Deer with a .223 75 Gr?

[JASmith]

BassChamp,

Two thoughts on your question:

1) Try her with something like a .257 Roberts or .260 Remington.  (best option IMO)  Alternatively, she's using an AR, get her an upper in 243 WSSM, 25 WSSM, 6.5 Grendel, or 6.8 SPC.

2) If you have no choice but to use the .223, use the heaviest bullet that will stabilize over the distance your daughter will be shooting.  If the twist rate to see if it is 1-12" or faster, the 60 gr Nosler Partition should get all the way through with a smallish exit hole.  If you've got a 1-10 or better the TSX will go through with the presentation you described, but with a larger exit wound and likely some blood trail.

For more information on the Barnes TSX, see Graybeard's thread at http://www.gboreloaded.com/forums/index.php/topic,187255.0/topicseen.html and go to the Barnes web site ()

Recap of Barnes recommendations:" *To stabilize in flight, ... 53-grain TSX bullets require a 1:12” or faster
twist; 62-grain TSX ... need a 1:9” or faster twist. ... while the 70-grain TSX"
needs a 1:8” or faster twist.

Re-reading your post, Federal, among others, offers both 55gr TSX and 62 gr partition loads.

[petemi]

Well here we go again   I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I don't allow deer hunting on my property with .223s.  I know they can and will kill.  It's simply the fact that I'm lazy.  A poorly placed shot hitting bone, etc.can result in little or no blood trail.  There are always extenuating circumstances that can cause a good rifleman to blow a shot......twig in the way, deer jumped over a log or moved, slipped, etc.  It is totally against my religion to go out at night in the rain looking for drops of blood on wet multi-colored leaves.  Here, if you don't find them soon, the wolves and coyotes will have them finished by morning.  So, on my place it is .243 minimum.  I traded a 6mm Model 7 because it didn't kill most deer right there, and as I said, I don't like dragging and tracking.  The "deer" rifles I use, in order of preference, are .45-70, .445 Super, .357 Maximum, .30-06, 7mm-08 (all Handi Rifles) MY Ruger M77 MKII .308 and my old Marlin 336 Tirty Tirty.  The New Hornady LEs have given that fifty year old rifle a new life.

Pete

[JonD.]

my old Marlin 336 Tirty Tirty.  The New Hornady LEs have given that fifty year old rifle a new life.

Pete

My favorite deer rifle, which by the way, is the rifle I've used on every deer I've ever taken, all with one shot and no tracking with plain old 170gr. ammo. (not counting clean misses )

[rem700-3]

My 8 yo marksman with another 223 score yesterday. 74 yards broadside body shot, double lung shot exit hole the size of a silver dollar.  She ran about 40 yards with lots of blood to follow!