Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .223 for whitetail - yes or no?

Like!

For what it is worth, 6mmARC is my small deer gun. 108 grain Berger Elite Hunter was instant death last fall. This year I am deciding on what copper bullet to try. Leaning on Lehigh Defense or Absolute Hammer. have 3 tags to fill so perhaps both.

Really becoming a fan of the high shoulder Brachial plexus shot.

Remington 700 sps stainless, 12T, 24"
55g Hornady Sp
3450 fps
Benchmark powder, Remington or Winchester brass, IMI is the gold standard
cci 450***very important for the very best accuracy

You can hit thimbles at 100 yards with this load

Two does I shot with this load folded up in their tracks, speed kills

A vert wise man once said, "stuff ain't hard to kill, just place your shot".

I shot two does with a 223 AR, H-Bar tricked out with a leupold 6.5x20 target on it. Dial was marked for up to 300 yards for the 62g tsx. The distance was 270 yards with the AR on the does, and both of them ran 100-150 yards with good heart/lung shots. Deer can have an amazing willingness to live.

Lmao

Pretty easy to tell who has used them and who hasn’t.

That would work with a 22lr

Yes sir.

Exactly. These naysayers are fools.

If they wouldn’t comment on how “bad”‘it is without using it they wouldn’t be fools. But here we sit.

At over 250 yards?

No. I try to keep my 22lr shots under 225.

my Seven-year-old Daughter will be using my 700 PSS in 223 with 55grain Barnes. it shoots those very accurately and I have used it for filling farm tag deer in the summers with no issues.

How many here commenting on the .223 for deer have actually used one for deer?

I have as well as friends and family, it works great! Deer aren’t hard to kill, just shoot them in the front half.

A good 223,ain't even close to fhuqking "fair". Hint...............

When I was young, we had a neighbor that would go after deer with his 1940's vintage Chevy and a 22 LR out the window. He would drive alongside deer and shoot the deer, any time of the year his family needed meat. They were poor. His son told us that it took a few shots before the deer would drop.
The neighbors knew about it.
On the ranch where I hunt - West River South Dakota, the rancher had a 340 Savage in 222. His only deer rifle. He filled the freezer every year with that 222 using factory ammo. He had deer all over his ranch and even in his yard, he hunted for meat, not horns. He passed away a couple years ago, nice guy.
I have a couple 223's, but I don't have anything but varmint bullets for them except for 64 grain Nosler PPT which I found out don't shoot accurately in those rifles. I've ordered appropriate bullets, but they are on back order. Maybe those varmint bullets would work, IDK.
I used to have some Winchester 55 grain bullets that I felt were good for deer. I only shot one doe with that bullet, and it was with a 22-250.

Good stuff, Thanks T and Big B, yes, the little rifle has no recoil, the 2.5-8 Leupold is plenty for any 250 yard max hunting, i intend to find out what those little slugs will do this season.

Not many.

375 H&H or stay at home!

Yes, when I had a damaged shoulder I used a .223. Killed a 14 pt. 300 Lbs. Buck and several other deer. Blows up the heart and lungs. You have to be more picky about shots but as always, hit them in the heart and they will die quickly. I now use a Tikka bolt action in 7-08 but not afraid to use the .223.

Yes, when I had a damaged shoulder I used a .223. Killed a 14 pt. 300 Lbs. Buck and several other deer. Blows up the heart and lungs. You have to be more picky about shots but as always, hit them in the heart and they will die quickly. I now use a Tikka bolt action in 7-08 but not afraid to use the .223.