Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Your choice of dedicated deer/antelope rifle in .223?

No..I truly don't....

I went with a 3x9...on everything...

I currently have 100 55gr FMJ Norma .223 and several hundred 64gr Winchester PP.

I like the idea of the 55 TTSX, but as they are roughly $1 each in factory ammo, I'd have to reload those to make sense. Perhaps I'll shoot up the Norma ammo and keep the brass to reload the TTSX?

I'm also reading about the greatness of the Hornady 55gr spire point. I looked it up, and that's CHEAP hunting ammo!

Last antelope I shot was at 470 yards with a Rem 788 in 223 with a 55g Hornady sp, 26.5g of Win 748 at 3100 fps. He flopped when the bullet hit him.

Thanks, Keith - I have 8 lbs of Win 748.

Both the 55 grain Hornady and the 64 Gr. WW have great reputations..I just loaded up some 55 grain Hornady for my .223AI to sight in and use withy a new scope.

That Win748 you mentioned is an easy powder in the .223.......good stuff!

Couple of years back I traded a Rem 870 12 ga to a buddy who needed it for a syn stocked Howa 1500 in 223. It's very accurate and so smooth you can't even feel it when chambering a round. They are not very expensive check one out. MB

MB: What does your "syn stocked Howa 1500 in 223" weigh? Thanks.

I just bought the Howa 1500 Kuiu a couple months ago...8 twist....on sale for $349...seems to like whatever you shove in it...but I havent weighed it. That said, it seems heavy for a rifle its size even though the barrel is a shorter contour. Had Howas before and they'll hold up well to a LOT of use..

I have a Ruger American standard rifle in .223 - 1/8 twist.
I put a Leupold 3x9 on it and added a Timney trigger.
The magazine “in mine” will take 6 rounds down and feeds like it has eyes....very smooth.
I like the egros and safety a lot, and it’s shoots tiny little groups.
I got a deal on several hundred Hornady 60gr sp’s for it that should be useful on deer/antelope.
I bought it to be a truck gun, but it’s becoming much more than that.

Killed many with Hornady 22-250 55gr

It is really interesting here the 223 is a deer cartridge and when you go to a predator hunting sight there is a pretty steady complaint of coyote spinners and run offs with the 223. I'm sure that most of them are poor shot placement and choice of bullets.

"pretty steady complaint of coyote spinners and run offs"???

I used to hunt fur as a large part of my living, and I have killed a lot of coyotes with 22 LRs and 22 WMRs as well as a WHOLE lot with 22-250s and 222 Remingtons. On top of those I have used a 223 to kill probably 50-70 of them. I have never had one run off very far with a good chest hit. Not ever. The longest run I ever saw from one I shot was with a 22 WMR with a 40 grain solid instead of the better HP bullets. Even that one only went about 75 yards. I stopped using FMJs in the 22 WMR after I shot about 6 that run between 25 and 50 yards and would only use the HP bullets after those. But I never had one escape me.

I did have one get away when I shot off a leg once with a 30-30 and once I lost one by also shooting off a leg with my 270, but I doubt I can blame the rifles for not being big enough.

I vote Kimber Montana or CZ 527.

Pretty ,much the same here...killed more with a .222 and .223 than I have with a .22-250...had one good chest hit run about 35 yards...thats it....

Might have more to do with the ammo than caliber.

Most folks get the cheapest ammo and it's usually FMJ.

It don't work well unless one hits a bone.

I have a Howa in 223 and it shoots better than i do.

It really likes the 50 grain bullets but it won't shame you with the other weights.

As for deer calibers soft on your shoulder, I shot my .243 today with 100 gr bullets and 41? gr IMR 4350. Not much kick at all and it is not a heavy rifle. I saw one deer killed with a .243. It was a bad hit and way high and forward. It was a big doe and only went 40' or so. I was amazed how quick the deer died. A good shot would likely have dropped it right there. My 12 yr old boy shot it with his H&R . 243. Win . youth . It was a very un accurate gun.

Thanks, hookem, I have a healthy respect for the 243 and have a very nice one - but I honestly can't tell the difference in kick between it and a 120 gr bullet out of my 7mm-08.

Right now I'm just looking for something fun that costs little to shoot, is accurate and has almost zero effect on my shoulder while it is healing up. And if it is useful for deer and antelope in the meantime, so much the better!

I think some of the best bang for the buck factory deer ammo for the 223 is Fusion. I'd trust that Fusion bullet to hold together going through bone. The Hornady, not so much.

I bought my first 220 Swift ( 700 Classic) froma retired AF Col. here, way back in '98. He and his friends used them with the Hornady 60sp for Depredation hunts. Killed many head of mule deer between them. I preferred the then available Federal Premium with 55gr Trophy Bonded. My point is that the Hornady 60sp had to be a bit tougher to hold up to the 220 Swift. Many have not realized the killing effect of a fast twist rifle on game. My 8" twist Bushmaster likes the Federal 69gr Sierra on Prairie dogs! I used the 50gr VMax in the 220 Swift on coyotes. But the 64PP was also very good in the 224 TTH on everything! Wind is the biggest problem in bullet placement for me and the .22s, even the TTH. My average "range" on mule deer has been about 75yds. Antelope has been 175yds, only because I shot a few at 300 to 347yds for grins. Have a ball Pard!