Sheep hunters, would you?

Z · Oct 6, 2014

Not saying I am going to use it and neither are you, but...

I am sitting here looking in my safe deciding what to take on a desert ewe hunt and see my wife's ultralight 223. Shooting a solid bullet, like a triple shock, and keeping it under 150 yards would be sufficient, right?

Wapitiwilly · Oct 6, 2014

Bullet placement is what it's all about. Little light but sufficient with surgical precision

deerslayer88 · Oct 6, 2014

Depending on the twist rate, barrel length, powder, and bullet picked it could work out to 200 yards. I know of a sp load my friend used to shoot for deer at that range. 27 grains Varget behind a 60 Grn SP not much room left for air but out of a 22 inch barrel its a sweet load.

?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams

Yakatak · Oct 7, 2014

Had my sister take a Pronghorn buck at 180 yards with a my 22-250 shooting 60gr Nosler Partition handload's. Her boyfriends 300 was beating her up and she had had enough of it. Quartering shot through the lower front shoulder and out between the ribs on the oft side. Dumped him instantly.
Beside's, Pronghorn and desert sheep give up the ghost rather easily.

For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security.

Thomas Jefferson

30Hart · Oct 7, 2014

Yes it will work fine.

Zeke · Oct 7, 2014

I wouldn't use a 223 because I have "better" suited cartridges.
With that said, it will work IF everything is in your favor....and you do your part.

FYI: I've killed a bear with a 223 and almost killed one with a 22-250. My buddy actually killed it after I hit it a few times under less than favorable circumstances. Neither cartridge is even close to my first choice for big game.

Good luck regardless of your choice.
Zeke

TMas · Oct 7, 2014

LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-14 AT 01:02PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON Oct-07-14 AT 01:00?PM (MST)

Personally, no, I wouldn't. Sure it could get the job done, and probably has more than once. Story Time:
Here at my work we have X-ray equipment, we had a local F&G officer bring in a doe that had been found dead in a neighborhood, one of the neighbors claimed they watched the guy down the road lean over his back deck and shoot the full grown doe with a pellet gun, it ran about 150 yards and crashed. We imaged the doe and found a .177 pellet lodged in her xiphoid process. At necropsy we found the entrance wound, were the pellet passed through both lungs and where it rested in the rear of the sternum. It matched the angle perfectly how the neighbor witnessed the shot.
Moral of the story, you CAN kill animals with far inferior weapons to what ethically should be used.

http://www.monstermuleys.info/photos/user_photos2/8330deer_21-mar-2013_(1).jpg

brymoore · Oct 7, 2014

deerslayer88 · Oct 7, 2014

I would personally use a 6.5x55 sweede I love that round and it will take down anything with its high BC. However the load stated above will be more then adequate to take down the ewe, yet you should take advice and go with something else. I would much rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it and take down power is one of those things.

?If men were angels, no government would be
necessary.? John Adams