[pilotdane]

I have been a varmit hunter but am thinking of becoming a deer hunter. I live in rural NC and have many deer on my property. I'm not interested in getting a big buck but just one a deer or two for meat. So let go with the advice.

1. I've ranged that my longest shot will be 70 yards with most probably shots will be 20-50 yards. Is the .223/5.56 a humane weapon to use at those ranges or should I start looking for a more powerful rifle.

2. Am I an A-hole for shooting from my house or front porch? If it's morally OK to use my house as a deer stand how do I turn off the gas system on the 556 so I'm not chunking brass in the house? Do I just depress the button and rotate the gas knob beyond the two detent positions?

3. I will be at short ranges and have all the time in the world. What would be the best shot using the 556 with a EOTech? I'm not comfortable with extreme accuracy without magnification so should I put a scope on my 556 during hunting season?

 

[Smokewagonokc]

I would put it in the neck. Will put them right down. I got a 9pt this year with a neck shot at 239 yards. Flopped over backwards and died. I mounted a 3x9x28 scope with a lit reticle that I bought for about $60 from Cheaper Than Dirt. My rear sight remains on and I just look through the V notch and through the scope. Works great.

 

[a80ndrn8]

Here's my thoughts.

1. Yes. I would say anything up to 100yds would be ok. But I would use the heaver bullets like 75gr..

Look at it this way... Hornadys .223 75gr BTHP round produces 1092ft-lbs of energy @ 100yds. There .40 cal 180gr pistol round makes 361ft-lbs of energy @ the muzzle.

If you were to shoot a deer at point blank range (in the heart/lungs area) with that pistol round I would have no doubt it would go down fast. So the .223 with 3 times the energy won't have any problem if you do you part.

2. "morally OK to use my house as a deer stand" What the hell difference does it make where you shoot it from. That sounds awesome. Don't worrie about the brass you only need one shot.

3. Scope or EOTech, really doesn't mater as long as you are able to place the shot. What ever your comfortable with.

As far as where to shot it. I would go for the hart/lung area. The neck can be tricky.

 

[SkyPup]

With a .223 you really have to be a good marksman and confident of your shot placement.

With an Eotech you should be good for 100-125 yards.

I would go for the heart-lung area with 75 grain bullets too, the head is too small to rely on if they suddenly jerk it.

I've used my barn as a "hog-stand" numerous times and there is no down side to that. In fact, if you can get above them you are even better off taking the time to make a good shot.

Just take a look at some of the hogs I shot in the hog hunting thread to get an idea of the power and range of a 5.56mm.

 

[Nittany Lion]

Reply to 2....My uncle got a buck from his second floor bathroom window. He dropped a deuce and 6pt at the same time. Classic story at family parties.


BUT DON'T FORGET EAR PROTECTION!

 

[pilotdane]

Thank you all for the advice. Just so you know (and can be jealous) this is the view from my dining room window. I brew beer and the pile behind the deer is where I dump/compost the spent grain so they make this spot a regular stop. 21 yards. Nice and easy.

 

[Clyde]

Just some friendly words to the wise. You should be sure to check your state laws on deer hunting. Certain states do not allow the use of .223 for deer hunting - the usual concept is that the round does not possess sufficient knockdown power to humanely harvest the game. In addition, shooting deer that come in to graze on your composted grain pile can be construed as hunting over bait, which in certain states, can also be illegal.

I would highly recommend you check your state laws and local (wildlife zone) hunting rules and regulations.

From an ethical hunter standpoint, you want to harvest the game without causing the animal to suffer - one shot, one kill, and eat what you kill....

 

[tacman605]

Oh thats pretty low. New buck gets a doe to go out with him finally after fighting the older guys off. Takes her to the fermented grain place for a little nibble thinks he will get lucky and......................BANG he is dropped.
The doe is unable to get a second date all the other bucks thinks she is cursed ends up being pimped out by you to lure other bucks to their death.
It is a horrible story so often repeated in nature.

Good luck let us know how it works out.

 

[Nittany Lion]

haahaa! i'm having trouble breathing! hahaahaahaa

 

[SkyPup]

Yes, that is phunny as all get out! :lol:

 

[pilotdane]

Spring is here and I turned the grain into the mulch pile. The bar is closed... at least until the next brew day.

 

[tacman605]

Damn you tease. Get them hooked and close down the bar.

 

[Clyde]

Pilotdane and SkyPup:

The game warden stopped by and told me that the deer and the wild hogs called his office, and they said that they want their grain pile, and their collard greens and turnip patches put back to normal, or they're gonna start eating the hostas and stealing chickens again...and they mean it!

 

[restoring]

at that range, I would stick with what I used last night. I got 3 deer with a 2001 Jeep Cherokee.

 

[Clyde]

Dang, restoring, that has to be some kind of a record - or maybe the deer are resorting to deer swarm tactics to overwhelm their enemies defenses!

So, how's your car doing? I would ask about how you are, but you were in a Jeep Cherokee, so you probably don't have a scratch on you!

 

[restoring]

Dang, restoring, that has to be some kind of a record - or maybe the deer are resorting to deer swarm tactics to overwhelm their enemies defenses!

So, how's your car doing? I would ask about how you are, but you were in a Jeep Cherokee, so you probably don't have a scratch on you!

Here's what I posted on the local Jeep forum I belong to...

At about 00:25 hrs. Friday morning I was coming home from work. I was traveling up Interstate Blvd towards Highway 51. After I rounded the hard right turn, I started up the hill. About 1/3 of the way to Highway 51, I noticed green light reflecting in two sets of eyes about 4 feet off the ground maybe 20 yards ahead (and now the rest of you know where this going) - which were obviously deer. I took my foot off the accelerator and started braking.

I saw 3 does on the other side of the road (Interstate Blvd has a thin grassy median) just standing there watching me approach. They were facing as if they had already crossed my side of the road and hadn't finished crossing the other side yet.

I started braking hard and moving away from the median. In unison, they turned and literally jumped in front of the Jeep. I don't know if something on the other side of the road spooked them or they were just pissed at me and decided they would try to take me out with them.

I braked harder and cut the wheel. The brakes locked.

Doe #1 almost got past the Jeep. I think I caught part of her hind quarters as she stumbled (but later bounded off).

Doe #2 was directly centered in front of the Jeep. We hit. Hard. She ended up on the hood until the skid was done. More on her in a moment.

Doe #3 was immediately behind doe #2 and I hit her front end, spinning her around and into the driver door. She was stunned (left one hell of a dent in the door) but after a moment she got up and lit out fast but shaky.

Doe #2 was hurt pretty badly. I won't go into the details. When the Jeep stopped skidding (10 - 15 feet) she slid off the hood on to the road.

I couldn't open the driver door more than about a foot.

I called HLPD who responded pretty fast, but by the time Officer #1 arrived, doe #2 had dragged herself off the road using her front legs and was giving it all she had to get away to her safe place. Then it started raining.

Officer #2 arrived moments later, we got through the formality of insurance, license, etc. (I was still in uniform and wearing my sidearm and duty belt). When I described doe #2's condition, these two cops showed some good character. It was raining and they told me I was free to go. I asked if they were going to find her and end her misery and they said yes. I told them I would help.

We couldn't follow the blood trail once it left the pavement. We spent a good 20 - 25 minutes in the rain, brush, and mud looking, but we weren't able to find her. Kudos to HLPD's finest for not wanting her to suffer needlessly and being willing to tromp around in that crap sincerely trying to find her.

They stayed behind my Jeep until I was able to collect the bits and pieces and leave safely. One of my Hella lights was about 25 feet away, shattered. It's cover was right in front of the jeep. The other light was hanging on its wires with the cover still on. The grill is shattered, the front fascia is shattered, the radiator is punctured, the bumper looks bent, the driver side front fender is pushed back, the driver door has a viscous dent and won't open more than a third of the way, and it doesn't look like the hood is going to open without force.

Now it's up to me, Insurance, and ABRA to see what happens next. I'll post a few photos if anyone wants to see how well the Jeep held up.

 

[Clyde]

Restoring, that is quite a story, not to mention quite an ordeal...glad you and the responding officers tried to track down the injured animal in those conditions...also glad you walked away -- deer on the hood could have been deer through the windshield. I figured your Jeep was damaged....

I see a lot of deer where I live - rural area - especially in the twilight/dusk time frame. They seem to prefer grazing in the mowed areas on the side of the road at night, which of course brings them right into traffic when they spook and panic, and then make the wrong move at the wrong time.

I ride motorcycles for fun & recreation, which freaks most of them out if they have never seen one (the fawns hoof-scramble instantly). I had eight does and yearlings run out in front of me one day from a creek bed -- I knew they hang out there, so I was going slow and using a lower gear to announce I was coming -- the first seven made it across so I eased back on the gas -- then the last one hit the road but was limping and that threw my timing off some -- I was out of road and between her and the railing on the bridge -- I was hoping she could make it through the space that was between us before I filled it in with 600+ pounds of guided missile with a helmet on top. She did - but that one taught me - you see that green glow - get on the brakes hard and shed speed - and then roll through very slowly, in case one of them is gimpy...or decides to watch instead of moving!

 

[SkyPup]

One of my best friends was killed in his Volkswagen Beetle when he hit a deer on the way home from work one night not too far from my farm. The deer hit the front of the Beetle at about 60mph and came up through the windshield killing him instantly. His wife in the passenger seat was seriously injured as well. It was an awful event....

 

[SkyPup]

Not to take away from this thread, but here is a 132MB one minute high resolution video of me road racing my kart at over 100 mph when I came around a very high G=Force (3.5 G's) curve in the lead with about 30 karts on my tail only to find someone's hunting dog, a Walker deer hound, standing smack in the middle of the race track!!!! :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

My pants were dirty after this incident as were the next ten racers right behind me too!!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

It is a Apple QuickTime movie, so right click to download it and then watch it, don't try to stream it through your browser, it is too big.

http://www.phossil.com/thom/DOG.1.mov

Things happen very quickly at 100mph, if any of us had touched that animal at that speed it would have ripped our heads off..... :shock:

 

[pilotdane]

Cool video.

That looks like a good track with nice broad run off areas, huts for the flagmen...

It's a very different type of racing than what I did on small oval clay tracks. I like that you've got some room to move around and they might be more than one line through the turns.