Hunting Deer With A .223?

The 223 is just fine for deer. I've been using it for years. You just gotta use the right bullet and twist rate.

The 223 often gets a bad rap when used for deer simply because bullet selection is critical and if you use the wrong bullet, the results are not good. That being said, when using the right bullet - the 223 will kill deer as good as anything. IMO the light recoil of the 223 will help many shooters place more accurate shots because they wont be flinching like what is so common from larger caliber shooters.

Here's a good article on the 223 for hunting.
http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Knowledgebase/.223+Remington.html
 
This is the most intelligent statement in this entire thread.

In spite of that comment, I am not advocating a .223 for deer... my hunting for deer starts with the .243 and ends with a .45/120.

The full quote is below;

It is simply a matter of respect, not ballistics... Don't choose a weapon the will "squeak by," choose one that will be decisively effective.

Having said that... A .223 is more deadly in the hands of an "expert hunter" than a .30/06 is in the hands of an "incompetent boob..."

If you choose the lesser weapon, then do your part and become the expert hunter....

Respectfully submitted.
 
i have hunted deer with a 22lr wen i was younger and dint know better worked grate out to 25 yards
I hunted deer out to 65 yards with 22 hornet all 22 are good fore one shot kills but forget about taking long shots
with a 22 there are only two shots to make neck and head you will be surprise at how well a precise shot to the juggler and vertebra will drop them
its a lot of work hunting deer with a 22 my self I do not have the time to hunt with my hornet so i hunt with 260 rem now
 
Again, as is typical, lots of response from many who have never shot a deer with a .223. Lots of response from the "my buddy shot a deer with a .223..." crowd as well. I thought the OP's question was fairly specific, and he wasn't looking a bunch of guesses, conjecture, and opinion...
A few of the guys that posted have actually shot deer with a 223...and guess what? They said it worked just fine!
I hunted Van Isle for years and all I ever carried was a .223. It is very effective on those deer, and works as well as anything else. In fact, if it was legal here, I would not hesitate to use one.

Just the facts, based on real life experience.

R.
 
223 will do the job if you do yours.

That is a nice rifle. Wish it was a 1:9 or 8.

I have shot large deer with a 222 with a 1:14 barrel. The biggest and best bullet I can use is the Sierra 60 HP. It gets excellent penetration. I have only taken chest shots behind the a shoulder. They do not go very far.
 
Why not a 243. Asking about a .223 for deer use [B]is going to open up a big can of worms here[/B]. Ever try different bullets with different weights in your 270 in order to save meat?

^^^^^ Good reply. I agree 243 min. PLEASE, no more opening cans of worms on this 223 for Deer subject! .223 is not a suitable humane cartridge for Deer of any weight in my opnion, no matter how "shot placement is preached" by the super shot placement preachers, of which there are so an abundant of them on this site! Not everyone is a super shot placement shooter, so please leave it alone. If you can do it, so be it, do it and shut the F-up and do what you do! Don't encourage other's to do it! There are many more and much more suitable cartridges for the job! I never heard of this karma thing before and about what they all say of late, but I'm just learning a little more about what they mean, so lets just say, well, you figure out what I'm trying to saying here, something like here's hoping the balance the karma scales happens with the 223 Deer shooter's.;) Luck to ya!
 
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^^^^^ Good reply. I agree 243 min. PLEASE, no more opening cans of worms on this 223 for Deer subject! .223 is not a suitable humane cartridge for Deer of any weight in my opnion, no matter how "shot placement is preached" by the super shot placement preachers, of which there are so an abundant of them on this site! Not everyone is a super shot placement shooter, so please leave it alone. If you can do it, so be it, do it and shut the F-up and do what you do! Don't encourage other's to do it! There are many more and much more suitable cartridges for the job! I never heard of this karma thing before and about what they all say of late, but I'm just learning a little more about what they mean, so lets just say, well, you figure out what I'm trying to saying here, something like here's hoping the balance the karma scales happens with the 223 Deer shooter's.;) Luck to ya!

Ever shot a small Island deer with a 223?

R.
 
Ever shot a small Island deer with a 223?

R.

Yep, and it dropped like a sack of "S", but I also got 2 with my Cooey Model 39 .22LR when I was a teen, and one with a Savage 340 in .22 Hornet in the mid 70's, along with a batch of deer in the Haida Gwaii
back then with the Cooey as well.
 
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I am thinking what is missing is are you calm or a new hunter and like anything the more you do the better you are at it 22-250, 222 or 223 will be fine if you are used to killing
 
On Haida Gwaii hunting blacktail deer with 223 works wonderful rarely are shots past 75 yards
A cheep sks is a better rifle fore hunting in the wet west coast rainforest why rust up a fine rifle wen you can get the job dun with a cheep $200 sks and your good out to 175 yards
if its your fist hunt com out to Haida Gwaii I will take you out you will fill all your 10 tags no mater what rifle ore cal you are packing ,you pay fore gas lol
 
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If Your main concern is meat damage with the .270 just get closer (within 150m) and aim for the neck. But it could be your just itching for a new toy, in which case use good bullets and get close and there isn't an issue.
 
Where the heck are you shootong deer that a .270 is causing all of this so called meat damage? Wait, get a good broadside shot and hit the deer in the heart / lungs... Bullet goes in one side, does its work and passes out the other.... no meat on deer ribs anyways... If you are unwilling to wait for this kind of shot then you better not be using a .223, because that is the shot you will need to successful with that cartridge....
 
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