.223 load for deer?

[buggybuilder]

I know I'll probably get alot of heat on this question!!!!!
Is there a good load and bullet that I can use for deer?
My shot will be 50 to 60 yards. Standing shots only. I've heard that the Sierra SBT 65 gr. would be adequate.
Suggestions ?
Thanks

buggybuilder

[earl39]

Deer in what part of the country? Northern deer tend to run much bigger than say south Texas deer. The deer here in south Arkansas only run about 125-150 pounds on the hoof. For these smaller deer at the range your stated the 52 grain hollow points will get the job done. For the bigger deer i would use the 75+ grain bullets and would really opt for a larger caliber.

[goinssr]

There are some dedicated big game (i.e. deer, antelope, hog, etc.) loads available now from commercial ammo manufacturers. You can get them with the Barnes bullets and they would be very adequate for deer sized animals.

[jb6.5]

A 55 gr Barnes ttsx will work fine. Killed plenty of hogs, big and small with them. They almost always pass through, killed a big boar yesterday with them.

[nso123]

There is a 60 grain Nosler partition that would probably work fine for you.

[stomp442]

Stick with the sierra. There is not a finer hunting bullet made in 223 in my opinion. Its solid enough to provide good penetration and dump all of its energy without passing through.

[goinssr]

Stick with the sierra. There is not a finer hunting bullet made in 223 in my opinion. Its solid enough to provide good penetration and dump all of its energy without passing through.

I agree with your theory but with the 223 I think I would prefer a bullet that is constructed solidly enough to provide a higher probability of a pass through. The reason I say that is that with such a small entry hole and no exit hole then a deer could run quite a ways before expiring without leaving any blood trail to follow thus increasing the likelihood of not recovering the animal. If the caliber was larger and had more energy to dump then it would be a different story. I would want as much blood to trail as I can get if my shot did not drop the animal within my sight. The Barnes X bullets and Nosler Partition bullets would be my choice. Remington Hog Hammers and Winchester Razorback XT's are #1 on my list in factory ammo.

[oldbrass]

>223 isn`t legal for deer in my state but my .223 target/coyote/verman load is a 65gr sierra game king over 24.7 H335, if it were legal here I`d certainly use it for deer,even these big ones..

[stomp442]

At 50 to 60 yards the 223 is packing quite a wallop with a 65 grain bullet. Right around 1080 foot pounds of energy if fired from the muzzle at 2900fps.

[jb6.5]

I've used all the bullets listed above, hands down, without a doubt, in a small cal. The Barnes is the best on deer and hogs. We killed over a 100 hogs and several deer with them last year. They work.

[floydboy]

I use the Sierra SBT 65 gr in my 22-250 over IMR 4350. Will it pass through - yes it will. Will it come apart- yes it will. Will it do some damage to the chest cavity- yes it will - turns to jelly. Will it kill a deer - yes it will. Will they run far - haven't yet. Good thing is the bullet goes where you aim it every time. Doesn't blow half the animal away when it comes out so if your after meat you don't have near as much damage. Be smart and aim for the chest. You can do the job a lot farther than 50 yds. All the above mentioned bullets are probably good choices.

[nocturnalnasty]

Well don't tell the half dozen or so deer my son has killed with a 69 grain Sierra Match King hand load from his AR-15 that a .223 isn't enough gun or bullet at 100 yards or less. All but one fell quickly with one well placed shot. One took a second shot and went less than a hundred yards. I'd say that's a pretty effective track record. Not my first choice for deer, but keep your shots in the kill zone from a hundred or less and it'll work just fine.
Noc

[JASmith]

Deer in what part of the country? Northern deer tend to run much bigger than say south Texas deer. The deer here in south Arkansas only run about 125-150 pounds on the hoof. For these smaller deer at the range your stated the 52 grain hollow points will get the job done. For the bigger deer i would use the 75+ grain bullets and would really opt for a larger caliber.

This is close to what was learned from reviewing the results of a lot of testing and insights from archeological investigations of mesolithic (yes, 10,000 years ago!) hunting arrows:

http://shootersnotes.com/ideal-bullet-weight/

Bottom line from this report is that, while a number of folks successfully and routinely take deer using classic bullets in the .223, one is better advised using bonded, partition, or all-copper expanding bullets. Further, one should avoid attempting shots at deer weighing more than about 125 lb. This practice will give the best chances for a well-placed shot bringing the animal down within about 10 seconds after being hit.

[BoilerUP]

I think I'm hunting with a 223 this fall in KY...probably my 18" AR with Nosler 77s, just to prove that shot placement trumps cartridge displacement and to show anti-gunners that people do in fact hunt with evil black rifles.

Last year an 80gr Amax from my 223AI did a very impressive job on a doe's head @ 65yd and I wouldn't hesitate to use that bullet for a heart/lung shot.

For the OP, 60gr Partition, 64gr Bonded Performance, any weight Barnes TSX, 65gr SGK should do the trick for solid penetration with 75gr HPBT & 77gr SMK/CC also working for boiler room & CNS shots.

[M_Trivette]

Nosler Bonded PERFORMANCE Bullets 22 Caliber (224 Diameter)
64 Grain Spitzer Solid Base

These work nice

[Tim300wsm]

.223 cal isn't legal in all states I would highly recommend checking your local laws first

[LHitchcox]

The first question is what is the barrel twist? Some of the bullets mentioned require at least a 1 in 9 twist to stabilize. I have not killed a deer with a .223, but I would feel fine with a Nosler 60 grain Partition or 64 grain bonded. The Barnes copper bullets have proven themselves, but being all copper they are very long for caliber and need fast twist barrels. The Sierra 65 and Speer 70 grain bullets should work in any barrel. I have friends who swear by the 55 grain Ballistic Tips.

[thermaler]

I will eventually go after a deer with my Core 15 which has a 1: 7 twist that I can stabilize the bigger bullets with. I like the idea of a bigger Barnes TSX because of it's solid copper construction will theoretically keep together and expand nicely for max damage. I'd be nervous with smaller higher-velocity bullets that might not stay together well--but have no experience with yet going for deer in this caliber.

[jwrowland77]

My daughter uses a .223 here in central Arkansas, but I don't allow her to take any shots over 50 yards though.

I load hers with a 60gr Nosler Partition over H4895. Very accurate load.

[tiny68]

Both of my boys started with 65 SGK over a stout load of Varget. Proved effect with heart/lung shots. 3 shots = 3 dead deer. Luck, Tim

[jwrowland77]

Both of my boys started with 65 SGK over a stout load of Varget. Proved effect with heart/lung shots. 3 shots = 3 dead deer. Luck, Tim

What type of twist did you have Tim? I'm trying to go heavier with my daughters .223 if I can but a 1:12 twist it's hard to go heavier than 60gr. Wondering if I could get away with the 65gr SGK

[10gaugemag]

I have used 60 grain Partitions and 55 grain Sierra Gamekings. Both will spit right through any deer broadside lung shots. Gamekings offer a more immediate kill while wrecking the insides. Partition out of my 22-250 shot through both shoulders of a 250+ pound whitetail at 15 yards and dug his antlers in the dirt. If shooting a 223 again I would go with Gk's in either 55 or 63 depending what the rifle liked.

[tiny68]

What type of twist did you have Tim? I'm trying to go heavier with my daughters .223 if I can but a 1:12 twist it's hard to go heavier than 60gr. Wondering if I could get away with the 65gr SGK

Factory 1:9 twist sporter barrels. We shoot the 69 SMK all the time and have had success with the 75 AMax on varmints. But for deer the 65 SMK works well. I switched my oldest 12 at the time, over to a 308W for 125 Noslers using reloaded loads. Still running the 125s at 2800 fps and they did the trick. Last year he went to full powder loads with 150 accuBonds.

I really doubt the 65 will stabilize in the 1:12. It would be close if you run them hot. Maybe at 22-250 speeds, but it will be hard in the 223. Luck, Tim

[JASmith]

What type of twist did you have Tim? I'm trying to go heavier with my daughters .223 if I can but a 1:12 twist it's hard to go heavier than 60gr. Wondering if I could get away with the 65gr SGK

The added 5 gr in the GameKing does not offset the advantage offered by the partition.

Stay with your 60 gr Nosler Partition unless you really want to try something different or the accuracy won't allow for getting within 5" of your intended point of impact at your customary hunting ranges.

You can find a table illustrating the equivalent weights for example bullets and game at http://shootersnotes.com/ideal-bullet-weight/. You will see that your partition is good to go for the most common white tail deer.

To be sure, folks do find success with significantly lighter bullets than the weights suggested in the chart. The message, however, is that when the bullet is within about 10% of the suggested weight, you tend to plateau out on the odds of quickly anchoring your animal. Your skills at hitting well within the vital zone become increasingly important as the bullets get lighter.

[jwrowland77]

Awesome, thanks for the link. I'm pretty sure my daughter can hit within a couple inches of that sweet spot on the common whitetail.