.223 legal for deer in PA?

**mauser** · July 19th, 2014, 05:56 PM

Sierra 52 grain Match King is a hollow point bullet (Legal to hunt deer with in Pa.) that isn't intended to disintegrate instantly like the varmint bullets do. The hollow point design is more for length & ballistic coefficient to facilitate accuracy. They easily penetrate into the midst of a whitetail chest cavity before tearing it up. The heart and lungs will look like jelly, but the bullet gets into the critical area before it causes the destruction. I've taken many deer with a .222 loaded with the 52 grain Match King and had great success. Never a "divot" or shallow ineffective wound, always sufficient penetration then severe damage and one shot kills. If I'm not mistaken the rifling was 1:12" and I know I'm not mistaken about the accuracy, it was excellent.
To be sure, bullet selection is critical. Varmint bullets won't get the job done reliably, you need better penetration.

**SevenMilePete** · July 19th, 2014, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by mpan72

.22 and smaller on small game.

Sorry, I read the original post too fast. I thought deer was the game being talked about.

**mauser** · July 19th, 2014, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by SevenMilePete

Sorry, I read the original post too fast. I thought deer was the game being talked about.

I didn't go back and read all of the replies but I know I posted in this thread quite a while ago and I also was under the impression, based on the thread title, " .223 legal for deer in PA?, that deer was the game being talked about.

**done** · July 19th, 2014, 06:16 PM

the smk is not designed for use on game at all. It's a match bullet. Not having exit wounds is a bad idea. There's much less chance of a pneumothorax kills without an exit wound, much less of a blood trail to follow. I'm a big fan of the 223 (in AR's, with the right bullet) but it requires nearly broadside shots, especially with such shallow penetrating bullets.

**mauser** · July 19th, 2014, 06:45 PM

Originally Posted by done

the smk is not designed for use on game at all. It's a match bullet. Not having exit wounds is a bad idea. There's much less chance of a pneumothorax kills without an exit wound, much less of a blood trail to follow. I'm a big fan of the 223 (in AR's, with the right bullet) but it requires nearly broadside shots, especially with such shallow penetrating bullets.

I have no argument against anything you said. The Match King is indeed a match grade target bullet, but it does stay together a lot better than the varmint bullets that fragment explosively on contact. Their design and intended use isn't based on any attempt at a game bullet, it just happens to be one of those things that can be pretty effective at something it wasn't specifically designed for. As far as no exit wound and no blood trail is concerned, in my opinion, with a small bullet you have less energy and not exiting serves to transfer 100% of the energy into the target. That being said, We never wanted for a blood trail from a deer shot with a .222, they all dropped dead instantly, no need to track. (Your results may vary).
I watched my brother-in-law kill a deer at about 250 yards with a .17 Remington. He had a good, steady rest and made a nice head shot. I'll never forget the sound of that bullet hitting the skull, it was loud, and the deer dropped dead instantly.
With lighter bullets shot placement is critical, but as was posted elsewhere in this thread, a bad shot is a bad shot regardless of caliber. There is no magic number in regard to caliber that will negate the result of a poorly placed shot. (But larger, heavier bullets can significantly increase the size of the kill zone).

**SevenMilePete** · July 20th, 2014, 02:25 AM

Originally Posted by mauser

I have no argument against anything you said. The Match King is indeed a match grade target bullet, but it does stay together a lot better than the varmint bullets that fragment explosively on contact. Their design and intended use isn't based on any attempt at a game bullet, it just happens to be one of those things that can be pretty effective at something it wasn't specifically designed for. As far as no exit wound and no blood trail is concerned, in my opinion, with a small bullet you have less energy and not exiting serves to transfer 100% of the energy into the target. That being said, We never wanted for a blood trail from a deer shot with a .222, they all dropped dead instantly, no need to track. (Your results may vary).
I watched my brother-in-law kill a deer at about 250 yards with a .17 Remington. He had a good, steady rest and made a nice head shot. I'll never forget the sound of that bullet hitting the skull, it was loud, and the deer dropped dead instantly.
With lighter bullets shot placement is critical, but as was posted elsewhere in this thread, a bad shot is a bad shot regardless of caliber. There is no magic number in regard to caliber that will negate the result of a poorly placed shot. (But larger, heavier bullets can significantly increase the size of the kill zone).

Very true. My brother-in-law's father got a deer in Pa. every year with the same rifle, a .222, for many, many years. All one shot. All instant kills. He was very selective of the deer also, usually picking one that wouldn't last through the winter. He would never shoot a trophy buck like the current regs and insurance companies want you to do, because he knew that trophy would produce more deer. He'd be aghast if he were alive today about the scarcity of deer in many areas. I think he liked seeing deer more than shooting them.

**gummy jones** · July 21st, 2014, 09:28 PM

If you do your job, a well placed .223 bullet will do its job. Your heart will be racing and you will be nervous, but the answer to that is practice and having something nearby to steady your shot on (like a branch), not increasing your caliber. A deer can be maimed and escape to die a slow death after a poor shot with a 300 win mag or any other caliber. I am not advocating using 22lr for white tail but .223 60-70gr bullets expanding bullets, with good shot placement will be sufficient.

Just make sure you shoot whatever round you are going to hunt with plenty prior to opening day and be honest about your ranges. I am a big 3006 fanboy and take shots <300 yards because that is my practice range. I wouldn't recommend shooting at a deer >150 yards your first time, assuming you have practiced to that range. If all you are able to practice at is 70 yards then be an honest hunter and put yourself in a position where that is about the max you will take a shot at a deer. I do not have hard data on why I suggested those ranges for you and am simply speaking from experience.

Bagging a nice buck or doe is a great feeling (make sure you watch plenty of videos on field dressing) but simply being out in nature is one of Gods many blessings.