22-250 for whitetail???

[nilescoyote]

It all comes down to shot placement. I cant hunt with any center fire rifle where I hunt. But I would not hesitate to use a 223 with the right bullet either. Is it the best all around cartridge for deer... No. But then neither is all the magnums that every one seems to think they have to have to hunt with.

A personal friend and guide uses a 6mm Remington for every thing including elk and bear.

Its all in the shooters abilities and shot placement that matter....

[jro45]

I have some Speer 70gr bullets loaded going about 3300 fps. I haven't killed any thing with them but would not be afraid to shoot a deer with them...

[plumberroy]

should work fine for a "hunter" [one with the disipline to only take a perfect shot] some one who is  "deer shooter" [some one who  is going to shoot at a deer  if he sees one] needs a bigger gun
Roy

[nilescoyote]

should work fine for a "hunter" [one with the disipline to only take a perfect shot] some one who is  "deer shooter" [some one who  is going to shoot at a deer  if he sees one] needs a bigger gun
Roy

+1 that's what I was trying to say

[SingleShotShorty]

22-250 will put the smack down on whitetail all day long with good shot placement and a good premium bullet like the Nosler 60 grain partition.

[Blue Duck]

I have killed alot of deer and half a dozen Antelope with a 22-250.   As stated before shot placement is key.  I used to use the speer 70gr. bullet but have switched to the Nosler 60 gr. partition bullet.  It kills quick.   I  usually get  less blood shot and ruined meat then I do with the larger cal.     

[SingleShotShorty]

Shoot Nosler 60 grain partitions in that 22-250 and with good shot placement it will drop whitetails like flies, I have taken several with the partition in my 220 swift.

[torpedoman]

We have a couple of guys that hunt on our place that use them.
One guy used to work on a huge 30,000 acre managed ranch and has probably killed well over 150 deer with that 22-250.
However he's a very good shot and shoots exclusively for the ear hole.
The other guy is more of a bird hunter and an occaisional deer hunter.
He too has killed a few deer with his 22-250.
If i recall he uses a Federal Premium 60 grain Nosler Partitions ammo.
I know there are a houseful of hunters that swear by their 223's and 22-250's for deer hunting but i am not one of them.
It is true with todays premium bullets and premium factory loads that the 22's will most certainly kill a deer it is risky none the less imho.
I mean if pushed came to shove one could always spend $200.00 on a NEF Handi Rifle or other beat up rifle such as a Savage 110 in a normal weight deer caliber and truely get the job done with a good bit more confidence.
There obviously is a reason a lot of states do not allow 22 centerfires to be used on deer.

  Are these the same geniuses that pass laws that allow you to hunt deer and elk with a .25 pistol with a 4inch or longer barrel but wont allow a 223 to be used?? and allow a 25 caliber rifle centerfire but won't allow a 45 muzzle loader

[Mohawk]

  It works fine for deer. Even with standard soft-points. My best friend uses one in South Texas all the time. I think caliber selection is too often blamed for poor shot placement, poor decision making, and poor shooting skill. The minimum requirements many people think about for whitetails never ceases to amaze me. The first time I read the .243 was marginal for deer I was quite defensive about it since I have used one for 22 years and had not lost a deer. Most of them ran 50-75yds after the shot which, to me, is acceptable. If that is not acceptable then bows should be outlawed by that same logic. The .44 magnum. What possibly could the .44 Magnum, which is widely accepted, possibly have on the .22-250? That is like apples and oranges? The shear difference between a handgun cartridge and a high-powered rifle cartridge is not even imaginable. Let's say the average vital cavity of a Large whitetail is 10 inches. There is not, for instance, one Remington Core-Lokt standard soft-point, that will not wreak havoc on that 10 inches in a centerfire .22 cartridge. Hogs, of course, are different. And if a hunter is having trouble with putting his bullet in an area the size of a deer's vitals then they need to go back to the range or find another sport. A larger caliber with more recoil would just make it worse.

[MGMorden]

It's kinda personal choice.  I know a lot of people that like the .22-250 for deer, but I personally would go a bit heavier.

That said, I did have a case, last season actually, where I did take my .225 Winchester out hunting one evening (and it's pretty close to a .22-250 in ballistics).  My brother had called up unexpectedly and wanting to go hunting that day, and I'd been tinkering with my scopes, and as a result I took the .225 Win because it was the only gun that I knew for sure was sighted in correctly.  Didn't get to shoot anything that day though, so no comment on results.

All in all,  if you want something a bit lighter but still nice for dear, I'm a big fan of the .257 Roberts.  6.5x55 Swedish is also nice.  I've also been darned tempted to try out a .250 Savage and see how I like that, but in all honesty I'm not sure if it's different enough from the .257 Roberts for me to care.  Naturally, if you're so inclined the .243 is also available and common, but to me common chamberings like that are a bit more "boring" .

[hoggunner]

I know a guy who is very color blind and can not follow a blood trail. He uses the biggest caliber to shoot all his game because he likes them DRT. his favorite round for deer is his 223, so a well placed shot with a 22-250 will get the job done. I forgot to mention that we live in Wisconsin where the deer are corn feed and bigger than anywhere else on the planet lol

[superdown]

before i wrote this i guessed that you lived in wa state. It is pretty retarded that you can hunt with a 4in 38 special pistol but you can't hunt with a 3in 454 casull or a 500 S&W. Can't wait to move back to idaho where people are a little bit more in to the real world
Where do they come up with this crap??

Superdown
 

We have a couple of guys that hunt on our place that use them.
One guy used to work on a huge 30,000 acre managed ranch and has probably killed well over 150 deer with that 22-250.
However he's a very good shot and shoots exclusively for the ear hole.
The other guy is more of a bird hunter and an occaisional deer hunter.
He too has killed a few deer with his 22-250.
If i recall he uses a Federal Premium 60 grain Nosler Partitions ammo.
I know there are a houseful of hunters that swear by their 223's and 22-250's for deer hunting but i am not one of them.
It is true with todays premium bullets and premium factory loads that the 22's will most certainly kill a deer it is risky none the less imho.
I mean if pushed came to shove one could always spend $200.00 on a NEF Handi Rifle or other beat up rifle such as a Savage 110 in a normal weight deer caliber and truely get the job done with a good bit more confidence.
There obviously is a reason a lot of states do not allow 22 centerfires to be used on deer.

  Are these the same geniuses that pass laws that allow you to hunt deer and elk with a .25 pistol with a 4inch or longer barrel but wont allow a 223 to be used?? and allow a 25 caliber rifle centerfire but won't allow a 45 muzzle loader

[jro45]

I think the 22-250 shooting the 70gr bullet by Speer is fine for deer. There are a couple of states that allow 22 Caliber.

[yooper77]

22-250 Remington loaded with a 60 grain Nosler Partition shooting within 100 yards then yes its doable, if its a nice double lung shot.

I personally wouldn't and won't choose any 22 caliber centerfire cartridge for big game hunting.

yooper77

[Lone Star]

A bad shot is a bad shot, caliber and cartridge size donest mean anything.

This comment isn't really meant for the above poster - but why would a thinking man make a comment like "gut shooting a deer with a .223 is no different than gut shooting him with a larger cartridge."   Clearly much more damage would be done with a .340 Weatherby than with a .223, and the animal will be more likely to die quicker and be recovered.  The cartridge does  matter, and for most marginal shots (not all) the extra damage from the more powerful cartridge reduces the chance of a lost animal.  I am not recommending the use of a .340 Weatherby on deer over a .308, although there is no reason not to use one.  Let's just think a bit before we make such broad absolute comments.




.

[WyoStillhunter]

Two words: "Shot Placement."

In the book, The Last Frontiersman, about Heimo Korth who has been living off the land in ANWR for over 30 years, you can learn alot about such matters.  He used a 300 Win Mag in the early days.  Eventually the 22-250 became his "go to" gun for caribou.  In fact he shoots whatever is in his hand, even .22LR, when an excellent shot opportunity comes along.

Most of us are a little more pressed for time in our recreational hunting than Heimo is.  But you have to remember that meat animals can be scarce for long periods due to migration, weather, etc.  He often needs to seal the deal when it comes along and apparently the 22-250 is totally up to the task.  Native peoples in the far North have used .22 LR, .222, and .223 for all sorts of big game for many decades.

Great book, BTW.

[S.S.]

I only have experience with one whitetail shot with a 22-250...
it was the most brutal wound I have ever seen.
my nephew shot a large doe broadside in the lungs at about 15
yards. the entrance wound was the size of an egg, the hide was
separated from the meat in about a 10 inch circle around the impact site.
I do not believe anything inside that deer was left in-tact.
no exit wound at all. It was quite a nasty field dress job.
I believe the bullet basically exploded on impact. Not a bad choice of
cartridge, just a bad choice of bullet. (55 grain remington jsp)

[Swampman]

Unfortunately it may be legal in some states, but a .22 centerfire isn't ethical on big game.

[MR4SHOOTIN]

Unfortunately it may be legal in some states, but a .22 centerfire isn't ethical on big game.

A 22-250 is far more lethal than a bow.Would you say it is unethical to bow hunt?I have .223,.243,7-08,.308,30-06(2),44 mag. and I am thinking about getting a sporter weight 22-250 for deer and coyote.Why?Because I can, and it is legal, same as people choose to hunt with a bow or muzzleloader.I like rifles and enjoy taking game with different ones.If someone has one rifle to hunt everything with that's fine for them ,but I find that to be boring.

[cjclemens]

A 22-250 is far more lethal than a bow

Under what circumstances?  The concern with smaller calibers is certainly not power, but the wound channel created.  With a broadhead or some of the new mechanical heads, arrows make better than 2" channels.  Its true that a bad shot is a bad shot no matter what caliber you use, but a bad shot with a .22 caliber is almost sure to result in losing a wounded animal.  The other concern is the use of light thin-jacketed varmint bullets.  These are without a doubt inappropriate in any case.  Can you use 22-250 effectively on deer?  Of course.  Are there better choices? Definitely.  Ethics is, of course, up to the individual.  If you choose to use a .22-250, thats decision is entirely yours.  If you can bag a deer every time, then its obviously not a problem.  On the other hand, if you see most of your deer limping away, sell your gun and stay out of the woods.  Shot placement is the key to a clean, ethical kill no matter what you use.  All this arguing about what's an appropriate caliber only detracts from what is truly important; quality marksmanship.

[glwenzl]

A bad shot is a bad shot, caliber and cartridge size donest mean anything.

This comment isn't really meant for the above poster - but why would a thinking man make a comment like "gut shooting a deer with a .223 is no different than gut shooting him with a larger cartridge."   Clearly much more damage would be done with a .340 Weatherby than with a .223, and the animal will be more likely to die quicker and be recovered.  The cartridge does  matter, and for most marginal shots (not all) the extra damage from the more powerful cartridge reduces the chance of a lost animal.  I am not recommending the use of a .340 Weatherby on deer over a .308, although there is no reason not to use one.  Let's just think a bit before we make such broad absolute comments.
.

Lone Star

I just wanted to share some personal experience and something that may have been behind the posters thoughts on this and maybe they was thinking..

My dad and I were late season deer hunting does. We both new at least 2 does would be following this fence line coming right at us and we both had planned that he take the one on the right and I take the one on the left.

It went off as planned, boom, boom and both deer dropped in their tracks (less than 100 yard shot)….

What totally changed my way of thinking was my dads deer that was shot with a 22-250 55 gr Hornady handloaded SP had a MUCH LARGER wound channel and bigger exit hole than did my deer that was shot with a 270 130 gr Hornady SP handloaded bullet… The much lighter, explosive high velocity bullet really made a mess of things in there… Couldn’t believe my own eyes and kept saying *are you sure we didn’t get our deer mixed up???*

I would be suspect that at 200 yards (and he shot many a deer with it at that range) the bullet would not do nearly as much damage but I really didn’t pay close attention to his deer that was shot with a 22-250, never hunted with him all that much.

So maybe a gut shot deer might benefit from a shot with a 22-250, (oh yuck!) But don’t think one shot through a shoulder with a light bullet would be so good???

If a guy can’t find a deer to shoot at that is not running and can not hit it in the large vital zone then he/she needs to quit deer hunting deer until they can consistently hit a PD out to at least 300 yards!

[LC Smith]

I just returned from an Antelope hunt where 4 Antelope were shot with a .220 Swift.  It shot a 75gr bullet (9" twist) at 3300fps.  Three were bang flops, one took a second shot, but had not traveled 50yds from where the first bullet hit.  Ranges ran from 250yds to almost 400yds (lasered).  Use a decent bullet, and put it in the right place, the small bores work.  BTW, next year, when Mule Deer hunting, I will use something .25 caliber, I think.

LC

[Tylermtech]

I have a friend that shot 2 elk in 2 years with a 220 swift, factory ammo, soft point I think.  He waited until they were broadside and shot them in the lungs.  They are both dead.  He now shoots a 300 mag, but it was his only rifle and it worked.

[gdaddybill]

I tried the new Norma Oryx bullet---55 grain/bonded, 38+grains of IMR 4007---this past weekend on a doe in my 22-250.  It was a neck shot-close to the shoulder and it destroyed the spine.  She dropped instantly and didn't even quiver.  Really easy to clean and the backstraps, roasts and tenders are in the freezer--the grind is ready to go tonight.

I use a custom SSK barrel with a 1 to 9 twist so I can use heavier bullets--it even shoots the 75 grain Swift accurately.  I also used it on a hog the night before with another 55 grain core bonded bullet--bang/flop--those loins are in the freezer too.  Accurate/low-recoil rifles make for a good formula.

[jk3006]

I just returned from an Antelope hunt where 4 Antelope were shot with a .220 Swift.  It shot a 75gr bullet (9" twist) at 3300fps.  Three were bang flops, one took a second shot, but had not traveled 50yds from where the first bullet hit.  Ranges ran from 250yds to almost 400yds (lasered).  Use a decent bullet, and put it in the right place, the small bores work.  BTW, next year, when Mule Deer hunting, I will use something .25 caliber, I think.

LC

Which 75 grainer was that?

[gdaddybill]

The 75 grain Swift.  Haven't tried it on game yet.  My 358 Win Encore and my 6.5 Ljungman want to go hunting.