.

I reiterate...the 55 gr TTSX....

Nothing like a pile O' dinks in the back of a pickup to make you smile.

What velocities are we achieving with the 62gr TSX from a vanilla 223? I am a little over 3000fps in a 20" barrel. Not sure if I can get more. No signs of pressure using L brass and 7.5 sparklers.