Best Cartridge on Deer with a .223

[GotstaHunt]

Just bought my first .223 Rem. and was wondering which bullet to use on deer. My gun is a Tikka T3 with 1 in 12 twist.
 Thanks

[Chuck White]

I've always used Hornady, Remington or Winchester 55 grain spire points!

Out to 150-200 yards, if you put one of these just behind the shoulder, your deer isn't going to go very far!

If you want it to drop right where it is, line up on the front leg and put the bullet about 6 inches down, into the top of the shoulder!  The bullet will punch the shoulder blade and take out the spine and the deer will be laying right where it was standing when you pulled the trigger!

You will hear a lot of controversy on the use of 22 caliber rounds on deer, but if the truth be known, most of the ones who argue against it have never tried it!  Some believe that to put a deer down with a .223, you have to take a head shot!  NOT SO!!!!!!

[rickt300]

I tend to use the 60 grain Hornady HP or Sp pushed by 25.0 grains of Wincherster 748 for my carefully hit deer, generally meat hunting. I would reccomend the 64 graun Win. soft point as it seems effective but I have not used it.

[snowdog]

It's illegal to  hunt deer with anything under .24 Cal  here in Washington
   and quite a few other states.

[LMM]

Does Iowa allow rifles during deer season?

[rockbilly]

Chuck,       I agree that you can kill deer sized animals (humans too) with the .22 sized bullet.  In my younger days, I killed several deer with .22 shorts.  All head shots, taken at night with a spotlight.  I'm not proud of those kills, but times were hard, and we had to eat.

In later years, I hunted all all over, especially during the 24+ years I spent in service.  I have witnessed others use the .223 and take deer deer with no problem, but the sad part is, I have spent many hours looking for a deer that was hit with the .22 sized bullets only to see them runoff and possibly die miles from where the shot was taken.  

I don't allow anyone to hunt on my place with anything smaller than a .25 caliber.  That's because I have more confidence in the larger sized bullets.  I know some people can't shoot period, and others either don't know when to take a shot, or get "buck fever".  Some of these folks would shoot and injury, then lose a deer if they were shooting a .300 Mag.

Just my opinion, keep the .22s for groundhogs, wood chuck etc, and get a real gun for larger game.

[James B]

In SouthEast Asia we shot water buffalo with the 223. For deer I like the 60 grain nosler partition.

[goose7856]

wow water buffalo!! how many shots did that take to bring one down.........i would think it would take at least two threw the lungs and maybe one threw the heart could bring it down.......but I wouldnt want to mess around with those.....id have a 300 mag sitting next to me if I was going to try and shoot one with a .223.....@!!

[Lawdog]

Chuck White,

You will hear a lot of controversy on the use of 22 caliber rounds on deer, but if the truth be known, most of the ones who argue against it have never tried it!

Actually most of us that don't approve of using .22 centerfires on big game have tried them with sorry results.  The main complaint is that the .22 centerfire bullets can and do deflect quite easily.  I tried the heavier bullets available, like the Nosler 60 gr. Partition, in a few different .22 centerfires(.223 Rem., .224 Weatherby, .22-250, .220 Swift) and had them deflect on ribs of animals smaller than deer.  Shot placement is much more critical with .224 calibers than larger calibers.  The wound channel is smaller and does far less internal damage than bullets from larger calibers.  I hear more stories every year where some deer was lost because the hunter was using an in-appropriate caliber, mainly a .22 centerfire.  Like ‘rockbilly’ I don’t allow anyone hunting on my property with anything smaller than a .243 Winchester.  A .224 makes an excellent varmint/target caliber but a poor choice for big game.  Lawdog

[TH]

LMM,
  I used to live in Iowa and still hunt Deer their with my Family and Rifles are not allowed, only Shotguns with slugs, bow and arrow, muzzleloader,  or certain handguns are allowed for deer.

[GotstaHunt]

I am not hunting deer in Iowa with a .223. I was only wondering in case I decide to go elswhere to hunt. So far I have only taken deer with a bow,I don't even go into the woods during shotgun season because there are way to many week-end warriors here in Iowa that pick up there gun on opening day,get together with all there buddies and unleash WWII all over again.

[w00kie98]

This is just my personal opinion, but I would not hunt Whitetail Deer with anything less than a .243. In the 25 years of deer hunting here in the Ozarks, i've seen way too many people screw up a deer with 30 calibre rifles. Shot placement is always the key, but you have to hit them with enough power to get the job done. I feel that the .223 just does'nt have the uumph.

I took 4 this year, 3 with a .270 and one with a 30-30, none went more than 20yards. 2 fell in their tracks. And had very little meat loss.

You owe it to the deer to make the quickest and humane harvest.

Just my $.12 worth.

[Rmouleart]

I also agree the 243win is the smallest cart I would use on deer like game,I hate tracking deer for hours, the 22 can kill a deer quickly if shot placement is correct,head,neck,heart, but if your off a bit. you will be tracking a long time, I like the 243win much better than any 22 carts due it can harness a larger bullet, I would use nothing less than a 100gr Hornady interlock SP on a deer like animal. I have always considered the 223 a varmint rifle in my book, but like I always say, every man must know his own limitations. If I were to use the 223 I would use a 60gr Nosler Partion. Aim small hit small. RAMbo.

[insanelupus]

Reckon I'll jump in on the fray and add my 2 cents worth here.  I have killed 4 deer with a .223.  I have witnessed over 6 others killed with a .223.  The loads were either commerically loaded with 69 grain boattail hollow points or 62 (I think it was) hollow points.  

Before I give my opinion of yay vs. nay, I'll also add, that I'm a heavy for caliber, large caliber kind of guy.  A .45-70 does most of my hunting and a .44 Mag is my constant companion.  The .45-70 loaded with a 405 grain bullet at 1700 fps, and the .44 is a 300 grain bullet at 1000 fps.

I am not a fan of the .223 for deer.  I have seen some remarkable one shot kills and they can be impressive.  The problem with the .223 is that it is very erratic.  One particular shot may exit, another may not.  When they exit it can be a large or small exit wound.  If they don't exit, they almost assuredly go to pieces inside and cut everything up.  My Dad has killed a buck at 400 yards with a .223.  The furthest I've shot one was 125 yards.  I've also shot a buck at about 20 yards with one.  Not everytime, but almost always (75-80% of the time), it has taken more than one shot to kill the deer.  I like one shot kills if I can do them and I have retired the .223 to coyote hunting.  It doesn't always happen and even the best of us goof.  

So here's my idea, you just bought the rifle.  Use it if you can't or don't want to trade it off.  If deer hunting in a rifle state is an occasional occurence and you'll hunt coyotes more (legal in IA at least a few years ago, deer with shotguns, coyotes with rifles, still tyring to figure that one out).  But if you plan on doing extensive deer hunting, I would seriously consider another caliber.  I'm not a fan of the .243 either, but have limited expierience, and prefer the .25s.  Use your best judgement.  When you do shoot a deer with that .223, shot placement will be the most critical.  Keep it behind the shoulder, and as long as that bullet gets past the ribs,  you'll do okay.

[msorenso]

Does Iowa allow rifles during deer season?

I live next to Iowa and have some friend that live and hunt there:but I am 98% sure they do not.  For sure on the east side is slug only.  Sorry.

[rockbilly]

Hey JamesB, are you sure those water buffalo kills were not made with the M-14 (7.62)?  We killed several with the M-60 on our choppers.  At one point, we were instructed to kill every water buffalo and elephant we seen.  Never got to shoot on one of dem elephants, but did take out a buff or two.  And the steaks are not bad.

The reason for the kills was to prevent the VC from using the animals for transporting war materials.

[doorgunner]

Just bought my first .223 Rem. and was wondering which bullet to use on deer. My gun is a Tikka T3 with 1 in 12 twist.
 Thanks

You might want to recheck your rifle, and make sure that it's a 1/12 twist.  My Tikka T3 in .223 is 1/8 twist, and is so marked on the barrel, right next to the caliber stamp.  I wasn't aware that Tikka was putting out the T3 with a 1/12.

There is a very marked difference in a 1/8 and a 1/12 barrels.

[goose7856]

maybe this is a dumn question, but what is the "rate of twist"?? And how does it change bullet trajection, or change performance in genral??

Thanx

[dakotashooter2]

I'd sya if you plan on hunting some of those small (body size) southern whitetails or are meat hunting you will probably be OK. If you show restraint and shoot within the cartridges limitation and no running shots. If you plan on hunting trophy northern whitetails 250-300 lb get a bigger gun. I've seen them soak up rounds from any caliber but treat 223 like a bug bite.

[doorgunner]

Goose:  There are no dumb questions.  

Twist rate is the length of barrel that it takes for the bullet to turn one revolution.  Example would be a 1/8 twist barrel would mean that the bullet will turn one complete revolution after travelling down 8 inches of barrel.
The commonly held concept is that light bullets stabilize better from slower twist barrels, and vise versa for heavier projectiles.  While as a general rule this it true, the actual weight of the projectile has very little to do with it.  It's the actual bearing surface of the projectile thats a bigger factor, than weight is.
The generally held school of thought is that in a .223 Remington, 45 to 55 grain bullets will stabilize, and shoot more accurately, out of a slow twist barrel, such as a 1/10 or 1/12.  55 grains to 64 grains out of a 1/9, and heavy bullets out of a 1/7.  
While this may be the case sometimes, it does not always hold true.  I have a very old, very low serial number Colt SP1 AR15, with a 1/12 barrel.  It tosses 64 grain Winchester Power Points into an extremely tight group.  My 1/7 Colt R6551 shoots 52 grain bullets into very acceptable groups, but prefers 55 grain projectiles.  My 1/8 Tikka bolt gun likes anything that you can stuff into the chamber.

So there ya go!

[safetysheriff]

whitetail recipe for deer up to 250 lbs live weight, to distances of probably 150 yds, and further on the deer as they decrease in size:

Remington brass,  Rem'  7 1/2 BR primers,   27.1 gr's of  win-748 or hodgdon's bl-c(2) for propellant,  55 grain Hornady spire point.      OR, cut back  4/10 grain of propellant and use the 60 grain spire point.    Hit deer in lungs or if quartering toward you just out front of the shoulder/front leg to take out the lungs and blood vessels.   Watch 'em fall!  :shock:  :shock:    

I think that some of us don't admit to poor bullet placement when we lose deer to .223's.    But since poor placement can cost a deer with any caliber, why blame the .224 diameter bullet -- if it's of proper construction.  

My landowner friends that I load for will tell you that the deer don't go  100 yds when properly hit with the above recipes, and often fall right where they stand.    I load for them to do nuisance hunting on their land.    

SS'

[BnSC]

I use a 22-250 for a good bit of my deer hunting.  These guys are right. The shot placement is critical.  I usually go for a quartering to neck shot.  This get everything lined up for me.  At the downward trajectory, If I miss the spine, it will travl on and cut arteries, enter the chest cavity and wreak havoc. The longest one has run from this shot is about 75 yds.. The rest have fallen within 20 yds or have just fallen... I don't think I ever had to shoot them more than once w/ this weapon.

As far as loosing deer, I have lost one w/ it.. However, through the years I have also lost deer from .30 caliber rifles and larger bores.. If you shoot at deer enough, no matter how hard you try not to, eventually something is going to happen that ends up in a irretrievable animal.

I don't think it is a good choice for inexpereinced shooters and hunters.

I have had one kill at 375 yds, a couple over 200, but the majority of the kills have been inside of 100 yds..  

My setup is a Savage 11 w/ a 6-18x50 Bushnell scope

[drags]

I have shot whitetail does with the .223 and 22-250 and they worked very well, I like to hunt does with these calibers because I usually shoot a smaller doe and don't like to blow them up with larger calibers. Years ago I heard a game warden and a gun writer for the Penna. Sportsmen mag.  talking about using a 22-250 for deer, they said they hunted woodchucks in the summer and used the same load for deer in deer season, I asked what bullet they used and they said 63gr sierra semi- point.
Drags

[FOsteology]

My 9 year old son uses either 55 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws or the 64 grain Winchester Supreme Power Point Plus with great success on Texas Hill Country deer and Hogs.

[robin-hood-90]

I shot a deer 125 yards away three years ago with a 63 grain soft point, gave her a 63 grain heart attack,she ran 25 yards.

[JPSaxMan]

Not that I have much experience with the smaller calibers, but I'll tell ya what. I'm quite pleased with my .243. One deer I shot only ran 20 yds (that was a 165 lb. 8 point and I was using 100 grain Core-Lokts) and the doe I shot this year dropped in her tracks (she was about 20 yds and I was using 95 grain ballistic tips). I've heard guys reaching out to 200 yds w/ a .243, so I think it can do the job. I would like to one day own a .270 or something bigger for farther shots (I'd have more confidence taking them way out there), but for now my .243 will serve me well. Just my :money:.  

[TrapperZach]

i got a .223 and that is the only gun i will be able to afford for awile and will be deer  hunting with it i willl have a steady reast and will try and take a hart or double lung shot or a good neck shot . is the spine right in the center of a dders neck if i am above him and aim down right in the center of it will this kill thedeer right there?

[.270]

i got a .223 and that is the only gun i will be able to afford for awile and will be deer  hunting with it i willl have a steady reast and will try and take a hart or double lung shot or a good neck shot . is the spine right in the center of a dders neck if i am above him and aim down right in the center of it will this kill thedeer right there?

 For a neck shoot on a broad side deer aim just under the head or at the head. The bone is in the center of the neck that far up but as the neck goes farther down the bone is harder to hit becauce it is no longer it the center of the neck. For a straight on shot just aim for the center of the neck.

[John R.]

I love my 223's. They are great VARMIT guns and fun to shoot. I know that you CAN kill a deer with a 223, but there are a truck load of BETTER choices. Eskimo's have killed polar bears with the 22 Hornet, but its a practice that I highly discourage.

[James B]

No they were 223's we would just put 4 or 5 rounds through the ribs and they wouldn't go far. We never got to shoot an elephant either.