i want tο take mу 223. deer hunting аnd i know іt works fοr deer i јυѕt want tο know whаt іѕ a gοοd distance fοr іt. i саn hit a 16oz. water bottle аt 400 yards wіth thе scope i gοt οn іt ѕο shot placement isnt a problem. i јυѕt dont want tο shoot іt аt 200 hundred yrds аnd realize thаt іt didnt drop іt bесаυѕе іt wаѕ tοο under powered cause οf thе distance.
ѕο whats a gοοd distance.
whаt type οf ammo.
аnd іf уου thіnk i’m taking tο bіg οf a risk hunting wіth a 223. οn deer аnd thаt іtѕ јυѕt gonna mаkе thе poor thing suffer thаn ѕау something
i dο know shooting pop bottles іѕ different i wаѕ using thаt аѕ аn example thаt i саn hit whаt i shoot аt up tο thаt distance іf іtѕ nοt moving. аnd i normally shoot prone οr kneeling
Tags: .223, About, Deer, Hunting, know, Ruger, scope, Using, Want
I think you should train the deer to shoot the rifle also, then both of you go out and who ever comes back alive is the winner!
The . 223 cartridge is to light to ethically take deer. . . . . . I have seen folks comment here that the . 223 is big enough but most will not agree. . . . The Minimum size cartridge is a . 243 and even then my opinion is that cartridge it a little on the light weight side for deer. . . .
Stick with a . 270 or a 30/30 for deer. . . . .
I do like the . 223 for coyote, woodchucks and other smaller critters as well as target shooting. . . . But not for deer. . . .
If I am not mistaken it is illegal in many states to use a cartridge as small as a . 223. . . . . . . .
The idea is to use a cartridge that will drop the deer quickly. . . . Some argue that a well placed shot will do the job but in reality if the shot isn’t well placed you have an injured deer that may run off far enough where you wont be able to track it. . . . . This isn’t humane –
Well you can kill a deer with a . 223 but it’s risky. That round is just alittle to small for deer-sized game. If you buy a quality . 223 round in a hollow point you should be alright, and if you aren’t a trophy hunter then just shoot them in the head. Hunters always go for the vitals but a head shot works just as well. I have a friend that named Wally Turner, he use to be on quaker boy’s pro staff, he said that he always shoots deer in the head and he never has to track them.
If you want to take out deer at that distance I would step up to a . 243 or even a 30-06.
If you’re stuck with using a . 223 for deer, wait until it gets within 100 yards or so. And use the heaviest expanding bullets you can find, Better yet, get at least a . 243, or a . 264 or bigger.
I have the same rifle in 22-250 for varmint. Good rifle, in my opinion. Like everyone else said, the . 223 is pretty light for deer. I’d agree with heavy ammo, and within 100 yards. If you can get off a good heart/lung shot with the . 223, it’ll be enough. Of course, that’s what you should be aiming for with any round.
It’s do-able, but be picky about your shot placement. VERY picky. Might want to think about a bigger cartridge.
I am edgy about the . 223 against game that size without just wounding it, but the bullet is accurate enough that a good shot right through a lethal target (such as the brain) should do it in, but as they say in the military, you should aim for the center of mass, which on a deer is about where its heart is. For deer, I’d say get a Remington 700 SPS, which is reasonably cheap for such a great rifle (around $600-$700), and it comes in a ton of different chamberings from . 223 to at least 300 Magnum, which is what mine shoots- and that WILL drop a deer. In fact, I know someone who has killed a moose outright with one of those.
It is definitely possible to kill a deer at that range, but I can’t guarantee that anything less than a perfect shot will kill it outright.
the problem with head shots is that they are always moving. aswell the deers brain is not the full size of the head so even though your shot connects into its head deer goes OWW SH*% what was that and runs off. then your left there trying to track wishing you left your self with a higher margin of error.
shooting pop bottles is much diffrent than shooting deer ,are you shooting offhand at the 400 yard range or off the bench ?
Congratulations on your choice. Out of the box you have one of the most accurate rifles made.
In . 223 it’s a superb vermin weapon but for deer its getting marginal. I would limit shots to 200 yards and then use the heaviest bullet you can get. If you’re unsure that the bullet placement will not be good then I say don’t do it, nobody wants injured game.
Check the game laws in the area you intend to shoot. Some areas will not allow a . 223 for game hunting.
Never understood this when the military sends the boys into combat with the same calibre !!!
Ian M
There are many opinions on this. If it is legal in your state/country then as far as I am concerned:
Hunt only with bullets designed for 100lb+ animals such as the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Barnes X and Nosler Partition. If you can deliver around 1,000 ft-lbs of energy to the animal at the distance of the shot(I think most of the time this means about 100yds with a . 223) you should get a nice clean kill. Of course you must be very picky about shots you take. Even those tough bullet designs can’t reliably blow through the heaviest shoulder bones on large deer, let alone make a raking shot from the rear of the ribcage or front of the abdomen all the way into the vitals. If you are in an area with smaller deer it’s not a bad choice but with large northern deer or areas where you often have to shoot at longer ranges it’s not a good choice.
http://www. rifleshootermag. com/ammunition/centerfire_22_biggame/
I have shot deer at a dead run 250 yards out with a 22-250 with a 55 gr bthp.
I have two 22-6mm customs with 26 & 27″ barrels, both will drop a deer in its tracks.
Yes these guns are faster but a 22cal is a deadly bullet with its speed.
The term used is hydra shock.
The generalized rule for deer (given small caliber) is atleast 2000 fps and 1000 ft/lbs of energy. Look at a ballistics table and see how far out the . 223 has 1000 or move ft/lbs.
Use the right bullet, varmint bullets are a poor choice, even for a head or neck shot, especially with such a small caliber.
Bottom line: I wouldnt take any shot over 100 yards if i didnt want to pointlessly injure the animal or be tracking it all over hell’s creation for god knows how many miles.
Winchester does recommend it for Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Antelope, and Mule Deer using the 64 grain Power-Point Bullet Only. * Maximum effective Range on these size animals with the 223 is 200 Yards Maximum. *. . Your State may not allow you to Hunt with this Caliber, be sure to check before using it. * Some States allow it and others do not. * Always aim and shoot the animals in the Heart & Lung area. No head or neck shots. * It also is excellent for varmints like Groundhogs, Coyote, or Fox. *
If that is all you have, and it is legal, good luck to you.
Personally, I would want something a bit bigger. Yeah, I’m the guy that shoots deer with a . 45 +p at under 20 yards, but anything is possible I guess.
Do your homework, legally and physically if you are going to do that. Learn what limitations you have with your specific weapon. Do the best you can to make the most ethical kill possible.
Lock and load. Keep your powder dry.
I am a long time Alaskan hunter and trapper.
Both my ex and I have taken deer in Alaska with the 223/5. 56mm – we’ve taken over 7 with it. All have been one shot kills.
First – find out the twist rate of your barrel. Many 223 Rem barrels are slow twist rates for throwing varmint bullets. If you have a 1:10, 1:12 or slower than stick with a soft nose 55 grain bullet and never, ever, use a full metal jacket on deer.
If the rifle is a 1:9 or faster – there are some totally awesome 22 projectiles in the 60 to 75 grain area that hit much harder and fly better than the standard 55 grain bullet. But – you need to handload to use them – I have not seen these loaded in factory ammo on the shelf – although I hear Hornady is going to start doing this.
The 223 with 55 grain soft point if fine from 50 yards to 250 yards. After that the laws of physics kick in and bullets begins to loose the power to pierce the hide, fat, muscle and break bone or hit vital organs on a quartering shot. For 250 yard or greater you must have a nice broad side shot into the heart area.
If your rifle will stabilize some of the heavier projectiles – now you can move out to 300 to 400 yards – if there is no wind. But that is about it unless you spend 6 hours a day for 7 + days at the range really perfecting your long range shooting talents. Once the wind picks up – all bets are off!!! – you must have allot of long distance experience to hit anything past 300 yards accuratly enough to assue a one shot kill.
One of the beauties of using the 223/5. 56mm for deer is you can also take varmints – fox, coyote and wolf – especially animals that will prey on deer populations. Too many hunters use a rifle that is 5x to 10x too powerful for deer and cannot take these cannines. You can.
I prefer the ballistic tip bullets for deer – for my first shot, and I try to get the deer broadside. You get one hell of a whallop and the energy is used on the deer – not lost in a bullet that exits the other side. You second and third round in the well needs to be a soft nose lead bullet as these will not ruin any meat if you have to shoot into a hind quarter and get into the vital organs on a deer that did not go down on the first shot and if moving away from you.
Hope this helps.