223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

HELLO FELLOWS,

MY LITTLE BOY REALLY LIKE HIS 223 BUT I NOT SURE ON THE ROUND TO USE ANYONE WITH ANY IDEAS LET ME KNOW, OR IF ANYONE HAS SHOT ANY DEER WITH A 223 LET ME KNOW HOW WELL IT WORKS...

THANKS CHRIS EDMONDS

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

i would go with a 55 gr ballistic tip. you can get these in winchester supreme, remington premier accutips and hornadys v-max. theres probably more than that but that just a few. ive used them on deer and they will kill a deer very well to be a .22 caliber bullet.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

Black Hill ammo loads the 60 grain Nosler Partition for the 223. This would be by far the best factory loaded ammo for deer in the 223. If anyone loads the Barnes X bullet, that would be great as well. Check also to see if you can find the Speer Trophy Bonded ammo. Midway USA sells the Black Hills line of ammo.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

I always used the Remington Premier Varmit ammo loaded with a 50gr Vmax ballistic tip. It plain out layed them out. I never had one go farther than 30yd and only had 2 deer even run with it. I killed 8 deer with a 223 with that load and i was very pleased. It doesn't leave a exit hole so u get no blood but no tracking is required with that load. I shotall but 1 of the deer in the lungs also and penetration into the chest cavity was never a issue. The other it busted right through the skull and lights out. I always have a box of that ammo laying around incase i decide to pick that gun up again for deer.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

I forgot about the Winchester 64 grain factory load. I have not tried it but I have a box here to do so.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

Black Hills has the 60 gr. Nosler partition and the 52 gr. BTHP match.

Federal has the 55 gr. Sierra gameking and the 60 gr. Nosler partition.

Winchester offers a 64 gr. power point.

If I were going to be using a .223 for deer, I would probably try these. I handload Barnes TSX bullets, but I don't know of any factory offerings.

However, for deer hunting, I think you're better off going with something a little bigger. The .223 likely won't penetrate completely, so if the deer doesn't drop quickly, you stand a pretty good chance of loosing a deer. I have never shot a deer with my .223, but I have killed 2 hogs with the 52 gr. BTHP match. So it will kill them, but you've got to have a lot of things going your way. I shot the hogs at less than 25 feet each at night. Although it dispatched the two hogs, I was also shooting them for eradication purposes only. I didn't care whether I found them or not, I just wanted them gone. I was also varmint hunting. If I am going after big game, I prefer to have a little more rifle, like my .25-06.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

There is NO WAY I would shoot a deer with a ballistic tip round. It is designed for varmints and NOT designed for big game. Federal Premium offers a 55 grain trophy bonded bear claw and it will get the job done. My daughter killed her 1st deer with that very caliber and round this past season. It was a quartering away shot at about 50 yards. She put it in the 2nd rib on the entrance and it exited the opposite shoulder breaking it in the process.

RE: 223 FACTORY LOAD FOR DEER
 

That looks like a NEF on that trophy