.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

[flyinsquirel]

Would you mind sharing your recipe, with the normal disclaimer.

Not the TMK, but the regular 77 MK. Hopefully its helpfull. Tac has been easier to find lately. So far so good.

This rifle has an extremely short chamber, so fitting the factory mag isn't a problem with the regular MK's. Might be different with the TMK's.

Tikka SL - factory tube
Lapua Brass
BR4 primer - all I could find recently
23.8g TAC
-0.010 off the lands
Avg. 2716

 

[Glockster26]

Thanks!
I don’t have a .223 bolt gun currently. I am using the 69TMK in my Ar. Was going to try some 77TMK I thought the overall length was going to be more of an issue. The 69TMK were impressive on deer this year.

OAL 2.260
23gr of AR-comp
Hornady or armscor brass
Cci 400 primers

 

[FLS]

My go to load for 77 SMKs or TMKs is
24.5 Grains of TAC
LC Brass
BR4
2.260”
2775 FPS out of an 18” 1-8 twist barrel

 

[robtattoo]

CCI 450
24.8 grains of varget
Mixed commercial brass (RP & Hornady mostly)
2840 FPS out of a 22" 1:9 savage.
I don't have my oal handy, but mag length.

That 24.8 load seems to just be perfect for every 62gn & heavier bullet I've tried, it of every .223 I've owned. I don't even play with other loads the days.

 

[woods89]

Thanks!
I don’t have a .223 bolt gun currently. I am using the 69TMK in my Ar. Was going to try some 77TMK I thought the overall length was going to be more of an issue. The 69TMK were impressive on deer this year.

OAL 2.260
23gr of AR-comp
Hornady or armscor brass
Cci 400 primers

Details on using 69 gr. on deer? I have a bunch coming. I understand they don't penetrate quite as much as 77 gr?

 

[Glockster26]

This was the first year I used them and we only shot 3 deer this year. 1 buck and 2 does.
The whitetail buck has at 75 yards was shot twice. Second round wasn’t really needed but my son was shooting and I told him to send a second one if he has any doubts and he did. Both good hits in the chest cavity and both passed through. Entrances were normal, side by side. Exits were also rather close and made one large hole, 3”x4”
1st doe was around 160yards with total pass through. Lower chest hit destroyed heart and lungs.
2nd doe was at 25 yards. Chest entrance Exited through the opposite front shoulder. This one did appear to come apart. I recovered a large portion of the jacket in the chest cavity but enough still punched through to thoroughly destroy the front quarter on the opposite side. I was not surprised this one came apart given how close it was. Still plenty happy with the performance of the bullet.

All deer were just normal western Kansas white tails.

 

[woods89]

This was the first year I used them and we only shot 3 deer this year. 1 buck and 2 does.
The whitetail buck has at 75 yards was shot twice. Second round wasn’t really needed but my son was shooting and a told him send a second one if he has any doubts and he did. Both good hits in the chest cavity and both passed through. Entrances were normal, side by side. Exits were also rather close and made one large hole, 3”x4”
1st doe was around 160yards with total pass through. Lower chest hit destroyed heart and lungs.
2nd doe was at 25 yards. Chest entrance Exited through the opposite front shoulder. This one did appear to come apart. I recovered a large portion of the jacket in the chest cavity but enough still punched through to thoroughly destroy the front quarter on the opposite side. I was not surprised this one came apart given how close it was. Still plenty happy with the performance of the bullet.

All deer were just normal western Kansas white tails.

Thank you, sir!

 

[Bcleck90]

Tikka T3X using 75 grain Gold Dots. Slightly quartering to me at 122 yards. Broke his other shoulder and exited. He ran about 10 steps and rolled down a hill about 30 yards.

 

[fish impaler]

Wyoming whitetail, 62 gr. Barnes tsx at 130 yards just behind shoulder. Went about 10 yards.

 

[flyinsquirel]

Complete pass through I presume?

 

[fish impaler]

Yup, exit side shown .

 

[Muley Buck]

Wyoming whitetail, 62 gr. Barnes tsx at 130 yards just behind shoulder. Went about 10 yards. View attachment 248744View attachment 248742

Whats the muzzle velocity on those?

 

[TheGDog]

Wyoming whitetail, 62 gr. Barnes tsx at 130 yards just behind shoulder. Went about 10 yards. View attachment 248744View attachment 248742

Those 62gr Barnes TSX can be vicious! Last day of the season 2019, only does were coming by, then about 2:30p, a Bobcat saunters by, so that was my consolation prize that year. Hit his scapula so tore a substantial hole in the hide. But it was repairable though.

 

[fish impaler]

Whats the muzzle velocity on those?

Box says 3k. “5.56 chambers only” . No pressure signs in my .223 savage axis .

 

[Teaman1]

So what I’m gathering is, if you’re using the 77 tmk, the 223 is suitable for up to moose size game.
Expected performance on elk and moose is devastated vitals on lung shots and if the shoulder hit, typical results are broken on side shoulder with wrecked lungs and/or heart and no exit.
Pretty impressive

 

[mstei4]

CCI 450
24.8 grains of varget
Mixed commercial brass (RP & Hornady mostly)
2840 FPS out of a 22" 1:9 savage.
I don't have my oal handy, but mag length.

That 24.8 load seems to just be perfect for every 62gn & heavier bullet I've tried, it of every .223 I've owned. I don't even play with other loads the days.

Is the 1:9 stabilizing the 77’s fine?

 

[robtattoo]

Is the 1:9 stabilizing the 77’s fine?

At 300, yes. The group size seems to be consistent out to 300 (.75@100, 1.5@200, 2.25@300) I don't have a 400yd berm, but at 500 i'm seeing 5 to 6" groups which is a little over what i'd expect. I can't say definitively that that's the twist coming into play, wind or my shooting though. They're all 10 round groups, by the way.

 

[mstei4]

At 300, yes. The group size seems to be consistent out to 300 (.75@100, 1.5@200, 2.25@300) I don't have a 400yd berm, but at 500 i'm seeing 5 to 6" groups which is a little over what i'd expect. I can't say definitively that that's the twist coming into play, wind or my shooting though. They're all 10 round groups, by the way.

Thanks, I’ve liked the savages I’ve used in the past and have only ever seen them in a 1:9 from the factory

 

[Formidilosus]

So what I’m gathering is, if you’re using the 77 tmk, the 223 is suitable for up to moose size game.
Expected performance on elk and moose is devastated vitals on lung shots and if the shoulder hit, typical results are broken on side shoulder with wrecked lungs and/or heart and no exit.
Pretty impressive

“Suitable” is up to each person. It’s just a wound with a certain depth and width. Whether that is satisfactory is the question. For me- yes, the 223/77grTMK is acceptable for anything in NA under 450’ish yards, potentially save Buffalo. If one thinks a stick with a broadhead is “enough”, than any high velocity projectile that reaches the vitals is more than enough.

The 233 with 77gr TMK’s is absolutely devastating on the biggest antelope, deer, or bear. On elk and moose, because I haven’t seen a huge number of them killed with it, I would suggest to look at the pictures, study the wounds and decide for yourself.
My caution would be that if you’re someone that is going to fling rounds at any part of brown... it’s probably not the cartridge/bullet to use. Of course, if you do that- there is no cartridge/bullet combination you should be using. If you understand terminal ballistics and know what to expect, and can put a bullet into the front half it’ll work fine.

The best part of the 223/77gr TMK combo is that people can shoot a huge number of rounds with it each year from field positions, and watch every single one of those rounds impact the target through the scope. People become surgical with it. It has the lowest screw up rate of any combination I have personally seen, and I’ve seen a lot of animals killed with a lot of cartridge/bullet combinations.

 

[Teaman1]

Took me a day and a half, but I got through all the pics and stories. I won’t be using a 223 for anything. Seems to be plenty of proof that it is capable of taking down big game. Interesting thread and results.

The 233 with 77gr TMK’s is absolutely devastating on the biggest antelope, deer, or bear. On elk and moose, because I haven’t seen a huge number of them killed with it, I would suggest to look at the pictures, study the wounds and decide for yourself.
My caution would be that if you’re someone that is going to fling rounds at any part of brown... it’s probably not the cartridge/bullet to use. Of course, if you do that- there is no cartridge/bullet combination you should be using. If you understand terminal ballistics and know what to expect, and can put a bullet into the front half it’ll work fine.

The best part of the 223/77gr TMK combo is that people can shoot a huge number of rounds with it each year from field positions, and watch every single one of those rounds impact the target through the scope. People become surgical with it. It has the lowest screw up rate of any combination I have personally seen, and I’ve seen a lot of animals killed with a lot of cartridge/bullet combinations.