Best over the counter 223 ammo for whitetail deer

[Regret Chancy]

I am hoping some of you guys can help me out with a little info. I have a recoil shy shooter that I have agreed to take out for the youth deer hunt. The only light recoiling rifle he seems to be comfortable shooting is my 223. While I know that I could easily take a deer with the rifle using any legal round, I am at a loss as to what the best manufactured ammo is for whitetail deer with a 223. Being a youth he will need a shot in the vitals with possibly hitting a rib or shoulder because a neck or head shot is unlikely to be possible. Any and all input welcome because I am at a loss to come up with the best scenario other than buying him another rifle and getting deeper into his recoil phobia. Thanks, RC

[wildman1]

Check ye local game laws make sure it's legal. I would say 60+ gs for bullet weight either hollow point or soft point, get the heaviest bullet ya can find. WM

[Regret Chancy]

That is what I am gravitating towards. I have some Remington CoreLokt in 155 grains but am trying to stay away from ballistic tipped rounds. In Kentucky we are legally able to hunt with any centerfire rifle as long as capacity is 10 + 1 or lower. No full metal jacket ammo is legal. Thanks for the reccomendation on a heavier round, I will be searching for something more appropriate for deer than prairie dogs. Thanks amigo, RC

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[wildman1]

Yer not sayin ya got 155's in 223 are ya?  I don't believe I've ever seen those. WM

[Delmonico]

Last I knew the 60 gr Winchester's were considered good.  If I had time I'd do a handload with a Barnes X bullet. 

[Mustang Gregg]

I guess it's been said already.  But a youth with a .223 could possibly be a bad thing in a deer that gets wounded and runs off with little blood trail.  
And if you actually find a .223 round with a bullet that is "heavy" enough, your rifle may not have a fast enough twist to be accurate.  Heaviest I've seen are 90 gr HPBT match bullets.  And those ain't good for a big wound.

I have killed a few deer with .223's before, but they were standing still or laying down and I had a sub-MOA varmint rifle on a steady bipod and made solid forehead shots.  Those were instant drops.
Can you get the young hunter to use a larger caliber?  Say a .243 Win?  There is hardly any recoil to that.

In my opinion only,
MG

PS:  Thank you for supporting the youth hunt.  It is a fine thing you're doing.

[rem1148]

I sort of agree with MG but don`t want to take away from a youth hunter. If you feel they are capable of steady nerves and shot I have killed several with my AR with neck shots and 55 gr. soft points by winchester. Have a box of 55 gr federal fusion but not tried them yet! Good Luck

[Rowdy Fulcher]

Howdy
I purchased a box of .223 with a 75 grain hollow point . The brand was HPR I picked up a box of 50 to try in my rifle . Only got to shoot out to 100 yards they were ok at 100 . Has anyone else tried these ?

[MedicineMan]

I am hoping some of you guys can help me out with a little info. I have a recoil shy shooter that I have agreed to take out for the youth deer hunt. The only light recoiling rifle he seems to be comfortable shooting is my 223. While I know that I could easily take a deer with the rifle using any legal round, I am at a loss as to what the best manufactured ammo is for whitetail deer with a 223. Being a youth he will need a shot in the vitals with possibly hitting a rib or shoulder because a neck or head shot is unlikely to be possible. Any and all input welcome because I am at a loss to come up with the best scenario other than buying him another rifle and getting deeper into his recoil phobia. Thanks, RC

I have been using Silver Bear JHP for the last few years.
Cheap but reliable.

Southern whitetails in the >175# size range.
One shot kills (mostly) at 100 yards, with a 2nd shot rarely when I don't aim well.

They will do a real number on yotes though.
We have an overabundance of the interlopers around here as of late.

I use an AR with 11.5 bbl (plus 4.5 FH)


I wouldn't hesitate to rely on them for main meat-getters after the zombie apocalypse.    LOL

[Mustang Gregg]

Some states will not allow a caliber under .243" for big game.
Some states will not allow bullets under 100 grs for big game.

Just sayin'.