have any of you ever used your ar for deerhunting? if so how did the .223 round do? just thinking about using it this november on some deer and pigs.
ive used it on boar with great success but havent used it on deer the smallest caliber i have used is a 308
I have not killed a deer with my AR yet, but I have killed a pile of them with an old Remington model Seven in .222 Rem, shot placement is critical as are good tracking skills and a tough bullet. My granddad handloaded my shells back then and the bullet was a Nosler partition 60 gr. I am not sure of the charge.
i have not killed any deer with mine yet but i have killed hogs.usually with m855.silver state armory has 70 gr tsx on sale right now and i was thinking about next season maybe my piston lmt is due a deer…
I say choose your ammo wisely.
hollow point 223
Hornady soft tip 223
my brother in law’s ar 20" bull
yep…all neck shots though. I kill several deer every year with 22 centerfires from the ar 223 to the swift.
Move up to the 6.8 if you want to punch the boiler room.
Just make sure it’s legal in your state, some have caliber or ft-lb restrictions.
Definitely this great recommendation for starters. If legal, do not use a varmint bullet and keep ranges inside reasonable distances.
Also, stick to whitetail as mule deer can be hefty and tough mf’ers.
I might consider handloads with a premium bullet if you can’t find a commercial load that is suitable.
Shot a lot of coyotes with an AR, but never did shoot a deer with one.
Actually i don’t rifle hunt deer at all anymore, just with a stick and string on that end.
Don’t forget the length of the barrel will come into play as well.
Ohh good point, if you got an upper with a longer barrel, this would definitely be the time to use it.
I would, but you can’t use .223 for deer hunting in VA.
thanks for posting the kill shot on the coyote, bigger exit wound than i would expected.
i’ve shot deer with my .243 and basically splitting the heart in half on some and they still ran between 40 to 60 yds. i bowhunt too so trailing game is a sport of its on for me. anymore kill shots and info greatly accepted.
I use both HP and FMJ .223 for hogs. Works wonders down here in Georgia…
The Nosler 60 grain Partition does a good job on deer, at least the smaller whitetails we have here.
My sun has killed 4 with 75gr tap.
I’ve used 55 gr. soft points with success. But then our Blacktails are smaller than Whitetails. Tracking can be tough, if they don’t drop. There won’t be much blood. But then again my .243 doesn’t do any better, at making a blood trail.
Always fun to get the stink eye. When you run into someone, while hunting with an AR.
.223 isn’t legal in Indy for deer; however, I did bust a yote a couple of weeks ago out my back door w/ my S&W M&P15A, using PMC 55 gr FMJ. It was about 100 yd shot, and he dropped immediately. I went and recovered and he was still breathing, so I put a round in his head to finish him off. When I picked him up to move him, he had about 2 feet of intestines hanging out of the exit wound.
More than anything else, shot placement is key on dropping deer. Some people like neck shots, but I prefer the boilerplate shot. I’ve taken two nice bucks using my .357 with boilerplate shots. As long as you are within your comfort zone, and have a clean shot, I wouldn’t hesitate to use a .223 (if legal in your area). Sure their are better calibers, but big deer are poached every year w/ 22 rimfires.
I shot a doe this last season with .223 (Corbon DPX all copper 62 grain) out of a 20" barrel.
The shot was in the neck about about 15 yards. The bullet broke the neck and traveled down into the front part of her shoulder and broke apart.
Only a few small fragments made it through the skin. This would have been a difficult track if I had not broken the neck, as there wasn’t much blood outside the body.
Shot placement is very important, but it is always important! I have tracked and never found a wounded deer that was shot in the A$$ by a hunter who thought their 30-06 would destroy anything.
I doubt I will hunt deer with a .223 again as I have better/more dedicated rifles for that.