Originally Posted By: dwaFound the limits of the 223 last night. I shot a monster at about 225 yds. Felt good about the shot it must have not penetrated enough. He was big curly haired and caked with mud. We looked for 2 hours last night. Going to try again today but I got a feeling he made it out ok. Tons of scenarios play through my mind in times like this. Have I shot a hog that big with a 223? Yes. Have I shot a pig at that distance? Absolutely. But Never have the size and distance been so not in my favor. As a hunter I do try to recover everything I kill. And I feel bad when I don't. But I felt I made an ethical shot and hope to find him piled up under a cedar.
I know where you're comin' from dwa. Found myself in the same spot last week.
I shot a couple of hogs while coyote hunting w/55 gr. Sierra soft points. They were seconds that I picked up @ Sierra plant and assume they are the varmint bullets as they are flat base and their 55 gr. gamekings are boattail bullets.
Any rate, took both of those hogs with broadside head shots between the eye and ear and they were DRT, which instilled confidence in the load when carefully placed.
Since then, my partner and I have shot 35 hogs, at least half of which were shot with this same load. Had a couple get back up and run, but managed to drop them w/quick followup shots; only one small boar shot behind the shoulder and he dropped in his tracks, the rest were side profile head shots until last week.
Right about sunset, had 5 hogs trotting toward me at about 50 yds. which were about to enter my scent cone. No trick to keep crosshairs between the leader's eyes at that range so decided to take the shot with the expectation of dropping the (about 200#) boar in his tracks.
I saw the red splash of the bullet striking the pig between his eyes. To my surprise, he squealed, turned and ran back to the brushline from whence they came (about 100 yds).
We tracked him at least a half mile when we ran out of light. Continued search the following morning to no avail. There was a good blood trail to follow, making the tracking easy to the point where he entered an impenetrable thicket.
I'm convinced that the bullet exploded and the sharp angle of the pig's forehead deflected any remains making for a painful but non lethal wound?? Any rate, I'm through with that load on anything other than side profile head shots and am interested in finding a load for a heavier/harder bullet such as the tsx or NP.
The problem is that this particular rifle is really finicky on what load it will shoot.
Since it has a 1:7 twist, figured it would like heavier bullets, but so far have not found anything other than the 55 gr. Sierra SP's that will shoot 1.25" @ 100 yds. The heavier bullets seem to group three out of five shots in an inch or less but invariably will throw two fliers which open the group to 2" or more.
I've tried the tsx/s and ttsx in both .223 and 243 wssm and have had no luck yet in getting any accuracy from them in several different rifles. So far I've tried Varget & H450 in the 243 and H335 and Ball C in the .223.
Would appreciate any powders/loads you guys have found to be accurate in your rifles.
Regards,
hm