Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire In LOVE with the little .223

I've been shooting .270's, 308's, 7mm's, .300WM and 30-30's for over 40 years. I always thought that the little .223 was just too small for big deer and hogs. You know, it's good for women and kids... but not a REAL big game caliber.

I bought a threaded RAR 16" barrel last year, just so I could use a suppressor that I already had for my .22's/AR's. Not only is it dead nuts accurate, with no kick and no blast (from the can) - it is way out of it's tiny caliber in killing power.

I've killed three hogs (245#, 353#, 378#) in the last month, and two 200# bucks with it last year. I'm only shooting 55gr SP's now, but when my last three are gone, I'm switching over to the 64gr Speer Gold Dot SP's, that also shoot amazingly well in this gun.

Absolutely amazing caliber.

Sweet, congrats on the critters, i was at the other end of the spectrum this evening, put 30 rounds through my 45-110 Sharps bull gun, 1 2 3 4, 4 3 2 1 hundred yards on steel gongs with 530 grain paper patch bullets and black powder, I fell in love with it all over again.

Both you guys rock.

Ain't nary the three of us gonna go hungry RG.

Never shot one... on my bucket list.

I will add, that the .223 will NOT result in a DRT animal if you shoot heart/lungs. I shot one buck last year in the neck that, of course, dropped on the spot. All the other game made it 30-45 yards before piling up.

The bigger calibers can take a high shoulder shot and drop them instantly. The trade off is worth it for me (so far).

All my shots are 250 yards or less. I'm not comfortable with the killing power any further than that - yet....

They're a blast in more ways than one.

I didn't know you could kill big stuff with a .223....

Get that scale checked and you'll be well on your way to reality.



Dave

U-CAN, I see'd it.

I zeroed it out and I weight the same as on it, as my home scales. But, I'm sure you are right... lmfao You are a damn joke.

Heres a .223 trifecta..




from 120to 169lbs

I, too, was on the opposite end today out with the 416 Rem practicing.

Bull Buff down, coming up!

i like to shoot volcanic boulders.
with the 223 you can a 'ping'.
with a 45.70 you get shrapnel
much more better.

that doesn't count, isn't a black rifle

Needs to be the AI version.

Stunt shooters.

I learned long ago that the .223 would kill hogs. I load a 64 grain Winchester SP. Accurate and more than adequate.

If, for whatever the reason, I was ever forced to get down to one centerfire rifle, it would be an AR in 223. I figure it would take care of anything around these parts that needed shooting. Now, if I lived somewhere else, and had lions, and tigers, and bears roaming the woods looking to make a meal out of me, the choice would be different.