Sierra 55 gr' HPBT on deer

[safetysheriff]

a friend has picked up some 55 gr' Game Kings from Sierra that are of the HPBT configuration.     does anybody here know of them being used successfully on deer?    how well have they done without the deer having to be tracked 'all over creation'?

i am a firm believer in Hornady spire points of the 55 and 60 variations being used on deer out of the .223 Rem' and the .22-250.    i can't tell my friend how these Game Kings will work, however.

thank you,

ss'

[quickdtoo]

The reviews on this bullets show 2 that have used it on deer size critters, one says excellent.

Tim

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=683244

[safetysheriff]

quick'd

i should have just pm'd you!   i know you're on top of things.....but i didn't think to try that!

at least the whole group can see what you posted for me.

many thanks, tim.

anybody else with any experiences?   i know my friend will be happy with what MidwayUSA's buyers have said, however.

ss'

[Dean van Praotl]

The reviews on this bullets show 2 that have used it on deer size critters, one says excellent.

...and one says, "lost a Doe ... with my 22-250."  I'm afraid I'm just not sold on 22 caliber bullets for deer.

A 150 grain bullet from my 30.06 has always done a good job, and there's seldom been any need to track the animal.

[nomosendero]

For many reasons these days I use bigger calibers on Deer(alot of reasons but not the subject of this post). In the past I killed a few with a 223 (never lost one) & I know of about 250 Deer falling to a 223(but that does not make it a true Deer round). I do know that up close if you double lung one with the 60 Hor. spire point it is a dead Deer(big or small). I feel the same way about the 60 Part. or the TSX or the old 55 Solid Base I used. But I don't feel that this 55HPBT bullet would be the best choice.

[Dillohide]

My personal opinion is that a .223 is never big enough for deer regardless of bullet weight.

[Paul5388]

Here in Texas the deer are about as big as an overgrown coyote, so a .223 is more than sufficient.  In Ohio, it's a different story, especially with a BTHP.  A box of spire points is only around $10, so it won't break the bank to get a better bullet and use the BTHPs on coyotes or something.

[Dillohide]

I'm in Texas and have never hunted on a lease that would allow a .223 used on anything other than turkey and varmits.

[Paul5388]

Back when I hunted on leases, they didn't care as long as they got their money.  :shock:

I hunt my own land and I don't care if I use a .223 either.

My neighbor uses a .22 Hornet and gets his deer at 100+ yards!

[Haywire Haywood]

This is a touchy subject and always provokes strong sentiment from both sides.  Texas deer always come up when it's mentioned.  It's a good point tho.  There is a big difference between small southern whitetail and their larger norther counterparts.  I have never shot a deer with a 223, preferring 30 and larger calibers, but if I did, it would only be on the southern variety and I would use the heaviest premium bullet that my rifle would shoot accurately.   Also remember that the smaller the caliber, the more critical shot placement is.  A 55gr 223 bullet is not the right tool for shoulder shots regardless of where you are.

JMO,
Ian

[Dillohide]

It's not a question of the 223 being able to kill a deer, especially a 70 to 80 lb field dressed West Texas White Tail doe. It's a question of prudence. No matter how good a marksman you are, things happen in the field which is why most of us practice, practice, practice. Why put yourself and the deer in a position to crawl off somewhere and suffer needlessly because you used a round not really intended for deer hunting. The deer deserved better than that. Deer hunting in Texas has changed since I was taught by my dad in the 60's to hunt. It's big business now with game management rules that vary by lease regardless what the State says your tag limit is by county or what the minimum legal hunting rifle is. They do not like finding these deer with 22 caliber holes in them long after the hunters go home. We have an old family farm in East Texas that we occasionly hunt. I could certainly use a 223 if I wanted but I do not believe deer hunting is it's purpose.

[Paul5388]

In the '50s, we normally used .30-06 and .30-30 for most of our deer hunting.  Mainly because they were plentiful and relatively inexpensive.  The advent of the 6mm chamberings, like .243 Win, changed the concepts we had on what was "big enough".

In this 1956 picture, from either a Fredricksburg or Centerville lease, my dad was using a .30-30.  Later on I used that same Marlin .30-30, I forget the model, but it wasn't a 336 and he used a Rem .30-06 pump.  There was also a .270 used and a M99 in 300 Savage.  One gentleman's grown son used a .218 Bee, which is just a souped up .22 Hornet!



Now we use the .223 on larger targets than most deer and you have to admit, there's a lot of Taliban and Al-Quada types that aren't around due to its effectiveness!  :roll:

[eskimo36]

Small bullets at high velocity work with good bullet placement on our Oklahoma deer.   That means no Texas heart shots or running shots or shots through the shoulder or shots at extreme range. Personal experience and many filled depredation permits and regular tags tell me so.  If you can't stand to let one walk because the shot is marginal, then get a bigger gun.  If you are patient and  it is not a money hunt and you can wait...small bullets in the 3600-4000 FPS range are very effective.  Most fall where they are shot and the others only go a few steps.  Use good judgement, respect your quarry, and enjoy the hunt. Good Luck.

[Datil]

I knew bunch old boys in the hill country of Tx that used 222, 22 Hotnetts
 for one shot one deer. I did like wise with 52 HPBT, Sieera bullets.
 Even killed 6 pt Mule Deer in N.M. with 222. 2 shots with in 1" of each
  Other. he layed down on the spot. If you can not place the shot,
 Don't shoot, or stay home. Marv.

[safetysheriff]

this has not been about the morality but rather about proper usage and efficiency of .22 cal' centerfires.

my friend is a handloader, an excellent shooter, a Great hunter, and is going to try the 55 gr' Sierra Game Kings.   that's all.  

i thank All those who replied, but especially those with .22 cal' centerfire experiences.

i guess i'll hear from him later in the year whether he picked a good bullet or not.   i have no experience with those Sierra's.

ss'

[CapitalCop]

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=837001

I plan on trying the 70gr Barnes Triple-Shock X-Bullets on deer this year.  I have never used anything other than 30 cal in the past but the accuracy and confidence of shot placement that I have in my ar15 have me wanting to try it out.  By the way, my ar is match grade with 1:8 twist and should stabilize these well.  These bullets get mixed reviews with a 1:9.

[LEO]

I have killed a few deer with the 55 grain soft point load and several deer with a 45 grain hollowpoint out of a 223.  The bullets performed relatively well for what I was using them for.  But keep in mind, I was not "hunting" with these bullets but rather "shooting", I was taking deer for either biological study or dispatching wounded deer.  I would always use neck or head shots and was usually shooting 100 lb or so does.  I went to the 45 grain bullet because occasionally a 55 grain bullet would exit and since I was usually in a populated area, this wasn't good.  I never had a 45 grain exit on a head or neck shot.  The deer dropped where they stood.  I have seen deer shot with a 223 in the body cavity and while they expired quickly and really didn't travel very far, there was little to no blood trail so in a thick area locating the animal could be difficult.  But for hunting, I wouldn't be comfortable using these bullets unless the person is calm enough to wait for the perfect shot and mature enough to let animals walk if the perfect shot isn't there and is using a rifle capable of very percise accuracy and the shooter is capable of utilizing the rifles potential.  I guess what I am saying is the 223 will kill deer cleanly but there is absolutely no margin of error on shot selection, shot location, and shot placement.