223 naysayers


johnf

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I had a pretty long hike into the woods, nearly a mile and a quarter with my stand and gun and I decided to take my daughters hr 223 ultra light youth to lighten my load as much as possible. At about 3:30 a momma do and yearling came out about 100 yards from me and walked around for a while. A little before 4:PM they started heading toward me. I waited until the momma got about 25 yards from me broadside. I planed on this gun being a short range gun for the kids and boy did it do the job. I've got some 60gr. Hornady bullets that I've loaded with Varget and have been getting better than expected results shooting with a red dot scope.

I hit right above the top joint on her front leg, she jumped ran about 20 yards and piled up. I was going to put a second shot in her, but she stopped moving and breathing before I could even get the next bullet in. The bullet hit her onside shoulder bone, broke the shoulder and made two exit holes about 4X each the size of the entry wound. I'll check tomorrow for body cavity damage tomorrow.

She went down faster than any deer I've shot except a buck shot by my 25-06 that had the bullet bounce up and hit the spine.

11-11-08_1920.jpg?t=1226463547

Edited by johnf
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congrats! did you have to drag her all the way out??

No I called a guy who said there was some private land with a couple hundred yards that I could ride on. I shot her in national Forrest land and you can't ride atv's on it. I drug her up to the property line. Then I went and got my 4 wheeler and carried her out on that. Sure would have been nice to know I could have gone in that way too.:cool:

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congrats john!!I am having the same problem getting in and out of my stands!!I can get to them alot faster through an adjacent property line but the out of stater who bought it won't let you step foot on his ground!!But yesterday guess were he was??Hunting my land!!HUH isn't that funny!!!I won't lower myself to his standards!!Anyways congrats john!!

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Congratulations on the doe John. Tennessee made it legal to use any centerfire for deer here, but I just don't think I would let my kids hunt with something that light for deer, don't really think I ever would either, my .223 remains a varmint /target rifle. As you know placement is key though and looks/sounds like your shot was well placed.

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At 25 yards it was hard to miss. This gun was not bought nor intended for any shots beyond 50 yards. At that distance I can keep all shots in the size of a walnut.

Yeah John, with my .223 I am pretty sure at 50 yards I can put them all touching if not through the same hole, but that does not mean my kids can, and my oldest daughter is a pretty decent shot.

Too much room for error in my opinion for a kid to use a .223, I also prefer to give a little more than limiting shots to inside of 50 yards with kids that are capable of shooting further. The .24 calibers are the minimum in many places, in my opinion that is for good reason.

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