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Well I would never refute firsthand experience like that. Good to know as I have many rounds of 60 gr ballistic tips loaded up for varmints. Might have to give them a go in Montana where the caliber is legal for deer. I have seen several deer efficiently killed with 5.56/223 and various ammo including fmj but they were all headshots by rancher/landowners. If you made a perfect lung/heart shot on a deer the rancher would often comment why do you WA guys always shoot them in the guts? :D
 
1) Bone WAS hit with Megan's first goat. Broke that shoulder and destroyed both lungs (even from 275 yards away). Megan's training at that stage had only advanced to basic marksmanship, accompanied by familiarization with that gun (over the course of less than a year). Certainly no "field marksman" by any measure. She shot from prone, resting on a fanny pack. She had all the time in the world (due to a long, careful stalk), with her Dad and I coaching and spotting. On other animals, rib impact on entry was no issue at all. Dad killed at least one goat hit a bit far forward. Shoulder and neck were broken.

2) The 55g Ballistic Tip was specifically CHOSEN for the work based on what we'd seen on coyotes and such. The bullet is more durable than most think (especially at .223 velocities), and its ongoing effectiveness on the (rather significant) number of animals in my experience solidified and continued the choice. Had there been even ONE failure, the choice would have been reconsidered.

3) I would concede the caliber itself is not the BEST choice for everyone, regardless of bullet choice. It WAS the BEST choice for my father (for his reasons). It was the BEST choice for Megan (whose nickname is "Shorty"): even a .243 would have negatively affected her ability to shoot.

4) (And on this I can only speculate based on experience with other calibers and bullets): The Ballistic Tip (in any caliber) delivered into the chest cavity of big game regularly produces dramatically fast kills. On the other hand, bullets such as the Partition, Hornady Grand Slam, A-Square and other bullets built for structural integrity will do their job in penetration and bone crushing, but the shooter will probably not frequently get the sudden kill demonstrated by the Ballistic Tip to the ribs. More than once when I delivered a Partition where it needed to be, the animal hardly reacted at all. Dead on its feet, yes. But the end came noticeably after.

The point here is that on deer/antelope (if one has already chosen the .223), the Ballistic Tip MIGHT be a better choice than a long, heavy, sturdy .224 diameter bullet. The .223 might find a killing power boost from a bullet more willing to expand quickly.

I can relate no direct experience toward heavy-for-caliber bullets in the .223 on deer-size game. The need was never demonstrated.

Not all ballistic tips are created equal. Nosler makes some jackets thicker, especially in certain lighter caliber bullets. The 7mm 120gr Ballistic Tip is actually quite tough. Some of the 6mm BTs are pretty tough too. I wouldn't put it past Nosler to make a .224 with a tougher jacket in 55gr vs their 50gr offering.
 
Not all ballistic tips are created equal. Nosler makes some jackets thicker, especially in certain lighter caliber bullets. The 7mm 120gr Ballistic Tip is actually quite tough. Some of the 6mm BTs are pretty tough too. I wouldn't put it past Nosler to make a .224 with a tougher jacket in 55gr vs their 50gr offering.

Yes. The 95gr .244 Ballistic Tip turns the "ladies and kids" .243 into a monster of instant death.

Big Game Ballistic Tips received an overhaul since their initial debut. Complaints rolled in on the initial ones (probably some from fanny-busters) citing expansion was too rapid. Jacket thickness received a boost. Not sure this change extended to 55g .224's.

In my Sheep rifle (.270), accuracy dropped off in a minuscule but measurable amount. Complaints about frangibility persisted (probably some from guys who should have chosen Partition).

Nosler, in a marketing/product development version of "throwing up their hands" introduced the Accubond. Thicker jacket yet, and jacket adhered to core.

And when tried, accuracy dropped off a bit further in my .270.
 
To my knowledge all ballistic tips under 6mm are the thinner jacketed version made for varmints. .25 and 6mm you can get both varieties. Above .25 cal they only make the thicker jacketed big game hunting version. Spitpatch, I have shot the 129 gr Accubond lr version in 6.5mm and have found it to be a great performer at close and longer ranges. Accuracy is top notch also. They make a 150 gr version in .277 but may be a bit heavier than you are looking for.
 
Note it's illegal to hunt deer in Washington with a 5.56. Figured I would chime in just in case it hadn't been mentioned yet.
Frankly even if its legal I'm not sure I would hunt with that small a bullet for Deer. The chances of only wounding are MUCH higher that a good clean kill. Hunting rifles are not that expensive so why insist on using the 5.56 for something its not really suited for.
Washington State Hunter Education Chief Instructor.
 
"why insist on using the 5.56 for something its not really suited for."

1) If (like my Dad) you are a 75 year-old (Montana State Hunter Safety Instructor: 35 years) that was tired of packing a Ruger Number One.

2) If you are a very small 12 year-old girl that can shoot it far better than the vast majority of .300 Magnum guys do with theirs.

(Both proving to me on multiple occasions the cartridge IS suited for the work.)

"The chances of only wounding are MUCH higher that a good clean kill."

High chances of only wounding occur primarily with poor shot placement. A gut-shot antelope with a .300 is still a gut-shot antelope, fully equipped with lungs and heart and legs to run for miles.

Not statistical proof by any means (strictly anecdotal): I've seen 6 or 8 Antelope shot with .300 magnums. Two I will never forget because I had to be the one to chase them down, horribly wounded.

Yet, I will not draw the conclusion the caliber is "not suited": (even though the .223 has a far better track record during the course of my experience).

What was "not suited" was the choice those hunters made toward a caliber they will never learn to shoot well.
 
Note it's illegal to hunt deer in Washington with a 5.56. Figured I would chime in just in case it hadn't been mentioned yet.
Frankly even if its legal I'm not sure I would hunt with that small a bullet for Deer. The chances of only wounding are MUCH higher that a good clean kill. Hunting rifles are not that expensive so why insist on using the 5.56 for something its not really suited for.
Washington State Hunter Education Chief Instructor.
Luckily I live in Oregon and it is legal.
I don't expect much opportunity to take a shot further than 100 yards where I live.
I figured that there is nothing wrong with the caliber, and a good load would suit the purpose of "just incase".
I'm learning a lot about reloading and getting a bunch of anecdotal information, which I value and why I asked.
Also, ordering a bunch of reloading stuff to keep my father indoors seems like a good thing to me right now.
 

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