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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Rifles, Bullets, Barrels & Ballistics
Best deer bullet for 223
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<blockquote data-quote="Kansaswoodguy" data-source="post: 983964" data-attributes="member: 83267"><p>I have been using the humble .223 rem on deer for many years and not little deer I grew up in northern Wisconsin and now reside in SE Kansas and have come to like barnes 55 tsx or ttsx the best. The 62 grains are also good if your gun has a fast enough twist to stabilize them. I would stay away from 70 grain barnes in the 223 unless hand loaded at the max load data it can't move the bullet fast enough to fully open reliably. My brother has a tikka t3 light with a 1/8 twist I hand loaded him some 70 tsx at min load ifrom my barnes reloading manual #4 22.5 grains of Varget 2627 fps per manual with 24" barrel the tikka has a 22.3" barrel. He and his boy shot several deer with that load and all where pass threw's but one a smaller basket buck around 140 lbs his boy took a poor shot straight up the backside at 60 yards the bullet was recovered just under the skin of the neck so yes I mean full length of body penetration. The bullet however did not fully open the petals. We then tested that load in bulistic gel and had some others not fully open we then loaded the remainder of the 70 tsx at max load data 24.5 grains of varget at 2840 fps and had no more issues with them not opening fully in the gel. We desided that the 55 or 62 grain are best in the 223 rem for reliable opening to occur at most ranges that we are comfortable taking deer with the .223 rem. All that said very good shot placement is a must with the 223 and we love the Barnes tsx and ttsx bullets but they love speed to work there magic on game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kansaswoodguy, post: 983964, member: 83267"] I have been using the humble .223 rem on deer for many years and not little deer I grew up in northern Wisconsin and now reside in SE Kansas and have come to like barnes 55 tsx or ttsx the best. The 62 grains are also good if your gun has a fast enough twist to stabilize them. I would stay away from 70 grain barnes in the 223 unless hand loaded at the max load data it can't move the bullet fast enough to fully open reliably. My brother has a tikka t3 light with a 1/8 twist I hand loaded him some 70 tsx at min load ifrom my barnes reloading manual #4 22.5 grains of Varget 2627 fps per manual with 24" barrel the tikka has a 22.3" barrel. He and his boy shot several deer with that load and all where pass threw's but one a smaller basket buck around 140 lbs his boy took a poor shot straight up the backside at 60 yards the bullet was recovered just under the skin of the neck so yes I mean full length of body penetration. The bullet however did not fully open the petals. We then tested that load in bulistic gel and had some others not fully open we then loaded the remainder of the 70 tsx at max load data 24.5 grains of varget at 2840 fps and had no more issues with them not opening fully in the gel. We desided that the 55 or 62 grain are best in the 223 rem for reliable opening to occur at most ranges that we are comfortable taking deer with the .223 rem. All that said very good shot placement is a must with the 223 and we love the Barnes tsx and ttsx bullets but they love speed to work there magic on game. [/QUOTE]
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Best deer bullet for 223
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