Deer Bullet For 223 Savage Edge

[Ted_Feasel]

What weight of bullets are you using?


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYep, that is a fun shooting rifle... a little gentler than the 308 but like a laser

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[bowhntr62a]

How much on the 308 ?


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[rjtfroggy]

Boy we sure came a long way from a " 223 DEER BULLET " didn't we.

[Ted_Feasel]

Lmao... yep

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[Ted_Feasel]

How much on the 308 ?


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkHow much what on the 308

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[Ted_Feasel]

How much on the 308 ?


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkThe 308 was 175 gr SMK and 178gr hornady ELD, BL-C (2) powder ... I gave to look at my load sheet to see how much powder..

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[rjtfroggy]

Mr. Feasel my last post was a subtle way to say start your own thread so as not to get the original OP confused or lost in his quest for an appropriate answer.

[Ted_Feasel]

Mr. Feasel my last post was a subtle way to say start your own thread so as not to get the original OP confused or lost in his quest for an appropriate answer.Ok sorry

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[noname]

only Barns make good hunting bullets for the 223..

[hawkeyesatx823]

Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, and Speer all make great bullets

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[Cookie]

Might be legal but still dicey.

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[savagecornmuffin]

I love and hate this question. I didn't dig through the whole thread, but I'm sure the Armchair Chair internet wizard mega hunters went insane. I'm sure there were some very informative post as well. I have actually done a lot of white tail hunting with 22 cal carts. Specifically, 22-250 and 223. My first rifle was a 22-250 (Rem 788, My dad was a hot rodder and didn't hunt. He bought the rifle and told let me go hunting with it. A more informed fella might have grabbed me a 243. My mom's brothers took me to the woods and the caliber was never spoken of. I got the rifle at 12 and now I'm 42. Never lost an animal with it. I used it exclusively until I was old enough buy my own rifle. Lung shots are still my favorite. I reload to. I've used different bullet. I've found that any 55 - 65 gr JSP bullet in the 250 will do great out to 300. Lung shots are easy and consistent. Deer either lay down or run 20-50 yards and lay down. Sit awhile and let them give up the ghost then go get your deer. Not a lot of DRTs but enough to not have me question my caliber. I went with the 223 in my 30s. I started out with a 223 H&R single. Performance was similar to the 22-250. However, the 22-250 would occasionally shoot through. The absolute best bullets in the 223 are still the 55 -65 gr JSPs. Barnes type bullet are good to, but if 55 gr Barnes and on the shelf next to 62gr Federal, I'm going for which ever is cheaper. 70 gr Barnes are excellent, but I'm not a big fan of the slower speeds they run. These are much better in a long barrel. POA/POI out to 200 is close enough (not perfect) between 55-65 gr bullet. You may have to re-zero with the Barnes 70s. Second season with the H&R I had trimmed the rifle to 16.5" and I shot a lot of Sierra 63 gr JSPs. Velocity was +/- 2900 (maybe +/- 2800?? Can't remember). This was a great bullet. It was very accurate in my tiny rifle. Later on I got an AR. I still shoot mostly 55 GR soft points. I don't reload 223 (or 9mm) anymore. I shoot what ever I can get to group around an inch at 100 yards. I take at at least one deer each season with an AR. The beauty of the AR is the coup de grâce shot. I no longer wait for them lay down and die. I pop 'em once, then I pop 'em again. I make my DRTs now. I don't just hope they happen. I rarely have a runner.

Things to note: bullets up to 65 gr in the 22-250 need to be tested if that's what you want to shoot. My 1/14 twist rifle shot 62 and 64 grain bullets well. Nothing heavier. Some 1/14 rifle wont do that. Some will. The best performing off the shelf ammo I found for the 22-250 Federal 60 gr and cheap Rem 55 gr PSP. Those shot great in my rifle. Big Bucks in my area average around 170-180 lbs. In South Carolina we just don't have a lot of monster sized deer. A 200 lbs deer is rare here. You northern guys may need some info from 22 cal hunters in your area. Regarding the AR, don't be scared of the double tap. That why you have that kind of rifle anyway. I do like necks shot when the opportunity is there. I'm not a 22 cal guru or a bullet proof operator. My post is just my experience with 22 cal in my area hunting the deers we have here.

All that said, My new ballistic love is the 25-06. I was attracted to it as I see it like a 22-250 on steroids and I get heavier bullets and only a little more recoil. Just my personal perception of the cartridge. I'm really diggin' 25 cal now, though. After I get my Savage in 25-06 built I'm going to build a lightweight in 250 Sav. or 25-06.

(please read through the typos if you can, I post this in a hurry)

[hawkeyesatx823]

My first choice wouldn't be to use a .223 or a .22-250 on any deer, sorry. With that being said, if I only had a .223 or 5.56, then I would light up a deer with it. I have an AR with a 20" barrel, 1 in 9 twist. The originals had 1 in 12, and using a cannelured 55gr bullet worked well on human targets. Now, I would use a premium soft tip, ballistic tip, or hollow point bullet. With the 1 in 9 twist, I would use a 55gr up to 69gr bullet. I would probably go with a middle of the road weight, because of better velocities, and heavier to reach the vitals. The .223 wasn't designed to go through and through. It was meant to go in, and pretty much explode in the vitals. If the 55gr bullets were the only thing around, and I had to use them, them I would practice enough on varmints to get to know my rifle and where it shoots, and make a neck shot in the jugular area, close to where the neck and shoulder meets. Just my opinion.

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[savagecornmuffin]

My issue with these 223 Deer hunting threads is that 80% of the responses are hyper-critical and have no regard for OP's question. He didn't ask for anyone opinion on what caliber he should shoot. He owns the 223 rifle. He's going to deer hunt with it. He asked about 22 cal bullets for deer and what peoples experiences were hunting with 223. He didn't about how sorry anyone would be about not being able to choose a 22 cal for hunting deer. He didn't ask about why or what 223 was designed for. He didn't even for anyone's opinion. He asked, specifically, for information from people who "has done any white-tail deer hunting with a 223 caliber".... This is why I half hate the question.

[savagecornmuffin]

... dbl post

[pisgah]

My issue with these 223 Deer hunting threads is that 80% of the responses are hyper-critical and have no regard for OP's question. He didn't ask for anyone opinion on what caliber he should shoot. He owns the 223 rifle. He's going to deer hunt with it. He asked about 22 cal bullets for deer and what peoples experiences were hunting with 223. He didn't about how sorry anyone would be about not being able to choose a 22 cal for hunting deer. He didn't ask about why or what 223 was designed for. He didn't even for anyone's opinion. He asked, specifically, for information from people who "has done any white-tail deer hunting with a 223 caliber".... This is why I half hate the question.

And, as usual, those most critical have no experience upon which to base their criticism, only the "wisdom" of other "experts".

[The Rustler]

I do not know how heavily loaded the bullets were but i remember they were Hornady V max 55 grain we put on them, next day my buddy shot a mule deer , i ranged it at 170 yds. Didnt go 50 yds. I personally havent shot a deer yet but i was right there when one was shot with a .223. So it is definitely doable for those that say it aint.


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[hawkeyesatx823]

I do not know how heavily loaded the bullets were but i remember they were Hornady V max 55 grain we put on them, next day my buddy shot a mule deer , i ranged it at 170 yds. Didnt go 50 yds. I personally havent shot a deer yet but i was right there when one was shot with a .223. So it is definitely doable for those that say it aint.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkUsing a frangible varmint bullet is asking for trouble from a .223 in my opinion. I've I've used a .223 on deer and antelope. I only had 55gr bullets at that time. They were too lightly constructed and didn't get to the vitals. Now with that being said, I would go with a 64 gr bullet, in a premium bullet. The OP would get reliable and controlled expansion. I moved up to a .243, and results were and have been amazing. Haven't lost a deer or antelope yet. The furthest an animal has stepped away from being hit by my .243 has been at the most, 30 feet. That's while using 100gr bullets and in the vitals. Since I'm in Texas now, maybe I'll use my AR to go hunting deer and use the 64 gr to 69gr bullets to prove a point in using heavier bullets in the .223, maybe.

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[Texas10]

Last November I shot a 180 lb boar with my 223 at about 80 yds with an off the shelf load by Australian Outback, using the 69gr SMK . The bullet entered his shoulder, turning the muscle into hamberger, blew an inch plus hole in his rib cage breaking a rib in the process and then took out his lungs. He ran about 30 yds and collapsed.

JMOP, but the 69 gr SMK that (by the way) is not recommended for hunting according to Sierra, did exactly what it was supposed to do.

A month later my son took a mature deer at 220 yds with a 87 gr. V-Max in a 243. That deer took all of two steps before he collapsed.

If you can place the shot, there's no reason a 223 won't take a deer humanely. Here in Texas, any centerfire cartridge is legal to take deer. YMMV.

[wbm]

Last November I shot a 180 lb boar with my 223 at about 80 yds with an off the shelf load by Australian Outback, using the 69gr SMK . The bullet entered his shoulder, turning the muscle into hamberger, blew an inch plus hole in his rib cage breaking a rib in the process and then took out his lungs. He ran about 30 yds and collapsed. Ouch! Have had similar results with the same stuff out to 150 yards. The Outback shoots really well in my 223's.New Mexico went from 6mm down to any Centerfire for Deer size game but remained at 6mm minimum for elk.

Was just looking at minimum legal caliber regs by state, most are "Centerfire" and allow 223's to be used for deer size game. I figure there are a lot of experts with a lot of experience that made that decision in those states.