hardcorehunter

I myself would stick with .243 or bigger. .223 is a varmint round. HCH

North Texan

I wouldn't have any problems using my .223 for deer. I know the limits of both myself and my weapon. For me, it is enough for deer. Although if given the option, I would prefer to have my 25-06. But my general carry gun is the .223, so often times it is the gun I have when I run across deer.

For someone that does not have a lot of experience with a firearm, a .223 is not the correct choice for deer. People on here have asked before about their kids using them. Smaller margin of error and inexperienced shooters don't mix.

CtHunter8

I dont think it's a good deer round, just my opinion


-Travis-

awshucks

I shoot deer w/ a .223 from a rest in a ground blind. I only take head shots at 200 yds or less, they drop in their tracks.

outdoorsmen

you could think of it this way, the military uses the .223 to attempt to kill a +200lb man so why wouldn't it kill a 200lb deer?

on the Drury videos they have been shooting a T/C encore in .223 and have killed some bing deer with it on video.

if you put a hole in the heart i don't think it matters what size the bullet was.

nchawkeye

I always get a laugh out of these posts...And wonder how many that answer that it won't have tried???

Recently we had this asked at another hunting forum...Many said..Why???
Turns out the guys nephew had cancer...couldn't shoot anything bigger...

I have killed many with a 22-250....back in the '70s for population control...Back then, nobody had a "deer rifle"...They had been wiped out of NC years ago...This was way before we had bullets for a .22 caliber designed for deer...My niece killed two does last year on the same hunt. within 30 minutes of each other...Both dropped on the spot...Killed with a 22-250 and Federal Premium 60gr Nosler Partition...I cleaned both of them...Both were shot through the shoulder blade and had a hole on the offside an inch wide...Just as dead as if killed with a .270.
There are several local guys that like to target shoot, groundhog hunt etc. They have .223s, 22-250 and 220 Swifts....All handload, they can hit a dime at 100 yards...And kill deer...2-3 a year for the freezer...They aren't what we would consider "deer" hunters...They are more target shooters that might own 50-60 acres and kill a deer on the backside of their property...They can pick and choose their target...Don't have gut shots to contend with....

I wouldn't buy a .22 centerfire for deer...But if you are a good enough shot and can pick and choose your angle then yes the .22 centerfires have enough energy to cleanly kill a deer...

deerslayer223

Worked just fine for me. I killed my first 8 deer with a 223 and never lost one. It's all about shot placement shot angle and keep em within 200yd with a premium bullet and u'll be eating backstrap every season.

Aught Six

In most cases I'd say the .223 is barely enough to make a clean kill on an averageadultdeer.

However, I hunt with a guy who has taken half a dozen (andone lost) with his Mini-14 and SL8-1, most of which droppedin its tracks or took a dive a few dozen yards away just insidethe tree line. The issue, again, is shot placement. The .223 witha good HP/SP bullet can shred the lungs orheart if you hit them, but there is not muchmargin for error, in my opinion.

I'd rather have a little more power at my disposal (.30-06 or 12 ga. slug) just to be on the safe side, but I admit I can't help butthing about trying my BM M4A3 with its EOTech 511 and BUIS out for size. Maybe one dayif I'm after whitetail deeper south in a .223-legal hunting area.

ELKampMaster

It don't take much to whack a deer; however....
The "just get by folks" will need topass onColorado as the 223 is not legal for deer here.

CtHunter8

good for yote though


-Travis-