which is a true statement....

[mcwt247]

The 7mm TCU is a great deer round that can be loaded to a good varmit round, or the .223 is a great varmit that can be loaded into a marginal deer round?

[stubshaft]

All of the above!

[mbk]

I think either would depend entirely on where you are located and how big your deer are.  In Kansas and many states north, the .223 is not even a legal cartridge to hunt deer with.   The ability of the operator to make the proper advisable range jugdment and the make proper shot placement is the key to any round effectiveness.  More deer have fallen to a 22LR from poachers than one might imagine but that does not make it a good deer round for everyone.    That said, I would have to go with the 7TCU statement  and still consider it a little light for deer at a lot of the ranges we are able to shoot with here on the open plains

mike

[Ladobe]

I generally agree with mbk... the regulations, where you are and your ability to make well placed shots.   Having grown up on a ranch I know all about pest deer and taking them with a 22 rimfire (every truck/tractor etc on the place had a rimfire rifle in it loaded with 22 shorts).   Even so, personally I do not consider either the 223 or 7TCU a deer round even maginally, so I would say use neither for deer.   Depends on what species of varmints are on the menu, but neither would my first choice for an all round varmint cartridge either (the 223 comes the closest).   

[Huntz]

Well I cant speak for the 223 except in dia.I used a 22-250 with a 1-8 Twist to take quite a few mule Deer and Antelope.I never lost any.I have taken 4 Mulies and three Speed gots with my 14"7 TCU.I limit my shots to 200 Yds and less.That being said.I would use neither in the Woods.I like the 35 Rem. for woods hunting in my Contender.Of course whats right for me ,might not work for you!!!!

[Reed1911]

Even so, personally I do not consider either the 223 or 7TCU a deer round even maginally, so I would say use neither for deer.

Really? Why not? (the 7mm TCU for deer)

I would not use it a 200yd cartridge, and I would not pick it as a choice for a large mule deer, but inside 100yds and certainly for whitetails 150lbs or so (and less) it is wonderful.

[Ladobe]

Even so, personally I do not consider either the 223 or 7TCU a deer round even maginally, so I would say use neither for deer.

Really? Why not? (the 7mm TCU for deer)

I would not use it a 200yd cartridge, and I would not pick it as a choice for a large mule deer, but inside 100yds and certainly for whitetails 150lbs or so (and less) it is wonderful.

You're right, I base my opinions on experience, and mine as stated is mostly because nearly all of my deer hunting was for big western mule deer in high, windswept mountains where ranges were generally quite long.   There are certainly some big whitetail deer too, but they're probably not as often shot at the long ranges mulies commonly are.   I've killed a bunch of deer and elk in a lifetime of hunting them, but the biggest things I ever shot with the 7TCU's I've owned was 200 yard rams (IHMSA) and a few coyotes.    Since the original question didn't specify either set of limits we each base our opinions on, I guess we're both right and both wrong and the question as stated is without merit.

Regardless, neither the 223 or 7TCU would have been legal choices in the state I did most of my deer hunting in where the minimum for deer was a 243 Win (which IMO in some situations was also marginal).       

[Reed1911]

Heck, I was not trying to say you were wrong, just wondering why you did not feel it was good enough for deer. Opinions are only that.

[DEACONLLB]

My pick is 243,270,25-06 or 06 all of those are good rounds for deer but my first pick is 243. Here in oklahoma we can use a center fire with a bullet weight of 60 grn. or more and you can get 70 grain factory loads for 223 but I still like more knock down stay down power. I think it was Col. Townsen whelin who said he liked the hunt to end with the firing of the first shot not begain. We each have our favorite so my pick may not agree with yours. one thing for sure the old 35 remington  is a proven deer round for many years.

Deaconllb

[Lone Star]

Rather than focus on the cartridges as deer rounds, what about varmints?  The 7TCU is handicapped for smaller varmints past 200 yards, only a few bullets will give rapid expansion at terminal velocity on small targets - particularly out of a 10".  Call me silly, but I believe that varmints deserve a quick, humane death just as much as big game do.  IMO a tough non-expanding handgun bullet is not humane for fox, chucks, etc without a perfect hit.  For most varmints, use the .223.



.

[skb2706]

Neither...there are better rounds for both purposes than the original two choices. They wouldn't either one be on my top five list for the purposes intended.

[Lone Star]

They wouldn't either one be on my top five list for the purposes intended.

To each his own - but that is an odd statement considering that the .223 is the most popular varmint cartridge in the US.  Not many other long range varmint choices for a Contender handgun - what five other cartridges would offer such vastly superior performance?



..

[skb2706]

I don't care for the common .223 so much. I have access to and often go to shoot thousands of pds a year so its not just a passing fancy. I use a couple of .204s, .221, 6mm 30-30 AI, 17 HMR and having a 22-204 AI built as I type this. Nope didn't make the top five. Doesn't matter how popular it is its just not something I want. As far as performance, the listed rounds I prefer give me the performance I need out to consider distances.

[Ladobe]

They wouldn't either one be on my top five list for the purposes intended.

To each his own - but that is an odd statement considering that the .223 is the most popular varmint cartridge in the US.  Not many other long range varmint choices for a Contender handgun - what five other cartridges would offer such vastly superior performance?

..

Most popular maybe, but only because factory ammo is available anywhere and generally cheap - not because of its shining performance.

skb's mention of five included both 223 and 7TCU, but I'll take a crack at five or more for the LR varmints I'd shoot before the 223 if I had a choice (in fact I do/did shoot most of them and many others for exactly that purpose)...

17 Rem Fireball, 17 Rem, 204 Ruger, 222 Rem, 222 Rem Mag if you don't reload... 17 Ackley Hornet, 17 Ackley Bee, 17 Mach IV, 17 Javelina, 20 VarTarg, 219 Zipper or Wasp, 22 Super Bower, 226JDJ, 257JDJ, 6 Super Bower, 6.5JDJ, 6.5 Super Bower, etc if you do reload and/or wildcat.   And I could easily list a bunch of others safe on the Contender frame that make great LR varmint choices for certain circumstances.

BTW, I could do the same for deer choices I'd pick long before the 7TCU on the Contender.

To each his own.   

[SHOOTALL]

I shot a 7-TCU for years in competition and never once considered shooting a deer with it .