Is .223 worth it?

[taz2]

Time?

I shoot various quarry with various guns, reloading for a few calibres, 5 of which go into the field. Shots on vermin never really past 300, deer under 200. If I spent all my time chasing itsy bitsy groups with each rifle I'd never get over the 4000 acres or so I shoot in my spare time (with mr kennyC), <1" at 100 of of a bench (or roof of the truck) and I'm done with load development. I take the rifle out and use it for what it was made.....

On smaller game if you're not shooting for the table then all you have to worry about is being humane (apart from safety obviously), a 40 gr HP bullet 'somewhere' in the chest of a rabbit from a .22LR will result in some runners, a 40 gr HP from a .22 Hornet 'somewhere' in the chest of a rabbit is instant death, even if you're an inch off the heart. Energy can make up for some lack of accuracy or driver error.

ok
last try and then I'm done.
A ''2min'' rifle equates to 4 ins spread at 200 yds (your max for deer). Add that to your personal error in aiming (not a sleight on you--but your own admission due to 100 yd stalk), and suddenly you could be out of the kill-zone for a deer--- maybe a lot out.
Oh, and despite taking the time to ensure that my rifles shoot as well as possible, I do find time to use them for what they're made for. You only have to sort a load out once usually.

[kennyc]

ok
last try and then I'm done.
A ''2min'' rifle equates to 4 ins spread at 200 yds (your max for deer). Add that to your personal error in aiming (not a sleight on you--but your own admission due to 100 yd stalk), and suddenly you could be out of the kill-zone for a deer--- maybe a lot out.
Oh, and despite taking the time to ensure that my rifles shoot as well as possible, I do find time to use them for what they're made for. You only have to sort a load out once usually.

you could be, but in real life you aren't, I have watched Boydy take repeated headshots on rabbits out to 150+yards without a miss, yet his rifle probably wouldn't impress on paper, and these were at night with NV and off of sticks!

[223AI]

you could be, but in real life you aren't, I have watched Boydy take repeated headshots on rabbits out to 150+yards without a miss, yet his rifle probably wouldn't impress on paper, and these were at night with NV and off of sticks!

My 20 year old hornet with a pitted bore, I love that rifle!!

[223AI]

ok
last try and then I'm done.
A ''2min'' rifle equates to 4 ins spread at 200 yds (your max for deer). Add that to your personal error in aiming (not a sleight on you--but your own admission due to 100 yd stalk), and suddenly you could be out of the kill-zone for a deer--- maybe a lot out.
Oh, and despite taking the time to ensure that my rifles shoot as well as possible, I do find time to use them for what they're made for. You only have to sort a load out once usually.

My point is at <1" I'm sorted, that's enough for me and I get out and use them, no doubt by changing bullets, powder, seating depth etc. I could halve that in most of my rifle but I don't think I'd miss less or kill more.

As for the deer point, this is why most people chest shoot deer rather than head shoot - on a roe your 'kill zone' is 4" granted but if your POA is correct then too low for the heart and its generally a clean miss, 2" high you are top of lungs / spine resulting in dead or immobiled deer, 2" too far forward you break both shoulders / hit the Hilar zone resulting in a dead or immobile deer, 2" too far back you hit the liver, deer will run but you should have a good blood trail and deer should bleed out quickly so humane (only time this has happened to me deer didn't make 100 yards).

Also with 4" kill zone as mentioned above you are talking roe, as the species get bigger so does the kill zone, about 8" on a red . . . . I've also seen Kenny hit 8 bulls in a row with a 7.5 x 55 and iron sights, rested off of a bag, at 900 yards and he usually shoots from a high seat on deer.