Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 1-8" .224 bullets for game?

I'll be running them in a new barrel today. I'm hoping for good results. I may even take one of my old rifles and see how they fare. May take a while to break in the new barrel. From what I hear the 77TMK is a killer for sure. Passes the FBI penetration tests when the 73 gr. ELD match bullet wouldn't even come close. I may be making a switch if they shoot as good as form and others have said...

We’ve been knocking the snot out of deer with the 55gr ttsx for a few years now.

That’s what I’d recommend.

They are good deer killers BSA. My boy took a few deer with them at 2900 from a 223. Worked just like Form mentioned. Blew chucks up decent too.

55&62 TSX has worked. I suspect they would also do so in Texas.

Addition: Makes no difference if they are standing or moving. Shoot them up front and those two work the same. What say you? Agree or disagree?

I found your pictures on Rokslide...
I AM a believer!
Brutal.

I have used the 77TMK on a few deer now and brutal is a good description

Latest victim.

Antelope, 186 yards, nearly straight on. This is exit side.

Shoot them forward of the diaphragm and it makes no difference whether they're running all out or standing still. I've killed them on the run with ordinary 55 gr sp's no problem {Hornady, Win. and Nosler}. One big buck cartwheeled instantly from a quartering away shot that hit near the last rib and ranged forward into the off shoulder. That was back in the early 90's with the old 55 gr Nosler solid base atop a stiff load of 3031.

Right on man. This is how the new barrel shoots. I'm pretty happy with the 77 TMK, accuracy wise... crappy day to be shooting though:

That's the way it works....

https://www.brownells.com/reloading/bullets/rifle-bullets/tipped-matchking-bullets-prod80584.aspx

Do all the tmk s work the same?

They are similar in performance, but that performance varies.

In General- lighter for caliber will have a bit wider, shallower wound channel. Heavier for caliber will have a deeper, slightly less wide wound channel.

I know this bullet is short enough to use in a 1 in 9 inch twist but I bought a thousand of them a while back. The Hornady 75 gr HPBT match bullet with cannelure has killed all I have shot with it. Gives pretty good penetration and is able to break bone. I like it for neck and spine CNS hits on feral hogs.

An inexpensive option is the old Speer 70 grain semi spitzer. The low BC will not be an issue at the ranges your shooting. It was designed for Deer and predators in the 223 as the heaviest bullet that would stabilize with a 1-12 twist. In a fast twist it works even better.

For bone I would go with any of the mono bullets.

I don’t care for the .224 bullet for hunting, but I’ve had decent luck on hogs with 55 grain Barnes. Just be prepared for them to run a while with anything other than a central nervous system hit.

Many good choices. 75 grain Hdy HPBT kill things with authority, but don't expect exits. The 62 grain Fusions work well if you insist on exits, but the wound channel nor blood trails are very impressive. The old 64 grain Power Point kills well too.

My AR shoots the 75 grain Speer Gold Dot ammunition very well. I'm thinking about loading that bullet for it when I run out of the factory stuff. My AR also likes the 62 gr. Barnes TTSX. I've killed a ton of pigs, sheep and deer with the 64 gr. PowerPoint as well.

Interesting. My fiance shoots all kids of stuff with her 22/250 and the 50 gr. TTSX and nothing has gone over 30 feet. Double lung shots always.

Same one I would use if they weren’t.