Well, since you're going to carry your Mini-14, may I suggest stoking it with Federal Premium Vital Shok ammunition? There is a load using a 60gr Nosler partition bullet (SD .171, BC .266) and another load using the 55gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet (SD .157, BC .199). The Nosler bullet in this caliber has a good reputation on deer and antelope and I would expect the TBBC to have an equally good reputation, but I don't recall reading any field reports on it - sorry. I would lean towards the 60gr Nosler Partition as a better all-purpose load in the Mini-14, but either would be better than the other readily available factory loads.

Neither of these will change the 223 into a spiffy big game rifle, but they beat the snot out of varmint or match bullets for that use. Don't be lulled into using ball ammo. M193 Ball (55gr BT) penetrates OK in something homgenous like wood but has poor/ureliable penetration in varying density stuff (like bone and flesh) - it frequently tumbles and even comes apart. Years and years ago I didn't know/believe that, but eventually I became better aquainted with its real-life effects... 55gr Ball is OK on unarmored humans and that's about it.

If you reload, there are a lot of other choices, such as various Barnes bullets, but the Federal stuff is the only mass-market factory stuff I know of that puts serious bullets on 223 cases. The Federals will be pricey as 223 ammo goes, but...

The Mini does not have a fast enough twist to handle spitzer bullets much heavier (longer) than 60gr, so the 75 - 100 gr 223 ammo is not feasible. There are Speer 70gr semi-RN bullets, but they are not very tough bullets and in my experiance sometimes come apart in mid air when fired from a mini-14 (1-9" twist). I shot a few hundred of those in my Mini and my buddy still does - at the range it's amusing to see one come apart, but that would not be comforting on a live target.

Regards,

Tom