Hunting Deer With A .223?

Mumbles Marble Mouth

Mumbles Marble Mouth

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Was wondering what other peoples opinion is on hunting Columbian Blacktail with a .223. Columbian Blacktail are small and they don't get any bigger than 120lbs. I looked up a species of deer called Roe. They don't get any bigger than 80lbs and people in Europe hunt them with .223 or .222 if they live in a half communist country (France) that don't allow military cartridges.

For those who don't know, its legal to hunt deer with a .223 in BC.

Was thinking about getting this



For those of you who already hunt deer with a .223, what is a good load to used on them? The CZ 527 twist rate is 1:12 so I don't know if that would stabilize heavy 75gr bullets or not.

I'm just asking because my .270 this year annihilated the ribs and right side blade of the black tail I got this year and he was only just over 100lbs. Was going to hunt these columbian black tails with the .223 then save the .270 for the larger deer off Island or Elk.
 
Why not a 243. Asking about a .223 for deer use is going to open up a big can of worms here. Ever try different bullets with different weights in your 270 in order to save meat?
 
I hunt these little critters a lot and they do get bigger than 120 lbs. The lowest I'll go is .243 with the 85gr TSX. Guys have done it, there was a thread on huntingbc a few years back where Todd Bartel (if memory serves) shot one with a .221 Fireball and the 45gr TTSX.

If you're going to go small, make sure you're shooting a premium bullet - (T)TSX or partition, basically - and my preference would be for the Barnes. You'll need a fast twist rate to stabilize those bullets as well.

Edit - this assumes you reload. If you don't reload, fuggeddaboutit and stick to the usual deer cartridges.
 
Mumbles Marble Mouth said:
I'm just asking because my .270 this year annihilated the ribs and right side blade of the black tail I got this year and he was only just over 100lbs. Was going to hunt these columbian black tails with the .223 then save the .270 for the larger deer off Island or Elk.
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You don't need a smaller bullet, you need a better bullet. I've used the 270 with the 130gr TSX (and even better, the 110gr TTSX) on blacktail with no issues, and no meat loss. If you're using cup & core stuff it's no wonder you're blowing up things. Using cup & core in .223 is not going to fix things, and could well lead to wounded deer.
 
barnes_270 said:
You don't need a smaller bullet, you need a better bullet. I've used the 270 with the 130gr tsx (and even better, the 110gr ttsx) on blacktail with no issues, and no meat loss. If you're using cup & core stuff it's no wonder you're blowing up things. Using cup & core in .223 is not going to fix things, and could well lead to wounded deer.
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Why buy a 223 when you so limited to what you can actually hunt with. Why not a 270 or 30-30 0 30-06 and just play with the amount of grains. As then you can hunting other larger game than being limited.
 
A 1-12" should handle the 53gr Barnes and lighter tsx bullets in .224. Hornady also makes the gmx in 50gr and nosler makes there 60 gr partition. Heavy stumpy 63-64 and 70 gr from Sierra, Winchester and Speer would also work.

I would try a few to see what shoot best and then start filling the freezer. I really need to make a trip to BC or Manitoba for a 223 deer.
 
First; "DON'T do it!!!"

Second; "If you do, do it... Then get a 9 twist."

Third; "If you get the 9 twist, shoot the 60 grain Partition.

Fourth; "DON'T do it!!!"
 
Well, once upon a time Winchester sold .223 Remington ammo with a 64 grain soft point, that should be the lowest weight of bullet for this closer range task on smaller deer. (unless you can find a loading with the 60 grain Nosler Partition)

A very big maybe, with an eye out for better options?
 
head shots don't waste any meat on island deer :stirthepot2:

Get a SKS.......they also make great black bear rifles on the island as well........:dancingbanana::dancingbanana::dancingbanana:
 
i see no issues with it, its legal and your choice after all

just dont shoot em in the ass. depending on your shooting skill i would go for the head.if its not so great just practice till your comfortable
 
My grandfather hunted deer during the depression using nothing more than a .22LR to keep his family fed. One round per deer is all he ever needed. It's called shot placement.

I loved my .270 but replaced it with a .243 and haven't looked back though.
 
Sure, it'll work. But why not save yourself the money and load a better bullet and shoot them behind the shoulders. I tend towards bigger than necessary cartridges. They allow more leeway when presentation isn't perfect or when, god forbid, you want/need to shoot a bear during your deer hunt. The 223 will do the deed fine if you're an expert shooter, though from what I glean from your description of this year's deer, you're not.
 
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