How is the 223 for deer hunting in AB doing?

[Hyllar]

I would be more concerned that you are using FMJ for anything animal
heads shots are harder, small hole sin the lungs still make animals drown. I think people often use overpowered cartridges to compensate for poor shot placement, although there is something to be said for confidence building.
some provinces may not allow 223 for large game, I assume you have checked that.

There is a hunter famous enough to have a show that uses 243 for elk reliably, because again, drowning in blood is drowning in blood. Your plan for hte boiler room sounds better than having a bunch of deer wander around with missing jaws starving to death. Make sure you know your distances and drops

 

[dan belisle]

Would be great if we had some deer in our area, pretty slim pickings, got a new 22 creedmoor, just itching to try it on deer, so far 3 coyotes and a squirrel with an attitude they all think it will work just fine.

Used to hunt white tails up that way, around skeleton lake. Numbers were decent back then. Interesting. Wonder why there's less of them, usually they flourish in that terrain. - dan

 

[tokguy]

I would be more concerned that you are using FMJ for anything animal
heads shots are harder, small hole sin the lungs still make animals drown. I think people often use overpowered cartridges to compensate for poor shot placement, although there is something to be said for confidence building.
some provinces may not allow 223 for large game, I assume you have checked that.

There is a hunter famous enough to have a show that uses 243 for elk reliably, because again, drowning in blood is drowning in blood. Your plan for hte boiler room sounds better than having a bunch of deer wander around with missing jaws starving to death. Make sure you know your distances and drops

FMJ's came from my father. He used them for coyotes as that was his winter wages.
He ran them throughout a 22-250... and if you think that is a bad plan...well, that would be your opinion.
Killed them DRT.

 

[DGY]

Therein lay the problem. Most hunters outside CGN don't know a thing about bullet construction, bullet weights, twist rates etc.

Bingo!! The vast majority of hunters don’t even know what ammo they are using let alone what bullet they are using. Not legal up here yet but I really hope it doesn’t get legal, not because it can’t kill animals humanly but because it will increase the numbers of wounded animals drastically for the many reasons people have mentioned on this thread!!

 

[Rman]

This is another thread that would be awefully short if the replies were kept to those that have actually used a 223 on critters.
Just sayin.
R.

 

[tokguy]

This is another thread that would be awefully short if the replies were kept to those that have actually used a 223 on critters.
Just sayin.
R.

I would have been a detractor. Bought that Lil 78 for coyotes.
My son is good friends with the head Game Warden in a nearby town. He had spent 10 years up North and that was the caliber they used.
Bears, deer, elk and moose.
Said it worked marvelous. Pretty hard to argue the point.
And I have girls, women and young men in my ellipses.
It fits the role well for them.

 

[KodiakHntr]

I would have been a detractor. Bought that Lil 78 for coyotes.
My son is good friends with the head Game Warden in a nearby town. He had spent 10 years up North and that was the caliber they used.
Bears, deer, elk and moose.
Said it worked marvelous. Pretty hard to argue the point.
And I have girls, women and young men in my ellipses.
It fits the role well for them.

Thought it was a rather surprising change of opinion.
Makes sense reading that.

 

[tokguy]

Thought it was a rather surprising change of opinion.
Makes sense reading that.

I'm full of surprises. Rarely do I sound off on here anymore. Have better things to do these days.
The GW has probably made more animals take a dirt nap than we know.
If it works... it works.
Good enough for me... no one is planning any legendary shots.
When I have time, maybe try a longer heavier bullet.
Til then, I am pretty certain 55 grains will suffice nicely.
Regards
Tokguy

 

[todbartell]

The prohibition on 22 caliber rifles for hunting was thrown up as a Roadblock to those of lower Economic Status not due to any lack of effectiveness and has calcified from there.

I don't think anybody believes you

 

[Slimbo]

It’s got to be true, he’s written it in every thread that mentions 22s in the last decade

 

[JIMMY 808]

The prohibition on 22 caliber rifles for hunting was thrown up as a Roadblock to those of lower Economic Status not due to any lack of effectiveness and has calcified from there.

Sort of like how dare a commoner knock a knight of a horse with a cross bow.

 

[gotrdone]

Used to hunt white tails up that way, around skeleton lake. Numbers were decent back then. Interesting. Wonder why there's less of them, usually they flourish in that terrain. - dan

A lot of winter kill last couple years from what I’m hearing, few shed hunters were telling us about all the carcasses they were finding in the spring and they never seen it so bad. They are definitely thinned out that’s for sure, hoping they recover their numbers again whatever the cause

 

[MiG25]

I don't think anybody believes you

That doesn't matter, we live in a Country where 60-80% will believe whatever they are told.

I note you don't say it isn't true but rather rely on "feelings" not facts.

 

[MiG25]

Sort of like how dare a commoner knock a knight of a horse with a cross bow.

They also did things like requiring pump and autoloaders to have permanently plugged magazines holding no more than ONE round and not opening Deer Season when Workers were on Strike.

 

[track]

The prohibition on 22 caliber rifles for hunting was thrown up as a Roadblock to those of lower Economic Status not due to any lack of effectiveness and has calcified from there.

LOL!!! "Lower economic status", now that's a classic euphemism for "poor." Do you "harvest" your animals or "hunt and kill" them?

 

[MiG25]

LOL!!! "Lower economic status", now that's a classic euphemism for "poor." Do you "harvest" your animals or "hunt and kill" them?

It was a Roadblock for White Trash, Indians, and Chinamen. Happy now?

 

[Denver Steve]

Bingo!! The vast majority of hunters don’t even know what ammo they are using let alone what bullet they are using. Not legal up here yet but I really hope it doesn’t get legal, not because it can’t kill animals humanly but because it will increase the numbers of wounded animals drastically for the many reasons people have mentioned on this thread!!

There are other forums out there...so a few other people would know...

And I would hope that most people who reload would know this. If they payed attention to, and actually read their reloading literature, then they would. But I do know at least one older reloader that has no idea about twist rates or bullet construction...but I think 99% would understand, or realize this.

But definitely almost every single other person that I run into in a store, especially your big box stores, like Cabela's, are totally clueless.

 

[pathfinder76]

It was a Roadblock for White Trash, Indians, and Chinamen. Happy now?

You would have thought they would have outlawed the 303 British if that was their end game.

 

[TheCoyoteHunter]

Dropped this guy with 223, 1 shot at 202 yards.
Handloaded 65 grain Sierra Game king going at 3075fps. Hit a rib bone going in and out, exit hole was almost 3". Lungs were finely minced.
Very minimal meat damage.

 

[pathfinder76]

Nice buck!