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Hunting & Fishing Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

Nosler243Shooter

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 31, 2010
432
4
39
Alabama
What bullet in 223 do you like for deer hunting? I killed 4 deer with 4 shots last season with the 62gr Barnes TTSX out of my AR-15. I bought a new SPS Tatical 223 recently and wanted to try something new.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

Never used it for deer...but for coyotes FMJ's work well but I really like the Hornady TAP.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I can't say much about hunting deer with a 223 (illegal here) but I think the 64 grn speer gold dot for LE would work.

I was given some to try out for an upcoming LE sniper school I'm running where they wanted to use the Speers.

They shoot fairly well and did do in a coyote with out any hickups. I think they would work on deer, but like I've said, haven't shot any deer with them.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

We're not allowed to have a favourite .223 bullet for deer over here.

.243 and up only.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

Why are you hunting deer with a .22?
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

.22 is legal for dear in Oklahoma out of a centerfire rifle. I have used a RRA Predator shooting Hornady 55gr. PSP's for two seasons now and my brother has taken several with a 22-250 (bullet unknown). Biggest deer taken by me was 157 lbs. field dressed.

All shot were DRT, but then again I haven't tried a 300 yard running shot with 15 -30 mph variable crosswinds yet either.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

In Alabama the 223 is legal for deer. I have other larger calibers but I am very comfortable shooting the 223. It has almost no recoil so I probably will be able to make a better shot that I could with my 308. I have made the longest shot I have ever made and killed the biggest deer I have ever killed while using the 223. As long as you are choosing the right bullet and can place it where it needs to go the 223 works fine. I was hoping someone was using the 75gr Scirocco on here because the 77gr Matchking shoots very good in my SPS 223.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I have not used the 77 on anything other than paper and steel but... the 69smk has put a few ground hogs down for me and showed massive exits.

I loaded some ammo for a hunting partners 14 year old last year. He took a mule deer, the largest in our group of 5 guys, with a 53g barnes triple shock. ~3100 fps, first shot hit the shoulder, traveled through the spine and exited the opposite side and was not recovered. This was a very big mule deer and about a 100-120 yard shot. Dropped him but did require a second shot to put him out as any caliber would with a high (out of the rib cage) hit would.

FWIW, if you search some of the 223ai thread from a few years ago there were several using the 75gr Scirocco on deer.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 243Varminter</div><div class="ubbcode-body">What bullet in 223 do you like for deer hunting? I killed 4 deer with 4 shots last season with the 62gr Barnes TTSX out of my AR-15. I bought a new SPS Tatical 223 recently and wanted to try something new. </div></div>

I think you are already use the best bullet. My daughter at age 10 took her first deer with a 223 TSX and last year killed two more. I have her using a T/C encore and the TSX has been great.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMC-M1941</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We're not allowed to have a favourite .223 bullet for deer over here.

.243 and up only. </div></div>

If you're from East England meaning in the UK, you haven't been keeping up on current events!

The law has changed.

I got some real good results at the range couple weeks ago with 53grn Barnes TSX. I'm going to try them on deer, but you might be able to go heavier with a faster twist.

My .223 is a 'slow' 1:12 twist, so it's a problem to stabilize the longer, heavier Barnes bullets. But accuracy of the 53's was around 1/2 MOA out of my Howa 1500.

I HAVE to tell you though, that the largest deer we are allowed to shoot legally here in the UK with .22 CF is the Roe, about the size of a Red Setter dog.

Oh, I've heard good reports about the "Trophy Bonded Bear Claw" in .22

N
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

Blimey, how did I let that one slip through the net.
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I always thought it was a bit dumb that we could shoot foxes with a .223 etc. but not muntjac.
smile.gif
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I took my AR15 out last deer season for the first time.

I bought some Fed. Premium Vital shok that was loaded w/ Barnes 55gr Triple shock. And a box of 62gr Federal Fusions.

Have heard great things about both rounds performing very well on whitetail. But my rifle grouped tighter with the Fusions, so thats what I took to the field with. Too bad I didn't even see a deer to use it on! lol

Kinda suprised that the 62gr grouped better than the 55gr in my 1/9 twist barrel.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I have the the 55gr and 62gr TTSX and have ordered the 60gr Nosler Partition. I decided not to try the Swift right now. The Barnes worked too well for me last year to not try them again. I may try one bullet in my AR-15 and something else in by bolt gun. I just wish I could recover one of the Barnes TTSX just so I could see that the really do petal off like they claim.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I've used the 77 grain on some smaller southern whitetails and it worked great, all three shots were lungs or heart though. I also headshot a sow with it, DRT, and the piglet just stayed and it just about cut him in half.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I've killed over 100 does in North Texas with a 52 gr speer hollow point out of a .223 and 55 gr vmax out of a 22-250. All 1 shot kills.
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

Damn, get to use this picture twice in one day. 77 SMK 100 yards or so. 6 Point from last year. One shot droped him.

6point.jpg
 
Re: Favorite Hunting Bullet For The 223

I always stick with the 55gr VMax. I got so accustomed to how to shoot this in my 2 x 223 hunting outfits it's easier for me to stick with it than look for something else.