Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .223 75 grain ELD-M for deer?

gIn 1979 I bought a 788 in .223 Rem. It had a 1:12 twist. I shot 55 grain Spitzers in it but when deer hunting I used the Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzer. It stabilized it fine with the 1:12 Twist. I use these in my Model 700 ADL Sythetic .22-250 with 1:14 Twist. It stabilizes them fine. But remember, that's a Semi Spitzer. Big difference compared to a Spitzer.

Out to a couple hundred yards it's a hammer.

Hard to beat a 60 grain Partition.

338 WM for Big Deer in the Deep South?

This right here...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

but I seem to use stuff that has proven effective for decades over something "new and improved"....

Most of my shooting while hunting involves 200 yds or less...

proper effective bullet and shot placement....

one of the guys from Montana should be along momentarily for their descenting opinion....

Given a 225 ttsx or 210 ttsx, the 338 win mag is usually very accurate, and there isn't a deer out there than can survive the south end hit on a northbound deer if its the once in a lifetime deer and the only shot you have as he scent trails a doe with his head down at 300 yards.... I have used 300 mags and have come away, even with 180s, less than impressed on some long and angular shots.

I have never been disappointed with the 338 Win mag.

Again I'm talking once in a lifetime, like Mexico big bucks or south TX kind of thing when you never know what will walk out and how far off... and I"m comfortable with a 338 to way on out there, at least 800 yards.

always interesting that tracking seems to be an issue. Maybe its a lost art. We really enjoyed it, but now have a dog and really enjoy watching the dog work. He LOVEs it and lives for it.

A dog that will follow a blood trail is a rare dog, they are to be cherished! I remember reading a small book of the old gunwriter Byron Dalrymple on using the .243 on Hill country deer. At that time, the two most popular factory load weights were 80gr and 100 grain. He felt the 80gr was the fastest killer "but used for a high lung shot", tight behind the shoulder. It made sense to me. I feel all the smaller calibers are deadly, they just need to be used "surgically". But I find I 'always tried" to place a bullet "surgically", even on varmints! Also, trying to find a .224-.244 bullet that was an "all around" deer/big game bullet was a challenge for me. I still feel the right weight /style of mono is a good game bullet. The vmax style worked best for me on varmints/coyotes. I think it's (a) way too much fun to handload/shoot small caliber rifle and (b) to just settle on one bullet/style/weight, in any cartridge," leaves a lot on the table" ( I always wanted to use that term!) for overall satisfaction.

I've had the privilege of seeing a couple of those at work. Amazing.

You're right, they're rare. But when you have one, you have a real treasure.

DF

To top it off, Tiger was a stray, pup, broken leg on a RR track that my SIL husband would not allow to stay with them. We were to hold him till the shelter opened in a few days. Thank God he was at the house a few days, just flat fell in love with him.

His first ever try was sniff sniff, took off on a dead run right to the deer. He has missed a few. And in hindsight it was me not quite reading him right. And he has taken a long path to a few, RE using the wind instead of a straight line... but what do we expect.

He has found them over a mile away. Over 10-12 hours after they were shot even.

And a couple others he has not found there was not enough sign at the spot and I"m convinced those deer never died, were hit to high, due to all the hype of the high shoulder shot stuff for DRT needs for whatever reason, it often nets to high hits that are spectacular, until the deer comes to and runs off none the worse for wear, we usually find those beds about 100-150 yards away and usually can't find any blood in the bed or if so its just a tiny smear.

Tiger is still young, 5 I think, and in 2021 if plans go right, he will be with us in Alaska and hopefully doing fine and wonder what he is going to do if I can get him on caribou, moose and bear trails

Its almost so much fun watching him work, that I often have more fun with that than shooting a deer.

Worst part is he could have found my 11 point last fall, if the burrs were not so bad. We have not found good boots for him. He works until he just can't stand the burrs so we put him up, and followed that deer for hours, and managed to walk right by where he died just after we had jumped him one last time... only to find him there the next weekend... that SUCKED. What a waste of meat. Sometimes they just go though.

No experience with a 223 in this configuration, but I took a cull buck at 30 yards this past season with a 130 grain 260 ELD-M.

Entered back of front shoulder, exited about 3” behind the offside shoulder. Left a fist size hole, buck ran about 40 yards and piled up.

These are tiresome!!!!!

WTF? Great ramblings.....

...says the guy who volunteered to read them...




P

If it's a factory stock 788 barrel it's 1 in 12 twist. You're asking a lot of that barrel with a 75 grain anything. I used to use Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzers in my 788. They stabilize fine in a 1:12. Killed deer well out to 200 yards, no problem. Other wise, if you still want to use 75 grain bullets rebarrel it to a 1-8 twist barrel. That's what I have in my new AR, 1:8 and I don't even plan on using anything heavier than 70 grains in it due to mag length limitations. In fact the Sierra 65 grain Game Kings is what I'll probably use for deer.

300 win mag is plenty for any whitetail deer.

I would go lighter and faster, there is no need for a solid copper 75 grain bullet on a WT deer.

If you’re referring to the ELDM, it ain’t solid copper.



P

thanks for answering the question guys.

Nice to still see you here Rost.

I dont know how some of you with 1:12 or 1:14 have got these heavy 69 or 75 gr to shoot well.
When I was younger I had H&R single shot heavy barrel.
I don't know what twist it was, but it would key hole 62 grain