.223 for bear, deer, elk and moose.

[Sandstrom]

After three unsuccessful days hunting for an elk (cow tag, and only saw bulls) with the 77 TMK’s, I decided to switch gears for the last evening and fill my turkey tag for thanksgiving Thanks to @Formidilosus advice on the TMK’s being to much for turkey I brought with some MK 262 mod 1-C in another mag. Both the black hills 77 TMK and black hills MK 262 mod 1-C hit at virtually the same poi at 100 yards and had virtual the same muzzle velocity. Worked like a champ!!

160 yards, shot from the creek bottom up at a bit of an angle. Entered right through the lower back and exited through the other side, lost about three bites of meat from the opposite side upper thigh area and a bit of wing meat.

After a nice brine it turned out great for thanksgiving dinner!!

First time the wife came with for a big game hunt, all in all we had an awesome time with tons of great memories!! She is already talking about plans for next years hunting

Ryan

 

[Drenalin]

Add turkeys to thread title?

 

[Formidilosus]

After three unsuccessful days hunting for an elk (cow tag, and only saw bulls) with the 77 TMK’s, I decided to switch gears for the last evening and fill my turkey tag for thanksgiving Thanks to @Formidilosus advice on the TMK’s being to much for turkey I brought with some MK 262 mod 1-C in another mag. Both the black hills 77 TMK and black hills MK 262 mod 1-C hit at virtually the same poi at 100 yards and had virtual the same muzzle velocity. Worked like a champ!!
View attachment 634243
160 yards, shot from the creek bottom up at a bit of an angle. View attachment 634247Entered right through the lower back and exited through the other side, lost about three bites of meat from the opposite side upper thigh area and a bit of wing meat.
View attachment 634248
After a nice brine it turned out great for thanksgiving dinner!!
View attachment 634249
First time the wife came with for a big game hunt, all in all we had an awesome time with tons of great memories!! She is already talking about plans for next years hunting

Ryan

That’s great, and exactly what I do (77gr TMK/MK262 mags).

 

[Trapperkid]

finally got to try to tmk on a deer about a 40 yard shot 223 factory aac 77tmk with a ruger american ranch 16 inch barrel. Massive entrance crazy damage very small exit with a tiny blood trail although it wasn’t needed bc I watched her fall after a 40 yard death dash

 

[Pwb199]

Hopefully this hasn’t been asked too many times - but I have read through a lot of this thread and can’t really seem to find it.

1800 (ish) fps seems to be the minimum impact velocity that is accepted by the group, but do we have a maximum impact velocity that is recommended?

I’d love to buy a 223, but currently own a 22-250 that shoots the 77 TMK absolutely lights out, with a muzzle velocity of 3050.
If I encountered a <100 yard shot, would this be too fast and potentially too much damage? Or don’t even worry about it?

 

[Formidilosus]

Hopefully this hasn’t been asked too many times - but I have read through a lot of this thread and can’t really seem to find it.

1800 (ish) fps seems to be the minimum impact velocity that is accepted by the group, but do we have a maximum impact velocity that is recommended?

I’d love to buy a 223, but currently own a 22-250 that shoots the 77 TMK absolutely lights out, with a muzzle velocity of 3050.
If I encountered a <100 yard shot, would this be too fast and potentially too much damage? Or don’t even worry about it?

At least to 3,300fps impact, no issues so far.

 

[Lawnboi]

Hopefully this hasn’t been asked too many times - but I have read through a lot of this thread and can’t really seem to find it.

1800 (ish) fps seems to be the minimum impact velocity that is accepted by the group, but do we have a maximum impact velocity that is recommended?

I’d love to buy a 223, but currently own a 22-250 that shoots the 77 TMK absolutely lights out, with a muzzle velocity of 3050.
If I encountered a <100 yard shot, would this be too fast and potentially too much damage? Or don’t even worry about it?

Only 2 with the 22cm for me so far but that was one of my worries. After using it at closer ranges, all it seems to do going faster is make a more impressive wound.

 

[Pwb199]

Thank you! I’ll give it a run

 

[BjornF16]

Hopefully this hasn’t been asked too many times - but I have read through a lot of this thread and can’t really seem to find it.

1800 (ish) fps seems to be the minimum impact velocity that is accepted by the group, but do we have a maximum impact velocity that is recommended?

I’d love to buy a 223, but currently own a 22-250 that shoots the 77 TMK absolutely lights out, with a muzzle velocity of 3050.
If I encountered a <100 yard shot, would this be too fast and potentially too much damage? Or don’t even worry about it?

Don’t worry about it…and don’t expect an exit. Internal damage will be significant.

 

[BigThig09]

Solid Georgia buck fell to the green goblin this evening. I didn’t get any autopsy pics, but it worked to perfection again. 120 yards quartering away in a clearcut. Bullet entered at the midpoint of the body and was under the offside hide in the offside shoulder. Entrance in the chest cavity was about silver dollar sized. Lungs were soup, and the deer was coughing up huge clots of blood as you can see in one picture. The buck did run about 75 yards which is by far the longest run so far, but he stopped to look around and tipped over within sight. The Tikka .223/TMK combo is seriously the most fun gun I’ve ever hunted with!

 

[KHntr]

Another one for the 223AI/88 ELD m yesterday. Last day of deer season here in NE BC, buddy was up for the last couple days and the first day of his antlerless elk draw today.

Big bodied mule deer at 408 yards shooting down into the river bottom. Went in just behind the last rib, and was caught under the hide a few inches behind the offside shoulder. No blood trail but he only staggered 8 yards sideways before he went down. One lung was all goo, the other only damaged at the back of the lobe.

Recovered bullet 70.3 gr, so almost 80% retention.
No bones hit.

 

[rabbithuntr]

Factory Second Match Bullets 22 Cal (224 Diameter) 77 Grain Polymer

MidwayUSA has just made a huge purchase of blemished bullets and we are passing the savings to our customers. Blemished bullets are bulk-packaged,...

www.midwayusa.com

Factory Second Match Bullets 22 Cal (224 Diameter) 77 Grain Polymer

MidwayUSA has just made a huge purchase of blemished bullets and we are passing the savings to our customers. Blemished bullets are bulk-packaged,...

www.midwayusa.com

Stumbled across these don’t know that I’ve seen them posted here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blueduck]

I shot this NE Kansas buck on Wednesday with my Colt AR 15 A4. Range was 200 yards. Ammo was 62 grain Federal Fusion. Optic was an ACOG TA 31. Shot was further back than I wanted (liver/gut shot), but passed completely through the deer. The deer piled up about 50 yards from where I shot him. There was one spec of blood about 10 yards from where I shot him. I suspect a better lung/heart shot would have given a blood trail. With the above said, I was able to observe impact and the deer’s reaction through the scope. Very effective in my opinion. Enjoy.

 

[hereinaz]

Midway has the 77gr TMK in stock

Sierra Tipped MatchKing (TMK) Bullets 22 Cal (224 Diameter) 77 Grain

MatchKing rifle bullets are super-accurate bullets with very thin jackets and are held to exacting tolerances in diameter and weight. Their accuracy has...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[Hondo64d]

http://www.asrealasitgets.net/forum/index.php?threads/looking-for-a-stunt-shooter-support-group….13328/

 

[Trevor96]

I filled my WI gun buck tag this year on a 200 lb field dressed 10 point.
First deer using the Tikka 223 with AAC 77tmk. The shot was 40ish yards and he went 100 yards.
The blood trail was poor for the first 60-70 yards but good the rest of the way. He was laying right where he had disappeared from my view.
He was quartering towards me and I shot low through the shoulder. The bullet stopped in the ribs on the off side. Some damage to the shoulder and the lungs were mush

 

[Tartan]

160lb south Texas buck. Management deer off a friends low fence property. 130 yard shot. Black hills 77 tmk. 22” tikka. Ran 50 yards and piled up.



No exit. Centered a rib going in. Little bit of damage to the opposite side. But didn’t find any of the bullet.


100 lb doe. 124 yards. She ran out to 200. I hit her a second time in same spot and she dropped. Neither exited. But I did find one bullet under the opposite hide.

 

[Tmac]

My how times have changed…

2019- “.223 calibers are way to small to kill reliably!!!”

2023- “77gr TMK’s cause too much damage”.


Haha.

There has to be some C-4 in those 77gr TMK‘s. They do kill quickly however.

 

[H280]

I read this whole thread from start to finish, very interesting info. I do have a question that hopefully someone may have the answer to. Has anyone used the Winchester StaBall Match powder for the 223 Rem and 77 grain TMK’s? What is the load density/accuracy like at 2.26” c.o.a.l?

 

[BlackHillsShooter]

I knocked down a cow elk yesterday with the rokslide special and 77gr TMK.

We snuck into 25 yards of the outliers in this heard. They jumped, we slowed em down a little with a cow call. Thanks MT Terry.

Picked out a cow at 50 yards and hit her in the shoulder. She turned to run but just flipped over.

Funny thing. I fired and heard the bullet hit. The sound was so uninspiring that I thought, so this is all bullshit.

I'll post pics of the damage later. Unreal. Still hunting now.