.223 Performance on Deer

[gr8ful]

I was not condemning anyone for shooting big rifles, or small bores.  I hunt deer with everything from .22 hornet (legal here) to a 45-70, and have several rifles capable of hitting things in the next parish.  My lease here in La is small acrage of mostly swamp,with other small leases all around, so planting food plots, and box stands are necessary, and short yardages are the norm.  I also hunt in West Texas with my father-in -law where it is box stands and sendero's and long shots are the norm.  I am not knocking anyones hunting tactic, hell if you want to ride around in your truck glassing pronghorns call me, I will grab my 25-06 and be on my way! Or if you want to go stomp thickets I have a 12ga and a bucket of buckshot, one of the most fun hunts I have ever been on was running deer with hounds.  As long as it's legal I'm in. 

I owned a small gun shop for a few years, and I saw and heard some wacky stuff.  Almost without exception if someone lost a deer after shooting it with a small bore improper bullet selection was to blame (IE 40gr varmit grenade).  I also had an experience with a customer who brought in a .378 Weatherby that wouldn't group, after checking all of the usual suspects, loose screws, mounts, ect, we went to the range where I shot a neat 1" group at 100 yrds, but man did that sucker kick!!!.  the owner of this rifle sat down and promtly shot about a 20" pattern.  watching him shoot, he was literally shaking and sweating before each shot.  When asked why he bought such a big gun his reply was that he was tired of deer running off when shot with his 30-06! I also had a man come in looking for some green tip 30-30 bullets said they killed deer the best, after showing him every different 30-30 load in my shop, he produced 2 shells from his pocket the "green tips" were ancient Peters soft points covered with corrosion.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

  gr8ful, I appreciate your reply...and I  certainly agree with all that you have said...one of my true loves is long distance shooting..while still hunting is fine, or stand, or blind hunting is fine, my first love is long distance shooting..I KNOW the problem with it is guys like the one with the .378, they buy a rifle and scope and think they are all set..with out pratice, it is not something to be done...while I have never hunted in La. I have hunted deer in Tx. and W. Va. where baiting is legal and praticed...it was different and fun...I do get a bit touchy when someone slams long distance shooting as unsporting..to me it is the supreme test of all our shooting skills..while some may not pratice it, or even have the chance to try it..it never ceases to amaze me what can be done with a fine rifle at long distance....I am sure dealing with the public in a business would be an eye opener and fustrating...when I listen to some of the stories in sporting goods stores it leaves one shaking his head at the ideas folks come up with....I am sure from your information, you are probably like I am, trying calibers on game and varmits is more than half the fun of hunting..Here .22 calibers are not legal for hunting big game..so when I had the chance to hunt deer with a .223, .22Hornet, or .22-250, I had to try it..It WAS EXCITING to placed that little bullet for a perfect shot on game...but I have also used my .375 H & H and .45-70 to bag antelope, and it was equally interesting...to me to skill required to make a perfect shot with a .22 caliber was a rush...so we are on the same page and agree on the same things. Antelope hunting in this area is a real blast, it is one of the wonderful things about this country...on the other hand, hunting deer with hounds, is an old tradition that I have read about for many years, and it sounds like an exciting thing to participate in Goo Shooting....