From: reb@amc.com (Bob Brunjes)
Subject: Re: Hunting deer with 223?
Organization: Applied Microsystems, Redmond, WA
Date: 1 Oct 92 08:13:29 CDT
Originator: hunting@osnome.che.wisc.edu
Keywords: 223 Deer

In article <1992Sep25.094109.27210@doug.cae.wisc.edu> bakc@giraffe.ru.ac.za (MR KR COMAN) writes:
>Well, as a sample of one writing from a South African perspective...
>
>The .375 is pretty much "over-kill" for any African antelope -- even 
>including the gemsbok (pretty tough and aggressive customer), let alone 
>'soft-skinned' game animals: (e.g.) zebra and giraffe (if hunting these
>is anyone's ambition).   Probably over 85% of local hunters take 
>antelope with popular middle-order calibers (.270, 7mm, .308, 30-06, .303, 
>etc.).  The situation changes, of course, if "big-game is the aim":  here, 
>the .375and calibres on up are mandatory.    In my experience, the local 
>dudes who regularly use a .375 for antelope are most likely to  be long-time 
>ownersof such a rifle -- maybe bought many years ago to hunt in the old 
>colonialhunting preserves of Rhodesia, Mocambique, Angola, etc...   Today, 
>they live in SA and see no reason to splash out on a newer rifle in a more 
>modest calibre:  so I guess it's very much a "by default" pattern of usage.
>Certainly, (with the odd, rare exception) the LOCAL demand for .375 rifles 
>(usually Brno's) is confined to chaps who either have the money or the 
>"connections" to hunt lion, elephant, and buffalo in (typically) Botswana 
>and Zimbabwe.   A *local* bloke who pitched up to hunt kudu or impala with
>a .375 would certainly raise a few eyebrows and some jibes about "Where's
>yr 4inch howitzer for the baboons this afternoon?"!!    (We'd be MORE
>tolerent of a --most welcome-- foreign hunter: promise!!!)
>	OK: .375 nice to own, but maybe a tad over-spec'ed for buck.
>
>Cheers,
>Keith  
>	  
While you're absolutely correct, Keith, that the .375 is more (more what,
bore diameter? energy? recoil? bullet weight? powder capacity?) than
enough for deer-sized animals, in many ways (like meat destruction),
the .375 is probably _more_appropriate than the .25-06. 

If Michael doesn't mind a bit of recoil (the only .375 I ever shot was
pleasant), and higher ammunition costs, it may be a good fit.

I have a somewhat similar choice, between 6mm remington and .300 H&H.
Last year I took the .300 (loaded with 200-grain Noslers over IMR4831)
on an elk hunt where I shot a medium-sized whitetail doe.  The bullet
passed through the deer with serene indifference, .30 caliber in, .30
caliber out (the shot entered lower right throat and exited through
the leading edge of the left ham).

After dressing deer shot with 90-grain 6mm bullets at ~3200 fps (fairly
messy, if you don't go for a head shot), this last
deer was very cleanly shot, with only slight bloodshooting.  Admittedly,
this is a load appropriate to shootin mooses who are standing on the
other side of D8 Cats, so the bullet wasn't supposed to expand much,
but it was a nice clean kill.

Having hunted with some .25-06s, a very nice cartridge for my hunting
styles, I note they do at _least_ as much tissue damage as my 6mm.
Since the proposed .375 should certainly bloodshoot lesss tissue than
my .300 H&H, I'd say the .375 should be a fine deer rifle, with the
above caveats. 

Bob Brunjes		Applied Microsystems Corp
			Redmond, WA
			reb@amc.com




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