.223 ok 4 deer?
08-11-2008, 08:58 PM
#13
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 11
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
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08-12-2008, 12:58 PM
#14
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Utah by way of Pennsylvania
Posts: 395
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
I would rather put the game down as quick and humanely as possiable. A 223 is just a bit too light for me. 243 is absolute minimum, again, for me! But alot of people have killed deer with a 22-250, 222, 220 swift, ect. The best bet is to shoot the gun alot. Get damn good with it. and limit you shots to the best circumstances possiable. Just my opinion.
08-12-2008, 01:12 PM
#15
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Republic of Texas
Posts: 12,040
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
ORIGINAL: Strange Biller
I hunt mostly in Maine and if I am not mistaken it is illegal to use a .223 for deer - I think the bullet has to be larger than .22, but I could be mistaken.
I hunt mostly in Maine and if I am not mistaken it is illegal to use a .223 for deer - I think the bullet has to be larger than .22, but I could be mistaken.
This is a list I compiled a while back during one of the frequent debates on this issue. States in green allow .223's. States in red prohibit .223's. States in Black are shotgun only. Edit.... darn... the colors didn't work, and for some reason, can't change them...
Alabama – Any Centerfire
Alaska – No rimfires, except for use on swimming caribou taken from a boat
Arizona – Centerfire Rifles (.224 cal. Even legal for Elk!)
Arkansas – No Centerfire rifles “smaller than .22 caliber”, thus .22 CF’s are legal.
California – Any Centerfire
Colorado - .24 caliber centerfire and up, with a 70 gr. bullet for deer and 85 gr. Bullet for large game and a minimum of 1000 Ft/lbs at 100 yards
Connecticut - .243 or larger
Delaware – No rifles
Florida - Any centerfire
Georgia – Centerfire only, .22 cal. Or larger
Hawaii - Muzzle energy of at least 1,200 foot pounds
Idaho – No rimfires, except for mountain lions
Illinois – No rifles
Indiana – No rifles, except rifles with pistol cartridges
Iowa - .24 caliber or larger
Kansas - larger than .23 inches in diameter
Kentucky – No rimfires
Louisiana – no firearms smaller than .22 Centerfire
Maine – No rimfires, except .22 Magnum RF may be used.
Maryland - Rifles used for deer hunting must use ammunition developing muzzle energy of at least 1,200 foot pounds.
Massachusetts – No rifles
Michigan - any caliber of firearm except a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire
Minnesota - at least .23 caliber
Mississippi - Could not find ANY restriction
Missouri – Any centerfire
Montana - no rifle or handgun caliber limitation for the taking of big game animals
Nebraska - rifles that deliver at least 900 ft. lbs of energy at 100 yards (for antelope and deer);
Nevada - at least 1,000 foot-pounds of energy at 100 yards
New Hampshire - no rimfires
New Jersey - No rifles
New Mexico - Any centerfire (deer); any centerfire .24 or larger (elk)
New York - Any centerfire
North Carolina - No restriction
North Dakota - Centerfires .22 to .49 are OK
Ohio - No rifles
Oklahoma - Rifles: Centerfire rifles firing at least a 55-grain weight soft-nosed or hollow-point bullet and having an overall cartridge case length of 1 1/4 inches or longer
Oregon - .22 or larger (deer); .24 or larger (elk)
Pennsylvania - Any centerfire (except semi-autos)
Rhode Island - No rifles
South Carolina - Any centerfire
South Dakota - Shoulder-held firearms using ammunition factory-rated to produce at least 1,000 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle (some .22 CF’s listed as not sufficient, including .218 Bee, and .22 Hornet)
Tennessee - Any centerfire
Texas - Any centerfire.
Utah - any rifle firing centerfire cartridges and expanding bullets
Vermont - Any centerfire
Virginia - Rifles used for deer or bear must be .23 caliber or larger
Washington - Minimum .24 caliber
West Virginia - illegal to use a rifle using rimfire ammunition of less than .25 caliber
Wisconsin - illegal to use any center-fire rifle less than .22 caliber.
Wyoming - .23 caliber or larger
Alaska – No rimfires, except for use on swimming caribou taken from a boat
Arizona – Centerfire Rifles (.224 cal. Even legal for Elk!)
Arkansas – No Centerfire rifles “smaller than .22 caliber”, thus .22 CF’s are legal.
California – Any Centerfire
Colorado - .24 caliber centerfire and up, with a 70 gr. bullet for deer and 85 gr. Bullet for large game and a minimum of 1000 Ft/lbs at 100 yards
Connecticut - .243 or larger
Delaware – No rifles
Florida - Any centerfire
Georgia – Centerfire only, .22 cal. Or larger
Hawaii - Muzzle energy of at least 1,200 foot pounds
Idaho – No rimfires, except for mountain lions
Illinois – No rifles
Indiana – No rifles, except rifles with pistol cartridges
Iowa - .24 caliber or larger
Kansas - larger than .23 inches in diameter
Kentucky – No rimfires
Louisiana – no firearms smaller than .22 Centerfire
Maine – No rimfires, except .22 Magnum RF may be used.
Maryland - Rifles used for deer hunting must use ammunition developing muzzle energy of at least 1,200 foot pounds.
Massachusetts – No rifles
Michigan - any caliber of firearm except a .22 caliber or smaller rimfire
Minnesota - at least .23 caliber
Mississippi - Could not find ANY restriction
Missouri – Any centerfire
Montana - no rifle or handgun caliber limitation for the taking of big game animals
Nebraska - rifles that deliver at least 900 ft. lbs of energy at 100 yards (for antelope and deer);
Nevada - at least 1,000 foot-pounds of energy at 100 yards
New Hampshire - no rimfires
New Jersey - No rifles
New Mexico - Any centerfire (deer); any centerfire .24 or larger (elk)
New York - Any centerfire
North Carolina - No restriction
North Dakota - Centerfires .22 to .49 are OK
Ohio - No rifles
Oklahoma - Rifles: Centerfire rifles firing at least a 55-grain weight soft-nosed or hollow-point bullet and having an overall cartridge case length of 1 1/4 inches or longer
Oregon - .22 or larger (deer); .24 or larger (elk)
Pennsylvania - Any centerfire (except semi-autos)
Rhode Island - No rifles
South Carolina - Any centerfire
South Dakota - Shoulder-held firearms using ammunition factory-rated to produce at least 1,000 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle (some .22 CF’s listed as not sufficient, including .218 Bee, and .22 Hornet)
Tennessee - Any centerfire
Texas - Any centerfire.
Utah - any rifle firing centerfire cartridges and expanding bullets
Vermont - Any centerfire
Virginia - Rifles used for deer or bear must be .23 caliber or larger
Washington - Minimum .24 caliber
West Virginia - illegal to use a rifle using rimfire ammunition of less than .25 caliber
Wisconsin - illegal to use any center-fire rifle less than .22 caliber.
Wyoming - .23 caliber or larger
08-12-2008, 01:57 PM
#16
Spike
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 39
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
I think this article still shows a .223 is capable of taking game.
http://www.gunsandhunting.com/Bullethitsbone.html
http://www.gunsandhunting.com/Bullethitsbone.html
08-12-2008, 05:42 PM
#17
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 62
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
ORIGINAL: SavageOne
I think this article still shows a .223 is capable of taking game.
http://www.gunsandhunting.com/Bullethitsbone.html
I think this article still shows a .223 is capable of taking game.
http://www.gunsandhunting.com/Bullethitsbone.html
I have known people to take deer with them constantly with great results.
It is always a debate on rifle cartridges for deer. Shoot what your comfortable with and you can place on target.
08-12-2008, 06:41 PM
#18
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 585
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
I took a lot of grief from many on this sight for asking a similar question about the .22-250. Two points that changed my thinking were
1. "Why risk losing a great buck because I choose a very light caliber".
2. I've carried my 12lb .22-250 through the woods and it was way too heavy
I sold it and bought a light weight .243! Great for deer and varmits
1. "Why risk losing a great buck because I choose a very light caliber".
2. I've carried my 12lb .22-250 through the woods and it was way too heavy
I sold it and bought a light weight .243! Great for deer and varmits
08-12-2008, 09:34 PM
#20
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: The Republic of Texas
Posts: 12,040
RE: .223 ok 4 deer?
And, yet, something like 38 of the 43 states that permit rifle hunting say its legal for deer. This month's edition of TTHA Magazine has 42 member photos of deer taken last year. 4 were with a .223, 3 with a .22-250, and 3 with a .22 Hornet. That's nearly 25% with .22 Centerfires. Another 14 were taken with a .243, which some members here have argued is "only good for woodchucks," and one with a 6mm Rem.
Use the right bullet, and wait for the right shot, and it'll work just fine. Use a "varmint" bullet and be impatient about shot selection, and you're asking for bit of trouble. What's important is to know, going in, what the limitations of your round are and respect those limitations.
Use the right bullet, and wait for the right shot, and it'll work just fine. Use a "varmint" bullet and be impatient about shot selection, and you're asking for bit of trouble. What's important is to know, going in, what the limitations of your round are and respect those limitations.