.223 vs whitetail

[darbz18]

I just recently started to reload the .223 . For DPMS M4 style ar15. I am thinking about buying a barrel for my encore in 223.I am a avid hunter and was wondering if anyone has shot a whitetail deer with this caliber.I use a 30-06 whichI reload for deer season.I was thinking of changing things up for next year. But did not know if anyone has used this caliber for taking medium sized game? Is it humane or even practical to try?Hoping you guyscan shed some light on this for me.


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[gmil6184]

Oh man .223 for whitetail is everyones favorite thing to argue about on these forums haha. There is a big thread in the deer hunting section about it right now with both sides making their arguments. I don't shoot a .223 but I know it is possible to kill a deer with it. I personally think that it is marginal at best for whitetail, but given the right conditions it will kill them as dead as that '06. I would spend a lot of time researching the right bullet to use, the stuff that punches paper or ground hogs best prob wont work on whitetail. Good luck, and don't be surprised if you get some passionate responses!

[Pavomesa]

Yeah, people like to argue about this gun for whitetail and deer in general. Problem is most of the people who jump in the argument have never tried it and only know the BS from the gun magazines. So be careful who you talk to about the question. If they haven't done it personally...ignore them.

I've done it and it works just fine. In fact, I started with the lesser .222 on NM mule deer. It worked just fine there also. So the question, "Will it work" is not an issue. YES, it will damn well work. Been there and done that many times and seen many others as well. End of that subject.

The next issue about this is you need to use proper bullet. Many bullets for the high speed .224 bore are designed for varmints and generally blow up on impact. These aren't great bullets for deer. Definately use the heavier and better constructed 55 grain bullets.

Oh, and did I mention place your shots carefully? Gut shoot a deer with a .223 and you'll be tracking him into the next state...if you can track him at all.

Do your job and any whitetail will be glad to go home with you and fill your freezer.

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: darbz18

I just recently started to reload the .223 . For DPMS M4 style ar15. I am thinking about buying a barrel for my encore in 223.I am a avid hunter and was wondering if anyone has shot a whitetail deer with this caliber.I use a 30-06 whichI reload for deer season.I was thinking of changing things up for next year. But did not know if anyone has used this caliber for taking medium sized game? Is it humane or even practical to try?Hoping you guyscan shed some light on this for me.

I have never shot a deer with a .223.So you can ignore me if you want!Many have used it, however. This includes the late Finn Aagard, who wrote an article about this that appeared in an American Rifleman years back. His conclusion was that the .223 works perfectly well on whitetails, under two conditions:

1. The right bullet must be used - one made foruse on larger animals,NOT varmint bullets. The 64-grain Winchester Power Point, the Nosler 60-grain Partition, and the Barnes "X" types in the 50-grain weight range all will work on deer. If you have a 1/12" twist or slower, you MUST use the lighter barnes bullets, as a slow twist won't stabilize the 60 or 64 grainers.

2. You MUST practice calm, exacting bullet placement. These little bullets have GOTto be placed just exactly right to drop a deer-sized animal quickly, near the spot where it was standing when you shot it.

IF I were to selecta .224" caliber rifle to shoot deer, it would be a .220 Swift with a 1/9" or slower twist, and I would use the 60-grain Nosler Partition bullet in it, moving as fast as I could get it to go with the requisite accuracy.....

[hunter5325]

Stoke your .223 with the 53gr TSX and it'll do it's job if you do yours. I did this last year on my extra antlerless whitetail tag-DRT. There are, of course better options, but it'll work. Brett

[jeepkid]

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: jeepkid

That popcorn sure looks good!

[Coleridge]

This has been beat to death but still interesting to see some peoples veiws.

I personally have killed afew whitetails (somewhere around 15) with a 223 Rem. I have never lost one. I have shotseveral whitetails with a 7 Rem Mag (somewhere between 60-70). I have lost 2 with it (no means am I trying to say the 223 is better, just that you can loose deer on a bad shot with anything).

The 223 will kill deer. A good hunter can kill deer with the 223. A frantic careless hunter will mame deer with a 223. The 223 is not a marginal cartridge for deer. It's a bad caliber choice for marginal shot placement.

If you can wait for good shots & possibly pass on a deer because conditions weren't "right" it will be a suficient choice if you just-wanted- to kill a deer with 223. The are better choices out there for quartering shots/bad angles when that one comes along you don't want to pass.

[johnny2]

Use the Speer Bear Claw bullets and go for it..I have used this bullet in my 22-250
and with good luck..Go for the lungs or a heart shot..Look at all the deer taken with
the 222 cal rifle..I would use it and not pay to much attention to the remarks you
will get here..I have made neck shot with the ballistic tips and with no problem..
Practice and practice some more so your sure to put that bullet where you want
it to go..And then practice some more..If you can hit a crow at 200 yards you
have got it made...[:@]

[Pavomesa]

Make a bad shot placement with any rifle and you run a good chance of losing your game. I suspect a lot of people who bad mouth the .223 and other hot .22 caliber rifles as unfit for deer are the same guys who make poor shots and then try to blame it on the rifle.

Good shot placement is of supreme importance with any rifle. Placing the shot "exactly" does not mean you must hit a 1" target dot to stand a chance. A good .224 caliber bullet dropped into the rib cage of any deer and that animal is not going far.

I get SOOOoooo tired of people with little or not hunting experience with these calibers telling me they won't work or how "marginal" they are. It's simply BS. Take one of these rifles and go hunting. Shoot your deer where he SHOULD be shot with any rifle and I guarantee that deer will go home with you at the end of the day.

Anyone who wants to hunt deer with something else...that's wonderful. I applaud and respect you and your choice. But please spare those of us who have successfully used these rifles all the lectures on their woeful lack of this or that. We know better.

The only reason I don't still hunt deer with .223 is because I no longer own one.