Hunting deer with 223?
- Thread starter Clemenchick
- Start date
The critical difference though is hunters take carefully aimed shots at vitals. Soldiers make hasty or snap shots against centre of visible mass, and often not even that. As has been said over and over and over, placement is key. I guarantee you no one will be running any distance after taking a .223 through the centre of their chest.
And yes, sometimes you definitely do care if buddy runs 100 yards, like when you're engaging a suicide bomber at a checkpoint. You most certainly want him dropping on the spot.
I don't use a 223 for deer and don't know anyone who does. Why would you when there are so many better cartridges available and affordable in similar rifles. I'm not in the "if it's legal I'll use it group" either.
Likewise, I'm not an opportunist for most or all things in life. I haven't changed my hunting method or gear for the past 45 years of big game hunting, ie: gun/scope, bino's, knife, that's it that's all! Pffft, 223 for big game, give your head a shake, many other better cartridges.
The OP is asking opinions on hunting deer with a 223. And since you asked my opinion is better much like my 280 is better for hunting deer than your 223....��
IMHO pick a better cartridge. In all likelihood you can afford a better cartridge. It will work but under much limitations. Not legal here but would not be welcome in our camp even if it was. I could be/am a fud but why risk letting an animal suffer and maybe get away. I have shot many coyotes with a 223 but even for them I moved up to 243.
I'd be willing to wager more guys wound deer from flinching at the recoil of a 300 WSM than do using a .223
Funny that not many would blink at shooting a deer with a .44 Mag handgun, but think a rifle cartridge with 40% more energy is a marginal choice.
Funny that not many would blink at shooting a deer with a .44 Mag handgun, but think a rifle cartridge with 40% more energy is a marginal choice.
What do you use to shoot deer?
Oh gee... another "can you use .223 for deer?" thread. Lots of comments, some arguing, same old same old
Let's up the ante somewhat and ask can you use .22 Hornet for deer?
And go...
In Manitoba any center fire is legal, so as stated before you can go deer hunting with a 17 hornet
Oh gee... another "can you use .223 for deer?" thread. Lots of comments, some arguing, same old same old
Let's up the ante somewhat and ask can you use .22 Hornet for deer?
And go...
Well, the .221 Fireball has a bit more velocity than the Hornet, but in the Epic thread "Flattops and Fireballs" Todbartell documented our hunt for his doe LEH with a .221 Fireball using a Barnes TSX bullet. Killed the big mule deer very dead, it only took a few paces before it dropped.
Prior to the hunt we did some impromptu penetration tests and found the 221 Fireball with the TSX penetrated as well as a .308 flatpoint 150gr bullet at 30-30 velocity.
1873shootist
Regular
I'll stick to my .25-20.
I have used my .223 to take a couple off our property. Simple and effective.
The first doe I shot had a chest cavity full of goo, mostly both lungs, but the heart was chopped free of its moorings as well, and I eventually recovered a fair enough portion of the bullet, from against the inside of the front leg, on the far side from where it was shot. She took two slow steps forwards before collapsing in a heap. I have used that rifle to destroy one horse, it has harvested four deer now, and will continue to serve well enough.
I was also involved while a recoil averse woman shot her first ever deer here on the property, with her own rifle, also a .223. It, also, did not have any recovery needs. Dead right there.
Was it Ackley that wrote of using a .17 to shoot mules, and commenting upon its disproportionate effectiveness? Iirc, the bullets he used were swaged copper solids.
The first doe I shot had a chest cavity full of goo, mostly both lungs, but the heart was chopped free of its moorings as well, and I eventually recovered a fair enough portion of the bullet, from against the inside of the front leg, on the far side from where it was shot. She took two slow steps forwards before collapsing in a heap. I have used that rifle to destroy one horse, it has harvested four deer now, and will continue to serve well enough.
I was also involved while a recoil averse woman shot her first ever deer here on the property, with her own rifle, also a .223. It, also, did not have any recovery needs. Dead right there.
Was it Ackley that wrote of using a .17 to shoot mules, and commenting upon its disproportionate effectiveness? Iirc, the bullets he used were swaged copper solids.
Let's up the ante somewhat and ask can you use .22 Hornet for deer?
And go...
That'd be overkill for the deer in the yard here that let you walk to within ten feet - a .22 between the ear and eye would do the job.
You can kill a deer with anything. Some have more limitations than others. That's all the "debate" boils down to. Asking "can I shoot x with y" is really a meaningless question unless you specify under what conditions.
A .223 on deer? Yes and no. Yes for frontal, broadside, rear raking and head/neck shots at under 200 yards. No frontal raking shots or shoulder shots. Are there other choices that have fewer limitations and are better suited to more shot opportunities? Yes. Simple as that.
Will a .22 Hornet kill a deer? Of course. Of course it will. I'd it limited in range and shot placement? Of course.
No joke, the ideal deer calibre for my yard here would be a .22 short. Neighbours won't hear it and it'll do the job at the ranges you can get within. Only half jokingly I said my plan B this season was to train them to eat out of my hand, then shank one with a kitchen knife. Can you kill a deer with a kitchen knife? Sure, under certain conditions and with a lot of carrots.
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Very few here would put down the idea of using a 6.5 Swede, .270 or 7mm-08 for game like elk or moose, these all launch a bullet that is 1-2 millimeters wider and only 2-3x as heavy at very similar velocities so why are they acceptable for game 3x as large as a whitetail when a .223 is unacceptable for whitetail deer? I suspect the advice given there applies to shooting deer with a high velocity .22, pick a tough bullet, keep shots close and avoid large bones. Actually I know it does I've shot a few deer with my .223 and a bullet through the heart and lungs very quickly dispatches deer, often travelling only straight down.
If work allows I will be carrying one for deer this fall.
If work allows I will be carrying one for deer this fall.
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