Extra bullet weight is not a substitute for quality construction. Most of the .224 caliber bullets in the 70+ grain range are target bullets which are not suitable for hunting. The head/neck shot is not a very good idea for those most likely to be recoil shy and certainly not at extended range. An expert at short range, then sure, if you must.My 6.5 CM with a nice muzzle brake kicks about the same as my 556 rifle. There’s plenty of vids on YouTube of people hunting with .223. I would recommend. Atleast 70 gr bullets and neck/headshot within 150 yards. Probably could go out further but at this range less room for error. This is private land of course. On public land .357 or .44 is the way to go imo.
Extra bullet weight is not a substitute for quality construction. Most of the .224 caliber bullets in the 70+ grain range are target bullets which are not suitable for hunting. The head/neck shot is not a very good idea for those most likely to be recoil shy and certainly not at extended range. An expert at short range, then sure, if you must.
I clicked the thread to post a combination of this and what Dadsmith said about the 44 mag and the relative energy of each. Whether or not the caliber is ethical to take game with is dependent on the shooter and their ability. At 7 yards the big three carry calibers have plenty of energy to take deer with a well placed shot and respect to ammunition choice. I personally have minute of pie plate accuracy off hand with my DW .357 and an 8 inch barrel out to around 70 yards. I would not recommend the same setup to old man Jenkins who suffers from chronic low blood sugar and tremors. I've passed on plenty of decent sized game because it was at the wrong angle or just a hair out of my comfort zone distance wise for the arms I had on me.It’s probably not a good idea for most folks, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for the average hunter. A more ballistically energetic round will make up for slightly imprecise hits on deer. 2400ish ft-lbs on a 30 caliber vs 1200ish ft-lbs on a 5.56 is substantial.
If you’re calm when a deer in is your sight picture, and you have the time with your rifle, ammo, and optics to be effective under stress you should be fine with 5.56. But most are not.
Be very comfortable with the ballistic trajectory of the actual rounds you’re hunting with, not just plinking with m193 and then shooting an animal with 64gr gold dot.
Be ethical, pick the right projectile, train a lot, and you can kill almost anything with a 5.56mm rifle!
This is well said, hunting to kill animals with as little undue suffering as possible is the answer. KYL: know your limits and stay within them when taking game.Imho in order to be an ethical hunter at all you really need to have a grasp of your skill set and limitations long before you set up a blind in the field. Respect the thing giving up its life so you can keep yours by making the time it suffers minimal.
They've gotten so good at getting things wrong they're downright professionals by now...The anti gunners say no one hunts with an AR15. Hmmm. How did they get that wrong? LOL
Are you sure about that? The 30 Carbine is deer legal in Indiana?You can't in Indiana but they will let you use a 30cal like the M1 Carbine shoots
Rifle cartridges that are legal under this law for private land include, but are not limited to, the following:Are you sure about that? The 30 Carbine is deer legal in Indiana?
Wow, I stand corrected. I had always thought the 30 Carbine was not allowed. Thanks for the info.Rifle cartridges that are legal under this law for private land include, but are not limited to, the following:
I wondered too, but those are from DNR's website.
- 6mm-06
- 6mm BR Remington
- 6mm PPC
- 6mm Remington
- .240 Weatherby
- .243 Winchester
- .243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
- .25 Remington
- .25-06 Remington
- .270 Winchester
- .30 Carbine
- .30 Herrett
- .30 Remington AR
- .30-06 Springfield
- .30-30 Winchester
- .30-40 Krag
- .300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper)
- .300 H &H Magnum
- .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
- .300 Savage
- .300 Weatherby Magnum
- .300 Winchester Magnum
- .300 Winchester Short Magnum
- .300 Remington Ultra Magnum
- .303 British
- .307 Winchester
- .308 Marlin
- .308 Winchester
- .32 Winchester SL
- .35 Remington
- .350 Legend
- .38-55 Winchester
- .444 Marlin
- .45-70 Government
- 6.5 Creedmoor
- 6.8 SPC
- 7.62x39mm
- 7.62x54mmR
Indiana Deer Hunting Answers
Answers to common deer hunting questions about licenses, equipment, season and bag limits.www.in.gov
I think an M1 carbine would make an awesome little deer rifle for Indiana distances.Wow, I stand corrected. I had always thought the 30 Carbine was not allowed. Thanks for the info.