.223 hunting bullets

[snuffy]

I've been testing different .223 bullets that are made with deer sized game in mind. Some are heavy-for-caliber, others bonded copper jacketed lead, and even solid copper expanding.

My test media is the now defunct bullet test tube heavy wax media. It is supposed to come close to muscle tissue. Rifle is my bushmaster 20" H-bar.

First of this run of 3 bullets is the 65 gr. Sierra Game King. They're hard to get, apparently they only make one run every now and then, waited a year on the midway waiting list. I have heard that they're the cats meow for .223 hunting bullets,,--?







The first pic is the wound track, showing the expansion cavity and penetration, about 10" of the media. It cleared the first tube to be caught in the second. It fragmented until there was no lead left in the mangled jacket. All I found amounted to 56 grains, meaning some shards of lead were lost in the wound channel. Would it kill a deer? Certainly, but you'd be picking shards of lead from your teeth.

Second was the 55 gr. Hornady GMX bullet. It's like a Barnes, EXCEPT the bullet is composed of guilding metal,(same as copper jackets), so it's easier to shape or expand.



Over 12" of penetration. You can see the bullet at rest,,--barely.



Close up of where it came to rest.





Expanded to .435, retained weight 54.5 grains. The bullet has one relief ring on the bearing surface, is not tipped, just a open HP, and is flat based. It has a 6 segment petal design.

Next up is the Barnes 62 grain TSX ,(triple shock X bullet).



Wound channel, I had to follow the bullet in the second tube, it curved in the last couple inches. I dug down until I found it.







Typical Barnes performance, reliable expansion deep penetration It appears to to open a bit later than the GMX and is a bit bigger expansion, .475. Retained weight 62 grains, 100%. Best part of both bullets, no lead in the meat!

Now I know for certain there will be some who say a .223 anything is not deer medicine. In some states you can't even use one. But to those that ONLY have a .223, why not load the best bullet?

 

[olm911]

Great information, thanks.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Not enough information.
Load, velocity, target distance, ambient temperature?

I've shot a LOT of deer with .22cf's. Only recovered a few bullets, and those I did mushroomed and held together.
If I recovered a Sierra 65 GK that looked like yours, (I haven't, though I shot a half dozen with that bullet), I would not consider it a failure. It would be a very dead deer! I've never seen a .22 bullet of over 55 gr break up like that in deer. Only 50grn or lighter hollow points or SX, or "blitz" type bullets, as well as v-max or Ballistic Tips. But then, a blow up in the heart kills very quickly (a 35gr V-max from .22Hornet!).

I don't shoot deer at 20 feet, typically. More like 200' to 200yds, and mv of 2,900-3,500fps.
Hornady, and Sierra's 60grn and heavier have done very well for me.
At present, the Rem.M-7 .223, and Rem.M700 .22-250 are sighted in for 63grn Sierra's, the AR15 for 60grn Hornady's, and the Hornet for 40grn Sierra Varminter.
Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.

 

[snuffy]

Goose, I forgot to mention the velocity, mainly because I really don't have that info. I just bought a CED M-2 chronograph, I've had a terrible time getting it to work right. I called them about the sloppy fit of the screen plugs where they hook up to the base unit, they said send it in. Well I really needed it to test those bullets, as well as the Berry's I shot on that same day. It was overcast and fairly late in the afternoon, so perhaps just not enough light. However my old Pact chrono would have worked just fine, I wish it hadn't died.

I did NOT do a load work-up with those bullets, I picked a load that was just under the middle of the powder charge for each one, always a safe load in that gun. I'll catch some flack for that statement, but after 50 years you get to know what works.

The distance was 25 yards. I do know that the loads with AAC-2015 were under powered because they refused to cycle the bolt of my bushy. None of them ran over 2900 fps., except the 55 Horn. The temp that day was 65 degrees, warm for this time of year. The bullettesttube test media is very dense, it takes a very long time to change temp. You could take it from room temp, test at 32 degrees, just keep it out of direct contact with freezing temp until time to test it. The wax just would not drop in temp very much in that short exposure to cold temps. Not a consideration in this case anyway.

According to my load data . com website for AAC-2015, which is just a copy of what Accurate powder has on their website. Their test BBL. was 24" and a 1-12 twist.
Barnes 62g.TSX 21.2 g. AAC-2015 estimated velocity 2750
Sierra 65 game king, 21.6 AAC-2015 2800
Hornady 55g.

In another test last year I also did tests with the same rifle, same test medium but with IIRC 4 different bullets, one the same Barnes solid. A 70 grain Speer, was a total blow up, never even found half of the fragments, a true varmint bullet. Two, was the Winchester 64g. power point, excellent bullet classic mushroom, good retained weight. Three was a 60 g. Nosler partition, which in classic partition tradition lost most of the front lead except for a small button left at the base of the front, classic mushroom and decent penetration. Forth was a Hornady 60 sp.(IIRC) It too was a classic mushroom but lost a lot of weight, and penetration was shallow. Just remembered #5, a Berger VLD, why they call it a game bullet is beyond me,(except to sell more bullets). It blew up! No way I'd use it to hunt with.



That's the 60 Hornady spire point.



Good energy dump, but limited penetration. Most likely a dead deer.



Bullet turned itself inside out, but the remaining lead was still with the jacket.



Winchester power point.



Classic mushroom.

Some other pics available, but this is already too long!

 

[Hardtarget]

Thanks for your post and info! I've been considering my AR for deer this year. I've got some of the Hndy. 55 GMX and the Sie 65 Game Kings. Both shoot good for me so I just have to decide. AR or not. GMX or Game King?

My hunt area is dense so shots are not long range. The AR should do fine...just make the decision!

Again, good post. Much needed!

Mark

I didn't see it mentioned...what twist rate are you shooting? The GMX 55 gr seem to have a slight tipping from my AR shot at 100 yds. They group well, just a slight tip. My gun is a 1:9 rate.

 

[Water-Man]

Give the Federal Fusion MSP 62gr. SP-BT a try.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Dead deer indeed. I've recovered ONE 60 grn Hornady. It looked and weighed exactly like your pic. Penetrated ~ 18" of deer, recovered under hide. Deer was shot at ~40 yds during half time of Auburn/ Georgia halftime of 2012 game. Deer ran ~40yds and expired. ~2,900fps mv from 16.5" bbl 26.9grn BLC2.
I think your media is a bit tougher than a deer.
I shot a deer with 70grn Berger last year at ~25yds. 25.0grn RL15. Penetrating chest w/2" exit wound. Couldn't ask for better.
You're expecting too much at such high velocity at such close range.

Remember; shot placement, shot placement, shot placement!!!

 

[snuffy]

Give the Federal Fusion MSP 62gr. SP-BT a try.

Nice to know they're made, I never heard of a fusion .223 bullet. I know they're not available as component bullets, and I started reloading to avoid buying factory rounds.

I think your media is a bit tougher than a deer.

I KNOW it is. It's supposed to mimic muscle tissue, but deer are not all that muscular.

Shot placement is really #1 in importance when talking about a .223. It has relatively low power so getting it in the boiler room,(lungs/heart), is critical. Even a shoulder quartering to you is iffy if the bullet won't hold together. Lots of bone and heavy muscle to drive through before reaching the heart/lung.

I may hunt this year, the first time in 4 years Between battling prostate cancer and last year coronary heart disease. After a CABG to bypass 3 arteries, I am finally in pretty good shape. I can't stomp around like I used to, but may try a public hunting ground in the next county. I think right now I will load the Barnes TSX 62 grainer. IF I have a chance to test the Nosler 64 g. bonded, I'm betting it will be a good performer.

 

[snuffy]

Now I know for certain there will be some who say a .223 anything is not deer medicine. In some states you can't even use one. But to those that ONLY have a .223, why not load the best bullet?

All that work, time and resources and you could have probably just bought a 243 or 250 Savage.
I am bewildered and disappointed in all the effort people put into making a marginal caliber into their deer gun.
Sorry

Thanks for your opinion, but I beat you to it. As I stated in the OP, IF that's all you have then maybe my tests will help you choose a bullet. I have a dozen other rifles better suited for deer, but I really want to use my AR. I feel confident in it and have killed dozens of deer before.

I know of one old gent that all he used was a .410 bolt shotgun, killed a pile of deer with it. His stand was at a neck of woods that funneled the deer within 30 yards of him. He'd have one down by 8 o-clock every opening day. If you told him it wasn't enough gun, he'd laugh and point at the dead deer!

 

[ku4hx]

When I've used a .223 on deer, it's been a Nosler partition. Cost a bit more maybe, but they tend to make the cartridge a tad less marginal.

 

[JimKirk]

I have a neighbor that has killed several good sized deer using the Barnes 50 gr TTSX and the 55 gr TTSX with his AR .223. He has recovered only one of the 55 gr ones so far and it looks pretty much like the 62 gr Barnes in your photo.

If there is any advantage of the lighter bullets ... I would think it would be "speed" as either can be pushed faster than the 62 gr.. Speed opens the TTSX up faster and allows it to do some pretty bad damage to the vitals of a deer. Of the deer that I saw, there was lots of damage for a small bullet.

 

[snuffy]

If there is any advantage of the lighter bullets ... I would think it would be "speed" as either can be pushed faster than the 62 gr.. Speed opens the TTSX up faster and allows it to do some pretty bad damage to the vitals of a deer. Of the deer that I saw, there was lots of damage for a small bullet.

JK, I didn't realize Barnes had the TTSX in the 50 and 55grain weights. Or that the 62 is also made in a tipped version.

I know the reason for the 50 grain version is so that people with a 22-250 and 223 bolt rifles with the slow 1-12 twist rate barrels can load them and they will stabilize. Monolithic all copper bullets are longer than the same weight lead core bullets. Length is one factor in stabilizing as well as weight.

Also, the tipped version should cause the bullet to begin opening up sooner than the plain hollow pointed. In my tests of the HP's it seems they open later than I would like.

I finished the re-casting of all the wax, only took me three days! So I may get up to the range today to test the Nosler bonded. I'll test these at 25 yards as well, I don't want to throw in a variable by doing it @ 100 yards.

 

[snuffy]

one more time

Beautiful day today, I had to make a drug trip to the VA clinic less than a mile from the range. So I tossed the AR the box of shells with the Nosler bonded and 2 of the newly re-cast large tubes.

I threw a curve into the mix, decided to test @ 25 yards AND 100 yards. I wish I could re-test the others as well.

Anyway the Noslers were awesome! Classic mushroom at both distances. The wound channel is small, that was the only drawback. This time I used a coupler to put a big tube behind the media tube with old clothes inside it to catch the bullets. It's amazing how quickly it stops the bullet after it's passed through the media. The 25 yard bullet went through an old sweatshirt to be caught by an old T shirt. The sweatshirt caught the 100 yard bullet by itself.





Both from 25 yds.



also 25 yds.





2 of the 100 yard bullets.

Get this! A bonded lead core bullet that only lost 1 grain the other on 1.2 grains! Expansion was identical at 4.65 if not for having them marked, I could not tell them apart. I think I have my deer round, but it will have to be boosted in charge weight, it would eject but not feed another or lock back on an empty mag.

 

[AStone]

And as if by magic (mods), we're back on track.

The subject is .223 hunting bullets.

This is a fine thread.

I'm subscribed (have been for days),
reading, and interested.

 

[snuffy]

Federal fusion, 62 grain

Give the Federal Fusion MSP 62gr. SP-BT a try.

Quote:
Give the Federal Fusion MSP 62gr. SP-BT a try.
Nice to know they're made, I never heard of a fusion .223 bullet. I know they're not available as component bullets, and I started reloading to avoid buying factory rounds.

I love it when a plan comes together! Then the RMR company sells pull-down 62 grain Federal fusion bullets. In a test aimed at finding out if and how the RMR 124 9mm HP expanded, DudeDog sent me some extra bullets including some of the .223 Federal fusions that RMR sells. Most excellent! Fits right in with these tests.

Cut to the chase;





Wow! I'm impressed, and that takes a lot. Classic mushroom and the lead clinging to the jacket is typical of the other bonded bullets I have tested, (Hornady interbond, Nosler accu-bond, and a Speer deep curl.) Retained weight, 52.5, expansion, .525!





Wound channel begins just after the bullet enters the media, stays about the same until it exits the media. It stopped about 3" into a second tube of the media, total penetration about 12". In my mind that's pretty darn good performance. Bushmaster 20" H-bar, 1-9 twist, 25 yards, ACC 2015 23.5 grains APPROX velocity 2900 fps.

 

[azar]

Thanks for posting this snuffy. Any plans for more bullets to be tested?

 

[snuffy]

Thanks for posting this snuffy. Any plans for more bullets to be tested?

No, while real winter hasn't hit yet, it's still only the mid 40's. Pretty hard to test in cold weather. Besides if you meant more .223 bullets, those already tested pretty much is all that are known to be deer bullets for .223.

I thought the test media would stay pretty warm before and while testing. I delayed a bit getting the tubes inside, they had enough time to cool off in the car. The way they are split to expose the wound cavity/shock signs is a fine stainless braided wire is pulled through cuts in the side of the cardboard tubes. Those cuts are lined up with the path of the bullet by passing a rod into the bullet hole, then drawing lines on the outside of the tube. Then you cut through to the wax, and draw the wire down those cuts.

The wax had cooled enough it was nye on impossible to drag that wire through that wax. I had to allow about 6 hours for the wax to thaw out.

I'll do more testing next summer, don't know just what yet but something will need to be expanded on---

 

[JimKirk]

Snuffy .... Something I just noticed ... a couple of the bullets show an hour glass/tear drop shaped wound channel in the wax, some a straight channel. This is completely different than the gelatin block test that are all over the net. Do you think it is just the wax being different?

I do say that the wax makes for some "pretty" expanded bullets !! Thanks again for doing these !!

 

[snuffy]

Jim, the wax used is of a gummy-sticky consistency that easily come off on your hands if you touch it. It's mold-able at room temp,(70 degrees), you can shape it with your hands.

The display of the permanent wound channel is unique to this media. It stays the shape that was the result of the bullet expanding. Ballistic gelatin collapses as soon as the bullet comes to rest. It's so flimsy that you couldn't cut it apart to show the cavity caused by the bullet. Wet-pack does show a bit of a wound channel, but cutting that mess apart would be quite a task. No matter what kind of fiber is used, soaking it in water makes it very heavy to transport and set-up. It's pretty hard to re-use, so it has to be disposed of.

The guys that came up with the test tube concept put a lot of thought into it. It was even possible to set-up a data base with what the volume of the expansion cavity was. If the bullet stopped in one tube, they would pour water into the bullet hole, to-the-top, then measure how many CC's it held. If it passed through into a second tube, then the exit hole was plugged. Then they would cut it apart to take pictures.

In my tests of the .223 bullets, it can be clearly seen that the cup & core bullets like the Sierra game king, the Winchester 64 power point, and others, the max expansion happened early, and all at once. That showed me that those bullets opened too early, might explode on a rib, and not penetrate the ribcage. I like many others like a blood trail. Two holes to leak blood is much better than one. And waiting for a perfect broadside shot can be nerve racking, so I want a bullet that can penetrate while not expanding too much. And one that I would be confident could go through a shoulder and still get to the heart/lungs.

The monolithic/all copper bullets did that, but their wound track was straight like a pencil. It's energy transfer is minimal, and all of them went through one test tube and either into a second one or was caught in rags. (Now the original test tubes were a full 12" of the wax, mine are 8-9" because I could make more tubes with the wax I have.)

Lets face it, the .223 is marginal in the power category. You have to pick the right bullet, or it's power is deposited in the wrong place. I respect the animal, it's sacrifice to feed me does not go UN-noticed. I also owe it a quick death, unlike the kind nature has in store for it.