first of all 223 is a centerfire round. and if your intention in hunting was to injure your game then you would be absoutly correct when you say that varment loads are fine. you know it is people like you two gun that give hunters a bad name.
.223 on deer
- Thread starter 6.5x55swm
- Start date
Hey there 6.5x55swm. Also being in NB, I know how ridiculous the whole max .22 caliber rule is. I've seen a "few" individuals who would use either .222 or .22-250, and harvested lots of game (deer, bear, and even moose) with one shot kills (never losing game). Of course, all of their shots were head shots. With respect to lannard's comment above, though I respect it, I believe there are other questionable choices made during, or not during, hunting season that gives hunters a bad name.
If choosing an all around round, when options are .223, .22-250, etc. I would personally go with the .223 with a twist to shoot the heavier bullets, load it for accuracy, and not settle for any shot unless it's a head shot. But, that's just my opinion.
If choosing an all around round, when options are .223, .22-250, etc. I would personally go with the .223 with a twist to shoot the heavier bullets, load it for accuracy, and not settle for any shot unless it's a head shot. But, that's just my opinion.
I hate to see or hear about anyone hunting Deer with anything less than 243/6mm. It just isn't humane in my eyes. People do it, it can be done, it is done, but I would not. Have a heart, try to insure: 1 shot - 1 clean kill.
under 100M 55gr will give you better penetration and over a heavier bullet 62-75gr should be used. Out to max of 300M. Shot placement is everything, you don't want to be shooting through a shoulder. The round is fine BUT you have to be a GOOD shot. If you are the round is capable and humane, if your skills are marginal simply up the calibre. I hunted with a guy who should have only been using a bazooka and others who only needed a slingshot. Its the hunter that makes the difference.
Very misleading pack of comments actually. The law itself in most provinces and states are not effective in their purpose and therefore are stupid. Like nearly every other gun related law in the world right now.
Under most of these laws you are prohibited from using a 223 with a good bullet, but you are just fine to chase deer with a 25-20. Stupid.
And frankly out to 250yds a .223 kills deer very well, people just don't kill deer very well with the .223.
I would be as happy with a .223 and a 60gr TSX as I would with a .243 with 100 grain Federal blue box shells.
Putting holes through stuff that leaks a lot kills animals. Not ft/lbs in a book.
Oh, I forgot: IMO :banghead:
Yup, a .243 is a good round, though, you can not use anything over .22 outside of deer season in New Brunswick. Where 6.5x55swm plans on using the same rifle for outside of deer season as well, choices are quite limited. If this were not the case, I "assume" he would be using the round depicted in his CGN handle. IMO
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
The law is there to keep people from hunting big game with their varmint rigs. I don't believe there's a whole lot of 25-20's out there being used for deer hunting. I would put a 243 as minimum for whitetail bucks. A 223 out to 250 yards on deer is irresponsible,IMO.
Starscream
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
....That is...about one of the dumbest laws thus far. I know almost all of them are dumb but at least you can sorta argue a minimum caliber rule. A max caliber is plain... ugh...
In that case, I'd probably recommend loading 60gr Nosler Partition. There's others but I can't remember them ATM.
There are many dumb gun laws in Canada from province to province. In some sections of Ontario you are not allowed to use anything larger than a 270cal.
While I don't like this one here in NB, it does make a bit of sense to limit the use of big game calibers in the wood out of big game season. The intended purpose for this is to limit poaching out of season. We don't have any grizzly here and the black bear are seldon seen, so personal protection is not an issue..
There are many dumb gun laws in Canada from province to province. In some sections of Ontario you are not allowed to use anything larger than a 270cal.
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there are dumb laws all over the place, i could hunt grizzly with a .17 remington in BC, but not a 12 gauge with brenneke slugs.
I would only use nosler partitions or barnes x bullet. I think it's a stupid law, once you remove your deer tag from your licence you can only use a .22 cal rifle, I shot my first deer with a 22-250 a 70gr speer bullet on top of 33.5 of IMR4064 at 185yds, the deer ran maybe 20yds and drop a perfect heart and lung shot. If I can't take a heart and lung shot I don't shoot. I know plenty of people that hunt deer with a 22-250 and take 3or 4 a year, heck I know a fella that hunts moose in a national park with a 22 hornet!!
There are many dumb gun laws in Canada from province to province. In some sections of Ontario you are not allowed to use anything larger than a 270cal.
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What about plinkers?
I believe in physics. Physics tell me that if I use an expanding bullet that will hold together and penetrate more than 8" and displace tissue and fluid it will make an opening, tunnel, hole; call it what you like.
I also believe in biology. Biology tells me that if there is a hole made through a heart, lungs, liver, major vein or artery (or combination), it will drain essential fluid at a very fast rate. That draining of fluid causes the brain to starve and shutdown. That makes dead.
A .223 with a 53gr TSX-70gr Speer driven from 3400fps-2975fps will penetrate at least 12" broadside on a deer out to 300yds. That means dead deer.
Irresponsible would be using any cartridge, not practicing with and siting in your firearm and then shooting at 250yds.
From your comments, I would say you have never hunted deer with a .223 or been are someone who did. Don't knock it 'til you try it.
And the law is still stupid. It isn't a problem in NB or BC, why AB, SK, ONT, MB, etc.
So for the sake of conversation, what about the magic .02" makes the 6mm "cleaner" than the 5.56mm bullets. I would think that logic and common sense would apply, and a 60gr TSX will kill just as well at 3300-3600fps, as a 100gr Sierra will at 2950fps. They will both exit at the exact same weight and the path of destruction to the internals will be exactly the same. Define humane when we are talking about dead.
