ELKampMaster

Old and BC,

To be accurate, it was, "you can knock them over with a stick."

That does indeed reflect my position when comparing the firepower required when deer are compared to elk, especially when deer hunters want to join us for elk camp and want to bring their baby deer rifles with them for elk.

Do the search and I'm sure it is all in there, probably the last 6 go arounds on this very subject, ad nauseum (barf, puke, wuff).

BTW, what is the difference between a stick and a twig?

EKM

bigcountry

If you swinging a pretty good peice of hickory, weighting maybe 1.5lbs maybe 2lbs, at 100mph or 147fps, that equals out to 600 and some ft-lbs of energy. elkcamp might be able to pull it off.

Billy Boy

Have used 223 for several years Have had 21 one shot kill[8D] and one three shot[:@] Last year two with one shot[8D] Use Hornady 50 gr. SSST and Barns 50 gr X Bullets.
The secret is knoww your gun, and how it shoots and where it shoots with each shot after a good cleaning.
My longest shot was 280 yards, with only a 3 inch drop.
The best thing is I have a whole deer with little or no wast[:'(] Can't say that with the 7mm mag.

JagMagMan

.22's are not deer hunting calibers!
At the right range, a steel ball bearing, a slingshot will knock them over like a hammer too! That doesn't make it right!
BB, your 3 shot kill, is not exactly a rave testamony for the .22's, and ethically, it negates everything else! How many were wounded and never recovered?
We owe it to a fine game animal, to at least kill it with the proper equipment! Not to mention all the fodder that we give the anti's by using a less than humane caliber!
You wouldn't use a 25 pound bow to bowhunt with, so don't use a varmint gun for deer!

Vapodog

There are folks here that think the .30-30 is not enough gun for deer as well.....If the .223 is legal in your state as it is here then I'd use it. I've used a short barreled .222 in Texas one year with excellent results.

I'd far prefer a bigger gun such as a .243 but the .223 properly used is an excellent venison harvester to 150 yards.

Billy Boy

Mag man I've had one miss and the three shot the scope was knocked off.[:@] Talking about hit and left to die or couldn't find "0" Can't say that about the mag days.
I'm not bragging but after a health problem and the dock. told me no more big guns[:@] And i done what i had to do. Pratice, pratice, practice. and a av. of 1,000 or more rounds each year has tought me well.
As I said before, know your gun and how it's shoots and you have no problem.
I've seen the back half of a deer, only fit for dog meat, crowl over 400 yards, to be found days later.[&o]
Yes I too used to say anything under a 3006 was too light till I had tp change. Now I.m well pleased but you need to place the shot.

ColoradoElk

I'm not sure I'm comfortable letting various legislatures decide what is right. We did have 55 mph interstate speed limits, that are 75 mph now (in CO). However, the change in legislation does not mean everyone CAN drive 75 mph. Many citizens should not be driving at all, much less at 75mph, and although the law says they can, it doesn't mean they should. The fellows here that take deer with .22 centerfires are clearly of a higher standard than most. The lawfulness of the cartridge does not make it adequate for everyone. Folks are going to read these posts and think they are well equipped for a hunt with an open-sighted mini-14 and a 5 round magazine. I'd bet a dollar most hunters could not harvest a deer with a .22 centerfire.

KonaBoy

I wouldn't, just my opinion

GO CANADA

James B

Its legal where I hunt. I hunted for several years as a kid with a 222 for deer. It always did the job. I would however prefer at least a 25 caliber. The 250 Savage is the smallest thing I now use for deer. I would consider the 25-06, 270 and 280 along with the 308 and 30-06 to be about perfect. The 260 and 257 Roberts are also favorites of mine. The 6.5X55 is another good choice and I have killed more deer with the latter than anything else.

Ruddyduck

Under ideal conditions and the animal presenting the ideal shot also in the hands of a skilled rifleman at 100 yards or under.
The 223 delivers less than 900 ft lbs of energy at 100 yards and cross wind drift in 10 mile an hour drift is 1 1/2" and goes to around 4" at 150 yards.Not good numbers for a round being considered for deer sized game.
Even a 243 delivers twice the energy @ 100 yards with the 223 falling off the charts beyond 100 yards. More deer have probably been taken at night with a 22 lr and a flashlight than most any other round, but it doesn't make the 22 lr a deer round or that person a hunter.
Can a 223 kill deer ,yes ,is it ethical ,IMHO a resounding No. Taking a marginal round at it's best into the field is irresponsible.