Is It Legal To Hunt Deer With A 223? Updated Info in 2021 (2023)

FAQs

Is it legal to hunt deer in Texas with a 223? ›

“In Texas, the law only prohibits hunting deer with rimfire ammunition,” said Edwin Walker, Independent Program Attorney for U.S. & Texas LawShield. “Otherwise, there is no restriction on using . 223 rounds.

223 (and the AR-15 rifles that fire them) are not 'weapons of war'. Both the cartridge and the rifle are very popular for hunting and home defense use. The . 223 is a common caliber for bolt action and single-shot rifles in addition to semi-autos.

223 Rem. cartridge can take down a deer. These include the 55-grain Trophy Copper, the 62-grain Fusion MSR, the 60-grain Nosler Partition, and the 62-grain Trophy Bonded Tip. All these cartridges use projectiles designed to expand and penetrate the vital area of medium-sized game.

AR-15s are popular rifles, and yes — they are legal to hunt with (in most states). These rifles offer a wide range of advantages, whether you're out hunting deer or looking for smaller game during the off-season.

The best all-around grain for . 223 is 55 grains. It is the ideal weight for the cartridge when used to fire an AR-15 and delivers good accuracy and velocity without excessive recoil. However, 40 grains can work well for varmints and 77 grains is better in windy conditions.

Absolutely! As long as it's legal for deer hunting in your area (and it is in the majority of the United States), the 223 Remington can be extremely effective on deer sized game. Hunters should keep their shooting distances short and be careful with shot placement. Using the right 223 ammo is vitally important as well.

Know Hunting Laws

It's best to look at the states that don't allow deer hunting with . 223 diameter bullet or an AR-15 rifle. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia require larger bullets to be used to hunt game.

223 Effective Range

Similar to the 5.56, the 223 covers a long distance when fired from the gun's barrel. The bullet starts losing altitude and velocity with time reducing the impact that the bullet has when it finally reaches the target. The effective range for 223 is 400 to 600 yards.

223-caliber and bigger, to be high-powered. The most common round used in AR-15s is . 223-caliber. “An AR can reach out several hundred yards and do a lot of damage,” he said.

What is the best AR for deer hunting? ›

Of all the AR deer cartridges on the market, the 6.8 SPC is the most versatile, and I believe it's the best. It's perfect for whitetail, great for hogs and it doubles as a fantastic defensive round. The . 270-caliber bullet shoots flat and retains its energy well down range.

The classic AK-47 can be used for hunting, however there are also other, more practical options. An old SKS rifle will suffice, and can be customized to take a scope, synthetic stock and other accessories if desired. These rifles are very inexpensive and readily available.

The 243 Winchester fires a larger diameter, heavier, and more aerodynamic bullet at a faster velocity than the 223 Remington. Therefore the 243 Winchester has more recoil, a much flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind drift, and carries more retained kinetic energy downrange than the 223 Remington.

The . 220 Swift still holds the record as the fastest .

With all that being said, if you're looking for some reliable deer hunting ammo to use in your trusty 7mm Mag or . 30-30 Winchester to take out for whitetail or pronghorn, then the Nosler Ballistic Tip line of rifle ammunition just might be the best choice for you.

.223 Remington

223 Remington in any gun makes excellent coyote medicine. It offers a trajectory flat enough to take coyotes out to 400 yards, and hits hard enough to anchor them.

223 rounds are virtually identical in size to 5.56mm rounds. This means that the majority of the time, . 223 ammunition will chamber and fire in a 5.56mm chamber and vice versa. However, the biggest difference between the two is that 5.56x45mm ammunition is loaded to a significantly higher pressure than .

223 - it is a viable deer cartridge when the appropriate bullets are used. It is good enough when shots aren't excessively long and a broadside shot presents itself. It's not a foolproof cartridge, however. If you choose to hunt with it, be prepared to pass on an animal when the angle or distance isn't right.

With a heavier . 223 bullet, accurate shooting, and a good AR-15, outdoors enthusiasts can have a freezer full of venison. “In Georgia,” said U.S. Law Shield Independent Program Attorney Matt Kilgo, “deer may be taken with any modern center-fire rifle that is . 22 caliber or larger when loaded with expanding bullets.

Is .223 legal for deer in Arkansas? ›

“It's legal to go with a . 223 in Arkansas, and it will work on deer with the right shot placement and proper bullet type, but I would suggest someone start with a caliber at least as large as .

Hash said the Indiana General Assembly passed an amendment to the rifle statute this year. So hunters can no longer use rifles when hunting deer on public land, which includes both state and federal property. The amendment only affects rifles on public property.

Nosler E-Tip

Specifically, this is an excellent choice of 223 ammo for deer and feral hogs. This 55 grain E-Tip is one of the more aerodynamic 223 bullet options. Since it also has a pretty fast muzzle velocity, this is a 223 ammo option with a pretty flat trajectory and slightly longer effective range.

The 243 Winchester fires a larger diameter, heavier, and more aerodynamic bullet at a faster velocity than the 223 Remington. Therefore the 243 Winchester has more recoil, a much flatter trajectory, more resistance to wind drift, and carries more retained kinetic energy downrange than the 223 Remington.

The best all-around grain for . 223 is 55 grains. It is the ideal weight for the cartridge when used to fire an AR-15 and delivers good accuracy and velocity without excessive recoil. However, 40 grains can work well for varmints and 77 grains is better in windy conditions.

Know Hunting Laws

It's best to look at the states that don't allow deer hunting with . 223 diameter bullet or an AR-15 rifle. Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Washington, and West Virginia require larger bullets to be used to hunt game.

Rifles and Handguns: Any . 22-cal. or smaller rimfire, air rifle, or any muzzleloading firearm.

California. Law: PC 32310. Details: The importation, sale of, and manufacturing of any magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, for any type of firearm, is illegal. The importation, sale of, and manufacturing of any magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, for any type of firearm, is illegal.

Can I hunt on my own land without a license in Arkansas? ›

PRIVATE LAND

Hunters can typically freely take game animals hunted on their own private property or may seek permission from a landowner to hunt on private property. Hunters who wish to take game on privately owned land must follow state hunting regulations as well as any regulations specified by the landowner.

A summary of the rifle requirements for deer hunting on private land are as follows: The rifle cartridges must have a cartridge case length of at least 1.16 inches and have a maximum case length of 3 inches. The cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is . 243 inches (same as 6mm) or larger.

First, the DNR officer is subject to the same constitutional restrictions as any police office. He has no right to enter private property without a search warrant or a valid exception to the search...