icthruu

Opened up that can of worms again...Probably 100 posts like this on here in the past.

Anyway, I wouldn't. I wouldn't take a neck and/or head shot on game. They are small targets. The neck really does not have that much in it to hit and kill an animal humanely, and believe it or not if the head isn't hit just right the bullet can glance off the skull and not kill. Give me a larger cal. and a chest shot any day. But if you can REALLY shoot inch groups out to 200 yards in HUNTING situations (not from a bench), then go for it.

Just my opinion.

doubleA

Voz, If you are confident in your shooting abilities there is no reason why the 223 would'nt work. Yes, shot placement is critical, I like the neck/head juncture or in the ear on deer and hogs. You will find out that you will have to pick your shot carefully. They are not for everybody.

You will find out that there are a lot of internet jockeys that have never tried or used the 223 or other 22 centerfires for that matter on deer and hogs. They are quick to chime out against them.

Personally speaking I have taken truck loads of hogs with various 22 CF's and alot of deer, never lost one yet, matter of fact they simply drop in there tracks.

...and yes I have a few bigger rifles but sometimes my 22 hornet,223, 22-250 or 220 swifts beg to be taken out "big"game hunting

doubleA

deerslayer223

223 will work fine. It will work fine on deer with a shot in the boiler room also just use a premium bullet and put it right in the pocket and u will have a dead deer. I have killed 8 deer with a 223 and never had a bit of problem. I see no reason y it should not work. Best of luck!

Quack Addict

Most bullets for 223's - at least factory loads - are varmit and target loads. If you handload, you could work up some loads with Barnes bullets. I would try to stay on the heavier end for bullet weight... but the rifling in most 223's is tailored toward lighter bullets and groups normally go to pot as bullet weight increases.

zrexpilot

I'm currently looking for a .22 hornet for deer and hogs. a .223 is over kill

jgttechjunkie

One time you are going to go for a head shot or a neck shot on a deer and something is going to go wrong, say the animial moves a bit at the instant you shoot. With a large target such as the lungs, you still will be successful, but with a smaller target you have a wounded animal. This might have nothing to do with your skills, nor with your discipline to only take shots you are confident you can make. I don't care if you do well 20 times in a row, it is the failure the 21st time that makes you feel lousy.

North Texan

Lot's of people complain about the .22 cal centerfires being inadequate. Funny, but nearly every landowner around here carries and uses one regularly. When areas hire professional sharp-shooters to thin the deer population, what do they use? .223.

A deer just ain't that big. They don't have armor plates and bullet-proof vests. A deer around here weighs less than I do. I figure enough gun to kill me is enough gun to kill a deer. If a 180 grain bullet can kill a 1,000 lb. elk, why would it take a 130 grain bullet to shoot a 200 lbs. deer?

driftrider

Yes, and in their case, the reasons to use a small caliber are more compelling than the reasons not to. It's a whole differerent ballgame. Iowa City hires a company called White Buffalo Inc. to come out and cull the in-town deer herd every year (because the city council is too stupid/liberal to understand that bow hunters could do the same thing and the city would make money rather than spending close to a quarter MILLION a year to hire out the job). Anyway, those sharpshooters use .223's (scoped AR-15 target rifles to be exact) from a benchrested position to shoot at deer over bait piles in semi-urban environments at very close range. Their objective is to make the deer dead without riling up the neighbors too much. But if they were to have to shoot one several times to put it down they would do so without regard to damaging edible meat (although they do "donate" what's left to homeless shelters).

Hunting, on the other hand, isn't as well staged, and is rarily done with semi-tame urban deer over bait piles.

And the logic that if the round CAN kill a deer (or a person), then it's suited to the task is flawed and irresponsible. A .22LR will handily kill both people and deer, but it is by no means suitable for hunting deer. As ethical hunters, it is our obligation to select a cartridge that will adequately produce the quickest, cleanest kill possible in less than perfect circumstances. That is not to say that we need to go armed with shoulder cannons, but we must draw the line somewhere, and it is my opinion that that line should be drawn at the 6mm/.243 and no smaller for deer sized game.

One thing to also bear in mind with a question such as this is that those who have been successful with .22cal CF rifles are always quick to chime in about how great a killing machine the .223 is. While there are few if any people giving accounts of deer that were lost or forced to suffer a long agonizing death due to a less than perfect shot with a too small caliber rifle, probably because they are too embarrassed or ashamed to admit that it was their own poor judgement of caliber that caused the situation to begin with. This gives the reader here the false impression that a .223 produces nothing but positive results on deer sized animals.

I firmly believe that if one can not tolerate at least a .243 Win, then they owe it to the animal and the rest of the hunting community to make the responsible decision and NOT hunt big game with an underpowered rifle.

Mike

North Texan

Sorry, forgot to mention I hunt semi-but-not-real-wild rural deer over corn feeders placed at extreme ranges.

Timbawolf98

Personally, I wouldnt use a 223 for big game unless it was my very last option, which should never come into play with the extra 30-06 and 7mm Mag laying around. It could work on deer, but you have to wait for a PERFECT shot, and some people cant keep their finger off the trigger. Having done some hog hunting, and seeing that a hog can even live long enough to try to get you after being shot with a 30-06 and 7mm08, I definitely wouldnt use anything less than a 6mm with atleast 100gr bullets. JMO, take it for what you will, but hogs are very tough creatures, and it definitely doesnt hurt to have more than enough gun.

timba