Thread: .223 for the Roar

Originally Posted by cambo

The 70gr will not stabilize in a 12 twist. Or very unlikely to. I certainly wouldn't be using them.

Try a 62gr pill instead

Out of the pills you have listed, a 55gr will work with proper placement.
I have used 55gr SP Hornady with good success.
But placement is critical. You need to be very familiar with your rifle and the way it shoots those pills.

The 70 grn Speer do stabilise. That is what they were designed for - slow twist barrels. In fact they will stabilise in a 1/14. They will work fine. Note: Just looked back and JD has said this.

Any of those bullets will work. Careful atlas joint shot/neck shot.
With the 70 speer especially I would be ok with a crease/lung shot too. I would keep away from the main shoulder mass.

You will know this, but if you shoot a stag in the lungs don't chase him. Just let him wonder off and die. It will happen quite quickly and humanly and he won't go far. Chase him and his adrenaline can take him a long way.

Originally Posted by Tahr

The 70 grn Speer do stabilise. That is what they were designed for - slow twist barrels. In fact they will stabilise in a 1/14. They will work fine. Note: Just looked back and JD has said this.

Any of those bullets will work. Careful atlas joint shot/neck shot.
With the 70 speer especially I would be ok with a crease/lung shot too. I would keep away from the main shoulder mass.

You will know this, but if you shoot a stag in the lungs don't chase him. Just let him wonder off and die. It will happen quite quickly and humanly and he won't go far. Chase him and his adrenaline can take him a long way.

Thanks for that Tahr. In the bush I dont like looking for things and I am threading shots through supplejack. I am liable to take a neck shot first, a high shoulder shot second (to drop him and then hit him again if I have to) and a lung shot after that. On a lung shot or a front on shot, when I used to smoke I would have a roll up before I went looking... I have also used a liver shot in the past when it was all I could see, which will also drop them right there, but will need a follow up.

I am conflicted about either using the 70 grain or the high velocity 45 grain TSX. That's the problem with the .22 centrefires - so many accurate loads and interesting bullets.

Personally I like the 60-63gn projectiles in the 22 cal cases. But they dont do anything a good old 55gn SP wont do. The 55gn Hornady would be my choice, and be prepared to turn down the shot, not cos you're using a 55gn pill, just cos you're using a 22 cal rifle. Placement is paramount.

I have shot 100s of deer with 223 reds fallow pigs it's all shot placement however I won't use 1 through the roar or croak when they r rutted up to much adrenaline especially if u have roared him in had 1 experience with @Joe_90 last year on fallow I put 3 rounds into the boiler room with a 270 we went away to investigate another buck and came back over an hr later and he got up and ended up with another in the boiler room and kept going a neck shot finally dropped him cut his throat 5 min later Joe went to pick up his head and he started thrashing around all clean shots just shows when they are rutted up u can never b under gunned brought a 7mm rem mag this year not having that again

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

How many stags do you think you will shoot?

I like your style. Tone down my expectations. The actual truth of the matter is that I can only afford to make one high powered cartridge and still afford diesel. So...obviously two or three stags if I can get them lined up nicely.

or take the 30/06????

Originally Posted by Padox

I have shot 100s of deer with 223 reds fallow pigs it's all shot placement however I won't use 1 through the roar or croak when they r rutted up to much adrenaline especially if u have roared him in had 1 experience with @Joe_90 last year on fallow I put 3 rounds into the boiler room with a 270 we went away to investigate another buck and came back over an hr later and he got up and ended up with another in the boiler room and kept going a neck shot finally dropped him cut his throat 5 min later Joe went to pick up his head and he started thrashing around all clean shots just shows when they are rutted up u can never b under gunned brought a 7mm rem mag this year not having that again

I would like to see a stag that could survive four .270 shots to the boiler room, a.270 to the neck, and a cut throat. That would be a stag to see. I thought you would finish up with strangling it with your swanndri.

I have thought about this matter, but I have shot deer in the roar before with a .222's and black powder .44-40's and whatnot, I can't see having too much trouble killing a stag with a .223. Unless I meet your immortal beast..! I just havn't used the 70 grain Speer or the 45g TSX.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

or take the 30/06????

Aaah, I got plenty of other rifles. That's not really the point. I am not wondering whether I can do it, I am just interested in what people think of those particular bullets. (meaning the 70 grain speer or the 45 grain TSX really, not the 55 grain Hornady)

To be honest, the back story is the wife bought me a CZ527, so now I am to use it.

well as said earlier.the 50 grn ttsx is awesome.....
Alex Gale was using 45grn gs custom monos in his 22-250 before they were popular too....the deer havent changed any. light n fast works if you poke em in resonable place. the faster the better with monos.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

well as said earlier.the 50 grn ttsx is awesome.....
Alex Gale was using 45grn gs custom monos in his 22-250 before they were popular too....the deer havent changed any. light n fast works if you poke em in resonable place. the faster the better with monos.

Yes, I am thinking I should have tried the 50g TSX rather than the 45g, I think I got seduced by the possiblity of the velocity I could get. Maybe there is still time to try out the 50's.

Originally Posted by Padox

I have shot 100s of deer with 223 reds fallow pigs it's all shot placement however I won't use 1 through the roar or croak when they r rutted up to much adrenaline especially if u have roared him in had 1 experience with @Joe_90 last year on fallow I put 3 rounds into the boiler room with a 270 we went away to investigate another buck and came back over an hr later and he got up and ended up with another in the boiler room and kept going a neck shot finally dropped him cut his throat 5 min later Joe went to pick up his head and he started thrashing around all clean shots just shows when they are rutted up u can never b under gunned brought a 7mm rem mag this year not having that again

I was present when a similar thing happened with a Bull Tahr empty mag of .270 and a fair few .308 befor he stopped at the bottom of a bluff he got named terminator Tahr have no idea how he kept going no lungs left

Horses for courses. I use 55g .223 for most of my hunting. Never shot a stag in the roar. I’d be inclined to take a bigger cal….if specifically targeting roaring stags/bucks…. Different story if ‘happen’ to come across one whilst after a hind/doe/goat/pig with the mighty .223.

BYW …nice wife for buying a classy rifle.


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For every single story of a stag absorbing 10lb of big caliber lead and copper there will be 20 stories about a .222 or .223 knocking one over with a single well placed shot. The exception is the former, not the latter.

Originally Posted by Kelton

I was present when a similar thing happened with a Bull Tahr empty mag of .270 and a fair few .308 befor he stopped at the bottom of a bluff he got named terminator Tahr have no idea how he kept going no lungs left

Animals can and will do remarkable things, but at the end of the day the only way a stag / bull tahr / whatever else can take so many shots is because none of them connected with bang-flop anatomy, i.e. part of the nervous system or the aorta / pulmonary arteries around the hilar zone. Animals don’t bleed out that fast with double rear lung shots and when the heat is on, even experienced shooters can tend to shoot into the centre mass, which is too far back for a bang-flop.

When we got to the buck his whole front end was jelly and both shoulders broken