.223 hunting bullets

[snuffy]

I've been testing different .223 bullets that are made with deer sized game in mind. Some are heavy-for-caliber, others bonded copper jacketed lead, and even solid copper expanding.

My test media is the now defunct bullet test tube heavy wax media. It is supposed to come close to muscle tissue. Rifle is my bushmaster 20" H-bar.

First of this run of 3 bullets is the 65 gr. Sierra Game King. They're hard to get, apparently they only make one run every now and then, waited a year on the midway waiting list. I have heard that they're the cats meow for .223 hunting bullets,,--?

The first pic is the wound track, showing the expansion cavity and penetration, about 10" of the media. It cleared the first tube to be caught in the second. It fragmented until there was no lead left in the mangled jacket. All I found amounted to 56 grains, meaning some shards of lead were lost in the wound channel. Would it kill a deer? Certainly, but you'd be picking shards of lead from your teeth.

Second was the 55 gr. Hornady GMX bullet. It's like a Barnes, EXCEPT the bullet is composed of guilding metal,(same as copper jackets), so it's easier to shape or expand.

Over 12" of penetration. You can see the bullet at rest,,--barely.

Close up of where it came to rest.

continued next post;

 

[snuffy]

Expanded to .435, retained weight 54.5 grains. The bullet has one relief ring on the bearing surface, is not tipped, just a open HP, and is flat based. It has a 6 segment petal design.

Next up is the Barnes 62 grain TSX ,(triple shock X bullet).

Wound channel, I had to follow the bullet in the second tube, it curved in the last couple inches. I dug down until I found it.

Typical Barnes performance, reliable expansion deep penetration It appears to to open a bit later than the GMX and is a bit bigger expansion, .475. Retained weight 62 grains, 100%. Best part of both bullets, no lead in the meat!

Now I know for certain there will be some who say a .223 anything is not deer medicine. In some states you can't even use one. But to those that ONLY have a .223, why not load the best bullet?

 

[MJFlores]

I'm surprised the GK came apart like that. People rave about that bullet on deer. I have a few boxes and have a very accurate load out of my 16" AR, haven't shot game with it yet.

 

[Mobuck]

I hope you plan to hunt on snow. That's not much of a permanent wound channel for deer.
We had excellent results from the Speer 70 grain semi-pointed but it won't shoot from some rifles. The ammo of choice for my Grandkids is the obsolete Hornady 60 grain protected point "barrier buster" as loaded by 3-D many years ago(this was supposedly loaded for a "government agency" in response to the need to shoot at opponents through walls/doors). Again, not a great wound channel but it generally exits on a ribcage hit allowing a slightly better blood trail. Our use is limited to 100-125 yards by both the skill of the shooter and the capability of the cartridge.
The 60 grain Nosler Partition worked fine from a 22/250 if the range was kept out past 150 yards so this bullet should be about right for a .223 from muzzle to 150.

 

[swinguard]

Just out of curiosity Snuffy, what load data were you using for the 65 gn Sierra? I've been loading the 65 gn using 5.56 load data from Western and getting 3/4in groups at a 100 yards, but have yet to try it out on a deer.

I have 20 rounds currently loaded under 21.5 gns of Accurate 2015 and I'm now wondering if that might be to fast for the bullet.

 

[Clark]

The most common cartridge for elk is the 30-06.
If that is adequate, then the 223 is overpowered for any deer.
But we are not really choosing cartridges that way.
A man can carry a 10 pound rifle, and then justifies it for for what he is shooting.

 

[snuffy]

I hope you plan to hunt on snow. That's not much of a permanent wound channel for deer.
We had excellent results from the Speer 70 grain semi-pointed but it won't shoot from some rifles. The ammo of choice for my Grandkids is the obsolete Hornady 60 grain protected point "barrier buster" as loaded by 3-D many years ago(this was supposedly loaded for a "government agency" in response to the need to shoot at opponents through walls/doors). Again, not a great wound channel but it generally exits on a ribcage hit allowing a slightly better blood trail. Our use is limited to 100-125 yards by both the skill of the shooter and the capability of the cartridge.
The 60 grain Nosler Partition worked fine from a 22/250 if the range was kept out past 150 yards so this bullet should be about right for a .223 from muzzle to 150.

Mobuck, it just so happens I tested the Speer 70 SP last year with the same everything. I called it a dismal failure, complete disintegration/frag.

Wound track is nothing to write home about!

Whoa, are we even talking about the same bullet? A quick search says there's only one 70 grain, semi-spitzer, and the other designation is simply SP meaning soft point. At any rate it's called a varmint bullet. That's how it behaved in my test.

Turned itself inside out!

Just out of curiosity Snuffy, what load data were you using for the 65 gn Sierra? I've been loading the 65 gn using 5.56 load data from Western and getting 3/4in groups at a 100 yards, but have yet to try it out on a deer.

I have 20 rounds currently loaded under 21.5 gns of Accurate 2015 and I'm now wondering if that might be to fast for the bullet.

Swingaurd, I have the load data website, it's part of the Wolf publishing outfit. It's a once a year subscription IIRC 25 bucks. I was using AAC-2015 powder the GK was loaded @21.6 grains, which is pretty much a full load for .223. I suspect 5.56 data may go a bit higher? My data lists it @ 2800 fps. It may do better going slower, but that might limit it to a short range scenario.

I did have my brand new CED M-2 along, but it failed to register ANY .223 bullets! It's being returned to see just what ails it!? It missed a lot of the Berry's 9mm HHP I was testing that day as well.

 

[MarkCO]

Thanks snuffy. The 62 TSX is the bullet I use.

 

[Xfire68]

Have you tested the Nosler 64g Bonded? I have some but have not yet shot them.

 

[snuffy]

Have you tested the Nosler 64g Bonded? I have some but have not yet shot them.

Funny story; Of my lousy memory and running out of expansion tubes.

I had some loaded, had them along, then bypassed them when I started testing. Good thing is I still have them loaded, so I can still test them. I just have to finish recasting the wax into new tubes, then getting back up to the range. It actually wasn't until I started to write up these results that I wondered why I didn't test them.(Getting old isn't for sissies.)

I expect great things for the bonded Nosler's, they're just a junior accu-bond, but not named like them.

 

[smee78]

Interesting results shown, thanks everyone for sharing. I have often thought about bullet weights for this same platform/use but always just go back to my Marlin 30-30.

 

[snuffy]

A friend hunted with our family one year, he had planned on using his .308. For some reason still unknown to me, he showed up with his AR with factory 46 grain open tip varmint bullets. I said if he wanted to use that rifle, why didn't he let me load some partitions, which I had.

Well he got a shot at a big doe, running, led her too much and ripped her throat open. That slowed her down, he put another one square in the chest. The bullet fragged in the onside lung, failed to exit, but it knocked her down. Death was quick with the neck veins gone.

With proper bullets the .223 is a good killer, but shot placement is critical. No end to end or straight through the brisket with fragile bullets.

 

[Xfire68]

(Getting old isn't for sissies.)

That is a fact!


Nosler does tend to produce top quality bullets so I would not expect anything less our the .22 bonded. I picked up a few hundred when they were on sale but have not shot any yet. I need to try out some Coyote hunting as that would be the only thing I can throw them at here in IL. Stupid shotgun Only States suck IMHO.

 

[jmr40]

A .45" hole that penetrates 10-12" into the chest cavity is going to put any deer down. It might not drop in it's tracks, but it will only have seconds to live. I've seen deer hit through both lungs with a 30-06 run 100 yards. Some just don't want to die regardless of what you hit them with.

The bullets that fragment are the ones that usually give dramatic bang/flop kills as long as the shot angle and placement allow enough penetration to hit vital organs. They are also the ones that fail most dramatically if they don't. Is not just a 223 issue, the same can happen with large caliber rounds too.

Thanks for sharing. This pretty well verifies what I've always believed.

 

[snuffy]

I guess the reason for NOT calling them accu-bond is they have a plain lead nose, not a plastic tip. I guess that kept the cost down, and most will be used for short range work. It has a little bit of a boat tail, but that blunt nose means the BC is probably low.

 

[swinguard]

Snuffy, thanks for your reply on the load data. Looks like were using similar data for the 65gn Sierra. I was going to load this bullet with Tac using 5.56 data, but after seeing your test results I have decided against pushing this bullet any faster.

The results from the Barnes TSX look very impressive. If its not to much trouble could you tell me what powder and how much of it your using?

I have both .223 and 5.56 load data for this bullet and 5 different powders that are compatible. Thanks, Swinguard.

 

[Xfire68]

Snuffy, I was mistaken on what I have and asking if you tested. I have the 60g Partitions not the "Bonded performance".

 

[snuffy]

Swinguard, I was using AAC-2015. I had a partial pound left and didn't use it for .308 anymore, so I used it up for the test loads. 21.6 was the load for the Sierra game kings. According to my load-data reference it is just .2 under max for the 2015.

 

[snuffy]

I expect great things for the bonded Nosler's, they're just a junior accu-bond, but not named like them.

one more time
Beautiful day today, I had to make a drug trip to the VA clinic less than a mile from the range. So I tossed the AR the box of shells with the Nosler bonded and 2 of the newly re-cast large tubes.

I threw a curve into the mix, decided to test @ 25 yards AND 100 yards. I wish I could re-test the others as well.

Anyway the Noslers were awesome! Classic mushroom at both distances. The wound channel is small, that was the only drawback. This time I used a coupler to put a big tube behind the media tube with old clothes inside it to catch the bullets. It's amazing how quickly it stops the bullet after it's passed through the media. The 25 yard bullet went through an old sweatshirt to be caught by an old T shirt. The sweatshirt caught the 100 yard bullet by itself.

3 above were all fired at 25 yards

2 of the 100 yard bullets.

Get this! A bonded lead core bullet that only lost 1 grain the other one 1.2 grains! Expansion was identical at 4.65 if not for having them marked, I could not tell them apart. I think I have my deer round, but it will have to be boosted in charge weight, it would eject but not feed another or lock back on an empty mag.

 

[Xfire68]

Looks like it performed beautifully!