Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 223 Rem loads for deer

Strictly for those of you/us who actually hunt or have hunted deer successfully with a 223. The rest need not apply. I have hunted deer with good success with 62 grain LE loads. Not the most accurate round but it performs well on impact. I have also done well with 55gr V-Max loads surprisingly. I'm looking to pick the brain of those of you who regularly use a 223 for deer for your favorite/best bullet. I have a 12 twist Ruger bolt and I want a one bullet load for everything. I'm seriously looking at a 50 or 55 gr Barnes

My bullet of choice is the 65 grain SGK. Don't know how it would work in your 12 twist barrel.

Nosler 64 BSB is working for us.

cci 450 27 gr of vv-540 and 65 gr sierra GK

No need to look further

I think the 55 grain TSX will be too long for the 12 twist. I haven't personally shot a deer with the 55 grain TSX, but my daughter has and it worked very well for her on two separate hunts. I had a buddy whose son has a youth .223 Handi rifle with a 1:12 twist and he used a 45 grain TSX to take a black hawaiian ram and small feral hog in TX. He tried the 55 grain and they keyholed at 100 yards in his 12 twist barrel.

Have shot 2 with the 50 grain Barnes. First was a high chest/spine shot, and it dropped like struck by lightning. Second was a lower lung shot and it ran 150 yards or so, with a very small blood trail. These were the older blue Barnes. It works if you pick your shots, and don't have water or heavy cover to track through. After seeing the huge difference in performance with the .243 over the .223, I'd probably never do it again. In fact, I sold all my .22 centerfires in favor of .243 and larger. But, I don't predator/varmint hunt much, so it better fits my needs anyhow. If I had to use one now for deer, I'd probably try the tipped Barnes.

I believe the 55 gr barned is a TTSX (Tipped) and will stabilize in a 10 twist or faster. The 53 gr barned is a TSX ( not tipped) and will stabilize in a 12 twist.



Shod

This is the bullet I used. Worked better than expected. Haven't found one in an animal yet to share any pictures.

Being old school...

a 60 grain SP Hornady, 63 SMP Sierra, or a Speer 70 grain SMP...

The 55gr TSX was a great bullet in my Ruger MK II. I killed a few hogs with it.

The 53 grain TSX works well in a 12 twist. The 62 grain TTSX not so much. The 55 gain TTSX probably will work.

The 53 grain TSX kills big deer quite well. I have not recovered one. I could shoot deer for the rest of my life with them and not be handicapped. I used BLC-2 and Tac. Varget I found I could not get enough into a case to get the most out of it. Doing it over again I'd try CFE-223 and maybe 4451 with the TSX 53.

If buying off the shelf, 62 grain Fusion ammo is hard to beat. If handloading, Nosler's Partition gets it done. Over the past 3 years I have provided the above to my grandson. He has yet to recover a bullet. 100% pass throughs on small coastal deer. 100% one shot kills. The furthest any ran was perhaps 40 yards. Most DRT. Large exit wounds and lots of blood. That's a sample size of about 15.

Thanks for all the info. As stated I have shot a few with 62 grain LE loads that were Federal ammo. I imagine much the same as the bonded fusion loads. I have a bit of W748 and CFE on hand so those two will get the job. I love the rifle and it shoots so well with absolutely zero for recoil I can't stand to leave it home. I have a great 55gr V Max load using W748 that keeps me zero of coyote out to 400 yards. In fact last winter I nailed one at 443 yards measured by holding at the top of the back. I struck at the lower third and ended his day instantly

70 gr Speer and 53 tsx has worked but I prefer larger cal for deer myself...

That 70 gr Speer is a great deer bullet. I've used a mess of them and the speer, win 64 gr pp, Hornady 55 sp, 55 gr. No BT at 223 velocities and slower work very well-suprisingly. I did buy 500 of the bonded Noslers I just haven't loaded any yet. The Noz is where I'd start if I were starting new.