[Newbie-shooter]

New to shooting.

Looking at a Tikka T3x Super Varmint in .223 with a 20 or 24 inch barrel and 1:8 twist for varmints.

Is it possible to take deer with such a riffle? If so, what sort of cartridge doo y'all recommend?

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Martino1]

Some states do not allow a 223 for deer, so you need to check the hunting regs in your state for this info. That said, IMO, a 223 is a bit light for a quick kill. I can be done but it requires better shot placement.

If you are hunting in your back yard I might consider a 6.5CM which is a caliber that will do double duty and knock down dear easily. Then depending on the varmints, get yourself a .22lr as a dedicated varmint shooter and save a bundle on the ammo.


Now if you travel I would suggest looking to some calibers that easy to get ammo when on the road. I've found that the 30-06 is such a caliber and that is what I have for my travel rifle. I have an inexpensive Howa 1500 in 30-06 and it shoots crazy good with Federal Fusion 150gr ammo. I decided to get a rifle that was inexpensive for FLY-TO hunting trips because I didn't want to risk the Airlines loosing the rifle which has happened to TV personalities on several hunting shows.
I did go a little high end with the scope and put a Vortex GEN II PST on it so it isn't exactly low end but loosing it won't be as bad as taking a hit for a custom shooter with a good scope.

My. .02

Martino

 

[Red-Team-98]

For big game in 5.56
In my Colt M4 I use 70gr TSX Barnes and 26.0 of TAC in LC brass with CCI 41 primers for Caribou .
And try to keep my shots under 100 yards and suggest this cartridge only for experienced cool hunter.
For a more traditional cartridge for deer hunting suggest the 308 Win a great place to start.

 

[DCAN]

Short answer is, yes. I've killed bear with a 223/5.56. However, there are so many better choices. If a 223/5.56 is your choice, bullet construction and shot placement are very important. Try for a neck breaking hit, otherwise be really good at tracking. Tikka is a great choice. For a factory gun, they are hard to beat.

 

[Harper]

Many places have much larger deer than the whietail in south TX. .223 works fine here, even with sow hogs and the larger axis deer. I use a 65gr BTSP. I usually drop the deer where they stand, but I never had one run over 30 yards before dropping. But as was said before, you need to be sure your state allows it, and you should consider the size of the deer you're after.

 

[billt]

The .223 / 5.56 MM is light for deer. Which is why a lot of states won't allow it. Too many wounded and lost animals. Also, many of the .223 bolt guns are set up for varmint hunting. (Lightweight, thin jacketed bullets 55 grains or less). These guns have rifling that can have anywhere from 1 in 10", up to 1 in 12" twist. So as to not overspin the light jacketed, explosive varmint bullets in the 40 to 50 gr. range.

These barrels will not stabilize the heavier bullets needed for deer and larger game. (60 to 75 grains). Accuracy will be poor, and the longer and heavier bullets may even tumble. It would be better to invest in one of the rifle / scope package guns from Savage or Mossberg in .308 or .30-06, and use it for taking larger game.

These package rifle / scope combo guns are a terrific buy, and not very expensive. Places like Big 5 Sporting Goods, as well as other chain sporting goods stores all offer sales on them when it gets around hunting season.

 

[doubledeuce4792]

IMO, I believe the 5.56/223 is a bit light for deer. I'd suggest the 6.5CM as mentioned. If it was me, I'd use a 30-caliber class, but that's my opinion.

 

[Martino1]

IMO, I believe the 5.56/223 is a bit light for deer. I'd suggest the 6.5CM as mentioned. If it was me, I'd use a 30-caliber class, but that's my opinion.

YUP... I can't track deer due to injuries so I'm interested in a quick take down. I generally go for a high shoulder shot. For me, the sweet spot is just a tad bigger than a dollar bill at the top of the shoulder above the front leg.

I like the idea of sending a bigger pill to do the job just in case I'm a little off on my aim. A .556 can certainly damage the spine as desired for a quick drop, but I have a bit more comfort in a 150gr projectile and the forgiveness it provides in terms of a "no need to track'" kill. IMO that extra forgiveness has helped put meat in my freezer. As I get older, I realize that I may not be as steady as I used to be so out of respect for the animal, I'm throwing a bigger pill.

 

[Ken M.]

308 Win bolt gun. You can buy light bullet loads or load your own for 110 gr. varmint loads. You can buy or load 150 and 180 gr. cartridges for larger animals such as deer or antelope. IMO, 223 is not a good choice at all. Seeing Taliban shot 5 or 6 times in Iraq and not dropping was discouraging. Once made a designated marksman, dropping Tali's one shot with a 30 caliber cartridge proved to me there was no better choice than diameter and powder capacity! Hearts and minds was the mission statement. Two (2) to the heart, and one to the head was necessary. 308 will one accurate placement stopped the threat everytime. Seeing a one shot 5.56 knock down a threat, and then get up 30 seconds later to drop a fireteam member once he cleared a room only to be shot in the back by said threat unknowingly never knowing what deleted him. 30 caliber does it all cost effectively and more readily available than most cartridges.

 

[Harper]

The .223 / 5.56 MM is light for deer. Which is why a lot of states won't allow it. Too many wounded and lost animals. Also, many of the .223 bolt guns are set up for varmint hunting. (Lightweight, thin jacketed bullets 55 grains or less). These guns have rifling that can have anywhere from 1 in 10", up to 1 in 12" twist. So as to not overspin the light jacketed, explosive varmint bullets in the 40 to 50 gr. range.

These barrels will not stabilize the heavier bullets needed for deer and larger game. (60 to 75 grains). Accuracy will be poor, and the longer and heavier bullets may even tumble. It would be better to invest in one of the rifle / scope package guns from Savage or Mossberg in .308 or .30-06, and use it for taking larger game.

These package rifle / scope combo guns are a terrific buy, and not very expensive. Places like Big 5 Sporting Goods, as well as other chain sporting goods stores all offer sales on them when it gets around hunting season.

Both of my .223/5.56 rifles have a 1:7 twist, which is why I use from 65 to 77gr bullets to start with. Plenty adequate on the, as I stated before, small whitetails in south TX.