.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

[Deere_Man]

My last Nikon would lose zero regularly from riding in my truck on washboard roads. Hope yours does better.

I used to have a Nikon Pro Staff on a 30-30 that I thought did very well. If this one won’t hold a zero, I’ll ask Nikon customer service if they’ll credit me $200 towards a pair of binos.

 

[omicron1792]

View attachment 958600

I’m a fan of a fixed 12. AO is handy.

Those turrets though….

 

[TX_Mike D.]

I like using the same optic on multiple rifles. If the field of view is the same at 3x, there's no reason to change.

Well, I ended up going with the 3-15x mainly for this reason.

I do have some data to share on a kill with a .223.

Earlier this year we were fortunate to go on a hunt of a lifetime (for me anyway) to South Africa. We used the lodges guns due to the fact that we wouldn't get the paperwork submitted with enough time to get ours back into the US if we had taken them.

I took this Nyala with our PH's .223 Howa using Hornady V Max 55 gr (I think).

I had to shoot him a few times to anchor him. He was so close (maybe 30 yards) when we jumped him that my shots hit low. According to the PH, the scope was set up for longer distances that made it hit low that close. Which didn't make sense to me. I figured it was just bad shooting from getting surprised and being excited. It was a fun hunt either way. I took a few more critters on the trip, but they were with the PH's .270, so not applicable here.

 

[Pwb199]

73 ELDM data point. 223 with MV of about 2800 fps.

125 yard shot, almost perfectly broadside on a doe. Complete pass through. She ran approximately 50 yards with a good blood trail. Silver dollar sized hole through both lungs.

 

[Serving4Him]

Just picked the 73gr eldm up to use this week. Hopefully get similar results. How far was your shot?

 

[Choupique]

Excellent. 73 eldm is what im going to use first. Very glad to see this.

 

[Schmo]

My hunting buddy shot a whitetail doe this evening. 195 yards. Tikka 16” 223 with AB A-10 suppressor, shooting Bone Frog 5.56 77 TMK ammo. 2670 muzzle velocity. Blew through onside shoulder, through the vitals, and exited the off side. She ran about 40 yards and flopped around. All done in 10 seconds or less. This pic is underneath the shoulder on entrance.

 

[Schmo]

Hunting buddy shot a muley doe this morning at 388 yards. Same Tikka 16” 223 shooting Bone Frog 77 TMK ammo. 2670 muzzle velocity. 1840-ish impact velocity. Had a light wind, and she turned quartering to right as the shot broke. Hit guts. She went a very short distance and bedded in a coulee. Gave her 5 minutes or so, then slowly walked up and delivered one to the vitals offhand, from roughly 100 yards.

 

[Pharmseller]

Those turrets though….

They help when the target is out a ways.

 

[Poe]

Fusions aren’t anywhere close to 100% weight retention.

Here is a fusion you can see shed a ton of lead.

View attachment 958471

Got to love those cutco knives

 

[YaakRiver]

I'm just about to get my 223 back from getting chopped to 18 and only shoot BH 77tmks and was hoping to get somewhere close to 2750. Do you have the factory barrel chopped to 18 or prefit?

My barrel is 20” and I’m getting 2701 with 77 gr TMKs over 24 grains of Varget.

 

[Gettincloser]

There is a strong argument that this guy was highly accurate but did not have enough penatration! I think he a bright future though!
If he would upgrade to a 223 with 77gr TMK, he would have meat in the freezer!

 

[Schmo]

My barrel is 20” and I’m getting 2701 with 77 gr TMKs over 24 grains of Varget.

Varget is a great powder, but you are leaving significant velocity on the table using it in this application.

 

[vonb]

Varget is a great powder, but you are leaving significant velocity on the table using it in this application.

What do you recommend for powder, charge and velocity for a 20” Tikka?

 

[Schmo]

What do you recommend for powder, charge and velocity for a 20” Tikka?

I won’t recommend charge weight, as I prefer to let you work up to pressure on your specific gun, but TAC, StaBall Match, Power Pro 2000-MR, and N540 are going to give better velocity. One thing I have done for my own loads is move to 5.56 brass. I shoot Starline. Started with their 223, then switched to 5.56. The 5.56 is just a touch tougher, and believe it or not, has a little more case capacity for extruded powders like N150/N540.

 

[Schmo]

With the 77TMK, I’m getting 2750-2800 out of an 18” Tikka. With the 75 ELD, 2800+

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

I won’t recommend charge weight, as I prefer to let you work up to pressure on your specific gun, but TAC, StaBall Match, Power Pro 2000-MR, and N540 are going to give better velocity. One thing I have done for my own loads is move to 5.56 brass. I shoot Starline. Started with their 223, then switched to 5.56. The 5.56 is just a touch tougher, and believe it or not, has a little more case capacity for extruded powders like N150/N540.

I cannot get my Staball Match loads to have good ES or accuracy.

 

[YaakRiver]

With the 77TMK, I’m getting 2750-2800 out of an 18” Tikka. With the 75 ELD, 2800+

With which powder? I am using 5.56 brass as well.

 

[6creed]

What stock is that on your rifle? Thanks

 

[6creed]

77gr. TMK. Black Hills factory ammo. 360 yards. One shot, small run and piled up quick. Bullet got lungs and punched through opposite side leg. No bullet recovered.
My son shot two deer on MT youth hunt with the same bullet and set up. He claimed my first Tikka T3X .223. I just had to put together another! I will get his posted up later. Bonus: the Scythe didn’t blow up on 3 animals!
View attachment 951979View attachment 951980View attachment 951981

What stock is that? Thanks