Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Hornady 55gr SP on deer?

Was reading over in the varmint forum about 223 hunting bullets and figured I'd ask this here.
There were several comments on how good the 55 SGK is on deer/hogs/lopes.
I was wondering how the Hornady 55 SP compares to it.
Is it as tough/good?
I'm trying to find an inexpensive deer/hog load that shoots very close to same POI as 55 FMJ so my son can practice a lot this summer with the FMJ and switch to SP for deer this fall.
Obviously I'd check zero before just switching.
I can pick up Hornady 55 SP locally for $24/50. I don't hand load.
Is this a viable option?
Keep in mind a first year hunter sending these things toward a deer shoulder.
Shots will be kept under 100 yards.
Thanks in advance.

The non-cannelured version has a good reputation for holding together. My late brother loaded up some for the guy who owned the land we hunted years back, and they were good killers in his .22/250. He shot a doe end-on at about 100 yards and the bullet ended up inside a hindquarter. He whacked a few others as well. I'd shoot heart-lung on deer, like with everything else; 1/3 way up.

you will have no problem if you make PROPER SHOT PLACEMENT... they will NOT alleviate a poor shot.

Since you’re planning on shoulder shots, I’d pick a stouter Bullet. should work ok for broadside lung shots.

I put one through both shoulders of a big doe {140 lbs} from 80 yards a few years ago. She dropped instantly. The bullet was recovered from just under the hide on the offside. It was mushroomed nearly to the base but core and jacket were still in one piece.

They will work for deer and small hogs behind the shoulder. Not for use on big pigs.

I can't speak to how well they hold together on an onside shoulder hit. The one and only time I used one on a WI whitetail the shot did a good job tearing up the lungs and hit the offside shoulder. It tore up pretty well all the meat, blew into bitty fragments, and cracked the shoulder bone. This was on a little bitty 120# doe during an antlerless only hunt. The range was about 90 yards with a fairly small shooting lane. Honestly, I'd not use this bullet in 223 for WT again, as the 60 gr NPT works much better, as does their 64gr BSB.

Funny, I've killed a bunch of whitetails with that bullet and never had a problem. Have two 8 point bucks on the wall that fell to that bullet.The bigger of the two dressed 172 lbs. and fell instantly to a quartering away lung shot.

For clarification, I won't be instructing him to bust the shoulder.
Just saying that might be where it ends up if he gets a little buck fever and was wondering if it'd be up to the task.

Slip, years a go I shot a nice doe in the shoulder with this bullet from a .223, she did run, but only a shot distance.. I read where the boys in Montana have shot quite a lot of deer, antelope and a couple bear with the 55 Horn.. But they did use them from Swifts or the .22-250..

What about a Barnes for hunting?

Hey the 55Hornady works perfectly if you place it in the lungs/heart/shoulder.

Shot in the ass or the fuggin' guts, maybe not so much

Nothing the matter with the 55-grain Hornady in the .223 Normal at all.

I've killed maybe fifty mulies, some rather big, with that combination and I NEVER had a repeat customer. One shot ... one dead deer.

Pretty simple, actually.

Blessings,

kd

Someone somewhere said something like "Shoot 'em in the front half."

There are lots of uncontrolled variables in this sport that we love. Not judging, just find it interesting that some folks on this thread have good success with a 55gr CnC bullet ostensibly designed for varmints, and at the same there are folks on a nearby thread who have had poor results from a 120gr CnC bullet at 7-08 velocities.

I've used them with excellent results from my 22-250, 220 Swift and 220 Wilson Arrow. My hunting partner has had great results from his 223 with them. This one is fell to that bullet from the 220 Wilson Arrow at 175yds. MV was about 3800fps.

A .224” diameter bullet 50-70 grain wouldn’t be my first or tenth choice for deer hunting.

BUT, if that was all I had ( my 222 Rem and 50-55 grains soft point jacketed bullet) and I was hungry, within a reasonable distance ( under 100 yards) and able to get a good shot ( neck) on a non-running deer, I would be eating venison.

My wife has a friend that has taken something like 21 deer with 21 shots from her 222 Remington, Model Savage 340, and factory 50 or 55 grain loads. She shoots from a tree stand on her father’s farm. Shots are under 50 yards. 4x Weaver EL Paso scope ( 1960’s vintage and regular cross hair). Her shot is a high neck shot, just under the base of the skull. Not a lot of tracking was ever needed, and she has dropped 200+ lbs dressed-out whitetails with that system ( Albion, Maine).

A 222 Rem is legal for deer hunting in Maine.

With the 55 grainers from your 223, you may want to focus on neck shots.... and keep it inside 100 yards.

Hunting deer with a .224" 55 gr. bullet is a stunt like riding a bicycle no handed. Some day it won't be the right choice.

The load that you mentioned will work fine. I’ve used them on body shots and they held together fine. As some others have stated large hogs might be a different story. Extended family have used them, mostly on WT neck shots I think...though my FiL likes to neck shoot them with his 270 as-well....

55 gr Hornady spire point, 223 Rem, about 80 yards, 120 lb doe.

DRT!

I’m not saying they want kill a deer. My question is why use a varmit bullet on Deer. Barnes, Nosler etc make bullets that are designed for larger game. They are not that expensive and you probably want be shooting a lot of them. Hasbeen