which whitetail bullet for 223? HELLLLP !!!

[swampthang]

hey guys,
in a delima, seems ive tried ALMOST every 223 bullet and just cant find " the one"
killed 5 deer and 9 hogs just this last yr using different bullets in the ar-223 , a 75 gr hornady bthp , 62 gr barnes tsx, 65 gr sierra,55 gr gmx hp, and nosler 64 gr bonded. all did the job and i was really hoping the heavier 75 gr hornady bthp was the majic pill,NOT!
I WANT A BULLET THAT WILL REALLY EXPAND TO OPEN UP WOUND CHANNEL BUT BE TOUGH ENOUGH TO PENETRATE A BIG HOG OR 150 LB GA DEER. is there such a bullet?
shot placement will always be the key but the whole gun was bought for my 7 yr old 43lb string bean grandson. HELP
DOES ANYBODY KNOW if the hornady 75 gr match bthp will expand? it didnt on a deer but i just shot 8 in of pressed books taped togather and it made the biggest hole of all i tested.

 

[JRS]

Barnes 62 GR TTSX - Sierra 65 GR GameKing.

Do you have the twist in that barrel to stabilize the heavier bullets?

 

[seymour fish]

55 gr Sierra HP GK

 

[FN in MT]

I'm not a fan of .224" on larger game but I have seen the current 60 gr?, 63 gr? Nosler partitions used by youth shooters in a .223 to take MT muleys/whitetails and they worked.

I'd suggest the 6.8 SPC if your wed to the AR platform.

 

[AckleymanII]

The bullet you maybe looking for is the 60g Nosler partition. They make massive wound channels on deer in a 22/250.

MASSIVE!

 

[swampthang]

thanks men- i have a rock river a.t.h. 20 in ss bull barrel. i bought it for my grandson,and to just "tinker" with. it is SUPER DUPER accurate. i have a 65 gr sierra game king load that shoots 3/4 in 5 shot groups at 300 yds. and everything i throw thru it shoots moa and most times less than moa. it has a 1:8 twist wylde chamber , dont think it woudl handle anything bigger than the 75 gr hornady i have now. i know its not the IDEAL deer caliber but he s already killed 2 with it but im looking for a bullets that will both double in expansion and and stay togather if thats possible.
as soon as the little feller gets some size i have him a 308 waiting on him. just needing a needle in a haystack i guess.
i am very thankfull to ackleyman for all his help. the nosler should do well if i can get them to group like my other loads.

 

[Jtate]

I second the Nosler Partition.

 

[johnfred1965]

Barnes makes a 70 gr TXS, which may penetrate better on the hogs. I've had excellent success with the 65 SGK on deer up to 190 lbs just don't try to break a lot of bones with them.
The hornady 75hpbt is a target bullet, on softer flesh it will most likely pencil through, but on harder paper may expand as you saw. I've heard you can hunt with the Amax, but the 75 amax is too long for mag length.

JRS--is the 80TTXS a 224 or 6mm?

 

[nmjwolf]

3rd for nosler partition.

 

[JRS]

Barnes makes a 70 gr TXS, which may penetrate better on the hogs. I've had excellent success with the 65 SGK on deer up to 190 lbs just don't try to break a lot of bones with them.
The hornady 75hpbt is a target bullet, on softer flesh it will most likely pencil through, but on harder paper may expand as you saw. I've heard you can hunt with the Amax, but the 75 amax is too long for mag length.

JRS--is the 80TTXS a 224 or 6mm?

Oops. I edited my post. It is a 62 grain bullet. For some reason, I had the 25 caliber in mind.

 

[swampthang]

thats what blew my mind- i killed a nice 16 in wide swamp buck and hit the shoulder blade and he ran MAYBE 30 yards piled up. next deer was a 100 lb doe and she mustave ran 300 yds bleeding very very little , had to find her with a trail dog. was really dissapointed, exit wound was same size as entrance seemed to be no expansion. but in the book test i preformed the really stood out as a big wound channel. say the amax will expand??
been VERY interested in the 62 gr barnes ttsx tipped bullet, i think this should be a very good bullet that is tough, will expand and penetrate. i still hope others will help me make the right decision. i love hunting and teaching my grandsons the ways of the swamps and how to be responsible ethical hunters but i also want to insure there success to keep the interested.

 

[topcat]

1/2 inch groups are pretty.On game At 100 yards on deer, a 2 inch group will work every time! Bullet terminal performance is king.I would use partions

 

[fredo]

Bullet length is the deal maker/breaker from a magazine fed AR.
Considering that, I'd stick with something short&squat like the 53TSX, 65Gameking or 60Partition. They're all short enough to not hamstring a mag-fed .223 to badly. Anything longer, and you're sucking up case capacity @ 2.260" mag. length...

The 62TSX is as long/heavy as I'd go. Remember, copper is lighter than lead, so a 62grain copper bullet with driving bands cut into the bearing surface is going to be quite a bit loooonger than a same weight conventional bullet!

The 70TSX will sit so far down in the case @ mag length that it just ain't worth loading for an AR. When infringing on case capacity to that extent, its a LOSE/LOSE scenario. IE, you're losing speed due to powder loss, AND driving up pressure due to capacity loss...at the same time!

Similarly, a 75Amax is out of the question from a mag-fed AR. Its a SUPER bullet, just too dang LONG for an AR-15!!!

Shot alot of Hornday 75BTHPs from a 1:8"tw AR, as they're better designed for mag length c.o.a.l. Good shootin' bullet, but overall weight ain't all that when killin' critters with marginal cartridges. I'd sooner put a 62TSX thru a deer than the 75BTHP...

 

[Savage99]

Use a larger cartridge that shoots bigger bullets.

The 223 is not even legal in some places.

When I was a kid I shot two deer with a 222 and one ran off.

 

[fredo]

Use a larger cartridge that shoots bigger bullets.

Alternately, use a larger cartridge that shoots those same bullets a whole lot more faster-er than ya can from a mag-fed AR, and you'll see the pixie dust blown off a whitetail!

 

[Petey]

My boy has been killing deer since age 6 with a .223 and the 62 gr Barnes TSX. He's 12 now and upgraded to a .308 now that he can handle it, but I'll be he's got 6 or 7 with that combo and none ran more than 60 yards. Here's his first buck at 6yrs and you can see why I had him shooting a .223.

It does the trick very well on deer if the shot is where it's supposed to be. The rest of his deer have either been bow or muzzleloader kills..but I can attest to that particular bullet b/c I was in the same boat 6 yrs ago. I chose it over the partition, b/c the gun I built liked shooting the Barnes better than the Noslers. I think either would do the job quite frankly, but I don't have any real world experience with those partitions to say they work as well, better or worse.

 

[wboggs]

I would go for the Nosler Part. or Barnes if you can use the long bullet. All things considered, the Nosler is probably you choice in the small .223 case. Shot placement is the key to success.

 

[swampthang]

thanks men, i have more guns than most everybody I KNOW so theres no shortage on bigger guns for my grandson but the need alot more growing first.
as an ethical hunter i preach ethics to them and since im am an ACCURACY FANATIC shot placement is a must for the 223 or even a 338 lapua ( little to heavy for them)
we owe it to the game we chase to make a quick kill. i think i ll take some advice, got 75 or so 64 gr noslers loaded up shooting just under an inch. and a boatload of super dooper accurate 65 gr sierra gamekings from last yr i was just seeing if yall had another do it all bullet i havent tried yet. i really appreciate everybodies reply and look forward to some more- thanks guys

 

[JarheadAZ]

I have been developing a project rifle to hunt deer with my Mossberg MVP Predator .223. it has a Bushnell AR Drop Zone 223 3-12x BDC (Side Focus) scope; and I've tested Winchester 64gr Bonded Power Maxx ammo (for accuracy only), along with Federal 223 MSR Fusion 62gr Bonded, with a distinct accuracy advantage in my MVP Predator going to the Federal load. They both shoot adequately accurate, but I really think a developed handload could shoot more accurately. My LGS owner recommends I start with the Sierra 65gr GameKing because he especially likes the accuracy it provides.

I will most likely start by trying to doing it as a 'Mexican Match' load, replacing the penetrator projectile in M855 with the 65gr Sierra. Normally, I would not use the military load under a different bullet, but experience pulling and weighing charges in the Federal M855 has demonstrated an absolutely precise powder charge weight. The M855's accuracy is mediocre at best, and I can only attribute this inaccuracy to the penetrator projectile. I'm hoping the Sierra bullet will help.

I depend on being able to score a precise shot placement, hence the BDC scope. It is backed up by a laser range finder. A large part of using the LRF is to help keep me limited to a shorter effective range, in keeping with the smaller cartridge. From my setup position, I range the field of view in advance so I can have a better idea of distances when the time comes to make a quick decision.

Greg

 

[nakneker]

Nosler partition 60 grainer, I've used them in 222s' 223s, 22-250 and swifts. They have done the job everytime, never lost a deer or a critter. That bullet in the swift accounted for my biggest muley, a big rack with a very big body at a little over 300 yards, he took two steps.

If your using it in the 223 just be patient and put it where it counts, it will do a great job. I've always wanted to try the 70 grain TSX but can't, I'd feel like I was betraying the lil nosler.