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If you like to hear folks squabble, just ask your hunting buddies if the 223 Remington is up to the job of deer hunting. You’ll get plenty of opinions and maybe some cussing and finger pointing, too. If you want to know the truth of the matter, however, you’ll have to dig a little deeper, because the real answer has always been clouded by a couple of persistent myths.
Barnes Harvest Collection 69-grain Sierra Tipped GameKing
Many hunters prefer a lead core bullet to a lead-free bullet, and this is understandable—if they’re constructed properly and if they don’t impact at too fast of a velocity, lead core bullets tend to damage more tissue. Advertised with a muzzle velocity of 3000 fps the Sierra Tipped GameKing bullet is an ideal choice for deer hunting with the 223 Remington. It will upset with a wide frontal diameter, damage lots of tissue, and provide enough penetration to pass through vital organs. If you’re a believer in kinetic energy, this load is also one of the hardest hitting factory 223 Remington ammo offerings.
Barnes VOR-TX 55-grain TSX
The Barnes 55-grain TSX bullet is an all-cooper projectile with a hollow nose cavity—technically, it’s a hollow point. When this bullet impacts, it opens very fast, developing a frontal diameter that is generally twice caliber diameter. Because the bullet retains all its weight, it penetrates very well, as deep or deeper than any other expanding bullets loaded for this cartridge. On the other hand, solid copper bullets have a reputation for not putting animals down as fast as lead-core bullets. The key to enhanced lethality with solid copper bullets is velocity, and with a muzzle velocity of more than 3200 fps this load has plenty of that. If you like terminal performance that relies on penetration, this is the 223 deer hunting load for you. Federal also offers a load using the same bullet.
Federal Fusion MSR 62-grain
The problem with small-caliber bullets for big game is that they are, well, small. In order to damage enough tissue to create adequate internal damage, they need to deform enough to create a wide frontal diameter. At 223 Remington velocities many lead-core bullets will fragment instead of expanding, but that’s not the case with the 62-grain Fusion. Because the bullet’s core is molecularly fused—bonded—to the bullet’s jacket, this bullet upsets wide and remains intact. This allows for lots of tissue damage throughout the deep wound cavity. It’s a great choice for deer hunting with the 223 Remington and a separate version has been specifically tuned to provide optimum performance in MSRs.
Federal 55-grain Trophy Copper
This is a very similar load to the 55-grain Barnes Tipped TSX Deer Slayer load from Buffalo Bore, which is also similar to the Barnes Vor-Tx TSX load already mentioned. Both the TTSX and the Trophy Copper bullets are lead-free all-copper bullets, and both have a polymer tip. The pointy tip offers a slightly better ballistic coefficient and suggests the bullets will upset at slightly slower velocities. Like with the Barnes TSX bullet you will see near double diameter bullet upset, usually 100% weight retention, and deep penetration from the Trophy Copper bullet or from the TTSX load from Buffalo Bore.
Lehigh Defense 55-grain Controlled Chaos
One of the most unique big game bullets is the Controlled Chaos from Lehigh Defense. Unlike most all-copper bullets that retain their weight, the front section of the Controlled Chaos bullet breaks apart shedding petals soon after impact. These petals radiate out from the path of the bullet shank and move forward to create their own paths of destruction. They create violently wicked wound cavities and the bullet’s shank continues to penetrate deep. Maybe best described as an all-copper Nosler Partition, Controlled Chaos bullets offer a lead-free alternative to one of the best big game bullets ever. The Lehigh Defense load has a muzzle velocity of nearly 2900 fps from a 16-inch barreled carbine.
Nosler Trophy Grade 70-grain AccuBond
Nosler loads their excellent 70-grain AccuBond bullet for the 223 Remington in their Trophy Grade line of ammunition. This is a bonded bullet that offers a great balance of bullet upset and penetration, and it will generally push to a depth of around 20 inches in 10% ordnance gelatin. Because of the bonding, the bullet’s core stays locked to the jacket, and this helps the bullet drive deep, even with a muzzle velocity of only 2750 fps. But to see good precision with this bullet your rifle needs to have a rifling twist rate of 1 in 9 or faster. Many modern 223 Remington rifles come with a fast twist, and I had my custom NULA rifle built with a 1 in 8 twist just so I could shoot this great bullet. However, some older 223 Remington rifles with slower twists will not stabilize this bullet well.
Winchester 64-grain Power Point
Winchester’s 64-grain Power Point load is the least expensive of all the loads on this list; you can pick up a box for as much as 22% less than some of the other offerings. However, when it comes to deer loads for the 223 Remington, it gives up nothing to its more expensive counterparts. It’s not flashy, doesn’t have a cool name, and looks like a regular hunting bullet. But the bullet’s unique soft point combined with its skived jacket has been optimally engineered to work at 223 Remington velocities. This bullet expands wide and drives deep, acting almost like a bonded bullet. I used this load for the first deer I ever killed with a 223 Remington, and it changed my mind about the cartridge.
What to Look for When Choosing a Deer Hunting Load for the 223 Remington
Deer are not hard to kill if you shoot them in the right spot, and there are a lot of 223 Remington loads that can kill a deer. But it’s always a good idea to hedge your bets and go with a load/bullet purpose built for big game hunting. Here’s some things to consider when selecting your load:
MSR Rifles: With an MSR—a gas impingement driven rifle—the ammo needs to create the adequate port pressure to insure reliable cycling. Most 223 Remington loads will do this but if your MSR is finicky consider the MSR Fusion load from Federal.
Slow Twist Rifles: Early 223 Remington rifles were built with a SAAMI (Shooting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer’s) specified rifling twist rate of 1 in 12. This twist rate many not adequately stabilize heavier bullets like the 69-grain Sierra Tipped Game King or the 70-grain Nosler AccuBond. For slower twist rifles consider one of the 55-grain bullets or the Winchester Power Point load.
Penetration vs. Tissue Destruction: Some hunters like deep penetration and others like large voluminous wound cavities. With bullets you must choose one or the other or opt for a balance in between both. If you like deep penetrating bullets, go with an all copper option. If you like more tissue destruction go with a more traditional lead core bullet. And if it’s balance you want, the Fusion, AccuBond or Controlled Chaos bullets will provide that.
Regardless the load you choose, shot placement will matter most. Some will suggest your shot placement must be perfect with the 223 Remington but that’s not exactly true. Just like with any cartridge, you want to punch holes in the lungs and/or heart and if you do that while using a good bullet fired from a 223 Remington, you’ll get your deer.
Common 223 Ammo Myths
1. The 223 Remington is illegal for deer hunting in most states.
Last I checked, the 223 Remington was legal for deer hunting in 35 states. Maybe it’s a Common Core thing, but if you use real math, 15 out of 50 ain’t “most.” In fact, math tells us that the 223 Remington is legal for deer hunting in 70 percent of the United States.
2. The 223 is ballistically inadequate and underpowered for deer hunting.
The 30-30 Winchester is considered one of the best deer cartridges of all time, and from a terminal-performance standpoint—the ability of a bullet to penetrate and damage tissue—the best 223 Remington loads compare favorably to it. It’s not about bullet caliber, it’s about bullet performance, and that’s the key to deer hunting success with the 223: You need to use the right bullet!
Most hunters who say the 223 Remington isn’t enough for deer have never tried it and therefore don’t know what they’re talking about. I have used the 223 Remington with a lot of different loads for a lot of deer, and I can tell you; it works just fine—if you pick the right ammo.
Editor's Note: Richard Mann’s new book, Rifle Cartridges for the Hunter: A Hunting Journal Spanning a Half-Century details 50 rifle cartridges through real hunts, practical insight, and hard-earned lessons. It is essential reading for serious hunters and riflemen who appreciate ballistic science and authentic outdoor adventure.
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