223 on deer

[Sarge]

I'm going to assume that anybody reading or posting in this forum isn't going to be horrified by a pic of a blown-up deer heart. If I'm wrong, mods- delete and accept my apology.

I killed a little 125 pound button buck this morning with my Mini 14 Ranch Rifle, which is a 580 Series with the accuracy improvements. I used a handload with Winchester's bulk 55 grain softpoint; a plain jane, el cheapo bullet. I run it about 2850 fps over H4895 powder in Lake City brass. I am happy with this velocity as it groups well at 200 yards, where the irons are zeroed, and I felt it more likely to give adequate penetration on deer at that speed. It also nearly matches the trajectory of the ‘house’ 30-06 load, which simplifies shooting at distance.

The button was just a meat deer and I shot him at 170 yards per the measuring tool on ‘Google Earth’, which also shows a near-exact 205 yards to my target frame. When I first saw the little booger he was laid up in tall grass and absent a rest, I shot a tad high when I tried to spine him. He then stood up and ran a little ways before showing his shoulder, where I sent the second shot. That one was good and he stumbled off 15 yards and dropped.

The bullet broke the near shoulder, blew a 2 ½”hole in his heart and exited the off-side ribs.

I don’t know what more you could ask of a .223 or a game load in general. I’ve seen a 150 pound doe saunter off 25 yard & jump a 5 strand fence, with her heart blown out by a 30-06.

What I do know is that I need to work on my off-hand rifle shooting. I do hate to miss- even once.

 

[James R. Burke]

I think your key words are off hand. Were we hunt they are all off hand, not much time fairly close. So you need to deciede fast, and make a good shot. They are close most of the time. No doubt that was a very nice shot even thought I think a .223 is alittle light for deer you proved what it can do if done correct. Nice shot!

 

[Sarge]

Thanks, James. I had just cleaned up the trigger on this rifle a couple of days ago, or I would have never tried that offhand. Usually I can get set up where I can at least shoot from sitting, using a sling and one knee for stability.

I had been watching three deer, which I thought were all does, for a couple of days. They'd lay up in the far corner of the place (nearest the neighbors) and I'd see 'em in the mornings but couldn't arrange a safe shot. This little feller wandered off on an adventure this morning, offered a safe shot but the doggone underbrush was too high so it was 'hind legs' or nothing.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

I killed a little 125 pound button buck this morning

Is that a measured weight?! We have shot 3 deer this year that had to be weighed at DEC check points because we are hunting as part of a research project. One was a 3 1/5 year old doe weighing 118lbs, one a 4 1/5 year old doe weighing 102 pounds and another 3 1/2 year old doe weighing 102 pounds.

This guy, a 2 1/2 year old 9-point, taken by another hunter weighed 120 pounds.

We're in central NY. Deer are not exactly small here.

 

[Sarge]

We grow 'em big here, Pete....no, the weight was an estimate. I had to drag the little monster uphill, through prairie grass/buckbrush for the whole 170 yards. He may have gained 25 pounds by the time I pulled him up the ramp & onto the pickup

He was a little better than half as big as this ol' boy from 2007, who I couldn't begin to raise on a 1:1 pulley by hauling myself up the rope; I weighed 215 at the time.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

We grow 'em big here, Pete....

I guess you do!


This guy is a MONSTER around here, and we grow 'em bigger than most. He's 3 1/2 and 193 pounds.

I have found that most people have NEVER known an actual verified weight on a deer. A big buck is "225" and a big doe is "150". Problem is, everyone is basing their numbers of someone's deer that they saw last year that was "150" so they figure "Well, mine's bigger'n his... must be 175." In reality, "his" was 115 and "mine" is 130.

 

[TX Nimrod]

One Fall I took my CAR-15 to Kodiak Island for Sitka blacktail, a 60-grain Nosler Solid Base loaded to 2800 fps. Shot five deer with six shots, longest shot about 150 yards. The first deer didn't react to the shot so I hit him again, then he fell over. The rest I shot and waited from three to ten seconds before they fell over. All were good lethal hits, I only recovered one bullet. The shot reaction was too slow IMO, although the terrain made it tough to lose a wounded deer if I'd had one. Kodiak had a limit of seven that year, lots of deer so I only took shots that were literally perfect - I passed up at least a dozen deer which had poor presentations.

I consider that a stunt and would not do it again. It was years ago when I knew no better......now I do.


.

 

[bswiv]

While I'll admit that like most folks I'm a little wary of a .223 for deer it does seem that for a lot of guys it works good. Of course I also hear detractors on the .243 as deer/hog suitable but I've seen the wife take 20 or more in the last few years without a problem. And some of the hogs were well over 200 pounds, even though our FL deer run on the small side.

Cuerious, as I have a Mini-14 coming. How much of a difference did the "accurizing" make?

 

[GeauxTide]

Impressive, but I'm gonna hunt deer with a minimum of .260 Rem.

 

[DiscoRacing]

Im actually thinking of taking my new .223 next year... but would use nothing smaller than the 69grain hp bullets that I have... thats a pretty good chunk a lead for a .223

 

[bamaranger]

223/deer weights

My boy has killed several w/ .223 and 55 or 62 gr bonded bullets. Same results, but I'm picky about when he shoots, ie distance and angle. He's shooting something bigger now, but w/ placement, it works. Super shot, BTW.

Peetza, gotta agree, lots of folks get deer weights wrong. Our club weighed everything for 10-12 years for we lost it, and guys invariably guessed their deer heavy. Also I have assisted at the check stations some. A intact mature deer might go 125 here. Field dressed, many won't be much over 100. A monster buck, 4 1/2- 5 1/2 years, will go 175-185 live. Seldom much more. 200 is an absolute MONSTER. No agriculture to speak of, ie beans and corn. Just browse and mast when its a good year.

 

[Al57]

Actual live weight of deer will and does depend greatly upon region. What is considered big in one won't be in another . Those 3 1/2 & 4 1/2 y/o does that weighed 102-118 in NY would weigh at least 40 -50 lbs heavier on average here in Nebraska . A 2 1/2 y/o buck that weighed 120 lbs would be a sick one here and that 193 lb " monster " would be a very average weight buck here. True monsters here will go 250 and above on the hoof . My heaviest buck to date FIELD DRESSED 210 lbs. Live weight on him would have been right at 240-245 . A buddy shot one that field dressed 225 this fall . I do not say this to look down on anyone's deer or area they hunt in. It's just a fact of life. In turn, I acknowledge that in parts of Canada, they take bucks a lot heavier than ours.

 

[Water-Man]

Al57...You've got your info wrong. Deer in NY go large, not small.

 

[Al57]

Water-man, while I didn't say deer in NY were small, based on the weights the fellow in NY reported on ( his words and numbers, not mine ) that region does seem to grow deer smaller than many areas further west in large agricultural areas.

 

[sc928porsche]

Had it been a 300WM, there wouldnt have been any heart to examine.

 

[williamd]

Took a good sized muley with a 22lr once. Looking at me and the shot was between the eyes at 30-35 yards. Dropped like a rock. Much like and impact gun at the slaughter house. Smart - no! But, I do not use any 22 - rf or cf - on deer. I even stay away from 243/6mm most of the time. Personal thing.

In fact, let me pull a string ... I consider the 243/6mm family an in between round, too heavy for varmints, too light for deer. Basically, an oil can round.

 

[Art Eatman]

I merely note in passing that this is among the most beat-on horses on the whole Internet.

 

[Sarge]

Noted, Art. My only purpose was to show some actual results of what that horse will do, in-harness. That said, the thread my well have run its course. Button her down at your discretion.

 

[rdsii64]

good shooting

A well placed heart shot will drop an animal with scary effectiveness. Some will take a few steps, some will just fold up and fall. I personally don't hunt anything larger than a coyote with a .223. The margin for error is to small for my self imposed feel good factor. For deer I prefer a good old fashioned .308 winchester but if I had to hunt deer with a .22 center fire I would opt for a .22-250 with a fast twist barrel and the 75 grain hornaday amax bullet. All that aside you have meat in the freezer. good job!

 

[andrew66]

U ruined the best part! lol good shot though. I have seen alot of deer shot there with smaller guns, some ran a long time before dropping. Shot placement is everything, but unfortunately in the field, an opportunity for a "perfect shot" can be rare. Kinda why i bought my 7mm. inside 300 yards, anywhere in the rib cage, and the deer is dropping. If u feel comfortable shooting that caliber and its legal in your area, then all the power to ya. In my GHA they state that anything smaller than .24 isnt recommended but can be used.