Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game 5.56 for Big game

So far I’ve used mine loaded with 75 gr bthp for deer and coyote. 1 bang flop doe and one runner. Anyone have much experience hunting with 5.56?

223 AI + 62 gr TSX is where it's at....

Yeah. Lots of guys on here use 223, 223AI, and others. Put it in the right spot and stuff dies.

I’ve killed literal tons of pigs with 223 out of ARs. Plus deer and turkeys as well. Lots of pigs with a 222magnum bolt rifle too. Killed two elk last weekend with the 222 Mag.

Yes. More than some, less than others. Way less than others on here.

Ive killed truck loads of bucks with the .223/5.56, I've used used 65 Gameking, 69 Matchking, 73 ELD, 75 AMAX. 75 Hornady BTHP, 77 Matchking. All with excellent results, no buck ever needed more than 1.

A thermal pig hunt is on my bucket list.

If I ever draw I’d love to chase an elk with one.

Nice buck!!!

The 75 Hornady smashed a doe for my dad, mine was a bit of a runner.

I haven’t been overly impressed with the 75 BTHP from Hornady. Sometimes it was perfect and others it would act funky. I shot a pair of pigs about as fast as possible with them from about 50 yards. One had textbook entry and 3/4” exit hole. The other had a huge crater where it went to steam in his left eye socket. He was knocked out but got up staggering around and required another. Several coyotes had pencil sized entry and exit wounds even at close range.

I switched to the 77 Tipped Matchking for my heavy bullet needs. It has been boringly reliable on everything. Giving good expansion and great penetration.

My most used bullets are still 55gr SPs from Hornady or Speer. Shoot 55gr Ballistic Tips out of the 222 Magnum some too if for no other reason than to be able to recognize them from the 223s.

I shot a few deer with the TSX 62g. The one I hit the far side shoulder on dropped like a rock. It was a decent sized buck. The one I didn't hit bone, just heart and lung, was a medium sized buck that ran 50-60 yards.

I don't like shooting the shoulder and wasting meat, and the blood trail on the buck that ran was less than impressive.

So, since I don't mind if they run a little as long as they leave a blood trail Stevie Wonder could follow, I just shoot behind the shoulder with something big and slow now most of the time.

I will say that if the deer running after the shot DOES bother you, hitting the shoulder with a solid, little, FAST bullet dropped that buck like a bolt of lightning.

I've always thought if I'd deer hunt with a .223 I'd just use a 55 grain soft point

@goalie

I usually shoot mine like I would during archery season. Usually aim for behind the shoulder low heart shot.

@TheKid

The 77 TMK recommendation sounds appealing, although I stocked up on 77 SMK and Nosler CC early this year.

Yeah, I just shoot deer up close. Usually under 50 yards, two this year at about 30-35 and maybe 10-15. I have 44mag revolvers and single shots, a 45/70 Marlin, 300BO, and a muzzle loader that work better for me.

If I have a chance to stretch it out a little, it's .308, .270 or 6.5 man-bun for me on deer.

I tried it, and it killed the deer, but for me, .223 is relegated to coyote duty.

It will work if you can place your shots. Not for myself. I am very familiar with them in an other life.

Woods hunter here myself. 15-125 yards.

221 fireball, 5.56, 6 creed, 308

5.56 truck gun nowadays

Killed bunches of pigs out to 200 yards with a Barnes 62 and 62 Bear Claws, but I have bigger tools for deer. I think a 243 would be a minimum for me.

My total experience with a .22 cal on big game was with an antelope with a 22-250. It has a slow twist so I used a lighter 55 gr soft point. It killed him nicely, mushing the lungs, cutting through the heart, and stopping in the far shoulder.
That said, this gun, with a 15x varmint scope, weighs more than my 30-06 so there's no point in carrying it for anything larger than varmints.

I very rarely use anything else....

I set my mom up with a 243 Ruger Muddy Girl, and she is hell on does with it.

I have a 243 Ruger predator with 6X SS that lives at the cabin. Haven’t used it.

The Stunt shooter has spoken^

5.56 is plenty. If you doubt, step up to 5.57 or 5.58. That should definitely do the job.

Have killed many deer and antelope with various 22 cal centerfires using various bullets from light Barnes to heavy BTHP. It's always been no fuss. I gravitate toward a couple "hunting" bullets now though, both of which are 62 grains: the TTSX, and the Gold Dot. Neither has not exited for me, even on steeply quartering shots.

It's a great training round. My son killed his first buck with my Tikka .223 and a 64 grain Win Power Point (factory). Worked perfectly, because he shot it well. About 40 yards.