Hunting with .223 AR?

[AverageJoe47]

I have been talking with my father-in-law about the .223 round for hunting and he says that it would be fine for taking small white tail deer with, what do you think? I hunt on my homestead and the longest shout I get is @100-150yards with most in the 50-75yard range. The only reason I am considering this is because I want that good all purpose rifle without high recoil. I also would like your opinion on hunting with an auto loading rifle. My father-in-law says this is crazy and the only thing I should use is bolt action. I really like the ar-15 but don’t think the .223 will do it for me and with the 6.5 and 6.8 the ammo is to high for fun shouting witch I like to do. The 308 just seams too big for target and enjoyment shouting but would do the job for hunting.

 

[Preacherman]

Personally, I think that .223/5.56mm. is inhumane for use on deer. Sure, it can do the job, but it requires very accurate shot placement and a bullet that will penetrate far enough to get to the vitals. Standard .223 ammo is not designed for deep penetration, but for expansion - after all, it's not called a "varmint" caliber for nothing! Sure, there are rounds that will do the job on deer, but I prefer to regard a .243 as a minimum deer caliber.

 

[Terrierman]

.223 is pretty light for deer hunting. They will fall graveyard dead hit right, but the round is not very forgiving. Action type is strictly a matter of choice. .308 is a great all round cartridge useful for nearly every concievable purpose to which a centerfire rifle is called upon to serve.

 

[sumpnz]

While I would not personally choose to hunt deer with a .223, there are plenty who do and are successful. However, with such a small round you have to be especially picky about the shots you'll take.

I would recommend that you determine the heaviest bullet your AR will shoot accurately, and then see if there are bullets intended for deer in that weight. Most .223 bullets are designed for target or varminting purposes, not big game like deer.

As far as using a semi-auto, nothing wrong with that so long as you adhere to the magazine capacity limits for your state's hunting regulations (usually 5 rounds). Bolt actions are generally considered preferable by many, but that's really a personal choice issue.

If I were you, and were intent on using my AR for deer hunting, I probably would get a 6.5 Grendel upper for it and use that, rather than .223. But, as I said, .223 will get the job done so long as you keep the range down to under 100 yards, use the heaviest deer bullet that is accurate in your gun, and only take shots you know, without a doubt, you can make.

 

[gazpacho]

First, I'd say check the local hunting laws. 223 is usually considered too small to hunt game with. That said, a load like Winchester's Power Point, might do for small deer (say < 100#), providing you have good shot placement. DO NOT use FMJ or milsup ball, because fragmentation is definately not the effect you want.

As far as using a bolt over a semi, I don't think it matters either way.

 

[AverageJoe47]

Thanks guys

Thanks guys, I didn’t think that the 223 would be a good choice but I figured I would give it a go to see what you thought. I guess that the 6.5 would be the way to go, any suggestions where to get a good price on an upper and ammo that’s not outrageous.

 

[Onmilo]

I don't know what the regualtions are in Texas now but when I lived there in the mid 80s Mini 14 rifles were very popular for hunting east Texas whitetails.

 

[Clipper]

...My uncle used to shoot his (Michigan whitetail - 150-180 pounds or so) deer every year with a .218 Bee @ about 50-75 yards. Neck shot 'em and they'd drop where they stood.

 

[ghost squire]

Please... not this again. You could hunt deer with an air rifle or a .22 for that matter, but the thread starter is not talking about shooting them in the spine, I think hes talking about a vital organs shot.

 

[colt.45]

i have eaten some sausage that came from an 8 point deer shot with a mini-14 using ss-109. three birds with one stone. its not the best round for deer but it will certainly do the job. and theres nothing wrong with having that extra round avalible for a second shot.

shot placement is everything. a miss is a miss weather you are shooting a .308 or .223.

 

[ghost squire]

Well shot placement clearly isn't everything or we would be using .22 Romak trainers to hunt grizzly.

 

[Ivy Mike]

there are other calibers out there better suited to deer.

A different rifle isn't that expensive. In fact, you could do it with a Mosin-Nagant and some of that new Wolf ammo.

 

[lycanthrope]

An Olympic upper in .243 WSSM or .25 WSSM will do the job and likely be cheaper than the 6.5 Grendel.