Thread: 223 on deer

Did the 325 yard chest shot exit @Tahr? Looks like a yearling maybe, not very big?

Well done on the neck shot, very tidy! Pays not to be a deer when Tahr is about with a rifle ��

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

Did the 325 yard chest shot exit @Tahr? Looks like a yearling maybe, not very big?

Well done on the neck shot, very tidy! Pays not to be a deer when Tahr is about with a rifle ��

It didn't appear to. I dropped the deer off whole for my son at midnight so I never really had a good look. She didn't go far. Ran 15 yards maybe.
She was heavy enough to make me grunt getting her on the ute


Here's the neck shot one

To be fair 223 would be fine for goats, fallow. But reds, Its boarder line, use something a bit bigger IMO

I would say there’s probably been more red deer shot in NZ with .223 & .222 than any other caliber.


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Originally Posted by JoshC

I would say there’s probably been more red deer shot in NZ with .223 & .222 than any other caliber.


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Yes the few ive shot with those calibres have not complained

Originally Posted by Nathan F

Yes the few ive shot with those calibres have not complained

They would complain if they could but they are stone cold dead, best calibre ever the mighty 223

Originally Posted by JoshC

I would say there’s probably been more red deer shot in NZ with .223 & .222 than any other caliber.


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you could probably say there has been more deer wounded in NZ with then too.......... the .303brit was up there for many years,the .308,243,270,30/06 came along and killed it off...
said it before..re read Philip Holdens chapter 222 the controversial one...... its as relevant today as when he wrote it all those years ago..the heavy for calibre and mono projectiles have changed things for the better but you still have to get in as close as you can and poke that wee bit of metal in the right place....a gut shot with a .50BMG is still a gut shot and will still crawl away to die horrible death....

In a way it’s a bit like surfing.
If you’ve ever surfed some of the big waves at the internationally famous breaks like Pipeline or Waimea Bay, the smaller you call the wave, the bigger the man you are.
So 3 guys will go out, one will call it 30’ one will say it’s only 28, and so on. In actual fact it’s probably 35 foot.

Obviously successfully killing a deer with a light calibre at longer distances proves your hunting prowess. The lighter the bullet and the further….

Originally Posted by Lauries Hut

In a way it’s a bit like surfing.
If you’ve ever surfed some of the big waves at the internationally famous breaks like Pipeline or Waimea Bay, the smaller you call the wave, the bigger the man you are.
So 3 guys will go out, one will call it 30’ one will say it’s only 28, and so on. In actual fact it’s probably 35 foot.

Obviously successfully killing a deer with a light calibre at longer distances proves your hunting prowess. The lighter the bullet and the further….

This thread is about the performance and capability of the 222/223. It’s been on point for 46 pages. Now this. Why??

@Micky Duck yip. Old acquaintance of mine spent a couple of years culling and such.
Wore 2 barrels out on a browning bar 308 using predominantly 180gr round nose.
Never had an issue.
Went to a sako 222 and first handful of deer were a right xock up. Had the habit of aiming for big bits usually and even if he was a little off the big pill still did the bizzo.
Had to quickly learn to aim at different spots.
He was a good enough shot to make it work but had to change his shooting habits

funny thats a bit like a pissing contest.... who can go the furtherest..
for ME harvesting a deer is NOTHING like that... NOTHING AT ALL.
I usually use my faithful .270 but at times feel like a change so carry something else,I KNOW the range will need to be closer and my aim better... if I do my bit and poke that tiny bit of metal in right place all is good.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

funny thats a bit like a pissing contest.... who can go the furtherest..
for ME harvesting a deer is NOTHING like that... NOTHING AT ALL.
I usually use my faithful .270 but at times feel like a change so carry something else,I KNOW the range will need to be closer and my aim better... if I do my bit and poke that tiny bit of metal in right place all is good.

Yeh mate, I’m sure that’s most often the case.
I’m sure most of us have our favourites, and a few others in our collection, so we take them out for a walk. But I tend to refer back to type, my old faithful is my 308.
It’s a rare thing it’s found wanting, and by in large there’s enough overkill in it to make up for my inadequacies…
I’m no sniper or Peter Hathaway Capstick!

That’s not what this thread is about. It’s about killing deer with .223’s. Take the ethics and moral high ground elsewhere. Not on this thread. Phillip Holdens chapter may have had relevance in the 1970’s , not in 2022. Optics , reloading and bullet selection make a huge difference. Some points are valid. A lot are moot.

As posted on other threads I’ve used 222,223 &308 over last 46 years. Shot thousands of animals, lost one or two as you do. The lighter cals. are just as effective as bigger cal. as long as the nut behind the butt does their part. Just got to be aware of conditions and make allowance for them. As pointed out in post above one can get lazy or complacent about where they aim with larger cal. I have a soft spot for 308 but since shoulder surgery I tend to use 223 almost exclusively. It’s a lot easier on the body with multiple shots and just as effective The only difference from Holden’s days is 50gr psp 222 back then vs 55gr psp 223 now. I do play around with heavier bullets but about 90% use 55gr. Just my 2 cents.

You can’t compare Holden shooting factory 50 grain .222 with a modern fast twist .223 with hand loaded heavy bullets.