5.56/223 for deer? Input welcome

[6ANut]

Problem with your buck above and a coues deer is the 80-120 yards. Most coues are 300+ I would venture to guess... 223 losses too much steam.

 

 

6anut, if you're in need of a larger caliber for the hunt, I've got a 243, 257, 300wsm, 270 or 7 RUM you can use. Take your pick. (Although, I might actually be using the 257)

 

Thanks a bunch for the offer but I have tons of larger caliber rifles to choose from but you know how it is when u get a new toy.

 

Seems like what I thought from the beginning, not enough lead in the pencil to get the job done.

[6ANut]

The elk and deer scattered all over the unit this year due to the large amounts of rain from what I have seen. Seen some bulls still running around Mormon Mtn and Lake and they still were playing nice and had velvet on.

[roninflag]

if there is a question. i have two buddies that have taken mule deer with a .222. good hunters and extremely good marksman. i have taken 3 mule deer with a ,357 revolver. .223, i would use a factory federal 60 nosler partition. and get real close.

[Zeke-BE]

If it was me I would bump it up to a 243. Just my 2 cents

[sjvcon]

Lots of variables make that caliber light in my opinion. Can you, in a pinch...sure. Should you? Not if you have a more suitable caliber available. Shot placement is key, but too many things affect placement on something that light. Distance, crosswind, updraft, downdraft, minor obstructions (branches, grass, etc.). heck you can kill a deer with a .22 short like my Grandad used to back in the day...shot them in the head (back in the 20's). But the question is more a "should you" than a "can you". Want to deer hunt with an AR....go AR-10. That'll do the job and then some.

[WampusCat]

.223 is plenty -o- medicine if a couple rules are followed. Lots more room for error when they are not.

 

1. You need a quality bullet capable of penetrating through to the good stuff. Preferably this bullet will also expand a bit as it works it's way through.

 

2. You need to be very capable with your rifle. A shot to the vitals will kill with no doubt, but a misplaced bullet will likely result in a lost deer.

 

This deer from a few years back was killed at what many would consider a long poke. I used a 75 gr bullet and I had religiously practiced at distances much further.

 

I honestly couldn't tell you a professional ball players name right now, I've never been part of a fantasy league, and I'm terrible at golf, but I am obsessed with all types of hunting and squeezing every drop of accuracy out of my rifles. It is what I do and why I am/was comfortable using that caliber.

 

I will be the first to tell you it is not for everybody and a bigger cartridge is a better choice for most. If you put a quality bullet where it counts, a 5.56/223 will kill a deer every time. If you have any doubts at all, use a bigger caliber!

 

[lancetkenyon]

Federal Gold Medal Match w. 69 or 77 SMK should do just fine.

[edelbd6c]

If you are accurate with .223 and shoot between 0-700 yards it works great. Like others have stated I would go with a heavier bullet like Buffalo Bore's 69 grain. I use my AR-15 for deer and it is all about accuracy and stalking/ambushing. You DO NOT NEED .50 Beowulf to take down a deer! I hope that was a joke.

[rossislider]

This is why I love my 300 RUM. A less than ideal shot will still probably result in a deer without a hind quarter. Tends to minimize the tracking as well.

[.270]

folks kill em with bows all the time. i saw a couple on this site that guys killed with bows just this year, so i know they do. and a .223 is heckuva lot better than a bow. if you're a good enough hunter is the question. casey says you hafta plan on over 300 yards because he sounds like a club footed sasquatch with gas draggin' a sheet o' tin. like was mentioned, shot placement is always the key with anything. if you wanna use it, then hel l yes, use it. don't use a .556 tho. i've heard that they are a lot different. Lark.

[edelbd6c]

folks kill em with bows all the time. i saw a couple on this site that guys killed with bows just this year, so i know they do. and a .223 is heckuva lot better than a bow. if you're a good enough hunter is the question. casey says you hafta plan on over 300 yards because he sounds like a club footed sasquatch with gas draggin' a sheet o' tin. like was mentioned, shot placement is always the key with anything. if you wanna use it, then hel l yes, use it. don't use a .556 tho. i've heard that they are a lot different. Lark.

Precisely what .270 said. A lot of people like to forget that at 300 yards 5.56/.223 is still flying at 2,000+ fps. Which is the same as a .308 at that distance. There are also some really nasty .223 rounds designed for maximum damage. HPR's 62 grain BlackOps OTF comes to mind. Made right here in AZ. Search youtube and you will find several guys that have taken decent size deer with an AR-15. A lot of guys use over sized calibers on deer to make up for poor accuracy.

[firstcoueswas80]

Forget the .223, be like lark and use a 7/08. His has a muzzle brake though, for the recoil.

[6ANut]

Thanks all for the great advice.

[.270]

you can always tell when casey don't know what he's talkin' about. when he's talkin'. unless it's about banjos. he knows a lot about banjos. Lark.

[firstcoueswas80]

I know banjos like you know the 7/08.