Legal calibers for deer.

[paul pachowicz]

Sorno, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion why .243 is too small for "some" hunters? Please don't say that bigger calibers lend latitude for poorly placed shots.

[A.W.Wolfram]

It depends on what type of bullet you use. Varmint rounds are designed to rapidly expand. Soft point and FMJ rounds are designed to retain there weight(stay in one piece)

Fragmenting rounds are non compliant with the Geneva Convention. The reason the military switched to the 5.56 is that they found solders can be more accurate with less recoil and the ammo is lighter and the solders could carry more. The smaller 5.556 round is solid and tumbles when it hits causing more damage especially with the velocity of the round(almost twice as fast then a 30-06)

As far as the bullet being copper coated.

.22 caliber rounds need to be coated with either copper or molly. If they are not they would melt do to the friction caused by the friction of the bullet traveling down the barrel so fast.

[paul pachowicz]

ummmmmm????? 223 twice as fast as a 06? 40 grain 223 hot loaded (748 powder) with mag primers 3462 FPS. 100 grain .06 hot loaded (IMR 3031)CCI 200/250 primers, 3448 FPS. Hardly twice as fast.

[SORNO]

Sorno, I'd be interested in hearing your opinion why .243 is too small for "some" hunters? Please don't say that bigger calibers lend latitude for poorly placed shots.

A poor shot is a poor shot. How many deer hunters are out in the field that only pick up a firearm once a year to deer hunt? Shoot 5-10 rounds thru it to make sure it is still shooting in the same spot as last year? So yes that is part of it but not all of it. There is also the idea of not having enough velocity at the distance some people are willing to shoot "AT" a deer. I don't want to argue so I will leave it at that. In my opinion I think the .243 is a capable round to kill deer but should only be used by those that can make a well placed shot and know what the rifle is capable of doing.

[luckey]

I shot a doe on Thur with my .223 - I used 64gr power points and the bullet almost passed through, found it mushroomed perfectly just inside the hide.

I had wanted to shoot a deer with that rifle for a couple years and decided I would do it during the antlerless only season and limit shots to under 100 yards and broadside. It was about an 80 yard shot and that doe died just as well as if you'd shot it through the chest with anything. Good sized deer, dressed at 110lbs. So of course, with the right bullet and shot placement and limited distances you can kill deer with small calibers. However, you wouldn't catch me out during regular season with it. A less than ideal angle at a large buck with some shot distance and I wouldn't feel confident with the little .223 bullet.

I think cooter provided the proof we all have been looking for. You can kill a deer with this caliber but it will take almost perfect conditions. 80 yds, broad side, small doe, and the bullet still did not exit the deer.

[A.W.Wolfram]

100 grain .06 hot loaded (IMR 3031)CCI 200/250 primers, 3448 FPS. Hardly twice as fast.

You use 100 g 30 cal for deer?

And was I not talking Mil spec.

[KG243]

I shot a doe on Thur with my .223 - I used 64gr power points and the bullet almost passed through, found it mushroomed perfectly just inside the hide.

I had wanted to shoot a deer with that rifle for a couple years and decided I would do it during the antlerless only season and limit shots to under 100 yards and broadside. It was about an 80 yard shot and that doe died just as well as if you'd shot it through the chest with anything. Good sized deer, dressed at 110lbs. So of course, with the right bullet and shot placement and limited distances you can kill deer with small calibers. However, you wouldn't catch me out during regular season with it. A less than ideal angle at a large buck with some shot distance and I wouldn't feel confident with the little .223 bullet.

Where were you hunting that you could shoot a doe on thursday with a rifle????

[c&amagn]

I shot a doe on Thur with my .223 - I used 64gr power points and the bullet almost passed through, found it mushroomed perfectly just inside the hide.

I had wanted to shoot a deer with that rifle for a couple years and decided I would do it during the antlerless only season and limit shots to under 100 yards and broadside. It was about an 80 yard shot and that doe died just as well as if you'd shot it through the chest with anything. Good sized deer, dressed at 110lbs. So of course, with the right bullet and shot placement and limited distances you can kill deer with small calibers. However, you wouldn't catch me out during regular season with it. A less than ideal angle at a large buck with some shot distance and I wouldn't feel confident with the little .223 bullet.

Ummmmmmm Yea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where where you Thursday when you shot this Doe? What State were/are you in? Don't know of any Firearms season that was open that Thursday, the Early Doe season is long over with and was only a Saturday Sunday deal?

[Mr Special]

I beleive he's hunting the early Wisc anterless season. It's runs from Oct 16-19th.

[c&amagn]

I beleive he's hunting the early Wisc anterless season. It's runs from Oct 16-19th.

That would do it then thanks. ? Is the .223cal leagal in WI too for deer, just curious is all. I know that the new Caliber law this year for MN is leagal pretty much around the midwest and country for that matter for deer, MN was behind the times on that one.

[Cooter]

Any .22 centerfire is legal here in 'scoonie. And yep, was the first day of the first 4 day antlerless hunt, there is another one in Dec - EAB AGAIN for me, its really thinned the deer out in my area.

[c&amagn]

Thanks Cooter and congrats on your Doe!!!

[paul pachowicz]

Sorno, I agree with what you are saying. There is no argument, just discussion. This stands true for any calliber. A bad shot at 50 yds with a thurdy-thurdy is just as bad as a bad shoot at 300 with a belted mag round. Which could be the case on any given day here in western Sodak as far as range is concerned. Knowing your abilities and characteristics of your caliber are the key to a clean kill. Where I am goin to be on a certain day or time predicts which gun I'm gonna use, the .243, .270 or the .06.

[Brownie77]

I read an article once about a bear guide in alaska who get worried when clinets come to camp with 375 H&H on up but whe the guy shows up with his 06 he knows that guy can probably shoot the 06. Shot placement is the bottom line. A 223 in the heart is better than a 7mm in the guts.