Thread: 223 on deer

Originally Posted by zeropak

They are quite mild loads 2760fps. Using up some 2208, 25gn. Tikka T3x 20" barrel.

Same Rifle, a few questions.

Are you be single loading or have a longer than standard mag to achieve that?
Im at 24.4g with a heavily compressed load to achieve that speed with my 2.307 inch standard mag lenght, hench the above ?
ADI suggests 23.6 as max so wondering how mild is your this load.
ADI info is confusing cause they rate a max of 26g with the 69 match king. Realise they are different weights & type of projectile, but wondering about such a difference.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just trying figure it all out.
For me at standard mag lenght which is 0.065 off lands getting 2694 & brillant SD & ES of 6.4 & 15 and they shoot.
Thinking of playing around with the magazine, reason I ask.

Originally Posted by flock

Same Rifle, a few questions.

Are you be single loading or have a longer than standard mag to achieve that?
Im at 24.4g with a heavily compressed load to achieve that speed with my 2.307 inch standard mag lenght, hench the above ?
ADI suggests 23.6 as max so wondering how mild is your this load.
ADI info is confusing cause they rate a max of 26g with the 69 match king. Realise they are different weights & type of projectile, but wondering about such a difference.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just trying figure it all out.
For me at standard mag lenght which is 0.065 off lands getting 2694 & brillant SD & ES of 6.4 & 15 and they shoot.
Thinking of playing around with the magazine, reason I ask.

Leave well alone. So long as the bullet is doing over about 1800 ft per second when it strikes the animal it's going to die. The small margins make no difference.

Originally Posted by flock

Same Rifle, a few questions.

Are you be single loading or have a longer than standard mag to achieve that?
Im at 24.4g with a heavily compressed load to achieve that speed with my 2.307 inch standard mag lenght, hench the above ?
ADI suggests 23.6 as max so wondering how mild is your this load.
ADI info is confusing cause they rate a max of 26g with the 69 match king. Realise they are different weights & type of projectile, but wondering about such a difference.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just trying figure it all out.
For me at standard mag lenght which is 0.065 off lands getting 2694 & brillant SD & ES of 6.4 & 15 and they shoot.
Thinking of playing around with the magazine, reason I ask.

Loading from a Mag. I have the Watermann mag, the 61mm OALL length version, but with a standard Tikka chambering (at least in my 2 .223's) you are limited by the factory throat length. I load to 59mm OALL. Yes this is a compressed load. How compressed will also depend on your brass thickness, I use Nosler brass.
I have switched to 2206H and get way better velocities from that powder. The ADI load data does seem to reflect the velocity gain most people seem to get going from 2208 to 2206H. 24.5gn of 2206H gives me 2890fps with the 73 ELDM in the same rifle. So around an extra 140fps.

Originally Posted by flock

Same Rifle, a few questions.

Are you be single loading or have a longer than standard mag to achieve that?
Im at 24.4g with a heavily compressed load to achieve that speed with my 2.307 inch standard mag lenght, hench the above ?
ADI suggests 23.6 as max so wondering how mild is your this load.
ADI info is confusing cause they rate a max of 26g with the 69 match king. Realise they are different weights & type of projectile, but wondering about such a difference.
I'm not saying you are wrong, just trying figure it all out.
For me at standard mag lenght which is 0.065 off lands getting 2694 & brillant SD & ES of 6.4 & 15 and they shoot.
Thinking of playing around with the magazine, reason I ask.

I've got a lengthened T3 mag, PM me if interested.

So about 1800fps impact velocity - still expanded and worked. Good stuff

Originally Posted by gimp

So about 1800fps impact velocity - still expanded and worked. Good stuff

It kind of throws the ft lbs of energy theory out the window. roughly 570 ft lbs. It seems that the damage done by bullet fragmentation trumps energy. I'm a bit of a new comer to the concept of the .223 being a capable deer cartridge but this performance was impressive, at least to me.

From memory I use American Whitetail 223 60gr. Havent had any issues yet. Anyone else using the same?

Originally Posted by Jkprodigy

From memory I use American Whitetail 223 60gr. Havent had any issues yet. Anyone else using the same?

I was using them when I first got my 223, I now hand load but duplicated the above ammo by using hornady 62sp and 25.5gr 2206H.
Even though I use other fancy projectiles like the 77TMK's the good old 62gr SP's are my favourite.

Sorry not a deer this time. 100lb boar, 73gr ELD-M @ 240m.

73gr ELD is a beast of a bullet and easy to get shooting. I'm yet to recover anything other than fragments in any of the animals I've shot.

Originally Posted by Beavis

73gr ELD is a beast of a bullet and easy to get shooting. I'm yet to recover anything other than fragments in any of the animals I've shot.

A beast alright!

Living vicariously. My 2 lads have got my .223 meat collecting devices at present. They have an annual hikoi to our old farm at the end of duck shooting.
4 deer and 3 goats. 1 of the deer wasn't shot with the .223. All fallow.

Headed south on Sunday for the Woodhill Ballot. 69gr Tmk doing the job.

Shot was just shy of 200. Animal was hard quartering away. Shot entered tight in crease and blew through thr chest. Ill get some pics in the next couple of day's if anyone is interested.

What the heck is growing around you? Funny looking grass,almost looks like slow vera in photos. Not been chewed either.