Had a great weekend hunting

[Icemancometh]

Snagged this big boy on Saturday evening at about 4:45. 12 pointer, 230 pounds field dressed. Had him weighed at the processor. 155 yard shot with my new Ruger American Ranch in .223. I felt way under gunned when I saw him. I wished I had grabbed the .270 instead. He ran a 40 yard circle and dropped. Front shoulder was broken, lungs like goo and a hole in his heart.



My 16 y/o son got this 8 pointer Sunday morning at 7:10. About 100 yard shot with my .270. He made it about 30 yards, which is surprising since his heart was blown in half.




Oldest son snagged this doe on Sunday night. She dropped in her tracks. He was also using the .

 

[Bradsknives]

Is a .223 Cal. a legal rifle round for hunting deer in Indiana?

 

[jy951]

I assume you weren't hunting in indiana were you?

 

[phylodog]

.270 isn't legal either

 

[Icemancometh]

I'm across the river in Kentucky. Perfectly legal here.

 

[tjh88]

Poke Poke see who bites?

 

[tjh88]

Well, 1 minute too late on this one.

 

[jy951]

Nice buck. Did the .223 pass through?

 

[Icemancometh]

No pass through. Internal damage was surprising considering it was a .223 soft point. He flinched when I shot so I was pretty sure I hit him. When there was no blood where he was standing I began to have my doubts. I began walking the direction he went and found him a few minutes later.

 

[weedsnager]

Well done !

 

[srad]

That's a fruitful weekend! Something that the .223 soft point put a big buck like that down at 155 yds after going through a shoulder.
Congratulations! Hope to baptize my Ruger American .30-06 this weekend.

 

[Fargo]

No pass through. Internal damage was surprising considering it was a .223 soft point. He flinched when I shot so I was pretty sure I hit him. When there was no blood where he was standing I began to have my doubts. I began walking the direction he went and found him a few minutes later.

I shot a good number of deer with 223 growing up, probably between, 6-12. They very seldom exited, usually the remnants of the slug were lodged against the far rib cage. None were huge deer, but none went more than 70 yards and I never lost one. With good placement, it works fine IMO.

 

[Icemancometh]

I shot a good number of deer with 223 growing up, probably between, 6-12. They very seldom exited, usually the remnants of the slug were lodged against the far rib cage. None were huge deer, but none went more than 70 yards and I never lost one. With good placement, it works fine IMO.

I got the 223 mainly for coyotes but also had the thought of bagging a smaller doe with it. I was hesitant to try it on that buck. I had never laid eyes on him before so it was truly a surprise when he walked out.

 

[lovetheoutdoors]

Nice looking Buck!! Congrats... So glad the 223 worked out for you. I would have been hard pressed to pull the trigger in that case.

 

[Tactically Fat]

.223 / 5.56 works well on people, it'll work just as well on white tail deer.

 

[roscott]

Shot placement above all, I guess! Great looking buck. What kind of 223 rifle were you using?

 

[Icemancometh]

Shot placement above all, I guess! Great looking buck. What kind of 223 rifle were you using?

Ruger American Ranch Bolt action in .223/5.56 with a Leupold Rifleman scope.

 

[avboiler11]

77gr SMK/CC work very well on deer; they don't expand like a soft point or bonded bullet but penetrate a bit before tumbling and fragmenting, often allowing for a (large) exit wound. After having shot KY deer with a 223AI and 80gr Amax and a FrankenSPR with 77gr CC I'd not have hesitated to make the same shot as OP.