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[u/Beretta_errata]

TL;DR
223 Rem/5.56 NATO has poor sectional density for hunting.
https://chuckhawks.com/sd.htm

[u/The_Phaedron → u/Beretta_errata]

I wasn't even touching on sectional density. It's important, but I try to keep in mind that this is a Newbies' thread and I aim to keep info digestible.

If I'm getting nerd-sniped, though...

(Newbies, what follows is not stuff that you need to learn: you can choose appropriate deer ammo based on whether there's a deer symbol on the ammo box)

---

223 Rem is barely adequate for deer hunting, but it is at the bottom end of adequate if you keep shots close.

I love the stuff on Chuckhawks, but that rule of thumb requiring 0.200PSI in sectional density for deer was made with non-premium cup-and-core softpoints in mind. A 60gr bullet is only 0.171PSI in SD, but if you're talking about a partition with 65% weight retention rather than a cup-and-core with 50% retention, I'd consider that 60gr premium bullet to be pretty equivalent in sectional density to your standard nonpremium deer bullet in a 270 or 308

Calculations for SD equivalents of partitioned 60gr 223 Rem to cup-and-core "standard" chamberings:

Chambering	Equivalent grain weight	Calculation
243 Win	92gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.243²)
6.5 Crd	108gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.264²)
270 Win	119gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.277²)
308 Win	147gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.308²)
338 LM	178gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.338²)
375 H&H	219gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.375²)
45-70 Govt	326gr	(60/(7000*0.224²)*(65/50)*(7000*0.458²)

Put another way: A 60gr partitioned .224 bullet is going to behave terminally pretty similarly to a .224 cup-and-core bullet that's 78gr.

This is equivalent in SD to a 120gr 270 Win, a 150gr 308 Win, or a 325gr 45-70.

But with way less kinetic energy to reliably drive that sectional density through a deer.

Contrary to what the other user was implying, 223 doesn't go at some extremely-high velocity that gives it totally different terminal ballistics. It's got a speed about equivalent to a 270 Win and a piss-poor ballistic coefficient.

Realistically, with a 24" barrel, a 223 Rem with adequate SD/construction will cap out at 80-110yds for most factory rounds, and about 180yds with the hottest handloads I can find listed (75gr bonded Scirocco II in front of Accur 2520 powder)

Unless a hunter is a competent handloader or has a hunting spot where the shot opportunities are going to be relatively close, I just wouldn't recommend 223 Rem as a deer chambering.

[u/Beretta_errata → u/The_Phaedron]

Upvoted once for the xkcd and once for the full explanation.

I just don't enjoy typing long explanations on my phone, therefore I stick to URLs where someone more knowledgeable has explained fully. Therefore Chuck Hawks.

OK, one final upvote.

[u/The_Phaedron → u/Beretta_errata]

The dishwasher needed unloading and I very much didn't want to.

[u/Beretta_errata → u/The_Phaedron]

LOL, one of my simpler and less objectionable tasks.