Let my brother-in-law borrow my 223 700 VS to shoot pDogs out in Wyoming. So I loads up 150 53gr. MKs, 24.5grs. BM, Rem. nickel brass, WSR primer, if you must know, knowing that it's not a Varmint bullet, but I knew it would have no problem puttin down the mighty PDog of Wyoming.
When he dropped the rifle off Sunday, I got the rest of the story.
Dale was telling me about shooting these praire dogs, and how funny it was stalking and shooting the little buggers, something he's never done before. Then he told me he shot his Antelope with the rifle, really I retorted. How'd that work out? I asked. Not to bad, and commenced to telling me the story how he got it.
He saw the lope out there about 350yds.(laser measure I imagine) aimed somewhere, can't remember exactly, on the body, took the first shot, saw some dirt kick up a few feet away, what the hack, I missed he thought. On that shot the lope ran off a bit, stopped and gave him a nice broadside shot, again still at 350yds., this time he put the fine crosshairs of the Burris 6x-24x Signature high on the shoulder, bang! same thing, saw some dirt kick up a few feet away, while Son Collin was watching through the binos, and Dale through the scope, Collin yells out, you got him, and the Antelope promtly tips over, DEAD. When we skinned it out, the bullet made the normal entry hole, and about the size of a dollar on the oft side, I asked if there was any bullet splatter indicating "fragmentation", no, just a nice hole, through and through, took the top of the heart off. And my VS finally gets it's first Antelope and numerous PDogs, with the vaunted MK. Jay

Jay Gorski: Yes the wonderfully accurate Sierra 53 gr. Match Kings will kill Varmints and game animals but I quit using them decades ago!
Both the Sierra 52 gr. Match Kings and the 53 gr. Match Kings are the "hardest" 22 caliber bullets I have ever shot!
The ricochet factor while using these bullets for Varmints (Ground Squirrels, Rock Chucks, Prairie Dogs etc) is so high and unacceptably risky that I simply won't use them anymore. Nor will I allow along on my Varmint Safaris anyone who uses them!
That dust "kick up" in the back ground is the norm with these two admittedly wonderfully accurate bullets!
I highly recommend using up any left over bullets you may have - at the range with a safe background! Then switch to a more frangible bullet for your Colony Varmint shooting!
Now as to using the 223 on Big Game (medium game?) I have seen dozens of head of Big Game killed with the 223! Most of the kills were done with 55 gr. Spitzer bullets. I have seen Mule Deer, Whitetailed Deer and Antelope killed with the 223! Most all were killed in their tracks! My good friends here in SW Montana use their "family" 223 to harvest Antelope and Whitetails to the tune of 10+ animals every year!
This family has also killed a Mt. Goat and a 31" trophy Mule Deer with their 223! Both these latter animals were one shot kills!
This family uses the 55 gr. Remington PSP factory loads!
I highly recommend for safety sake that you not use the wonderfully accurate Sierra 53 gr. MK's on game or Varmints!
Long live the 223!
I should also tell the story about the diary cow that had to be put down after suffering a "ricochet" in the upper ass via Sierra 52 gr. MK!
This occurred in central Idaho where I used to Varmint Hunt a lot with some guys that just would not use anything but "Sierra 52's".
The cows wound festered and the cow became so ill it was inspected and the wound found. The cow was killed and the bullet dug out of its body. The dairyman showed me the bullet and I am positive it was a Sierra 52 gr. MK! He would not give me the bullet because he wanted to show it to every Varmint Hunter that would come and ask to Hunt his fields!
Since then (25 years ago+) I have not Hunted alongside anyone using these "unsafe" bullets!
I recommend the wonderful (and wonderfully accurate!) Sierra 50 or 55 gr. Blitz bullets for Varminting.
I have not myself used the 223 on much big Game but I have used the 220 Swift and the 22-250 on Antelope and Deer. There I recommend the Sierra 55 gr. Spitzers.
I had to look up in my dictionary your term "vaunted MK"! My understanding of the definition was to boastfully call attention to. I agree with the "vaunted" Remington VS part and the "vaunted" accuracy of the Remington and the 53 Sierra's but in a safety minded way the 53 Sierra's are not to be boasted about but "lamented" would be more appropriate. They simply are not safely shot in flat country!
Good luck!
Long live Sierra!
Long live Remington!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

If he shot an antelope with a 223 in Wyoming, it was illegal. Big game rifles must be at least .24 diameter.

quote:

Originally posted by johnnyappleseed55:
If he shot an antelope with a 223 in Wyoming, it was illegal. Big game rifles must be at least .24 diameter.

I bet it expanded to more than 24 cal., though.

He apparantly didn't know that, I won't say nothing if you don't. Jay

OK
You guys might want to get the regulations and read up on that stuff.

I found out about 25 years ago that the 52Gr Sierra Match was "hard" as VarmitGuy stated. I
used in those days a Ruger 220 Swift & if I shot
a groundhog at 450 yards or further, they would
crawl to their holes as the bullet would just
punch through.
I know of many, many Deer killed here in AR. with the 55 Gr. Rem. load & it has been quite
lethal in skilled hands with rib cage shots.