What's the least powerful legal caliber you ever shot a deer with .

[Tughill Tamer]

I shot a decent 8pt with a 243 a few yrs ago at about 75 yrds and it only went about 25 yrds before piling up.

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[Hock3y24]

On 6/17/2019 at 5:34 PM, Dinsdale said:

Theres no need to limit yourself to 50 yds if you're thinking "energy" expansion etc, a 223 is more than capable of taking deer at distance.

Your bullet choice is excellent, all you need to think about is shot placement and accuracy. 

Culled a significant amount of deer with a 223 without a loss.

Personally I'd pick the upper end of bullet weight for caliber, thats not always the way TSX are recommended (often slightly downsizing typical weight for caliber)

 

 

Yes, the plan was to try this gun out in some of my Bow stands where I don’t have a much further shot, I threw a 1-4x scope on it and it’s perfect for those short shots.

[ATbuckhunter]

8 hours ago, wolc123 said:

There are many who consider a shoulder shot a good one, and it don't matter much what the bullet is if it hits there, the odds of an exit are low.  I normally prefer a behind the shoulder shot, unless it is on a doe with a "group".  In that situation, the anchoring shoulder blade shot has led to a few  "doubles" for me.   The heavier and slower the bullet, the less the meat damage from that hit.  

Would you consider yourself a "killer" of a "fighter" ?   You make some valid points and I agree on the range time which is why I try and get in several thousand "practice" shots on targets between seasons.  I hope you have a great season this year and thanks for all you do with the Field to Fork program.   

Ive blown through both shoulders with my 30-06 many times and have never not had an exit wound. I think culvercreek happened to hit it right on the head as far as meat damage. A controlled expansion bullets like the TSX bullets usually have less meat damage. Ill take a .22-250 with a ttsx bullet vs a 30-06 with a standard remington core-lokt as far as meat damage is concerned. 

[Marion]

Wolc123 you are good people

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[G-Man]

The weakest gun I've used was a 36 caliber muzzleloading pistol. . The smallest.legally available would be a 204 ruger I believe. I've seen pronghorn taken with them. In my neck of the woods the smallest I would use would be a .30 cal as bear are a possibility. Best to be prepared

[Culvercreek hunt club]

9 hours ago, G-Man said:

The weakest gun I've used was a 36 caliber muzzleloading pistol. . The smallest.legally available would be a 204 ruger I believe. I've seen pronghorn taken with them. In my neck of the woods the smallest I would use would be a .30 cal as bear are a possibility. Best to be prepared

is the 204 a bigger case than the 17 hornet? I know the reg is for centerfire rounds only but I am not that familiar with the small centerfires. 

[G-Man]

2 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

is the 204 a bigger case than the 17 hornet? I know the reg is for centerfire rounds only but I am not that familiar with the small centerfires. 

Bigger bullet and case 4000fps.. mainly used as varmint gun around here..

[airedale]

1 minute ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

is the 204 a bigger case than the 17 hornet? I know the reg is for centerfire rounds only but I am not that familiar with the small centerfires. 

The parent case is the 222 Remington Magnum necked down, it is very similar to the 223 case which has a shorter neck.

Al

[Culvercreek hunt club]

1 minute ago, airedale said:

The parent case is the 222 Remington Magnum necked down, it is very similar to the 223 case which has a shorter neck.

Al

Al and G-man, What is the smallest commercially produced centerfire ammunition that is made?  Just to see what the legal bottom is in NY. is it the 204 Ruger?

[airedale]

10 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

Al and G-man, What is the smallest commercially produced centerfire ammunition that is made?  Just to see what the legal bottom is in NY. is it the 204 Ruger?

17 cal which is .177, 17 Hornet is the smallest I think, the 204 Ruger is .204

Al

Edited June 20, 2019 by airedale

[Culvercreek hunt club]

17 cal which is .177, 17 Hornet is the smallest I think, the 204 Ruger is .204
Al

I figured that. Didn’t really know any of those case capacities, speeds and energies. I find it odd that the state that wants to regulate everything hasn’t set a minimum.

[Steve D]

On ‎6‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 1:57 AM, Pygmy said:

However, it puzzles me why anyone would choose a bullet expressly designed  as a highly frangible projectile  for varmints ( that's what the V in VMax stands for) when there are many  other  more stoutly constructed bullets available  for the .223..

After listening to all the "hype" about v-max bullets for coyote and fox I decided to try them. After just about cutting a fox in half and shooting a coyote with a exit hole the size of a softball I quickly came to the conclusion that they were not a "varmint" round.

One way I use  to check how any bullet will perform is to fill a milk jug with water and shoot it at the yardage I expect to shoot at. At 100-150 yards the V-max bullets leaves nothing but pieces of the jug(s). At the time I was hunting deer with a 30.06. After shooting two deer with it with solid hits and having to track them 75-100 yards I started thinking about the .223. I had read about others using them but had my doubts because of all the "hype' on the larger calibers

 The following season on different days I shot two deer from the same tree stand as I did with the 30.06. One fell over right where it was shot and the other folded up within 25 yards of being hit. Each one I have shot with the .223 has been in the vitals and the internal damage to the lungs and or heart have been devastating.

I realize they are not for everyone and probably not the best choice for in the woods but in open areas they have demonstrated  more than sufficient knock down power.

When I hunt the woods I use a shotgun but in open areas with the opportunity for a longer shot I will pick the .223.

No meat damage, instant kills, little or no tracking, all lead to a successful hunt and there all kinds of loads that can be used for a variety of critters and conditions; plus it is a fairly inexpensive, fun caliber to shoot. That is why I own two.

[Pygmy]

22 minutes ago, Steve D said:

After listening to all the "hype" about v-max bullets for coyote and fox I decided to try them. After just about cutting a fox in half and shooting a coyote with a exit hole the size of a softball I quickly came to the conclusion that they were not a "varmint" round.

One way I use  to check how any bullet will perform is to fill a milk jug with water and shoot it at the yardage I expect to shoot at. At 100-150 yards the V-max bullets leaves nothing but pieces of the jug(s). At the time I was hunting deer with a 30.06. After shooting two deer with it with solid hits and having to track them 75-100 yards I started thinking about the .223. I had read about others using them but had my doubts because of all the "hype' on the larger calibers

 The following season on different days I shot two deer from the same tree stand as I did with the 30.06. One fell over right where it was shot and the other folded up within 25 yards of being hit. Each one I have shot with the .223 has been in the vitals and the internal damage to the lungs and or heart have been devastating.

I realize they are not for everyone and probably not the best choice for in the woods but in open areas they have demonstrated  more than sufficient knock down power.

When I hunt the woods I use a shotgun but in open areas with the opportunity for a longer shot I will pick the .223.

No meat damage, instant kills, little or no tracking, all lead to a successful hunt and there all kinds of loads that can be used for a variety of critters and conditions; plus it is a fairly inexpensive, fun caliber to shoot. That is why I own two.

As long as it works for you, Partner, have at it...You are obviously a good shot and use the  rifle/bullet combo within its limitations...

[Steve D]

20 hours ago, Pygmy said:

You are obviously a good shot and use the  rifle/bullet combo within its limitations...

It helps to have a tack driver of a rifle. It is not uncommon to have two or three rounds touching each other on paper at 100 yds. with my Browning A-bolt.

[andr3wxmma]

Shot my first deer with a 243, My dad killed a bunch of deer back in Vermont with a 223 growing up. Shot selection is the important part.

[cas]

I've shot deer nine times with a .38 S&W.  

 

Okay... I shot two deer nine times with a .38 S&W.

 

Okay, both times were to administer the "coup de grâce". The first time I tried it, I fired six shots into the neck where it meets the skull.  It didn't work. I ended up shooting it again with a bigger gun. 

The second time I tried it, thinking placement was the issue last time, I shot it in the back of the head. None of the bullets got into the skill. The last shot was almost at muzzle contact range. All it did was make him dizzy. It never went in the woods with me again after that. 

The one in the rear is the .38 S&W

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by cas

[Nytracker]

Shot placement is everything  regardless of caliber or bullet in my opinion . V max and such are rapid expansion  bullets . Not desirable  for pelts  or penetration  on medium game .  

A lot of medium game bullets such as the  remington corelocks   and hornaday sst are in my opinion fragile bullets .  Push a bullet that's today's cup and core jacket type  they blow up . Never understood wanting a bullet for deer that put fist size holes through a deer. When I got back into rifle hunting here in 8y  i had to have a 270.  Gramps use to talk up nosler partitions and corlocks. First deer shot at 40 yrds corlocks blew up on shoulder destroying both ... picked fragments out of back straps. Same on next buck. Both deer drt. Next season went to federals blue box ... even worse . Switched to nosler partitions   much better results .

For short woods shots there's much better  calibers and bullets.  Picked up a ruger m77 in 308 . Shooting federal fusion  165 grain gilded bullets . Very accurate  slower round heavier bullet . Full penetration  . Less destruction of meat.  I have killed deer out to couple hundred yds  no problem . Deer all die drt or less than 2o feet.

I have killed deer with 243  . Lighter bullet  shots on shoulders you better have  a well built bullet. Tracked one for a family member  that hit shoulder and the bullet fragged.  She hit it a second time  and it got up and ran before I put it down with a 308 through the neck. Track over all was 2hrs and 500 plus yds.

I'm not sure I would think  223 is an ideal round for deer. I know deer are killed with them as well as 204 ruger . With the right bullet there's no doubt they will kill in the hands of a capable  rifleman . We all know chit happens.  Not enough power and mass to pick up the slack of a poor shot. 

That said I have taken  deer over the years with everything  from a 22 lr  up to 300 ultra 30/06  45/70.. 12 guage slugs 44 mag ,480 ruger. 308 encore. 

Boils down to shot placement, well built bullet , speed time's mass.