223 for Deer

[Topgun 30-06]

Been hunting myself for almost 60 years and can't argue much with what you've said, but I've never used anything smaller than a .243 for deer and some say that's too small. Proper bullet placement with a caliber big enough to impart a decent amount of ft/lbs of energy into the vitals is what's needed for a humane kill. The old school says that's 1000 on deer and 1500 on elk at POI, far more than a .223 imparts at any real hunting distance.

 

[ninnamyuk]

You have just communicated some very telling information . You have never tried it and are basically just reiterating what you have heard others say without necessarily knowing how they came to those conclusions. The mathematical formulas that you allude to do not necessarily give an accurate real world estimate of killing power. My old school knowledge comes from butchering hundreds of animals killed cleanly with 223 FMJs.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

You keep right on shooting those animals, but I think the reason the .223 was, and is, used up your way for the animal you're talking about is because there were a jillion inexpensive rifles around in that caliber, as well as the ammo being cheap and easy to find. I'm not going to argue that in your expert hands it will probably do just what you're saying, but there aren't many experts like you in the real world either! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

 

[north of 53]

Been hunting myself for almost 60 years and can't argue much with what you've said, but I've never used anything smaller than a .243 for deer and some say that's too small. Proper bullet placement with a caliber big enough to impart a decent amount of ft/lbs of energy into the vitals is what's needed for a humane kill. The old school says that's 1000 on deer and 1500 on elk at POI, far more than a .223 imparts at any real hunting distance.

Just a note on ft/lbs of energy. I shoot a 70 gr VLD out of my 223 and it carries 1000 ft/lbs out past 200 yards. Now for even more fun I shoot a 80 grain VLD out of my 22-250 A.I. and has 1000 ft/lbs out past 400 yards. Also worth noting my 22-250 with my 80 gr VLD hits harder at 100 yards than my 6mm Remington shooting 100 gr sierra SBT. Also my 22-250 with my 80 vld muzzle velocity of 3300 fps has more ft/lbs at 450 yards than a factory Federal 270 win loaded with a 140 gr trophy bond.
Some jurisdictions will not let you use any 22 cal but with allow something like a 25-20 on deer so please using what is legal or not legal as part of an ethical debate is just foolish.

A 223 is not my first choice for deer I like my 22-250 much better or my 6MM Rem or my 30-06 or my 6.5 x 55 but a 223 will work just fine.