.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

In the last few years I’ve shot or seen deer shot with a 223 (4 deer), 22-250 (2), 244 (1), 6.5 (3), 270 (2), 308 (1), and 30-06 (4) plus a few with arrows. All aiming for the boiler room except one neck shot with the 244 Rem. All of them ran an average of <50 yards and piled up when hit double lung/heart. Only had one do a bang flop. If I didn’t know the cartridge used I couldn’t tell you what was shot with what excluding the broadheads. The only rodeos were the neck shot, and one with an ‘06 that we did not recover before yotes destroyed the impact evidence. The neck shot was super confusing but that doe is alive today a year later verified by trail cam. All were with bonded, monos, or cup/core hunting bullets. All this to say I have no issues shooting deer with 223 fusions/gold dots. (Yet to try the 77tmk.) And that I don’t prefer monos except in the 22-250.
 
77 TMK bullets have been fairly available comparatively speaking. I imagine loaded ammunition is a different story.
 
The tipped matchkings have definitely been available. Way easier to find than any 6.5 bullets. I’m keeping an eye out for another 500 77s because the inner hoarder in me wants them. I even ordered a proof tikka contour blank for when the time comes.... with enough free bore to take advantage of all the mag space I have.

I wonder what a 22cm would start a 77tmk at?
 
Ya, the Scheels in Sioux Falls has had TMK 77 sitting on the shelf for weeks. I have 200 of them, but no powder, primers, or dies. When things settle down I will work it out.
 
Wow, I gotta admit I wrote this thread off because I thought it was sure to be a lot of Fudds poo-pooing the 223 as a big game round (which a lot of it is). BUT....Read it all from page 1 and learned a lot. I never had doubt that the 223 could kill big game, but I have been pretty impressed with some of the pics on here showing just how effective it can be. Probably the most surprising thing to me is that the 62 or 70 grain Barnes isn't the bullet of choice. Posts on here are probably 50/50 on great vs poor performance, maybe a few better on the great side. That 77 TMK seems to be a real death ray though. Seems that for this round, a fragmenting bullet is better than monolithic. For me though, I just can't shoot an animal with a fragmenting lead bullet. Meat loss is just too great. That's why I've been a Barnes guy for years. The AR I am currently building will definitely see some big game use, but first I am going to have to do some bullet testing. Really interested in how the hammer bullets perform since they frag, but in much larger pieces.
 
TauPhi111 said:
Wow, I gotta admit I wrote this thread off because I thought it was sure to be a lot of Fudds poo-pooing the 223 as a big game round (which a lot of it is). BUT....Read it all from page 1 and learned a lot. I never had doubt that the 223 could kill big game, but I have been pretty impressed with some of the pics on here showing just how effective it can be. Probably the most surprising thing to me is that the 62 or 70 grain Barnes isn't the bullet of choice. Posts on here are probably 50/50 on great vs poor performance, maybe a few better on the great side. That 77 TMK seems to be a real death ray though. Seems that for this round, a fragmenting bullet is better than monolithic. For me though, I just can't shoot an animal with a fragmenting lead bullet. Meat loss is just too great. That's why I've been a Barnes guy for years. The AR I am currently building will definitely see some big game use, but first I am going to have to do some bullet testing. Really interested in how the hammer bullets perform since they frag, but in much larger pieces.
Click to expand...
My daughter and I have shot a few deer with the 62 gr Barnes TTSX out to about 125 yards. They have worked fine. Her first deer dropped in its tracks to a heart shot from that bullet. I don’t know how they would work at longer ranges. I know the 77 gr TMK performed well out of a 14.5” barrel at close to 240 yards.
 
BAKPAKR said:
My daughter and I have shot a few deer with the 62 gr Barnes TTSX out to about 125 yards. They have worked fine. Her first deer dropped in its tracks to a heart shot from that bullet. I don’t know how they would work at longer ranges. I know the 77 gr TMK performed well out of a 14.5” barrel at close to 240 yards.
Click to expand...
Those 62gr TSX are Nasty little buggers! I'm curious to see what happens with some 70gr TTSX's I managed to get.
 
Got my grubby paws on some primers and have a trade worked out for powder. Now I just need to find some dies and I can join the cool kids club for real!
 
Fatcamp said:
IDK. I have a Lee press. Haven't even looked. 🙃
Click to expand...
As said above midway has Redding. What do you have for a rifle? Mag space will help with those bullets.

Over in SD I’d think a guy needs a 223 and a couple hundred rounds on hand all the time. Pretty year round target rich environment out there.
 
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