Is it legal to hunt deer in MI with a .223/5.56

[lee]

The regs. state that any caliber greater than a .22 is legal to hunt deer with. So , .223 > than .22 , does that make it legal to hunt deer with. In the past , I have used .308 and 7.62X39 to hunt deer with. Thought about trying it --------head shot only. Any thoughts on it.

[Joeywhat]

Yes you can, and no I wouldn't. MI deer are too big for it. Maybe if you were hunting elsewhere where the deer don't get too big.

[lee]

No I probably wouldn't either-------only if I had a good head shot say at 25 meters which has a very , very low probability of ever happening. But I really want to hike armed with a light weight alternative instead of my heavy barrel .308 or RPK AK.

[Joeywhat]

I think going with a .243 or .270 option on an AR15/10 platform would be your best bet, then. of course you'd have to buy a new gun...but that's not really a problem, is it :-)

6.8 and 6.5 are also both good hunting rounds for deer, and more easily available for the AR platform.

[Maranatha]

I just built A 6.8 SPC on an AR for Deer Hunting, unfortunately Surgery I just had has kept me out of this years deer season.

I built this with a Stag 6.8 Upper

[Joeywhat]

How much did the Stag upper set you back? I'm just about to buy a 5.56 stag upper...might change my mind if it's not much more for the 6.8.

[sahauptman]

The regs. state that any caliber greater than a .22 is legal to hunt deer with. So , .223 > than .22 , does that make it legal to hunt deer with. In the past , I have used .308 and 7.62X39 to hunt deer with. Thought about trying it --------head shot only. Any thoughts on it.

I’m glad I’m hearing negative on hunting a large game animal with .223/5.56 round. :thumbup: When all the weekend warriors come back from up north from there Deer hunts and see this post they will all give there excuses of why they use this round and how they took out a 250 lb. buck at 400 yards with a cartridge designed to wound a 150 lb. target. :sniper:

[Maranatha]

525.00 on the stag website

[Silence214]

I can personally vouch for the Federal loaded 60gr Nosler Partition on Whitetail deer (approx. 90-175lb.) from 60yds. to approx. 140 yds. All fast clean kills. Excellent round. Some rounds went through completely and others did not. Serious expansion on those rounds recovered.

[Silence214]

..

[Johnson16]

The regs. state that any caliber greater than a .22 is legal to hunt deer with. So , .223 > than .22 , does that make it legal to hunt deer with. In the past , I have used .308 and 7.62X39 to hunt deer with. Thought about trying it --------head shot only. Any thoughts on it.

As long as you are in the RIFLE ZONE, the rule states it has to be bigger than a .22 rimfire. Therefore a 22-250, .22 hornet, .204 Ruger, and .220 swift would also technically be legal right? Course I wouldn't recommend using any of them. I always heard, .243 was about as small as you want to go on whitetail.

[RSF]

I have used Mk262 ammo and federal Tru loadings both have killed and killed clean several Deer and a boar.(250 pounds) A hammer pair was fired) hog went 10 yards fell over as long as the shooter knows his/her gear and its limits and or ablities. the 262 loading is the 77 grain seirra

[RifleGuy]

A friend of mine has dropped several deer w/ a Remington 700 chambered for the .222 Remington (progenitor of the .223, and slightly lower in power). He was using factory loaded 55 gr. pointed soft points and reports that the round dropped deer like lighting if he hit the head/neck.

As an aside, I own that exact rifle now and it is absolutely the most accurate rifle I have ever fired. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with it using handloads. (Factory loads are all varmint rounds, or non-expanding FMJ)

[Howard000003]

A friend of mine has dropped several deer w/ a Remington 700 chambered for the .222 Remington (progenitor of the .223, and slightly lower in power). He was using factory loaded 55 gr. pointed soft points and reports that the round dropped deer like lighting if he hit the head/neck.

As an aside, I own that exact rifle now and it is absolutely the most accurate rifle I have ever fired. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with it using handloads. (Factory loads are all varmint rounds, or non-expanding FMJ)

Err, correct me if I am wrong, as I’m sure many of you will, but if you hit the deer in the neck or head, isn’t anything pretty much going to drop it, assuming you make penetration?

[7.62 Nato]

A friend of mine has dropped several deer w/ a Remington 700 chambered for the .222 Remington (progenitor of the .223, and slightly lower in power). He was using factory loaded 55 gr. pointed soft points and reports that the round dropped deer like lighting if he hit the head/neck.

As an aside, I own that exact rifle now and it is absolutely the most accurate rifle I have ever fired. I wouldn't hesitate to hunt with it using handloads. (Factory loads are all varmint rounds, or non-expanding FMJ)

Is your 700 the heavy barrel with the 1/9 twist or the standard barrel with the 1/12 ? What your favorite load recipe for it ?

[2ndAmendment]

OH PLEASE

My guess is that none of the nay sayers have hunted with the .223. I have taken deer every year for the past 28 with a 20" bushmaster using handload 64gr Win Power Points or Nosler 60gr Partition.

INSIDE OF 100 yards it is as leathal as anything larger. A heck of alot more accurate in competent hands than a shotgun at the same range.

I instruct at the local range and I can tell you this for sure....most of the guys I see sighting in cant hit minute of pie plate so it doesnt matter what caliber they use. And the ones with their new 300RUM's are flinching so bad they cant even hit paper half the time

Patience and placement. A well placed anchor shot will dop them in there tracks. I have never had to track a deer more than 50 ft and that was a heart shot. The deer was dead but the brain hadnt got the signal yet.

Deer have an incredible will to survive.

I will say though....95% percent of hunters probably should not use a .223.

If you are considering it you might better practice till you are shooting moa 100%

If you cant shoot MOA than use a different caliber.

OH yeah.....No FMJ please

Michigan Whitetail....Big Game?? Kinda sorta

[Sigman]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/siggman/notagain

[2ndAmendment]

Hey its deer season.

Anything (edited) constructive to contribute?

[Sigman]

This gets beat to death a dozen times every year. What more can you say? Its a personal choice. Do what ever you want there is no "right" answer. Here again.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/siggman/notagain

[RifleGuy]

Err, correct me if I am wrong, as I’m sure many of you will, but if you hit the deer in the neck or head, isn’t anything pretty much going to drop it, assuming you make penetration?
With bricks and bowling balls penetration is not needed!

Because the .222 is a varmint round, most loads for it tend to aggressively expand. A head shot with one of these bullets has the potential to grievously wound, but not immediately kill a deer, and a FMJ round has the potential to penetrate and exit, leaving nothing behind but a tiny hole and a wounded deer.

With those two posibilities in mind I mentioned the success my friend had, but did not intend to imply the round was in any way a superior killer when placed in the head & neck region. So, you are correct; pretty much any round similarly placed should give similar results. Except that bowling ball or brick! :D

[RifleGuy]

Is your 700 the heavy barrel with the 1/9 twist or the standard barrel with the 1/12 ? What your favorite load recipe for it ?
Standard bbl, 1/12 twist. I've had good luck w/ Sierra 50gr. BlitzKing bullets seated over 20.6 gr. of IMR4198 w/ Remington Benchrest primers.

I've also been happy with Barnes 50gr X-bullets over 20.9 gr. Reloader 7.

[ro2]

I use nothing less than hand grenades or claymores on deer:crazy: we were about due for this discussion LOL

[RifleGuy]

Straying even further from the original direction of this thread; is there any prohibition in Michigan law against hunting deer with a spear?
As my interest in primitive weapons grows, I would be interested in taking a deer with a boar spear or a Samburu spear.

[who dat]

Straying even further from the original direction of this thread; is there any prohibition in Michigan law against hunting deer with a spear?
As my interest in primitive weapons grows, I would be interested in taking a deer with a boar spear or a Samburu spear.
Anybody can get a deer with a spear. A real man will perch in a tree, on a branch, not one of those sissy tree stands, and then leap on the deer's back pulling the knife out of his teeth and draw it cleanly across the neck. You ride the deer until it bleeds out and carry it home. That's hunting.

[2ndAmendment]

Didn't work. I couldnt manipulate the knife and hold on at the same time. Darn near stabbed myself in the groin.

I also found out its easier to hold on to the knife in your mouth if you remove your upper and lower dentures.

Update

Tried a higher branch...23ft dint have to hold on as the deer broke in hafl upon impact. Going back out tonight to haul it outta da woods after they locate my testes here at the doc's.

I love deer season

[2ndAmendment]

Straying even further from the original direction of this thread; is there any prohibition in Michigan law against hunting deer with a spear?
As my interest in primitive weapons grows, I would be interested in taking a deer with a boar spear or a Samburu spear.

I'll bring the camera. We can do a documentry

[RifleGuy]

Anybody can get a deer with a spear. A real man will perch in a tree, on a branch, not one of those sissy tree stands, and then leap on the deer's back pulling the knife out of his teeth and draw it cleanly across the neck. You ride the deer until it bleeds out and carry it home. That's hunting.
Problem: If I drop out of the tree, onto the deer's back, the spine, ribs, and legs will instantly shatter. (Possibly the deer's too!! Ha!) Probably won't need to worry about making the full 8-second ride in this rodeo!
It would be like dropping a small Buick on the deer...

UPDATE: Ha! Didn't read 2A's post before I chimed in! Sir, your testes should be located somewhere just above your kidneys at this point; tell Dr. Magellan to keep going, he's almost there!

[Joeywhat]

See, the trick is getting onto the deer then riding it back to your truck before the kill.

[who dat]

See, the trick is getting onto the deer then riding it back to your truck before the kill.
I love how we all learn from each other!!

[HankH]

I have shot 7 whitetails w 22-250 loaded with 63 gr Speer. One ran ten yards another about 5 and the rest dropped. No head shots. All in engine room except one neck shot.
Yes you can, and no I wouldn't. MI deer are too big for it. Maybe if you were hunting elsewhere where the deer don't get too big.

[Roundballer]

I have shot 7 whitetails w 22-250 loaded with 63 gr Speer. One ran ten yards another about 5 and the rest dropped. No head shots. All in engine room except one neck shot.


Yes you can, and no I wouldn't. MI deer are too big for it. Maybe if you were hunting elsewhere where the deer don't get too big.

I don't think that the caliber argument has changed any in the last seven years.

[DP425]

.223 is fine for deer if you use the right bullet, get a vitals hit, and keep it within 200yd. If you want a great medium-large (relative, deer isnt REALLY large game) bullet, pick up the swift scirocco. Push it at max velocity and you have a capable load out to 200yd.

Now, let's be very honest here. Most deer hunters cannot shoot worth a crap, and certainly cannot estimate range worth a damn. Fortunately for velocity-energy, they always estimate far greater than reality. Unfortunately, that also usually means they adjust their aim point... Because they are also often clueless about exterior ballistics.

I'd rather those people just don't hunt. But, if they are going to do it, (and so many of them do) I'd prefer to see them use the most powerful cartridge they can and still maintain the same level of crap accuracy. At least that way, the gut shot might not take as long to result in death.

[CircuitRider]

And another 7 year old thread rises out of the ashes!

[Musta Demoni]

hihEhsdwiIk

[DV8r]

Never hunted deer with the 5.56x45 but I know for a fact that it does a number on 100 lb. asians.

[langenc]

.223 is fine for deer if you use the right bullet, get a vitals hit, and keep it within 200yd. If you want a great medium-large (relative, deer isnt REALLY large game) bullet, pick up the swift scirocco. Push it at max velocity and you have a capable load out to 200yd.

Now, let's be very honest here. Most deer hunters cannot shoot worth a crap, and certainly cannot estimate range worth a damn. Fortunately for velocity-energy, they always estimate far greater than reality. Unfortunately, that also usually means they adjust their aim point... Because they are also often clueless about exterior ballistics.

I'd rather those people just don't hunt. But, if they are going to do it, (and so many of them do) I'd prefer to see them use the most powerful cartridge they can and still maintain the same level of crap accuracy. At least that way, the gut shot might not take as long to result in death.

Many of them are killing deer at 600 yards and they are DRT... If they don't drop they just go find another. Around here most shots are less that 100 unless along the power/gas line. Keep the shots under 75 yrds and you will be good.

PSD My Ruger 77 (1:9) wont shoot Nosler 60 gr worth anything. Wish 223s were at least 1:8.

[keebz]

HELL!!!!!! A 1000 fps Crosman Phantom .177 air rifle using 10.8 gr Cabelas pellet with a 3-9x32 scope at 30 yards heart shot dropped a doe!!!!!!! So I've heard

[Bogartis]

How about a 300 blackout? Should be a great deer round no?

[perduet]

How about a 300 blackout? Should be a great deer round no?

Great round but it has its yardage limits just like other calibers

[langenc]

I tried 3x to get the Nosler Partition 60 gr to shoot in my Ruger bolt. Never did succeed. Would it kill a deer, probably but NOT at 400. Probably not at 200.

Go with the 243-much better choice.

[Bingo9991]

Just gonna revive this so yall remember how to tree hunt deer with a knife lol

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Crawdaddio]

300 BLK, just swap the barrel and your ready to go. Will take any size deer, no problem.

[Danco411]

I'm using tannerite this year!

[concepthomes1]

Took a buck last year with my AR pistol in .223 Wylde. Federal Fusion 62 gr right through the heart. He ran hobbled 20 yds from the shot and dropped.