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70 Speer Semi-Spitzer. Killed deer with it to 200 yards and a really big pig last year at 270. Haven’t caught a bullet yet, but all the exits are nice and round, and show signs or good expansion. I have about a thousand of them for my 223 Montana.

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Seeing your front sight post won't be an issue if you are above 3x or 4x. Don't worry about it.

I agree with The Kid, a 77 tmk is the best I've used in a 223. If someone told me to shoot everything I hunt with a 55grain hornady SP I wouldn't feel too handicapped. It's a great bullet.

I feel like a lot of people go the wrong way with the 223 on big game. They want to shoot really tough bullets to insure penetration
That comes at the cost of way less tissue damage though. If you want to not worry about some bone and quartering shots then the gold dots or fusions are a nice compromise

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Funny thing but like you say, some of the slowest killing 223 bullets I’ve used are 53gr TSX. They just do not make a very wide wound channel and it takes a while for stuff to tip over.

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My late friend used regular Hornady 55gr SPs loaded by my late brother in his .22/250 with excellent results. At least one went stem to stern on a nice PA doe. Gotta think it would work as well at the slower speed of a .223.

Seems the non-cannelured ones are the popular choice, perhaps because they hold together better?

In the current spotty availability situation, one needs options…..


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was forced by Utah Fish&Game to use mono bullets to save the fhuqking Condors a few years ago, With much testing I ended up with 62gr Barnes TSX from my AR-15...Deer DRT

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I’ve used a lot of bullets in the 223 for deer, my favorite is the 75 gr Speer Gold Dot.


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65 Sierra BTSP has worked well for me on deer and plenty of pigs.

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I would go with the 64 gr nosler bonded or the 64 gr power point if either of them shot well. The gold dots/fusions would be good if you could get them. Monos seem a little tough for my liking in the 243 and below.

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My son has flattened both WT and MD does with both the 62TSX and the 60 Hornady SP. Last one was a skosh over 220, DRT. It was a bolt gun but still a .223

Last edited by TakeEm; 07/29/22.

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The last couple I killed with an AR was using 68 or 69 gr Sierra HPBT match bullets. Never had one run further than 10-20 yards.


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Originally Posted by hanco
62 Barnes or 62 grain Bear Claw

+1 on the Barnes for .224.


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Deer are easy to kill.. The few deer I have killed with .223 were with a factory winchester 55gr sp. I hate reloading and I am a cheap azz. Stocked up on a pile of 62 gr sp seconds a while back. I would go mass production with those and have a round that I can plink with as well as hunt with.


As to your front sight and the scope. Dont over think it. Grab whatever offset scope mount is on sale, bolt it up, and run it. You wont notice the front sight

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Deer are easy to kill and so is most everything else when shot through the lower half of both lungs. I like blood trails that Helen Keller could track but haven’t seen a bullet that always does it. Sometimes they have similar would channels but one leaves a huge blood trail and another leaves hardly any.

Tracking deer in or around swamp edges that were shot at last light and having to be to work in the morning is no fun even if they only ran 50 yards back into a cedar swamp. A bullet that can punch through meat and bones and put them DRT comes in handy. Hunting conditions matter IMO. If selectively shooting a doe at first light on a bluebird day while it’s standing in a hayfield the bullet doesn’t matter much. At last light and deer coming out of a swamp with heavy rain in the forecast it definitely can.

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Have used the 65 gameking, 69 matchking, 73 ELD, 75 bthp, and 77 matchking.
All have worked well with no edge noted to any one over any of the others.

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The 65 grain SGK is my go-to deer bullet in .223.

I learned long ago that it doesn’t take much to kill a deer if you shoot them properly. I killed my second ever deer in 1967 with a Norma 50 grain .222 factory load from my 788. 200 yards, DRT. In the intervening years I’ve used a lot of other stuff because I like guns and messing around with them. I’ve also read and listened to a lot of opinions on what you “need “ to kill a deer with, at times, a measure of amusement.

It’s all good.


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50-64 gr softpoints of every flavor have worked for me for 12 years. It just has not mattered to me at less than 250 yards or so. Killed a bunch of snooters with regular ball ammo in the head/neck.

Last edited by Sasha_and_Abby; 08/06/22.

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For game I would use heavy CnC sp hunting design, but preferably bonded or mono hunting designs. Heavy Gold Dots look attractive if you can get them to group.

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My deer gun is AR w/ white oak armament stainless 18” and shoot hornady 75/77gr, BTHP, the 2 deer i shot ar 40yards were DRT, great round that did the job, with 223 id say shot placement is key.

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My daughter will be 12 this November. I'm thinking of taking her deer hunting with my PSA AR15 because it's low-recoiling and with the stock fully collapsed it fits her well. I was thinking about trying to work up a 60 gr Partition ahead of a charge of Benchmark, but it sounds like I might not be able to find any. I appreciate the reports here of what else works in .223 on deer, my other option is to handload something mild for her in my 6.5x55SE, but that rifle is a CZ 550 American and I think the LOP is too long for her right now.


"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." --Matthew 6:33 KJV

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Originally Posted by azsixshooter
My daughter will be 12 this November. I'm thinking of taking her deer hunting with my PSA AR15 because it's low-recoiling and with the stock fully collapsed it fits her well. I was thinking about trying to work up a 60 gr Partition ahead of a charge of Benchmark, but it sounds like I might not be able to find any. I appreciate the reports here of what else works in .223 on deer, my other option is to handload something mild for her in my 6.5x55SE, but that rifle is a CZ 550 American and I think the LOP is too long for her right now.
Try these 62 grain bullets.


https://www.midsouthshooterssupply....4-diameter-62-grain-soft-point-500-count

Last edited by 10gaugemag; 08/07/22.

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