Thread: 223 on deer

Following on, about 5 yr later sold the 308 after watching a guy with a 223 smash pigs, mini 14 ruger. The ruger sure had back up shot speed & it needed it because accuracy was not brillant. Standard 55g soft pionts. Revisited 223 some 20 years later with a Tikka 1/12 accuracy was amazing. Changed barrels to 1/8 & shot 75 & 80 g Amaxs with good results, way better in the wind. Never shot any deer with so, wasn't till some years later Guys on the forum started mentioning how these were preforming on deer. So I'm back in the fold with new Tikka, doing some testing. The 223 has evolved into a very useful calibour & so dam nice to shoot.

By fair means or fowl numbers need to come down. Falcon thermal.
The first of these 3 was 74yards and by the time I got to the last one it was about 150.
60 grain Hammers at 3250. Brutel.

Handbag deer...shot placement appears on point lol

Love that scope!!!!!…. Sweeet!!!!

Hope you had yr assistant with you,your gut and carry man.

Explicit.
Hammer Hunter 60 grn exit at 150 odd yards….

That’s a decent size hole there, what the minimum expansion velocity for those hammer hunters?

Originally Posted by tikka

That’s a decent size hole there, what the minimum expansion velocity for those hammer hunters?

I work on 1800 and seems ok.

Hammer site says that too.

Originally Posted by Tahr

I work on 1800 and seems ok.

Hammer site says that too.

I'm starting to wonder what these Hammers could achieve in a really fast .224 calibre rifle. Are you going to load them in your .22 Creedmoor? I expect you could get 3800fps with that? Something like that. With a 200m zero it would probably only be 6" low at 300m and still plenty fast.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I'm starting to wonder what these Hammers could achieve in a really fast .224 calibre rifle. Are you going to load them in your .22 Creedmoor? I expect you could get 3800fps with that? Something like that. With a 200m zero it would probably only be 6" low at 300m and still plenty fast.

Yes. I’ve loaded some test 76 grn for the Creed. Expecting 3550 fps.

Those 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK5czaKjTDk

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I'm starting to wonder what these Hammers could achieve in a really fast .224 calibre rifle. Are you going to load them in your .22 Creedmoor? I expect you could get 3800fps with that? Something like that. With a 200m zero it would probably only be 6" low at 300m and still plenty fast.

@Kiwi Greg

Originally Posted by Shearer

@Kiwi Greg

I have only tried 52 grain Hammers in the 22CM & they were underwhelming, the 88 ELDMs were faster...IIRC I have the 69 Absolutes going 3200 in my 4.25 lb 22-Terminator, 22-204 with 18" ish barrel

The Hammers are different, case capacity matters, bigger is definitely not always better due to their weight & low engraving pressure, far removed from conventional projectiles which can take some time to fully understand

The cartridge case & powder choice have a lot to due with potential velocity, get it wrong & it can be quite meh... as above.....get it right & the results are outstanding

My 6CM with 69 Absolutes at 3900 is incredible, Man I have shot some animals with it now, most are DRT...none of this drunkish running around malarky

Nosler 60gr BT Varmint. 2600fps at the muzzle (mild fireforming load). Range 205m, impact velocity ~1900fps.

Impact dead centre of the shoulder. Back legs tucked up and dropped on the spot. Kicked around for a bit.



Nearside shoulder mostly written off. Bullet recovered in the flank on the far side, under the shoulder which was untouched. Heart shredded and bottom of spine clipped.

Holy smoke that's great performance..... Can't ask for more than that.