Good .223 round for deer?

[KYHunter]

I’m looking at using my 10.5” AR pistol this fall from the saddle on a few sits deep in public. Does anybody here have experience with good loads for deer? I typically use 150gr core-lokt in my .30-06 so i know this is a big step down in power but I know of a few guys who use .223/5.56

 

[bigjoe]

Ideally with a .223 you want a solid ball round. Some people will argue to get a round that will mushroom however a .223 is designed to penetrate and bounce around. That is why the round is so devastating. It is designed to hit and topple. It can hit you in the leg and come out your chest.

 

[swampsnyper]

You don’t want to hit a deer behind the shoulder and it rips through the guts. We talking about bringing home meat, not going to war.
The Barnes copper bullets or the federal fushions are what I hear work well for deer with the 223

 

[Rico]

We've have used the .223 extensively on small piney woods deer. 90-130 pounds is what our deer generally weight. It is generally not recommended for deer, but the 55 grain Nosler ballistic tip has downed dozens for us over the last decades. The bullet has a solid base that will carry through. Our shots are all under 100 yards and about half are under 50. We only take clear, shots to the chest cavity, taking care to avoid the shoulder or an upper neck shot.
If you can't wrap your head around a varmint bullet for deer we have shot a few with the 60 grain Nosler Partition with fine results.

 

[Rico]

I also agree with Swampsnyper. You can't go wrong with Barnes. I was speaking with an adjacent land owner last week. He said he has shot 289 hogs this year using Federal Fusions with outstanding results from an AR.

 

[bigjoe]

Virginia outlawed using a .223 for deer hunting a handful of years back. It upset a lot of hunters.


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[floathunter3]

I experimented with a few roinds out of my AR. I killed one deer at 40 yards with a soft point. The deer only ran 30 yards but I was picking bullet fragments out of the meat. After that disaster, I started using Barnes Vor-tx. I've killed two deer with them and I've been very happy with them.

 

[Bdwilliams]

Any concerns with those bullets performing with so little energy? That's a short barrel. I believe my state, MD, requires that ammunition be faster than 1200 fps from the barrel. A lot of .223 ammunition struggles to reach that mark out of a full-length barrel. Just something to consider.

 

[floathunter3]

The velocity from the box of Barnes vor-tx .223 55gr is 3240 fps. I wouldn't be worried at all out of a standard 16" AR barrel. I don't know what would happen with a shorter barrel but I don't think it would be a problem. Especially at relatively close range

 

[Ukenout]

I just use 77gr match bullets, as fast as it is moving its gonna do the job. My 10yr old daughters first ever deer was taken with an AR and 77gr match bullets , one through the heart at 225yds and the doe was down.

 

[ricky racer]

.22 caliber bullets in my view and experience are just too light and come apart so quickly, myself I wouldn't use them on deer. Great for coyotes and woodchucks....
An AR in a .308 caliber, now that's a deer rifle!!

 

[sureshotscott]

I’m looking at using my 10.5” AR pistol this fall from the saddle on a few sits deep in public. Does anybody here have experience with good loads for deer? I typically use 150gr core-lokt in my .30-06 so i know this is a big step down in power but I know of a few guys who use .223/5.56

Out of standard length barrels .223/5.56 is effective because it has lots of velocity (research 5.56 terminal ballistics for more info). Going with a short barrel will greatly reduce velocity, and greatly reduce the lethality of the round. I would not go down this road unless prepared to take headshots--this was standard practice when I was doing deer culls with 5.56. It's an accurate round so it's doable. You just need to know holdovers at the ranges you shoot.

This is a good excuse to buy a 300 BO upper.

 

[Bdwilliams]

Correction: MD requires a minimum of 1200 ft-lbs for rifles. That's probably pushing it for a 10.5" barrel. I'd avoid the shoulder blade like the plague and keep shots close.

This is the perfect excuse for a .300 blackout upper.

 

[swampsnyper]

I started my kids off on an AR in 6.8spc II. It’s been great at our ranges under 150 yards.

 

[TonyGreenway]

.22 caliber bullets in my view and experience are just too light and come apart so quickly, myself I wouldn't use them on deer. Great for coyotes and woodchucks....
An AR in a .308 caliber, now that's a deer rifle!!

I got a Palmetto State Armory AR-10 for a steal by ordering a complete upper on sale, then a complete lower on sale. It's a lot of fun, if a little pricey, to shoot. Handloading helps a little. Well... per round price is better, but I sure shoot a lot more, now that I reload. So...

 

[Rico]

This pistol in 300 Blackout is what hangs next to my bow. I use it to deal with the pig plague we working to eliminate.

 

[KYHunter]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. Looks like I’ll have to buy a couple of different boxes and see how they group. Also, I may have to talk the wife into letting me buy a .300 upper! Just tack it on to the 200k I’ve got in dental school debt hahaha

 

[EricS]

They have come out with some decent bullets for deer and hog used in the 223. My first centerfire rifle was a 223 H&R handi rifle. It was a deer slayer. Back then all you had was 55 grain soft points. They did the job but didn’t exit. No blood trail but never had one go over 45 yards. Shot one with a fmj. Don’t do it. Yes the light for caliber ammo can bounce around but it can also blow through a deer without dumping much energy. A heavy for caliber solid or fmj can tumble but it’s a fine line between being well stabilized and not tumbling after impact and not being stable enough to deliver good accuracy. Expanding bullets are more dependable performers. If your rifle will shoot the Barnes well I would give it a shot.

 

[EricS]

Thanks for all the good suggestions. Looks like I’ll have to buy a couple of different boxes and see how they group. Also, I may have to talk the wife into letting me buy a .300 upper! Just tack it on to the 200k I’ve got in dental school debt hahaha

I built a 300 for my son to hunt with. The Barnes has performed well in it. I know several guys that were shooting 300 blackouts at night hog hunting. Most of them went back to 223.

 

[floathunter3]

Its all about the type of bullet and bullet placement with a 223. I have a 30-06, 308, 6.5 creedmoor, 44 mag rifle and a 223. I have killed deer with all of them. I can honestly say that the 3 deer I shot with the 223 ran a shorter distance than any of the larger caliber rifles. While the 223 is a little bullet, it can be highly effective. I've only shot at 3 deer with a 223 and killed all 3 with 1 shot. I am highly confidant in that gun and will continue to use it for deer hunting.