With the Barnes X bullets and or the Nosler Partition, kept to 200 yards or less, its plenty of gun for avaerage size deer. Deer have been taken with standard bullets at ranges longer than 200 with the 223 but in respect for its performance, I would keep the shots to 200 yards or less. I shot quite a few deer with the 222 and never lost one.
This may be one of the most debated questions out there but I will jump in the fire anyway with my personal and professional opinion.
- Personally I do not feel that it is an ideal caliber for average white tail sized game but it is capable of making a humane kill.
- Professionally speaking as a marksman and instructor I will say that almost ANY caliber weapon in the right hands above a BB gun is capable of making a humane kill. On the same note, a hunter who has not at least practiced the art of marksmanship can make a .50 BMG not enough for a a deer.
SHOT PLACEMENT gents, I would concern myself with that above all else. Get out of the ballistic charts and out to the range.A large powerful caliber is no replacement for poor marksmanship. Be fair to the game you are tracking and practice good marksmanship and judgement.
USMC said it well. I have shot a few deer (does) with my 223 over the years. I took only good broadside shots, was using reloaded Nosler 60gr Partitions, and kept my shots under 250 yards. Out of the 3 or 4 does I shot with that load, none showed sign of being hit (all boiler room shots), they all ran anywhere from 50-100 yards and tipped over. If you live in an area that is heavily wooded I would not reccomend it. Where I live it is wide open an you can see them for a long ways after hit. There was a very little blood trail, I did get exits on all deer shot, wich amazed me because I was using my RRA with a 16" barrel.
I would'nt take a chance on injuring a deer with a .22 cal. Stick with something bigger. You can also kill a deer with a knife, but that dont mean you'll want to jump out of a tree and stab it. We should just stick with more adequate rifles for deer.
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A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. 2nd ammendment, U.S. constitution
I killed one doe at 315 yards with a 45 gr. jhp usa brand 2 years ago from a bushmaster xm-15(ar-15 copy). It ran about ten yards and took a nose dive in the snow. When I opened it up it look like it was full of grape jelly, heart and lungs totally destroyed. The loads are said to be 3600 fps on the box. I get them at walmart. My friend shot one of the biggest bodied bucks where we hunt on a farm with his bushmaster. He shot it at about 50 yards in the shoulder and it penetrated out the other side and the deer only ran about 60 yards. I also saw him shoot a small doe during doe season in the shoulder at about 80 yards and it blew a hole about the size of a baseball going in. It took another shot to put it down because he hit it to far forward. He gave me the deer and during skinning I found the bullet and it had mushroomed perfectly and didnt explode like I thought it would. All shots were broadside but I couldnt believe when the one penetrated that large buck the way it did. The .223 will kill but use sound judgment in shot placement.
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There are better options, but I could see using one if I had no other choice.
I guess that's a whole new can of worms ethics question. You only have a .223 and can't afford another rifle. Don't deer hunt at all, or get really good with the .223?
.223 enough for deer?
