lets talk hunting with a EBR .223

[camo]

Seems there a few different camps on the issue of deer hunting with a ar-15 .223

what is the story on this ? have you done it ? is it just somehow taboo ?

I have shoot and killed a few deer with my .223 EBR but am I a minority in this ?

[4in100]

I've used my .308 EBR. If you can kill it with the .223 bullet, doesn't matter waht it came out of to me.

[Aron82]

I prefer to use something with a little more knock down for deer. I have shot deer with a .308 and 7.62x 39 EBRs in the past, but I mostly use a bolt action .270 (otherwise this rifle wouldn't get shot). I have gotten some nasty looks for hunting with EBRs in the past, but noone has had the balls to say something directly to me about it. In Montana you can't have a magazine larger than 10 rds for big game hunting.

[mike]

7.62x39 makes perfect sense since it's almost identical to 30-30, which has probably taken more deer in the US than any other caliber. Personally I wouldn't hunt deer with a .223. I prefer 30-30 in dense brush and .270, .308, or 30-06 in the open.

[Phonedoc]

Originally Posted by camo

Seems there a few different camps on the issue of deer hunting with a ar-15 .223

what is the story on this ? have you done it ? is it just somehow taboo ?

I have shoot and killed a few deer with my .223 EBR but am I a minority in this ?

We can't try it here. .243 is the smallest we can legally use.

[southernfriedcj8]

You can use any center fire calibre her in GA.
I think hunters owe it to the deer to use the most effective round they can. IMHO that would be a 150gr 30-06.
Since I sold my 06 I use a 150gr .300 Win Mag.
That being said, a well placed shot will kill any deer with damn near any round.

[TEX]

Originally Posted by Phonedoc

We can't try it here. .243 is the smallest we can legally use.

I believe that's false. .243 is minimum in Colorado, but I believe .22 caliber centerfires are legal in MO. Our local gun shop has sold a bunch of the .223 single shots to guys with small kids wanting to get into hunting.


TEX

[Phonedoc]

Originally Posted by TEX

I believe that's false. .243 is minimum in Colorado, but I believe .22 caliber centerfires are legal in MO. Our local gun shop has sold a bunch of the .223 single shots to guys with small kids wanting to get into hunting.


TEX

Hmmm...

Let me go check it out. The rules may have changed.

[ROCKILLER]

I've never done it but I know many people who have the bigger is better theory and wouldn't consider anything that small. Then again these are the same guys that laughed at the scope on my lever action 30-30 for pig hunting because "a brush gun shouldnt have a scope" and scratched their heads when even my girlfriend could outshoot their 30-06 and their 7 mag.

[Phonedoc]

I stand corrected. We can now use any centerfire rifle or handgun with expanding bullets. We can also use .410 slugs, which used to be disallowed, and air guns over .40.

[camo]

Originally Posted by ROCKILLER

I've never done it but I know many people who have the bigger is better theory and wouldn't consider anything that small. Then again these are the same guys that laughed at the scope on my lever action 30-30 for pig hunting because "a brush gun shouldnt have a scope" and scratched their heads when even my girlfriend could outshoot their 30-06 and their 7 mag.

That is the same kind of reaction I get.

how the fuck can a .223 be to small for a deer ? do these people think you need to blow the critter in half just to kill it ?

and FYI...I mounted a scope on my 30-30 also and was laughed at.

oh well since when do I do the popular thing ? LOL

[whistle pig]

I have killed several deer with a 223 and a 22-250. They will both kill a deer with a well placed shot.

The problem is that when they run or you happen to make a bad shot there is ZERO blood trail to follow 99% of the time.

I shoot varmints and such but would go up to at least a 243 with the heaviest bullets I could find for deer.

[Tim84K10]

You haven't seen midwestern deer, camo.

They look like horses.

[southernfriedcj8]

Y'all talk about it some more. I'm taking the .300 Win Mag and heading into the woods(just down the street).

[aloharover]

I know that in some states a .22 is legally not allowed. I think in CO .25 is minimum caliber, but its been a while since I read the rules.

This is probably going to end up the way the "is a 9mm ok for self defence' conversations end up

[afroman006]

Originally Posted by Phonedoc

We can't try it here. .243 is the smallest we can legally use.

Originally Posted by camo

That is the same kind of reaction I get.

how the fuck can a .223 be to small for a deer ? do these people think you need to blow the critter in half just to kill it ?

and FYI...I mounted a scope on my 30-30 also and was laughed at.

oh well since when do I do the popular thing ? LOL

Camo how big are yalls deer? Are they mulies or blacktails? I know deer from about Missouri on up north are litterally about twice the body weight of our little southern deer down here. My dad hunted deer with a .22 magnum until they banned deer hunting with rimfires in Texas. My mom, however, has hunted with a .222 for the past 30 years or so. Seems to work prety well for her.

[rcurrier44]

With the right bullet and a good shot a 223 works just fine.... but I still use a 30-06...

[300sniper]

Originally Posted by afroman006

Camo how big are yalls deer? Are they mulies or blacktails? I know deer from about Missouri on up north are litterally about twice the body weight of our little southern deer down here. My dad hunted deer with a .22 magnum until they banned deer hunting with rimfires in Texas. My mom, however, has hunted with a .222 for the past 30 years or so. Seems to work prety well for her.

i am not a hunter but i think the deer out here are usually much smaller than say in montana. i have seen some pretty big ones out though.

some one that knows deer, how much would you guess this one weighs? and is he a black tail or a mulie? this picture is pretty old now but i saw him earlier this year and he was even bigger.

[Mo]

you can't use an evil black rifle for anything other than shooting up shopping malls and schools. don't you people know anything??

[Whitewater]

That is a decent sized Blacktail, nowhere near the size of a decent Mulie though.

[Somebody]

IMHO it’s an ethics thing. I think it’s owed to the critter to put it down as cleanly as possible. I’m sure a .22lr could kill a moose but it’s probably not the best choice.
A well placed 5.56 will work better than a poorly placed 30.06. I think it comes down to your skills, your desire, and your ethics. Fawk everybody else.

[M.Martian]

Originally Posted by Mo

you can't use an evil black rifle for anything other than shooting up shopping malls and schools. don't you people know anything??

You can also use them for shooting up fast food restaurants. I think it's even ok for use at the Post Office.

I've always got my mini-thirty (with a scope of course since it might be considered a brush gun). If I don't think that will be enough, I'll just borrow my dad's 300 mag.

[JeffsJeep04]

I use a 180gr 30-06 for the reason that the deer up here are all damn near 200# (not uncommon for a nice buck to be over that, dressed), and I don't wanna chase them very far. 165 grain seems to actually shoot the flattest, so I've started to use it since in my area I do a good bit of long range shooting. I've got the 1911 for the heavy brush

[mike]

Originally Posted by JeffsJeep04

I use a 180gr 30-06 for the reason that the deer up here are all damn near 200# (not uncommon for a nice buck to be over that, dressed), and I don't wanna chase them very far. 165 grain seems to actually shoot the flattest, but in my area I do a good bit of long range shooting. I've got the 1911 for the heavy brush

yea, I used 30-30's (or 38-55) about 190miles north of you.

[JeffsJeep04]

The 30-30 is insanely popular around here. You just don't get a much better gun for the hills and heavy cover that is typical around here. We are set up with a lot of long, narrow fields, so there is great shooting if you can reach out on our particular land. If I was hunting public areas around here, I'd most definitely still have my 30-30 with open sites.