My ol 223 has to slow of a twist to use them.

But I would certainly give the 62gr tsx and ttsx a try. I can't imagine them not being bad deer medicine as good as the 53gr little brother works.

Federal fusion is a factory ammo I’ve heard people recommend. A fella I started taking last year uses a 223. He has some medical issues that require low/no recoil. I’ve watched him shoot 5 deer with it so far shooting 64 grain Winchester PowerPoints. A buck high shoulder shot, drt. A mature doe he shot too high going for a high shoulder that I had to finish off when I got to her. Not the rifle/ammo fault. A doe fawn through the boiler room that ran maybe 100-150 yards. No blood trail and wouldn’t have found her if she didn’t die right on the edge of the field. A mature doe that bled great, but was never recovered. She made it about 250 yards and was seen still alive. And a 60 pound button head shot through the lungs that ran about 30 yards and died. No blood trail.

With that said, I have a 223 that I thought might make a good first deer rifle for my girls who aren’t going to want something with recoil. But like you, will only be in specific situations

222 not a 223 but 52 gr HP. They don't go very far.
Nothing lives with a hole in the heart or lungs.
A deer with a hole in the heart or lungs doesn't live longer than 7 seconds.

My kids started out at a young age with 223 Federal fusion…if you do your part, they will do their part…

60 grain Partition worked for my grandson before he graduated to a larger caliber rifle.

My experience with a 22 caliber rifle is when the shot is solid deer die, typically very quickly. Yes there is typically no blood trail. I don’t like head or neck shots as too much room for error leading to a potential crippled deer no matter the chambering.

I like a high shoulder shot with 52/55 gr bullet is what I was partial to. 222,223,22-250,22-250AI and 22-243 have all worked.

My experience with the 223 has been shots under 100yds, perfectly broadside shots and basically just treated that baby rifle like a bow. Be smart with your shots. You wanna break shoulder or more, get more gun. But all my deer piled up within 40yds. Not much blood, but it’s there. Not sure if wanna mess with it in dense green foliage, but up here in autumn or snow it’s just fine. With that 62gr TSX I can stick my pinky in the exit wound. I switched to 6ARC for my kid rifle and that smokes em better with little recoil. Dumped 2 mulies at 300 and 350yds this fall.

...where then guys from Alaska that a kill caribou with here .223's ?

They will kill them. And I have. But I would take head or the neck shot GREENCOUNTYPETE posted. I shot one large doe that I saw go down about 60 yards away. Double lung shot lungs were destroyed. But absolutely zero blood didn't see a drop on the ground and could not find the hole easily looking at the deer tell the skin was off. No exit. Had it ran into thick stuff instead of being in a wide open woods would have probably not found it.

243 or 7mm8 are both very mild and go a much better job if shooting them in the chest. But you already bought a 223. Also likely the reason my boys have not lost a deer yet out of the 54 or 55 they have shot. I have 100% confidence we would absolutely kille every deer (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman) at if using a 223. Just not that they would be found in the thick stuff we hunt in a lot.

best starter whitetail rifle for kids or beginners I have found is the 6.5 Grendel.

Or the 6 arc...

Jeesh, he already ordered the gun folks, at least some helped with some good loads. Double lung um and don’t expect a blood trail. Happy hunting for the wifey.

I have friends in Nome that use a .223 exclusively.. but.. up there.. theres no where for the animal hide.. they just shoot it and watch it with binoculars until it expires..

The .223 will likely take a deer or two BUT...

I'll likely order a larger gun if she shoots it well and enjoys it, I'll then have an ultralight Coyote gun... I wasn't going to admit that while some were having a coronary though.

Hmmm, that’s smart thinking there!

My Wife and Daughter have killed several deer with a 62 grain Bearclaw bonded bullet loaded to 5.56 levels. The rifle was a 16 inch AR. There has been an exit wound on all of them, I never looked for a blood trail as they all fell within sight. A friend of ours uses the 62 grain Federal Fusion ammo and has also had excellent results with it as well. Now none of these deer were shot at more than 100 yards and they waited for the right shot on all of them as well.