Seafire: do you have any experience with the 63gr Sierra? Speer and Winchester tout their 70gr and 64gr bullets as good for deer but Sierra lists the 63 grain as a varmit bullet. Not arguing...don't have and field experience with it. But it is very accurate in my 225Win and just curious what kind of terminal performance to expect. Thanks, Jim

Thinking of getting a 223 for some varmints, and coyotes. Would this caliber, in a factory load, handle whitetail as well? What's the max range this cal would be effective on coyotes and larger varmints?

In terms of barrel life, how harsh is this load on barrels? I know the 243 is somewhat hard, how does the 223 compare to that?

The rifle I'm thinking of getting is a Tikka T3 varmint s/s.

Thanks for all your help!

You did not say if you handloaded or not.

Especially if you handload, you can really extend the barrel life on a 223 compared to a 243.

The "experts" will tell you it will not work on whitetails. However if you handload and do go after a whitetail with it, a 64 grain Winchester, 63 Grain Sierra or a 70 Grain Speer will give you your maximum punch out of the round, and terminal performance.. Barnes Xs will also work within the limitations of the 223.

Shot placement is more key here. Don't expect it to do wonders if your shooting is ability is not up to the surgical bullet placement needed to take a whitetail down.

Knowing the plains of South Dakota, if you don't have proper shot placement to down it instantly, the deer will be miles away before he expires.

I don't think it is so much the question of the rounds capability as much as it to question the shooters ability to put the bullet where it needs to go. Only your conscience can accurately and truthfully answer that. You do your part the 223 will work. Still a 243 increases the capability of the performance dramatically.

good luck with your choice.

For me, 223 for varmints, a 243 for deer.

The .223 Remington will adequately take whitetails, period!

Handloader or not, just take a cartridge of 50-55 grains and place that slug through the rib cage and you will have a down deer!
All of this talk about you have to have pin-point accuracy is just a bunch of hype!

Like I said before put a 50-55 grainer through the ribs and you will have a dead deer!

If you've been watching the Outdoor Channel, you will notice they now mostly go for the high shoulder shot even with the big magnums! These hits go through the top of the shoulder blade and hit the spine! Try this with a .223 and you'll get the same results, your deer will be laying right where he was standing when you pulled the trigger!

Don't underestimate the .223! I know that I would take a standing shot at 300 yards on a deer and I would go for a center of the ribs shot!

I've seen deer shot and lost with a 300 Win Mag, so, any rifle "can" have it's downfall!

If I could only have one rifle/cartridge combo for everything it would be a .223 Remington!

Maximus,

Can you kill a deer with a .223? You bet you can; I�ve done it (and seen it done) with the several of the CF .22s�hell, I even took my first buck with a .218 Bee (the factory 46 grain HP load) which is a poor performer in comparison. So yes, I know you can kill a deer with a .223.

Question is�why would you?

Shooting in the field is a dynamic situation, with lots of little variables that can muck things up when, taken individually, they don�t amount to very much. A slight variation in shot angle, a bit of deflection from bone, a few inches less penetration and�oops! Keep your ranges reasonable and your shot placement spot �on and you will usually be rewarded with venison. Unfortunately, I�ve also seen everything done �right� by a fellow shooter with a .223 (reasonable range, broadside lung shot, TBBC bullet) and still almost lost a doe one evening. A .22 is a wee hole to try and bleed through and she traveled as far as you�d expect from a lung shot. No blood trail, thick brush�but it worked out for the best in the end. I�ve seen a few other �near losses� to convince me that I want a slightly greater margin for error than the .223 provides.

Long story short, I believe that there are many better answers to harvesting deer than the CF .22s. And no, I don�t mean to imply that you�ve got to drag the latest short-sleeved magnum with you to get it done. My current �low end� whitetail cartridge is the 6mmX45 (6mm-.223)�a .243 Kurtz, if you will. Not a whole lot bigger, but bigger where it matters!

Good luck and good hunting,

Mark

Maximus,

In my opinion, the 223 is a 300 yard coyote gun. It will "handle" deer with something like the 53 x-bullet, the Trophy Bonded, or the Partition. On deer, I would "guesstimate" that your effective range would be about 100 to 150 yards.

If you lung shoot a deer (and I assume we are talking big-bodied Dakota deer) with one, count on a three second run before he goes down. Depending on where you hunt, that might create a recovery problem, because there won't be much blood trail, and a deer can easily run 50 to 100 yards after being lungshot.

As far as the Tikka, I think it is an excellent all around rifle, especially to start with. Good barrels, good triggers.

In your case, though, if this is going to be your only rifle for now, I would suggest a slightly larger cartridge. A 260 or 7-08 comes to mind. The reason is simple. It will be a great deer rifle, no matter what, but if you really get into varmints, the siren song of the custom barrel will be calling very soon. HTH, Dutch.

Thanks for all the help folks ...



I would like to use this gun mainly on yotes in the 250-400 range, maybe out to 500 someday, when I start to shoot better. Would like to shoot pdogs, gophers, coons, etc ... as well. The reason I wondered if it'll take whitetail is, if I'm out and about w/ the 223, and I see a whitetail, I want to know if I have a chance in taking it. Don't want to lose the opportunity if it is offered. Considering I'll be doing a lot of shooting w/ this, I would like to know what the expected life is on the barrel. Yes, I know it depends on a lot of factors, and overall it's a hard question to answer. It's probably a stupid question, but oh well ...



I have a 243 for deer, however the stock is walnut in the deluxe (high gloss) finish, and I don't want to scratch it all up w/ frequent uses. It's a Tikka whitetail deluxe, which was discontinued this year. I would like to keep it in excellent condition and use it strictly for deer.



I've been toying with the idea of a custom gun, however, I can not come up with the funds. Don't have a couple G's, at least, for a custom beauty, but would love to someday, hopefully next year or the one after.



Thanks again all ...