Long story short, I am having open-heart surgery next week and my recovery is going to be 6 weeks. I have already come to terms with the fact that I will likely not be able to pull my bows back, nor will I likely be able to withstand the recoil of my hunting rifle (.270). So, my next/only other option is to hunt with my Sport II. I understand that Winchester makes some rounds in .223 for deer (Power Max Bonded), but are they really adequate for deer, or just a gimmick? Can somebody recommend a better one, or give the go-ahead nod on the Winchester (Power Max Bonded)?

Also, I could hunt with the iron sights (rear sight is a Magpul MBUS sight), but I would feel more comfortable with a scope. Can somebody please recommend a fairly cheap (price wise) scope that I can use for deer hunting, but will allow me to keep the iron sights (both front and rear) on so I don't have to worry about sighting them back in after deer season?

The scope will be used strictly for deer hunting, and possibly only for this season, so I am not looking to spend alot of money on it, and it really just needs to be "good enough" for deer hunting out of a stand.

Thanks in advance!

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S&W M&P 15 Sport II

Selling a first gen m&p sport with 1/8 twist and Thompson 5r rifling. CTR buttstock and Magpul rubber over mold grip for 575 plus shipping if you know of anyone. Actually have 2 I'm selling with less than 60 rounds thru them. I'm going on for hernia next week. I wish you luck on your surgery and a quick recovery.

Id hunt with a big revolver before using a 223 on deer just my opinion.

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Riding, Shooting, and Truth

Any bonded, monolithic, or partitioned bullet will work on deer assuming you place them well. A peripheral shot that wounds won't be fatal with any caliber, at least not fast enough to collect the animal.

There are plenty of people that will tell you a 55gr soft point works well but I prefer complete penetration.

I put my 6.8 SPC together when I had my back surgery. It ended up being my favorite rifle for ranges of 250 yards of less. I've gotten to a point in my hunting career where magnums no longer interest me unless truly needed.

Scar333, I've been through heart surgery. Take my advice and just skip this year's deer season. Neither you or a .223 will be up to the task.

FIRST!!!!!!!! Check in your state if a .223/5.56 is legal to hunt with. Nothing smaller than .243 is legal in Washington State, unless it is varmit eradication.

I'd be hard pressed to hunt deer with a 223. But thats me. Plenty do. Double lung punched a doe from 115yds with a 25.06, ran out of blood after 60yds and never found it after 4 hours. Same rifle on an 8pt the year before from 90yds and it ran another 100yds straight up a hill before crashing out. 115gr Nosler Partion on the lost deer and 117gr Hornady superformance on the 8pt. You better hit it right with that little pill is all I'm saying. Love that 25.06 but added a 30.06 the following year just to get a bigger round. Same is possible with it if I don't place it right.

I agree,same experience. Do the rehab to the limit and next year the buck will be a year older and bigger. Let some young person who you can mentor harvest you a deer is what I did.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

Diamondback vortex 4x14x40 is a good value scope.
Do the rehab like your life depends on it.
GodSpeed friend.

I would suggest that you look at a new upper in a larger caliber. It's one advantage of the AR platform, changing uppers is a less than 2 minute task and that 2 minutes INCLUDES the time it takes to get the upper from where you have it stored. As for Calibers, the 300 Blackout produces about the same muzzle energy as the M1 Carbine ( a bit less than the 30-30 but still enough for a whitetail) and the 450 Bushmaster has a good bit more punch.

As for scopes, I have a 90 dollar Gun Show cheapy 3-9X in a Burris QD mount that repeats within 1/2 inch at 100 yards when mounted. That's about 225.00 for both the mount and scope that is very easy on and very easy off and I use it mainly for working up loads for my 300 BLK and 223 Carbine.

Completely disagree. 223 is more than capable of taking deer ..... with the right bullet. I can show you pages and pages of one shot kills at 75 yards and further on 400lbs hogs with a 223. People see small bullet and think it's not capable. It's more than capable, just not with a 55gr. Look for something heavier in the 69-75gr and Barnes TSX are great.

125 yards. Barnes 70gr TSX




I do agree that maybe you should sit this one out. Recovery is different for everyone



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Some people will still tell you the .30-30 is inadequate for deer, too. Some people haven't a clue what they're talking about.

My favorite .223 round for deer is the Federal MSR 62 gr. load. It works, period. All of the major manufacturers now have at least one load designed for deer-sized game, and I don't doubt all of them are probably well up to the task.

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Pisgah

Agree with both Arik and Pisgah. Right bullet and a properly placed shot will take dear cleanly. Have killed many hogs with my AR... absolutely no reason why it can't be used to take deer.

I've lost deer that I hit good with 30-06, and I've killed deer with .22 lr in my younger days. Statistics can't account for good/bad choices or good/bad luck, but I would agree that "statistically" a .223 round is less likely to take a deer down than a larger rifle round. I would say if you're only taking shots 100yds or less, your shot placement is wise, and you use good and heavier ammo, you have as good a chance at success as anybody else. For this scenario, I think any $75 tasco, bushnell, etc would probably serve your purpose.

I have a CZ 512 with the vortex set-up that I'd consider ultra light deer hunting with. Low recoil, dead on accurate and a reliable functioning auto WMR. Pair that with a couple of mountain feist'....Game on in the squirrel woods!

I've caught stripe weighing in the teens with a crappie rig and 6lb line. It kinda adds to the thrill' factor.

I only have a single example for you - I shot my first deer a couple of years ago with my Colt CRE-18 rifle in 5.56mm. It was a small buck at 100 yds. distance, and I shot him with a single round of this ammo:

Bulk 223 Rem Ammo For Sale - 64 Grain PP Ammunition in Stock by Winchester Super-X - 200 Rounds

High, double lung shot and he went down like the Hammer of Thor hit him. DRT (Dead Right There) as we say in Texas. I still have my Colt, but I put together a PSA AR-15 in 6.8SPC that I hope to hunt with this season.

Good luck and I hope your recovery is quick and uneventful.

Regards,

Dave

Scar & Vonn make some valid points, IMO. Much depends on your physical condition at the time. Would walking uphill/climbing into a treestand/ able to drag be involved? The last thing you would need is a slip/trip/fall. I'd say to take a hard look at the big picture, risk/reward. Good luck on the surgery. A 223 aside from possibly not being legal in your area wouldn't be my first pic. What else do you have?

Thankfully, here in Colorado you can't hunt big game with a .223.

I imagine that if OP can haul a deer to his truck, load it and transport it to the butcher, he can shoot it with his .270. Seems like the shooting would be the least demanding of normal hunting activities.

In the OP's situation, you might be right. But I have a friend who had a detached retina repaired the week before deer season last year. His ophthalmologist, an avid hunter himself, warned him to stay away from any hard-kicking rifle for at least 6 months -- and when asked about it specifically, nixed the idea of him using his .270 and told him a .223 would be okay. So, I loaned him my Savage Axis .223. Unfortunately, he had what was, for him, a very poor season -- only two bucks and a doe, all 1-shot kills with zero tracking involved. I practically had to pry the rifle away from him when the season ended, and once I reclaimed it he went out and bought one for himself.

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Pisgah

I would likely be sitting up against a tree (something I have come to enjoy). Also, I would have to have somebody help me drag/put deer in the back of my truck/etc... I am just looking for a way to get back in the woods (when permitted by the doctor).

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S&W M&P 15 Sport II

I had my aortic valve replaced in early October and missed Michigan's mid-November opener. I followed my daughter through two feet of snow when she drew for an elk permit in early December. The guide and his assistant got the elk out and to the butcher.

The additional three weeks made a big difference in my ability to get through the woods. The big worry was doing something that might have opened up the sternum. They do not heal quickly or easily. Although I probably could have hunted with a .223 in December, I chose not to push the issue six weeks post-op in November.

That 300 Blackout upper to me would be a viable option. Like they said, just a little under a 30-30 in ballistics, but also a better bullet selection as well. Nearly as many deer killed with a 30-30 as there have been with bows and arrows in the day of the buffalo. I still wouldn't hunt with a .223 unless it was the only thing I had.

Let's put the operation in perspective. They're going to cut your rib cage with what amounts to limb trimmers (watch NCIS reruns where Ducky is doing autopsies). Afterward, they'll put the ribs back and wire them into place so they can heal. They don't call thoracic surgeons "chest busters" without reason.

I got a fractured sternum in a traffic accident in 1994. I wore body armor with a steel trauma plate for well over six months every time I climbed in a car, 'cause I didn't want to think about another chest stressor. Recovery was not fun.

Alternatively, they might just cut the tissue between ribs and spread them with a fixture. My wife experienced this for lung surgery. Her ribs hurt longer than mine did.

As noted above, everyone heals differently. I'd go with planning on watching this year. With the right bullet and careful shot placement, .223 will work on deer. 75 gr has very good sectional density.

And when you hit it "back a little", in a compromised physical condition, are you going to want to attempt to track it all over creation?

Sorry, hunting Whitetail with a 22 caliber pill is just redneck stuff to me. And believe me, I live right in the middle of it. Poaching caliber, no more. It will kill a deer. So will a 22 magnum. There are better options when you're planning ahead.

SCAR333: I would suggest a bushnell 3 X 9, about $ 70 and it will stand up to the recoil of 3" 12 ga mag, through a rifled barrel. Ammo: Barnes 70 gr TSX, 64 gr Win PP are two options. Using a 223 4-5 mo after surgery if OK'ed by your Doc, and as you stated, you have someone else to dress & Drag. Your sitting on the ground and you can be there for as long as you like and your conditioning will allow. My father & brother had valves replaced ( open procedure ) they used Tylenol for pain, 2 other friends had bypass and they could not get enough pain meds, very individual. Do the rehab to the max, most important. I would not want to miss Deer season, only missed one in 50 years because I could not swim the ocean!!! Do not do anything foolish, let your friend family do the work. Enjoy. Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE