Thread: 223 on deer

2950 with a 73 ELDM is within "reasonable to expect" for a .223 with a 20 inch barrel I would think.

Looking at the data, ADI lists a 70gr Speer which has miles more bearing surface than the 73gr ELD at 2997 with 06H and 3024 with 08. If you expect 20fps loss per inch you'd be looking at 2920 with 06H or 2940 with 08.

Of course that's max load for Saami Max pressure of 55,000psi which is a lower max pressure than we are running in all modern cartridges and can probably be safely exceeded to 60,000 psi or so without even noticing in quality brass, action fatigue isn't going to be a problem with a modern action like a Remington 700 due to the tiny bolt thrust & relative hoop strength of the chamber with the .223 case relative to other cartridges chambered in the same action, the only risk would be case failure