Favorite .223 load for deer - Trapperman Forums

No Profanity *** No Flaming *** No Advertising *** No Anti Trappers ***NO POLITICS
No Non-Target Catches *** No Links to Anti-trapping Sites *** No Avoiding Profanity Filter

Home~Trap Talk~ADC Forum~Trap Shed~Wilderness Trapping~International Trappers~Fur Handling

Auction Forum~Trapper Tips~Links~Gallery~Basic Sets~Convention Calendar~Chat~ Trap Collecting Forum ~ Live Chat

Trapper's Humor~Strictly Trapping~Fur Buyers Directory~Mugshots~Fur Sale Directory~Wildcrafting~The Pen and Quill

Trapper's Tales~Words From The Past~Legends~Archives~Kids Forum~Lure Formulators Forum~ Fermenter's Forum

~~~ Dobbins' Products Catalog ~~~

Minnesota Trapline Products

Please support our sponsor for the Trappers Talk Page - Minnesota Trapline Products

Please support Joe Goodman because he supports us with donations

Register Log In Home Forums Trapper Talk Favorite .223 load for deer

Print Thread

Hop To

Page 1 of 2

1

2

Favorite .223 load for deer #8533687 12/29/25 01:08 PM 12/29/25 01:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2018 MN D Donnersurvivor OP trapper
Donnersurvivor OP trapper D Joined: Jan 2018 MN	Just ordered the wife a Tikka T3x Superlite in .223, ordering a scope and bullets here shortly. What do you guys like for deer out of .223? Expecting shots to be 50 yards or less, with a rest, broadside shots. She has no experience with scoped rifles and I thought this would be a great starter gun.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533688 12/29/25 01:11 PM 12/29/25 01:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2019 MN K K9BeavCoon trapper
K9BeavCoon trapper K Joined: Sep 2019 MN	62gr TSX

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533690 12/29/25 01:13 PM 12/29/25 01:13 PM
Joined: May 2023 Virginia G GUNNLEG trapper
GUNNLEG trapper G Joined: May 2023 Virginia	I'm sure that you'll get plenty of advice better than mine, but I went with Remington accu-point factory loads for my son's rifle. He's killed deer from 5 yds to 250 yds, no issues. They tested well. I followed the ballistics on it and sighted it in basically dead on at 200 yds. He holds high vitals at 250. Anything 200 and under he holds dead on. Hope this is helpful.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533692 12/29/25 01:16 PM 12/29/25 01:16 PM
Joined: Aug 2022 TN K Krig trapper
Krig trapper K Joined: Aug 2022 TN	You pretty good at tracking?? Lol

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Krig] #8533697 12/29/25 01:30 PM 12/29/25 01:30 PM
Joined: Sep 2013 Green County Wisconsin G GREENCOUNTYPETE trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE trapper G Joined: Sep 2013 Green County Wisconsin	Originally Posted by Krig You pretty good at tracking?? Lol shoot them in the neck I don't have a good or best , but I can say while a 55gr Hornady soft point works do not expect a blood trail , high angling down from a tree stand double lung 30 yard run not a drop of blood , it worked but I could see how it could go wrong if you couldn't see where it ran. I went 300blk the next year and had to work at it to find a bullet that would give me an exit. until I found a bullet that would even give a next I would keep to neck shots America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE] #8533699 12/29/25 01:34 PM 12/29/25 01:34 PM
Joined: Jul 2013 Amite county Mississippi Wolfdog91 trapper
Wolfdog91 trapper Joined: Jul 2013 Amite county Mississippi	Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE Originally Posted by Krig You pretty good at tracking?? Lol shoot them in the neck I don't have a good or best , but I can say while a 55gr Hornady soft point works do not expect a blood trail , high angling down from a tree stand double lung 30 yard run not a drop of blood , it worked but I could see how it could go wrong if you couldn't see where it ran. I went 300blk the next year and had to work at it to find a bullet that would give me an exit. until I found a bullet that would even give a next I would keep to neck shots That's what everyone down here does .lotta people call.neck shots in ethical ... Don't know why but they work YouTube expert "The bird of Hermes is my name , eating my wings to keep me tame"

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533703 12/29/25 01:40 PM 12/29/25 01:40 PM
Joined: Feb 2010 pa H hippie trapper
hippie trapper H Joined: Feb 2010 pa	Too small of a kill area is why Wolfy. There comes a point liberalism has gone too far, we're past that point.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Krig] #8533711 12/29/25 01:56 PM 12/29/25 01:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2018 MN D Donnersurvivor OP trapper
Donnersurvivor OP trapper D Joined: Jan 2018 MN	Originally Posted by Krig You pretty good at tracking?? Lol My dog is. In reality she will go once a year and shoot the first fawn that comes in, it'll die within a few yards if shot through the lungs. I've saw a couple handfuls of deer shot with 22-250 and can verify it's a pretty bitter pill on a deer and .223 ain't going a whole lot slower.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533712 12/29/25 01:58 PM 12/29/25 01:58 PM
Joined: Jan 2018 MN D Donnersurvivor OP trapper
Donnersurvivor OP trapper D Joined: Jan 2018 MN	My personal deer guns are 300 weatherby and 450 bushmaster, I'm not opposed to big guns but the .223 will be nice to teaching wife n Kids to shoot. Getting a Trijicon 4x12 to top it with, should be a real handy, simple rifle.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533713 12/29/25 02:08 PM 12/29/25 02:08 PM
Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas Y Yes sir trapper
Yes sir trapper Y Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas	Ive been on 3 recovery jobs involving deer shot with 22 caliber bullets. One was one i shot, mature whitetail buck. Recovered him as he went a very shot distance. Not a drop of blood, couldn't even find where he was shot from the outside. 2nd was a whitetail doe. Shot in tall crp. She ran over the hill and died about a hundred yds from where she was shot at. Found here a day later when the coyotes had spread her around. Again not a drop of blood to trail her by. 3rd deer was a young buck. Definitely hit , not know if it was a good shot or not. Not a drop of blood and never found. In my mind why risk it when a 243 or 6.5 is plenty mild for anyone to shoot. 22 calibers can definitely kill them but you have to handicap your so much to use them effectively.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: hippie] #8533715 12/29/25 02:11 PM 12/29/25 02:11 PM
Joined: Sep 2013 Green County Wisconsin G GREENCOUNTYPETE trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE trapper G Joined: Sep 2013 Green County Wisconsin	Originally Posted by hippie Too small of a kill area is why Wolfy. then your aiming for the wrong spot on the neck , when we say neck people generally assume we mean just behind the ears I mean where it meets the shoulder we get a lot more quartering at us shots than broad side or away and that point of the neck is very forgiving , anywhere you break the spine before the front shoulder is a lights out if you get just behind the shoulder or very high shoulder you can get down but not dead look at what your hitting if you miss the actual spine , it is full of second chances to still have a very dead deer America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533717 12/29/25 02:13 PM 12/29/25 02:13 PM
Joined: Jan 2008 Alaska and Washington State W waggler trapper
waggler trapper W Joined: Jan 2008 Alaska and Washington State	Get her a .243 "My life is better than your vacation"

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: GREENCOUNTYPETE] #8533718 12/29/25 02:18 PM 12/29/25 02:18 PM
Joined: Feb 2010 pa H hippie trapper
hippie trapper H Joined: Feb 2010 pa	Originally Posted by GREENCOUNTYPETE Originally Posted by hippie Too small of a kill area is why Wolfy. then your aiming for the wrong spot on the neck , when we say neck people generally assume we mean just behind the ears I mean where it meets the shoulder we get a lot more quartering at us shots than broad side or away and that point of the neck is very forgiving , anywhere you break the spine before the front shoulder is a lights out if you get just behind the shoulder or very high shoulder you can get down but not dead look at what your hitting if you miss the actual spine , it is full of second chances to still have a very dead deer I'll disagree all day,. Google some more, its a poor percentage shot, especially with a pea shooter. There comes a point liberalism has gone too far, we're past that point.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533720 12/29/25 02:19 PM 12/29/25 02:19 PM
Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas Y Yes sir trapper
Yes sir trapper Y Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas	Boy neck shot a deer at about 200 yds with a 270. Missed the spine by less than inch. Didn't drop him. He quickly put a second round through the chest that did drop him. I wonder what would of happened if he didn't put the second round in him. Last edited by Yes sir; 12/29/25 02:33 PM.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Yes sir] #8533722 12/29/25 02:22 PM 12/29/25 02:22 PM
Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas Y Yes sir trapper
Yes sir trapper Y Joined: Jan 2017 Marion Kansas	Originally Posted by Yes sir Ive been on 3 recovery jobs involving deer shot with 22 caliber bullets. One was one i shot, mature whitetail buck. Recovered him as he went a very shot distance. Not a drop of blood, couldn't even find where he was shot from the outside. 2nd was a whitetail doe. Shot in tall crp. She ran over the hill and died about a hundred yds from where she was shot at. Found here a day later when the coyotes had spread her around. Again not a drop of blood to trail her by. 3rd deer was a young buck. Definitely hit , not know if it was a good shot or not. Not a drop of blood and never found. In my mind why risk it when a 243 or 6.5 is plenty mild for anyone to shoot. 22 calibers can definitely kill them but you have to handicap your so much to use them effectively. Ill add that both deer that weren't recovered where both novice hunters that people had told them a 22 caliber gun is enough for deer.....

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533724 12/29/25 02:24 PM 12/29/25 02:24 PM
Joined: Jan 2018 MN D Donnersurvivor OP trapper
Donnersurvivor OP trapper D Joined: Jan 2018 MN	I got the 223 for a reason, I can buy a ton of Bulk ammo and let her and my girls shoot it cheap. My personal experience with the 22-250 says it kills deer very well. I agree, you wont have blood trails. I don't plan on sitting her over a giant cattail swamp and saying shoot at anything you see. This is gonna be for learning to shoot then shooting "yard deer" occasionally. I just want to get it sighted in with a bullet that works. With the 22-250 we were shooting Hornady 55 grainers, goes in like a pencil and blows up, the lungs are mush and the deer go around 30 yards, hoping for more less the same.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533725 12/29/25 02:28 PM 12/29/25 02:28 PM
Joined: Feb 2010 pa H hippie trapper
hippie trapper H Joined: Feb 2010 pa	Right circumstances, yep you'll be alright. There comes a point liberalism has gone too far, we're past that point.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533737 12/29/25 02:45 PM 12/29/25 02:45 PM
Joined: Aug 2025 PA D D Johnson trapper
D Johnson trapper D Joined: Aug 2025 PA	I've had good luck with 60gr Nosler partitions with 23gr of H335 usually will get a hole out of both sides have not had one go more than 100 yards. As others have stated you do not get as much of a blood trail. Best to be picky with your shot.

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Donnersurvivor] #8533742 12/29/25 02:54 PM 12/29/25 02:54 PM
Joined: Nov 2023 West central Missouri R Raghorn67 trapper
Raghorn67 trapper R Joined: Nov 2023 West central Missouri	What twist is the rifle ? If it's slower that a 9 twist I have killed a ton of deer with a 53 gr Barnes X flat base and the 53 gr Barnes TSX flat base. Used it in 222, 22-250,220 swift,223, same results from all. Dead deer

Re: Favorite .223 load for deer [Re: Raghorn67] #8533743 12/29/25 02:56 PM 12/29/25 02:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2018 MN D Donnersurvivor OP trapper
Donnersurvivor OP trapper D Joined: Jan 2018 MN	Originally Posted by Raghorn67 What twist is the rifle ? If it's slower that a 9 twist I have killed a ton of deer with a 53 gr Barnes X flat base and the 53 gr Barnes TSX flat base. Used it in 222, 22-250,220 swift,223, same results from all. Dead deer 1:8

Page 1 of 2

1

2

Moderated by 330-Trapper, Bogmaster, Cindy, cotton, Drifter, Maddog47, Paul Dobbins, Sharon, USMC47 🦫

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.1