Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .223 Deer Question

But, they way over penetrate
GreggH

This year was my first year hunting deer with a 223. I used the 70 grain Speer on all three deer this year and I may change to another load next time I take that rifle out for deer. All three shots where behind the shoulder and through the lungs. Expansion with the 70 Speer seemed to be mild and 2 of the 3 blood trails were minimal and hard to follow.

My 223 with the 70 Speer met its match last week when I jumped a large pig. I shot the pig at about 40 yards and she soaked it up pretty well. No bloodtrail except for the impact site. She ended up going unrecovered. I rushed the shot on this pig and hit it in the shoulder I think, when I should have gone with a head shot on a hog that size.

I want it.... Don't need it, but I want it...

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=330802247

Maybe...

Shoulders work fine, assuming you are using a good bullet and can actually shoot.

I'm not typically a shoulder shooter, Steelhead. A monometal bullet may have made the difference in this instance.

I've been killing deer for 25 years with 22 cals and they flat work. No amount of "I hit em behind the shoulders and they ran off" could convince me otherwise. As for bullets I've used them all, damn near. I even once shot a 200 lb hog with a 50 gr sxsp (222 Rem) while calling cats in south tx. Range was about 200 yds. The bullet made it to the offside, intact.

The last few years or so I've been shooting the 70 gr Speer. Killed around 15 out of my R-15 with all pass throughs, ranging from 30-225 yds. Strangely enough, I shot a turkey and recovered the bullet, a perfect mushroom. Range was about 220 yds.

My fav to date is the 70 Speer followed by the 62 TSX and 64 PP.

Good looking rifle Winnie1300,I have the Carbine and love it!
Shoots the Federal 60 Grain Partition great.
Craig

The 70 grain Speer is our favourite deer bullet in .223. Incidentally, it will stabilize in a 1 in 12 twist.

Here's my 'stunt shooter' son with some 70 grain Speer victims...

Hi,nice pics of game.
Have you tried the Nosler 60 grain partition ?
If so how would you compare the on game performance to the 70 grain Speer?

Thanks
Craig

Ingwesan,

I believe that there is a very informative, .223AI tread,in the hunting rifles forum ! almost as good as the original "BTE" - Military Sniper rifles !

Hope you & yours are all well.

Paul.

No I haven't tried the 60 grain Partition so can't comment. Might have to pick up a packet and give them a go.

New to the forums but want to get active. I have been following threads on .22 centerfires for deer for some time. I have never used anything smaller than a .260 to kill deer but have been tempted to use my 1:9 twist Remington VTR sometime. I have the ability to pass on shots that are not good. I even do that with larger calibers. I like shooting from one hill to another at calm feeding deer. I use a table, chair and rest for most of my hunting.
I am thinking the 60 grain Partition would be a good choice
providing I can get it to shoot well.

like someone said pick something other than a varmint bullet and go hunt. I don't like behind the shoulders as I don't like to drag the animal any further than where I shoot it, not much meat in deer shoulders anyway.

I don't like the partitions myself but if you have them and they shoot why not. Try the 75 grain Swift or the 64 grain Powerpoint, or the 65 grain Sierra gameking, or the 62 grain TSX.

Times have changed. Bullets have too. The .22's are ethical for deer today.

jimmyp, looks like you like about any bullet except the partition. Any reason for this? I have not bought bullets for this application so I can get whatever I decide on. So far it has been between the 60 grain Partition and the 53 grain TSX. That is what I see recommended on other forums the most.

that depends on the bullet used. I have found several ruined deer (with my GSP) within 300 yards of a deer feeder that didn't have an exit hole and evidently left little blood to follow.

A minimal blood trail in thick brush or weeds coupled with inexperienced (of which most are) hunters who are poor shots usually results in a lost deer.

A deer that has been gut shot with a small caliber is often lost, while one hit with a larger cal. High expansion bullet that exits usually pretty easy to find. This is not my opinion, but is my experience.

eyeball
I am of the belief that the statement of a bad shot with a small gun is the same as one with a big gun does not hold water. The destruction to vitals with a ballistic tip bullet from a large gun is unbelievable and even a shot to the liver has gave me a DRT deer with a cavity full of soup. Things do go wrong at times. We mis calculate wind, the deer moves etc. That has been my reason to not use a .22 centerfire for deer but I know they work for many and do not disagree with it for experienced hunters. I have found myself even wanting to try it just so I have first hand experience.

The 223 is great for training your dog to trail wounded deer, IF you use a good bullet. If you use a cheap bullet you and the dog may never find it. It is great in the hands of a good hunter/ shot with a good bullet.The problem is that too many city slickers going on their rare hunt and having minimal skill and confidence end up getting a shot while using the cheapest bullet that comes apart before adequate penetration and then never find or even hunt for the deer that runs off to die days or weeks later.

If you shoot at a running deer at out to 200 or so yards and hit it in the guts with a soft point 130-180 gr. high velocity bullet it probably won't go over 200 yards before it lays down. One can see by the sign it is gut shot and come back a few hours later and trail it up and end the deal if the deer is still alive.