Thread: 223 on deer

Originally Posted by MP270

What ranges are you guys comfortable shooting a deer at with your .223 I have a Tikka with Nightforce NX8 running 73gr ELDM's - reason for my question is I have a spot where I shoot and there is almost always deer in one spot but it's 530yds away I have validated my loads and dope out to 550 and shot paper at this distance with very consistent results, i have shot deer out to 350yds with the same set up - with a good rest and plenty of time, would you take the shot?

A way to assess effective terminal range is to consider whether your bullet will expand. Based on various sources of information, you should probably expect an ELDM to expand down to around 1800fps. Penetration increases inversely related to velocity - so sufficient penetration will not be a problem.

Do you have sufficient retained velocity at that range? If a heavier .224" ELDM hits the animal in the vital zone, and expands, it will kill it.

I'd expect effective expansion from my load (80ELDM) to about 475 metres. I have shot deer to about 420 metres with good results.

Hit probabilty is another consideration, however that is a similar problem with any cartridge at these ranges. You really need to be honest with yourself about your capabilities if you are concerned about missing or shooting animals in the wrong place. Can you regularly hit a 200mm circle first round from the positions you'll be shooting in, in the conditions you'd consider shooting in?

My .223 load outperforms a .308 with a 155gr ELDM in the wind. Many people would be comfortable to recommend the .308 load out to this range. I can make more consistent hits with the .223 in reality.