.223 for deer?

Gatehouse said:
Best bet for using a .223 on deer (or black bear, as I have) is to use a good bullet like a TSX or Nosler Partition.
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Gatehouse, I'd like to hear about your experiences with .223 on black bear. I thought about getting one to use for neck shots only over bait, but I can't afford to lose a bear due to insufficient caliber (since I can really only hunt during my week of spring vacation) and I also don't have the dough for a new rifle at the moment. But someday . . . :)

Anyway, I've seen pix of what .223 does to deer, and I know the right bullets will absolutely mangle lungs and hearts. But I don't know anyone who's shot a bear with it!
 
of course it will kill a deer ,but why not go to a 6.5x55,8x57,9,3x57 or something like that?Why risk blowing a deers jaw off and having it run off to die a miserable death when you really meant to take it in the neck?if money is an issue-then go to the Tradeex site and you can get a perfectly good rifle for around $200-250 that will take any deer, bear or moose and do it efficiently and humanely
 
223 is use in canada and the US a lot, just use prenium bullet like 77gr and keep shoot inside 100 yards and you will be just fine
 
There are thousands of deer killed each year with .22 centerfires. As stated before, use a good bullet and pick your shot carefully.
I would rather see a proficient shooter in the field with a .223 than a Fudd with a .338.

(Best of course, would be an experienced hunter with a 6.5x55, but that is another topic.)
 
TheCoachZed said:
Gatehouse, I'd like to hear about your experiences with .223 on black bear. I thought about getting one to use for neck shots only over bait, but I can't afford to lose a bear due to insufficient caliber (since I can really only hunt during my week of spring vacation) and I also don't have the dough for a new rifle at the moment. But someday . . . :)

Anyway, I've seen pix of what .223 does to deer, and I know the right bullets will absolutely mangle lungs and hearts. But I don't know anyone who's shot a bear with it!
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Shot a bear about 150-175 yards away behind the shoulder with a 53gr TSX. Bear tumbled down the hill, dead. Bullet completely penetrated the chest area. It wasn't a great big bear, about 5 ft.

If I was shooting a bear with a .223 I'd use a TSX and shoot it behind the shoulder and double lung it.
 
Hear in BC I think that the rule for hunting big game other than Bison is any center fire rifle. As far as I know the only restriction on what can be used is on Bison which is not ristricted by caliber but grain weight it is 175 grain I belive.
 
I would also hunt for deer with 223 in BC but in only certain areas. In areas where there are only blacktail deer I would hunt with 223 but in an area where i stand a chance of running into a 400lb mule deer I would not think that it is adviseable. The reason that it is often done in the US is that in areas in the south even 5 and 6 point deer only weigh in at 100 -150 pounds.
 
Its a shame too, Cause alot of guys cant afford a rifle for each species!!
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NB is so poverty stricken now that you can't afford a 75 dollar 303 to go with your cooey 22 and 12 gauge???? LOL. In NB you need a moose/deer/bear rifle and an upland gun/migratory gun, full stop. I guess you could justify a varmit gun as well. I count it at 700 bucks tops. Far as I know everyone in NB already has the 303 and the 12 bore so adding a steven 223 aint gonna hurt no body.
IMHO NBers are a bit more interested in hunting then they are in gun aqquisition and if you look at stats can you see that NBers have a whole lot more disposable income then we westerners with 3000 dollar mortgages and a dozen rifles in the safe.LOL
 
tikka#1 said:
I would also hunt for deer with 223 in BC but in only certain areas. In areas where there are only blacktail deer I would hunt with 223 but in an area where i stand a chance of running into a 400lb mule deer I would not think that it is adviseable. The reason that it is often done in the US is that in areas in the south even 5 and 6 point deer only weigh in at 100 -150 pounds.
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Good point...A .223 really cuts down on your shot opportunities, and you need to be willing to pass up a marginal shot on what could be a giant buck..
 
Its like fishing, its a lot more gratifying to land a large fish on light weight line. If you are great shot, you can kill humanely with .223 and its legal, why not?, heck guys do it with arrows flung from a string. Just chose you bullet well and know your rifle intimately, that's all.
 
dizzy said:
Its like fishing, its a lot more gratifying to land a large fish on light weight line. If you are great shot, you can kill humanely with .223 and its legal, why not?, heck guys do it with arrows flung from a string. Just chose you bullet well and know your rifle intimately, that's all.
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You make that arrow flung off a string sound pretty lame...but I'll use my Hoyt VTec shooting a 400 gr arrow with a fixed tri-blade broadhead into a bear before I'd use a .223 (out to 50 yrds) and be alot more confident of the results. 280 fps will put that arrow through a moose with a well placed heart/lung shot at 50 yrds. Don't know if the .223 will, maybe, but the broadhead is still going to cause more wound trauma. When you've seen what a modern compound bow can do, you give it a little more respect....

Having said that, I'd still prefer my 7mm-08, particulary after that 50 yrd mark.
 
TheCoachZed said:
Gatehouse, I'd like to hear about your experiences with .223 on black bear. I thought about getting one to use for neck shots only over bait, but I can't afford to lose a bear due to insufficient caliber (since I can really only hunt during my week of spring vacation) and I also don't have the dough for a new rifle at the moment. But someday . . . :)

Anyway, I've seen pix of what .223 does to deer, and I know the right bullets will absolutely mangle lungs and hearts. But I don't know anyone who's shot a bear with it!
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With all due respect, you lost a bear using a 30-30, what makes you think a 223 would have done a better job?

Honestly people, the OP stated he's an inexperienced hunter. I'm beginning to believe those advocating the 223 for deer and bear are in the same boat.
 
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