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Thread: 223 on deer

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  1. #11
    TLB
    TLB is offline
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    Quote Originally Posted by gimp View Post
    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.
    It will kill a deer even if it doesn't expand. Just because a projectile expands doesn't mean a thing and certainly shouldn't be used to base the terminal performance of a bullet off.

    A good cast subsonic load will still expand at 150 yards if it hit a bit if bone, maybe even if it didn't hit bone. Can assure you it will kill the animal if you hit it in the vitals, might just have to track it for a couple of hundred metres. Same effect as using a .223 at a longer range.
    Expansion is only a part of the equation.

    I've seen plenty of slightly miss placed .223 shots in my line of work and most of the time the deer is gone never to be seen again. Slightly misplaced shots with something like a .308 with eldms or similar soft projectiles often results in a very short track.

    Don't get me wrong, I love my .223 but they are simply not the caliber you would take out to try and shoot deer over 500 yards.

 

 

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