.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

Floridave

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Sep 20, 2022
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Not trying to start anything, but can you explain why you wouldn't feel comfortable using .223 on anything bigger than a coyote? The 77gr TMK has been shown to be an effective killer on animals several times the size of whitetail deer, let alone coyotes. There is plenty of proof in this thread. I just don't understand the hang up.

I'll just say in BK's defense of his skepticism :) , I also read the whole thread, accepted what I was seeing as fact, loaded up some TMK's for the AR, and used it on this years hunt (against the advice of some hunting buddies).

BUT have to admit, when I drew down on that first deer at 154 yards, I was half expecting the round to bounce off, forcing me to transition to my pistol :) 357sig at 154 yards anyone? :) OK, I wasn't really THAT worried, but before I pulled that trigger, I seriously was hoping I hadn't made a mistake. I didn't, nor a couple days later when the second deer of the week was DRT. NOW I am fully convinced.
I don't think it's for everyone, but I couldn't have had a better outcome, and these animals when down as fast any anything I've ever shot with 30/06, 7mm mag or 444. And down faster than some I've shot with those rounds.
 

fwafwow

WKR
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Apr 8, 2018
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Not trying to start anything, but can you explain why you wouldn't feel comfortable using .223 on anything bigger than a coyote? The 77gr TMK has been shown to be an effective killer on animals several times the size of whitetail deer, let alone coyotes. There is plenty of proof in this thread. I just don't understand the hang up.
+1 for interested in the response. Also who has, or what is, slinging stones?
 

280Ackley

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Jun 4, 2014
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Idaho
Would @Formidilosus be willing to offer up bullet suggestions for different calibers? After reading this thread and the 6.5CM elk I’ve realized you have a great amount of valuable information!! I’d like to get a few safe queens dialed in for hunting and would greatly appreciate your input!
 

Formidilosus

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Oct 22, 2014
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8,017
Would @Formidilosus be willing to offer up bullet suggestions for different calibers? After reading this thread and the 6.5CM elk I’ve realized you have a great amount of valuable information!! I’d like to get a few safe queens dialed in for hunting and would greatly appreciate your input!

For things I’ve used- what are you looking for?
 

280Ackley

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For things I’ve used- what are you looking for?

The two that I would like start hunting with mainly are my 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout. Both are on AR platforms. The 300aac would be 0-200 yard and the Grendel I would like to be able to push out to 400. Thank you!
 

Formidilosus

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Oct 22, 2014
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The two that I would like start hunting with mainly are my 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout. Both are on AR platforms. The 300aac would be 0-200 yard and the Grendel I would like to be able to push out to 400. Thank you!


6.5 Grendel- 107gr or 130gr TMK, or 123gr Hornady ELD-M.

300BO- don’t would be my suggestion. However, 125gr TMK or Nosler Ballistic Tip.
 

280Ackley

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6.5 Grendel- 107gr or 130gr TMK, or 123gr Hornady ELD-M.

300BO- don’t would be my suggestion. However, 125gr TMK or Nosler Ballistic Tip.
Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for the 107’s.
I’ve got the 130gr hunting VLD for my son’s 6.5cm. Is there something else I should try?
 

Formidilosus

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Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for the 107’s.
I’ve got the 130gr hunting VLD for my son’s 6.5cm. Is there something else I should try?

I prefer a bit more speed and/or lighter weight, “softer” bullets. The 120/123/130gr ELD-M’s are all better for 400yqrd Grendel shots on game, though the 130gr Hunting VLD will do.
 

robtattoo

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Tullahoma, TN
6.5 Grendel- 107gr or 130gr TMK, or 123gr Hornady ELD-M.

300BO- don’t would be my suggestion. However, 125gr TMK or Nosler Ballistic Tip.

Thank you! I’ll keep an eye out for the 107’s.
I’ve got the 130gr hunting VLD for my son’s 6.5cm. Is there something else I should try?

If i may interject on this.... I have zero experience with the Grendel, but I've killed a truckload of deer & hogs with the .300blk, out to 150yds (i won't speculate on the last 50yds you want because i don't personally know)
My bullet preferences are the Barnes TacTx (literally the only Barnes bullet i give shelf space to) Sierra 110gn GK & Hornady 110gn V-Max.

The Barnes is the toughest of the bunch, but seems to expand reliably & fully out to 110 (+/-) yds. I've recovered 2 from pigs, the rest were clean passthru. It does exactly what you'd expect with a small, deep wound cavity. Killing seems to be slow unless a CNS shot is made. I reserve these purely for pigs.

Sierra GK is soft & well built. I've used this on both hog & whitetail & I've recovered 1 jacket from a hog at 75 (+/-) yds that the core separated & exited. Every pig I've hit has run at least 30yds & left poor bloodtrails, but i put this more down to shot placement & anatomy. I've yet to recover one from a whitetail & I've shot into shoulders & behind with reliable performance. Large exit wounds, yet not explosive internal damage. I won't use them for hog specific hunts again

Hornady V-Max is my go-to bullet. If I'm hunting property that gives me a chance at either, I'll have these in the mag. My longest shot deer was taken with this bullet & it showed wound damage similar to a 150gn Sierra/Hornady SP from my .308. Very good expansion with explosive internal damage from 12 yds out to 150. I would suspect it'd still be acceptable at 200, but like I say, i have no experience to go off. I've never recovered a fired bullet out of (i think) 13 animals. Shoulder penetration is no issue, although the wounds I've paid attention to seem to be severe. Lung shots have been fantastic & produced, for me, very quick kills. Some DRT, some short runs but everything died in sight.

I'm sorry, but I've never really started paying much attention to autopsies until the last couple of years, so i have no photos to back this up.

I'm loading all 3 bullets to 2540fps (Identical powder load for each, slight COAL differences) & shooting a 16" AR.
 

280Ackley

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Jun 4, 2014
Messages
812
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Idaho
If i may interject on this.... I have zero experience with the Grendel, but I've killed a truckload of deer & hogs with the .300blk, out to 150yds (i won't speculate on the last 50yds you want because i don't personally know)
My bullet preferences are the Barnes TacTx (literally the only Barnes bullet i give shelf space to) Sierra 110gn GK & Hornady 110gn V-Max.

The Barnes is the toughest of the bunch, but seems to expand reliably & fully out to 110 (+/-) yds. I've recovered 2 from pigs, the rest were clean passthru. It does exactly what you'd expect with a small, deep wound cavity. Killing seems to be slow unless a CNS shot is made. I reserve these purely for pigs.

Sierra GK is soft & well built. I've used this on both hog & whitetail & I've recovered 1 jacket from a hog at 75 (+/-) yds that the core separated & exited. Every pig I've hit has run at least 30yds & left poor bloodtrails, but i put this more down to shot placement & anatomy. I've yet to recover one from a whitetail & I've shot into shoulders & behind with reliable performance. Large exit wounds, yet not explosive internal damage. I won't use them for hog specific hunts again

Hornady V-Max is my go-to bullet. If I'm hunting property that gives me a chance at either, I'll have these in the mag. My longest shot deer was taken with this bullet & it showed wound damage similar to a 150gn Sierra/Hornady SP from my .308. Very good expansion with explosive internal damage from 12 yds out to 150. I would suspect it'd still be acceptable at 200, but like I say, i have no experience to go off. I've never recovered a fired bullet out of (i think) 13 animals. Shoulder penetration is no issue, although the wounds I've paid attention to seem to be severe. Lung shots have been fantastic & produced, for me, very quick kills. Some DRT, some short runs but everything died in sight.

I'm sorry, but I've never really started paying much attention to autopsies until the last couple of years, so i have no photos to back this up.

I'm loading all 3 bullets to 2540fps (Identical powder load for each, slight COAL differences) & shooting a 16" AR.
Thanks for the reply! I am currently using the Barnes and my son killed a deer with it this year at 50 yards. I’ll just stick with them and keep using it as a brush/stand gun.
 

jadkins223

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Jan 21, 2022
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Oklahoma
9667725ac8e45b356eef9c555c340665.jpg

50 hot off the press. Warm fuzzies. Ha


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

260madman

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Dec 15, 2017
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WI
Tonight’s victim was the one on the far right in this pic of 7 baldies.
C2F2429D-630D-4F38-AD67-1E0CD608558F.jpeg

My shot wasn’t the best. I used a 10.5” AR that I built for a friend a while back and worked up a load with the 60gr NBT. It shoots well but I didn’t mount the scope far enough forward as I was using a setup I used for my wife’s carbine and had used the same scope when doing a load work up so just set the dials back to what I had wrote down when I took the scope and rise off. By not having the scope far enough forward I truly wasn’t shouldering the gun and it was floating a bit so at the break of the trigger I saw the reticle drop down tad lower than I would have liked as she was walking to my right. Shot was 100 yards slightly downward and doe ran about 100 yards. She hung a hard left and went for the woods out of view from me, I thought she would be on the edge of the cornfield, down in she went to the bottom which is about 200 feet deep. A 4 wheeler and winch was used along with clothesline, yes clothesline, to drag her back out.

100 yard shot and 100 yard run with a low shot but the bullet angled up and broke the offside shoulder, chicken wing style. Can you follow a blood trail?

76229AE7-4442-4C68-AEE9-5186C1C9FCC1.jpeg

I wish I had a pic of her stretched out a bit but everything was downhill so wasn’t going to chase her anymore. She was big and chonk, lots of fat, big head.

05E01862-D93F-42D6-8443-B1CBAC2B23BA.jpeg
 

TJudeB

FNG
Joined
Apr 11, 2022
Messages
40
We have had great success with the 6.5 Grendel in 123 grain Hornady ELD-M on deer.
We have several videos on it including a full necropsy.


We will drop a necropsy of this buck next week. Such a great little round
 

SBR Sarge

FNG
Joined
Jul 5, 2022
Messages
91
Would @Formidilosus be willing to offer up bullet suggestions for different calibers? After reading this thread and the 6.5CM elk I’ve realized you have a great amount of valuable information!! I’d like to get a few safe queens dialed in for hunting and would greatly appreciate your input!
I second it.

I see we’re getting away from the original thread intentions. Maybe we need to split this off to a “Form’s Favs” thread!
 

SBR Sarge

FNG
Joined
Jul 5, 2022
Messages
91
The two that I would like start hunting with mainly are my 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout. Both are on AR platforms. The 300aac would be 0-200 yard and the Grendel I would like to be able to push out to 400. Thank you!
I’ve had great success on midwest whitetails and Florida hogs with the Barnes 110gr Blacktip. Barnes made it specifically for the 300blk’s slower velocity.

Others have had great success with the Hornady SST. While it expands violently at higher speeds, at 300blk velocity it seems to perform like a good whitetail bullet.
 

BjornF16

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Dec 12, 2019
Messages
2,519
Location
Texas
We have had great success with the 6.5 Grendel in 123 grain Hornady ELD-M on deer.
We have several videos on it including a full necropsy.


We will drop a necropsy of this buck next week. Such a great little round
Please post these in the .260 on deer, elk thread

 
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