223 for deer

[almostthere!]

Just thinking... Why does a 223 kill deer in WI but not in MN?

[shae1986]

They do kill deer in Minnesota, just not legally. And i would love to be able to use my .223 in minnesota but i cant bc they don't allow them under the legal firearms. But my dad is taking it to North Dakota next year to shoot deer. I feel a lot more confindent shooting my .223 than i do my 30-06, mainly bc i reload for the .223 and shoot it a lot more.

I feel the .223 has plenty of power behind the bullet to take down a deer. And for younger hunters, it is a very good gun, its light, low recoil and very accurate.

I don't care if you shoot a 300 WSM and i shoot my .223, if we both hit the deer in the heart they should both tip right over, or run very little with lots of blood sign, either way its a harvested deer. Now should .223 be legalized for deer hunting in Minnesota, I don't know, I will let the MNDNR make that decision.

Good luck everyone

Andrew

[lawdog]

It seems to me it would be a very marginal deer cartridge at best. Its just too small. Yes a perfect shot placement will kill a deer with a .223, or for that matter, you could probably kill a deer with a .22 if you had the exact perfect shot, but should they be legal? NO! There just isn't enough margin for error there and perfection in your shot isn't easy to come by in reality in a hunting situation.

[Gissert]

Dunno - My dad used to shoot mulies back in the 1950's with a 220 swift and 65 grain bullets. Hit 'em in the rib cage and they never went far. Before he passed on he always used to mention how well it worked. He was an tremendous shot, and practiced a lot back in those days. I never remember him telling me that he lost any deer.

I agree that it is probably on the small size, though. Guess I'll stick with my .338

[Jackpine Rob]

In many states the .223, 22-250 and other smaller cartridges are commonplace. I shot an antelope last year with a 22-250, and it went down like a ton of bricks. Double lung - red jello when I gutted him. I've also shot deer with the 22-250 (not in Minnesota!), and had no problems. Several of the guys I talked to on the antelope hunt were dyed-in-the-wool .223 guys, and they used them on everything from prairie dogs to deer. While it wouldn't be my first choice for a deer gun, there is no question that the caliber can take down deer.

[harvey lee]

Yes, a 223 will kill a deer with a well placed shot,the problem is there are alot of hunter who will not even sight there rifle in before a hunt,so then the gun is marginal.A 300 WSM will still kill a deer with somewhat of a bad hit.If everyone who used a 223 was good with the gun then I cant see why it could not be used.It probably is on the smaller end of a caliber to use.I use to hunt with a 300 mag for deer,but stopped as its to much of a gun for der and probably overkill.Now its a 7mm or 270.

[Cooter]

Here in WI, the .223 is legal. I hunted this last year zone T with mine, but did not have an opportunity to shoot a deer. It was mostly a 'What if I get one close and hit it with this little thing, whats gonna happen?' However, during the regular gun season, you wouldn't catch me dead out there with the .223. You get a big deer, long range, and a bad angle and you probably gonna have big problems. It doesn't make much sense when you can step up to a .243 or 7mm-08 for instance and still not worry about recoil yet have much more killin umphh. As usual, just my .02 worth

[Steve Foss]

Sure, any .22 high-power centerfire cartridge can kill deer. They can kill moose, too, and elephant (if you hit them just right). The .222, .223., .22-250, .220 swift, et al.

But why launch a 50-60 grain bullet after a 200 pound animal when there are loads far more suitable for the task?

I might be able to put a tow chain on an old Ford Pinto to pull a pickup out of the ditch, but it gets done a lot more quickly when you've got a big truck with 4x4. It's like fishing in trophy walleye water with 4 lb line and an ultralight rod. If it's all you got, take the shot. If you have a choice, choose the most appropriate weapon.

I've hunted in N.D., and two of the deer I hung there had .22 centerfire bullets in their bodies. They were walking along like there was no problem in their lives when my .30 caliber round hit them in the breadbasket. Found the .22 minis when I butchered. One was from an earlier year, one was current.

[icehousebob]

I talked to a ranch kid years ago in Montana who used a 22-250 for deer. The first two he hit dropped like rocks. The third one must have hit bone because the slug blew up on the surface, created a big flesh wound and led to a long tracking session. He went back to his .30 cal. And this was a guy who had all the time in the world to wait for the right deer and the right shot. Most of us don't have that luxury.

[Bassboy1645]

step up a size and go .243 their legal in MN and have a lil more oomph. wait for the right shot with this and even ur .300 mag and that deer is gonna drop like a sack of bricks. therefore I would like to see more people using smaller rounds like a .243 up to maybe a .30-06. there are times a .30-06 may even be over kill. If you are more accurate with a smaller round because it kicks less use that instead of ur .458 Dont use the bigger gun just because its got more balls than the guy next to ya on the range!!!!!!!!!! bigger is not always better

[Mr Special]

It's funny how some people worry about the kick from their gun while shooting deer. I mainly shoot a 12ga smooth bore, have used my buds 300 Win Mag and .338. I personally have never notice the kick when aiming at a deer.

But if you are considering a .243 Win, don't count out a 308. Same case but a .30cal bullet. To me they have the same kick at the range which is not much at all.

Good luck

[Steve Foss]

Biggest round I ever shot at a deer was a Marlin .444, if you don't count 12 gauge slugs. Lots of .30 cal rounds, magnum and not.

Guns that kick like crazy on the range tend not to kick at all when it comes down to the crucial moment with the deer in the scope. Obviously, the kick's the same, you just don't notice it when the adrenaline is pumping and your attention is totally focued on the deer. I agree you don't need to over-caliber yourself for deer. But don't flinch on your deer shot because you don't like the rifle's range kick. When you're looking through the crosshairs at a deer, if you're worrying about how hard the gun is going to pound your shoulder, you're worrying about the wrong thing.

So many new hunters over the years have said to me and others: Wow, it kicked like crazy when I was sighting it in, but I could hardly feel a thing when I got my deer!