.223 Hunting Ammo

[tell sackett]

I don’t comment often anymore but I still come here to read and learn. That being said, I’ve been using a.223 lately to hunt with and I’ve had good results with it. The first ammo I bought was Winchester Deer Season 64gr ballistic tip and I’m almost done with that box and had already had the thought that I need to get something different.
I was thinking maybe a copper solid, what ya’ll think?
Thanks

 

[Railroader]

I have used the Winchester gray box 64gr soft point successfully on a couple of deer, and several hogs.

It works, but I think my Ol' Man was right when he said that the .22 centerfires weren't quite enough for deer...

 

[kmckinnie]

I don’t comment often anymore but I still come here to read and learn. That being said, I’ve been using a.223 lately to hunt with and I’ve had good results with it. The first ammo I bought was Winchester Deer Season 64gr ballistic tip and I’m almost done with that box and had already had the thought that I need to get something different.
I was thinking maybe a copper solid, what ya’ll think?
Thanks

Sounds like the ammo u had did just fine. Rifle pretty much sighted in for it. I would get the same ammo and if wanting to try out something different get buy a box or 2 iof that also.

 

[furtaker]

The Federal Fusion did a lot of damage on the one deer I've seen killed with a 223.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I don’t comment often anymore but I still come here to read and learn. That being said, I’ve been using a.223 lately to hunt with and I’ve had good results with it. The first ammo I bought was Winchester Deer Season 64gr ballistic tip and I’m almost done with that box and had already had the thought that I need to get something different.
I was thinking maybe a copper solid, what ya’ll think?
Thanks

If you've had good results with it, why are you wanting to change? I'm in the .223 is a marginal caliber for deer hunting camp myself. I've got one, but I don't deer hunt with it. If I was going to I would stick to close range and wait for the perfect shot.

 

[tell sackett]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

 

[kmckinnie]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

It’s a 223. About all the bullets for it would do about the same. Only so much energy can be delivered by the amount of powder the casing will hold. Shoulder bone is shoulder bone.
Congrats on your deer.

 

[Railroader]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

A similar situation is why I decided no more .22's for deer...

 

[tell sackett]

Yeah I normally will try to make a neck shot, but I was at an awkward angle in a climber, much of the blame is on me.
Would a heavier bullet make much difference with this round?

 

[Big7]

Yeah I normally will try to make a neck shot, but I was at an awkward angle in a climber, much of the blame is on me.
Would a heavier bullet make much difference with this round?

Yes.

There are 2 ways to increase the energy.

One is weight, the other is speed.

 

[ScLowCountry]

Speed increases energy way more than weight

 

[transfixer]

In my opinion if I were going to use a .223/5.56 for deer and knew perfect shots were not going to be a priority, then I would want a monolithic copper bullet, they seem to penetrate better than cup and core lead, and they are fast enough to make the copper round expand also, as most are made with cuts in the tip that will peel back upon impact , some are made so the "petals" break off which can cause a lot of damage inside, yet the rest of the bullet keeps going on through

 

[trial&error]

I've used 55gr sp for years. I only aim for the boiler room and usually get an exit wound. I've never had to actually track one either. I accidentally grabbed the wrong mag and used a 75 gr match bullet. It ran about 80 yds, with very small exit wound. I keep my ranges low 50 to 75 yds is about as far as I've ever shot any deer with any gun.

 

[Railroader]

Yeah I normally will try to make a neck shot, but I was at an awkward angle in a climber, much of the blame is on me.
Would a heavier bullet make much difference with this round?

The biggest .22 is still smaller than an 80gr .243, which is also marginal as far as I'm concerned.

Looks to me like your gut is telling you the same thing Dad told me.

.22 centerfires ain't good deer guns.

Just quit with it, before you feed one to the buzzards...

 

[NCHillbilly]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

That would be called a bigger caliber.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Speed increases energy way more than weight

Which looks good on paper, but means the opposite in real life when dealing with flesh, blood, and living creatures, from my experience. Paper energy is worthless in the woods. I'll take a heavier, slower bullet all day long and twice on Sunday over a little zippy pill with no weight.

 

[rosewood]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

Seen a 180gr 30-06 ballistic tip do the same. Bullet construction is very important, second only to shot placement.

Rosewood

 

[rosewood]

I've used 55gr sp for years. I only aim for the boiler room and usually get an exit wound. I've never had to actually track one either. I accidentally grabbed the wrong mag and used a 75 gr match bullet. It ran about 80 yds, with very small exit wound. I keep my ranges low 50 to 75 yds is about as far as I've ever shot any deer with any gun.

Back before I understood bullet types, I was thinking a hollow point was a good hunting bullet. Used a 168 BTHP bullet in .308 for deer hunting on a few deer. I do have to say, in the .308, the where all DRT. Definitely would not use the same in a .223.

Rosewood

 

[killerv]

Both my boys used the fusion early on. Never lost a deer.

 

[killerv]

The results have been good, but I shot a doe through the shoulders yesterday, wasn’t intending to, and the bullet fragmented and didn’t exit. I found it under the hide of the far shoulder. I was lucky to find her. Something a little more forgiving on a less than perfect shot is what I was thinking.

All I shoot are ballistic tips in everything but a 223, I'd definitely go with a soft point on a round like that for deer.

That being said, that bt did exactly what it was supposed to do as you described it....and ballistic tips are some of the most forgiving bullets when it comes to shot placement out there. That deer absorbed all the energy from that round by staying in. Just not a fan of it on with a 223 on a deer. 3200fps is at the top of their range for effectiveness, especially if that deer was fairly close to you...and throwing a small lightweight bullet to boot. Save them in a 223 for varmits.