Poll: Hunting with .223

[clearconscience]

I think to be safe we should all start using 50 BMG with incendiary rounds at close range, with a quick and severe knife attack (or bayonet) to finish the job.
Let's all be responsible and if were going to kill for sport do it with superior firepower.

What about grenades?

 

[Spray-n-pray]

I think to be safe we should all start using 50 BMG with incendiary rounds at close range, with a quick and severe knife attack (or bayonet) to finish the job.
Let's all be responsible and if were going to kill for sport do it with superior firepower.

What about grenades?

I am glad that you brought that up. Feel free to suggest any other munitions that you think would do a better job of dispatching deer/large game, i.e. guided missiles, booby traps, nunchucks (only if you have the skills), cattle guards on the front of your truck, etc....

 

[ZeroRing]

What about grenades?

I don't know about grenades for hunting deer because it tends to make a mess of the good meat.

Grenades for fishing though? Perfect!

 

[Buddhalux]

I'll take a case of M203 Bolo rounds then!

 

[RallySoob]

when I was about 7yrs old my dad took down a doe at around 75yds with a Ruger 10/22 22lr when his 7mm bolt seized. It was risky and probably illegal yes I know but it dropped like a fly. shot it right in the neck and through the spine. He has always been a preacher of the headshot so I have always been one to take a headshot if at all possible. He went for the neck because 22lr may not have penatrate skull.
If you can get a good mark on paper consistantly at 300yds or so with your .223 then you should be able to make properly placed shots on a deer in most places within Oregon. I'm a strong believer in the Win 64gr power point
7mm or 30-06 is great but almost feels like cheating if your shooting anything within 300yds.
I def would not take a shot passed 300yds with a .223 unless I was feeling 'really' confident and was desperate for a kill

 

[gallogiro]

I know a guy who hunts blacktails with a .223 and he's had great results with it. I'm not really sure what bullet he shoots.

In the end it's about knowing your firearm, shooting it well and proper shot placement. But that's just my opinion. I've seen the .223 take down deer with no problem. Would you think taking down an elephant with a 7x57 mauser to be crazy?

 

[eldbillbo]

In the great state of Washington, it is not legal to hunt big game with anything smaller than .24 caliber centerfire. I may be wrong, but I believe that in Oregon, 223 is a legal caliber. Is a .223 enough knock down a whitetail, especially if you pump him full of 30 rounds? Does it depend on the round/load to determine if it is ethical? Or is the law good, and should a larger projectile be used? Energy from a 223 beats a 44 mag, and nobody bats an eye about shooting Bambi with that. What if he is coming right for you, should you wait until you see the whites of his eyes before using your bayonet on him? Maybe you should just make it truly sporting, and rassle him down and hog-tie him. Let's hear what you think...........

its a good law i wish it was like that in oregon have seen and heard of animals shot and lost because lack of knock down power

yes i love black rifles and will be hunting with a .308 ar type rifle but as a ethical hunter i think .223 is too small

But I do have a problem with hunters who look down at hunting with pistol grip rifles (provided that they are larger than .223) because had the original musket been designed with a pistol grip all modern hunting rifles would have them

a pistol grip is just evolution of the rifle to improve handling

 

[Spray-n-pray]

a pistol grip is just evolution of the rifle to improve handling

Boy, I sure can't argue with that. It's the bayo lugs that are really dangerous. And the barrel shrouds...... don't get me started.

 

[eldbillbo]

Boy, I sure can't argue with that. It's the bayo lugs that are really dangerous. And the barrel shrouds...... don't get me started.

ah but the bayonets are for poking the bear

 

[finch6013]

bayo lugs are the most dangerous part of the gun. I have a scar on my hand from one

 

[Grizzly_A]

You guys!

The 223 is sufficient to handle "large" game such as deer. Incidentally there are steaks in the fridge that came off a deer that was taken with a head shot at 150yds with a Bushmaster. It was the first and only shot. (might as well been a single-shot rifle)

But we've taken deer with a 22hornet, but we only take shots we're sure about and it's only a head/neck shot at that.

If you're going to be picky about the 223, the 22hornet is much more interesting in that respect.

Why not a .204 with a berger? (except that it's illegal on big game)

 

[chainsaw]

I have personally killed deer with a .22 rim fire.Shot placement is by far the most important issue.Use of soft point bullets is a close second.The ones who voted no are just bad shots.

 

[finch6013]

I plan on trying to take a deer with my AR this year.

 

[Grizzly_A]

Hopefully it was before the law stating that centerfire cartridges .22 caliber and up to be used on large game......

I have personally killed deer with a .22 rim fire.Shot placement is by far the most important issue.Use of soft point bullets is a close second.The ones who voted no are just bad shots.

 

[Spray-n-pray]

I have personally killed deer with a .22 rim fire.Shot placement is by far the most important issue.Use of soft point bullets is a close second.The ones who voted no are just bad shots.

Uh oh, those are some fightin' words. :bash:

 

[chainsaw]

Hopefully it was before the law stating that centerfire cartridges .22 caliber and up to be used on large game......

It was many moons ago,whan I was young and hungry.

 

[Scott]

Uh oh, those are some fightin' words. :bash:

I have to agree with that statement. 22 cal bullets or any other bullets for that matter have many varibles to include. If it was that easy we all would be at Camp Perry shooting 1500 meters. With the 22 cal bullet shot placement is critical to drop a deer. The varibles included humidity, altitude, wind, grain of bullet, temperature and many others. So I feel it is just better to use a bigger caliber to overcome some of these variables. Who knows you go to take a shot and your POA was the heart but a gust of wind came, or hit a branch, or the deer took a step and there you have a bad shot and the animal suffers. The last thing I want is a animal to suffer because of a small bullet or all of the expert marksmans out there did not put the bullet exactly where it belonged. Just me worthless .02$. Good luck to those that choose to use them but I will stick to my Rem 700 30-06 CDL which almost always allows them just one step.

Scott

 

[eldbillbo]

call me a fudd but bring the right tool for the job

too many guys just want to look like GI Joe and kill something and not care if they wound and loose it cause all that means to them is they get to kill something else.

some years ago my brother went elk hunting with some guys at work a guy in the party not a friend of his used a 30/30 oh i know some here will say that will kill a elk you are right ,the guy hit one but it did not go down it kept running and they lost its blood trail Im sure that 30/30 killed it but it died a worthless death and became food for coyotes

last year a cousin of mine came across a trophy elk that someone had killed with a underpower rifle and did not track it they took pictures the rack was taller than her. such a waist

hitting with a fast .223 bullet you may not even know you hit a deer and it will run off and bleed to death or wound get infected

granted yes the .223 will kill a deer but are you a hunter that would not pull the trigger unless you were in a perfect situation where the deer is standing still in proper range for a sure hit in perfect placement with a tiny bullet are you going to take a chance of losing a trophy deer because you wanted to look like GI Joe. if you want to look like GI Joe join the army

one reason the .223 was adopted over a .308 was it takes more man power to drag a wounded man off a battle field than leave a dead one.

 

[chainsaw]

Don't get me wrong,I don't condone useing a weak underpowered cartridge for taking of big game.I personally use a 270,and sometimes a 7mm Mag. on my mule deer hunts.My 7mm or a 35 whalen go elk hunting with me.For a pronghorn hunt,though,a flat shooting .223 does a nice job.Since Antelope are concidered big game,I think .223 should be legal to hunt with,hence,the thread topic.I have to agree with eldbillbo,if you want to play soldier,join the service.If you are hunting,use a big game hunting rifle,not a man hunting rifle.As for what I said about being a bad shot,It takes more than being able to hit your target to be a good shot,knowing when and when not to shoot at an animal,is really more important.That once in a lifetime shot,isn't,unless the animal presents it to you.

 

[Grizzly_A]

It sounds like some people are under the assumption that because you're using a .223 caliber rifle, that it is an AR/semiauto.

What if people stated that they were using a single-shot or bolt action?

Would they get more credit?