# .223 for hunting



## Keith Tobberman (May 28, 2005)

Hi, I have a Savage 12 varminthunter/ target rifle in .223. I am mainly into target shooting. Just for fun, I was wondering what kinda animals this is realistically used on in hunting. Smallest to biggest. 
-thanks


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

Up to and including coyote. Maybe Pronghorn at short ranges, say 200 yards or so but I've never shot any. There are some people that swear by and use the .223 for whitetail deer, especially down in Texas where they run a little smaller than the northern strain. I have shot one deer with my .223 but it was with a hand loaded Nosler 60 grain partition. Only reason I took the shot was because it was during deer season, I was hunting coyotes, the deer offered a beautiful broadside shot at about 80 yards and I had a few of the loads in my pocket. Personally I would not recommend the .223 as a deer rifle and what ever you do don't shoot at a deer with varmint loads and don't fall for the old it is okay if you take a head shot. I suspect there are many a deer that die a slow death each year with their jaws blown off from someone trying to hit the egg sized brain of a deer with a inadequate caliber.


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

the 223 is good enough for deer.


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## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

Personally I don't think any normal 22cal is adiquite on deer and a .24cal should be minimum. Most of todays .22 cal's are set to be varmit rifles because of barrel twist and such. Some with faster twists that are able to stablize heavier bullets are target rifles. In a 22cal rifle something with a 1in9 twist shooting 60gr hunting bullets(Nosler Partitions, Barnes TSX) or better is exceptable or even that new 75gr Scirocco from Swift would be good but even these would be limited to 200-250 yards in my opinion.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

I think game upto 100lbs or so are ok for the 223. In some areas deer would fall into this range. Where I hunt, this would not work, and I do not recomend this for deer sized game. For 100lb and smaller game, I think the 223 is vry much at home. If you wnat to shoot larger game, then you have an excuse to purchase a new gun in a larger chambering.


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## mr.trooper (Aug 3, 2004)

having the right bullet is key to using the 223 for deer.

72 grain A-max should do ok. Placement is critical.


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## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

A-max is target bullet not hunting bullet but the grain wieght is in the right ballpark.


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## mr.trooper (Aug 3, 2004)

Not the best bullet contruction, your right. BUT i have heard people say that they have had good results with them.

You just got to test things out for yourself.


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## Van Wey (Jul 15, 2005)

My father used a .222 Remington for years and years on deer and every single deer dropped right in its tracks!!! Shot placement is the one thing that matters and that goes for every caliber!!!!!


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## TN.Frank (Nov 12, 2005)

Van Wey said:


> My father used a .222 Remington for years and years on deer and every single deer dropped right in its tracks!!! Shot placement is the one thing that matters and that goes for every caliber!!!!!


Big Fat +1. Placement is key to killing any game. Bullet selection, i.e. being suited to the game being hunted, is also one of the major keys to using a small caliber rifle on big game. While I am generally a fan of big, slow bullets(just ol'fashion I guess.) a small, high vel. bullet can be devestating if it's put in the right place. On a similar note, people say that Elk need a big mag to kill cleanly, well, I had a buddy in Mesa, AZ. that took a Cow Elk at 100yrds with a 44 Mag. Handgun using a handloaded 180gr bullet. He said she droped where he hit her. Once again, placement was the key to this kill. Since you're a target shooter that's used to putting shots in the 10x ring you should have no problem putting that little pill into a deer at reasonable range so personally, I'd say go for it. JMHO, YMMV.


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## Scooter (Nov 4, 2005)

Absolutely correct proper placement nad bullet selection because if you don't use proper bullets it doesn't matter where you hit them if your bullets don't penatrate.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

OK, here it is again, the 22's for deer. Yes it can be done, and there seem to be some people that swear by them. The talk about placement is true, given a proper shot, I think you could take a deer with a 17h2, but placement is key. With the 22 centerfires, placement is what will take teh game, but if you are off, wounded animal left to a long and painfull death. From a bench, many of the "placement" issues are not valad because most people don't hunt from that kind of rest. With something larger, you increase the area where placement will still bring down the animal quickly, or slow it down for a good second shot. If you muct hunt with the 22 centerfires, make shure you use a bullet designed for deer, there are some out there, be very shure of your shot, only take a shot that will go directly into the vitals not a lot of chest or guts/liver to get to heart/lungs. Don't shoot at game that is "jazzed "up or running. I like to shoot deer with everything from 25cal up to and includeing the 458's. With the proper bullet and gun, I can take a shot at any angle and still get complete pass through. Oh and yes, I have shot a few deer with the 223,22-250, and 220 swift so I have seen what it can do, and what it can't. I will not hunt deer sized game with a 22 centerfire. This is from my personal shooting, and based on how I like to hunt.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

As I had a mule deer doe tag this year, I thought that it would be a good opportunity to try out the 22-250 on a deer.(Not because a mule deer doe has less value than another deer, but because I would not shoot without the right opportunity presenting itself) I have stated before that this cartridge (along with the .223) is something that should only be used when loaded with a properly constructed hunting weight bullet, and when a good broadside shot presentation can be made. I loaded fifty rounds of Nosler Partition, 60 grain bullets. They shot to virtually the same point as the 55 grain Ballistic Tips, so I was good to go. To shortcut a long story, I shot my doe broadside at 200 yards. I purposely aimed to penetrate the onside shoulder. The bullet performance was awesome. Not only did it break BOTH shoulders, but it exited, leaving a hole the size of a dime. That is great bullet performance, and exactly what is needed to take a deer cleanly. I may not carry the .22 caliber cartridge as my primary hunting round, but I could do so with confidence if it was stoked with the Nosler Partition bullets. Good shooting, Burl


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## Gohon (Feb 14, 2005)

> I loaded fifty rounds of Nosler Partition, 60 grain bullets


Sounds pretty much the same load as the one I used on the whitetail I mentioned in a earlier post except I loaded for a 223. 60 grain Nosler partition ahead of 25.4 grains of H335. Though I didn't clock them the computer showed they should be close to 3100 FPS. Like you I don't purposely carry this gun for deer but I do carry a few of these rounds in my pocket just in case and if the opportunity should arise and I had a tag, oh well. For me though I would limit my shot to about 150 yards. If it were the 22-250 I would probable stretch that to 200, maybe 250 yards.


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Any .22 center fire round will do the job, as long as the shooter knows his/her limitations and the limitations of the round. I don't know how many times I have to say this: "Shot placement is key!!!" Heck, a .22 rim fire will work!! I personally don't know this from experience. I have just heard that it will work&#8230;. :wink:

Damn sump pump quit working!!!! Now I cant sleep&#8230;.long night&#8230;or should I say early mourning!! Time to go "catch some ZZZZ's&#8230;.hopefully&#8230;.latter


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