Hello all. I am using my BCM MK12 mod 4x for deer this year. Right now I’m sighted in with some federal fusion 62 grain that are sub moa in the rifle but I just had an order come in with the Barnes. I have a few boxes each of Barnes vor tx 5.56 in 62 and 70 grain. If the 1:8 barrel stabilizes both and both are similar in accuracy, is there any benefit to one or the other weight bullets in a less than 225 yard shot?
Reasonable to assume better/more penetration with the 70’s.
Velocity constantly diminishes but bullet weight remains the same. For such a small cartridge, I would stick with the 70 grain- especially for a less-than-desirable shot angle.
In a hunting scenario as you describe- I’d take more penetration over an inch or two less drop at 225 yds.
I know people who kill lots of things with the 70gr bullet and have also used the 62. The consensus is that the 70gr is much more dramatic. It’s something that numbers/gel/paper don’t express, but that they have seen in the field hundreds of times over.
I get around 1.5-1.6" 10 shot groups using the military loading from a 16.1" CHF Chrome-lined freefloated barrel and a 4x nightforce. The /mil load shuffles them through the muzzle at around 2900 fps by my chronograph. They like dah speed, those TSX’s!
I killed a doe last year with a 1/8 Rainer arms barrel. Using a 75 grain gold dot.
It did the job no problem.
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Hey fellas. I tried some vor-tx 70 grain and 62 grain in my bcm mk12. The 70 grainers are grouping just over 1.675". The 62 at .75" (shot from a wiggly sawhorse with tiny Walmart sandbags) I’m gonna stick with the 62. My rifle likes the Federal fusion 62’s (.675 moa). Between the TSX and the fusion, which would be better for deer and why? Thanks fellas.
I really doubt you’re going to see much of a difference in terminal effect between the two. There might be a slim margin as far as one expanding more reliably and one penetrating a little deeper more reliably, but that’d be about it.
Federal Fusion due to cost.
Terminal effects with your use of either should be a near wash.
While statistically insignificant, if not irrelevant- my “lone whitetail with a 5.56” as follows:
Last year I was instructed by mama san to bring home a meat doe. I wanted to use the latest AR build.
The carbine was dialed in with 64 gr. G.D., which was crazy accurate, just under an inch/5 shots at 100.
A group of does filtered into an alfalfa field at first light.
I locked on the largest, range was 160 yds.+.
The doe was quartering towards me. I shot from my knee, knew the shot was good.
The doe took off and ran for 130 yds. I was in disbelief as I knew the shot was sound and heard the characteristic “thwock”.
When I got to the doe I saw no blood, none.
I looked closely, turning her over, still nothing- until I noticed blood coming from her mouth.
When I field dressed the doe I found the shot had gone within 1.5" of POA. The near lung, top of heart and offside lung were destroyed.
The deer was obviously dead on her feet but didn’t know it.
Frankly I was unimpressed. Had the deer been in the tall grass of the hillside I may have never found her- with zero bloodtrail.
Had that been “muy grande”, the buck of a lifetime, I may well have lost him.
Will 5.56 kill a deer? Hell yes.
Is it a reliable “stopper”? Not from this experience.
Will I shoot a deer with a 5.56 again? I’ve learned to- never say never, but not this year. I’m using a 300 Blk.
Entry wound just above near shoulder/base of neck.
No exit.
Photo 1 is “left”/port side of deer with TINY entry wound visible.
Photo 2 is “right”/starboard side of deer showing nothing.
Thanks. I’m committed to perfectly broadside or neck. Hopefully I’ll get one of those shots.
I’m sitting in a tree stand now. Using the 62 tsx for as much penetration I can get short of fmj’s yet still having expansion.
I would just use whatever one your rifle shoots better/more accurately.
I doubt you’ll have to take a shot past 200 yards, and inside that distance there probably won’t be much difference for terminal effects. Which is why accuracy would be the deciding factor for me, get a nice heart/neck/head shot and call it a day.
I’ve seen deer survive a gutshot from a 30-06, so for me it’s all about shot placement.
Destroying the heart and lung didn’t impress you because the deer died before the chest cavity filled with blood to the height of the wound?
No, the complete lack of a blood trail, not even blood from the wound was the “unimpressed” part. The bullet performed as designed, perfectly.
I shot a buck with a 7mm Mauser (7X57) with a handload of 140 gr. Ballistic Tip a number of years ago.
After the shot the buck took off into a heavily wooded area- he went over 100 yds. after the shot.
The shot was a classic heart/lung hit, the heart was hamburger- yet the buck ran over 100 yds. Tracking the buck in the brush/timber was simple, there was a serious blood trail from the shot to the buck.
The only difference between these two experiences, in terms of terminal performance- was the complete lack of a blood trail with the G.D.
For me, in a hunting scenario, that won’t work.
a 160 yard shot with a 64gr gold dot from that short of barrel would put your velocity pretty low, i would think… considering 64 GD’s come out slow anyway.
did you recover the bullet and if so, what is mushroomed?
I did recover bullet.
Performed as designed.
Again- the problem was not with the ammunition- it functioned flawlessly.
The problem in this ONE experience was; zero blood trail and the deer running over 100 yds.- while effectively dead on her feet.
In this sample of one- the .223 was a lousy deer hunting round.
I don’t quite follow your logic here, since the round wasn’t the problem, but it’s your choice. I just wouldn’t use .223 for deer, regardless. It’s shotguns or handguns where I’m at, anyway, but even if rifles were allowed, I’d be using a .243 at a minimum.
That was my view as well, after the fact.
Well frankly then, use a projectile with a large diameter that will provide the blood trail more often than not. This year, I’m using a bullet 3/4" across. That said, a friend of mine last year shot his deer with a 75gr Gold Dot and he said even his .30-30 had never made a blood trail like that, “Ray Charles could see it” “I was astounded that it could bleed that much! (not his first deer by far)” are some of the things he said. Heart/lung hit.