Used to see a lot of deer DRT shot with 22/250 and Hornady 55 gr PSP...not the SX. With the advent of the polymer tip bullets am curious if anyone has popped say up to a 150 pounder and what kind of performance they observed. I'm thinking the VMax is built more like the SX which, relatively, is thinner skinned than the PSP.

Yellowhouse, who favors the 25/06 for deer.

Some states won't all a .223 caliber bullet for deer, but here, any caliber is perfectly legal and left up to the hunter to determine the ethics of it. Last year I shot a mule doe with my .204, she didn't even take a step... I wouldn't shoot a buck with it, unless it was a head shot.

My primary hunting rifle is a Ruger M77 MKII .25/06, which has claimed plenty of deer.

i'm a lover of the 25/06 also. have either of you guys read p.o. ackleys articles about the small bore/high velocity performance on bigger game? in a nutshell it works just fine. i personally think that a 22/250 with a 53gr barnes tsx or other stout bullet would be pure poison!! however i don't think i'd use a poly tipped .224 bullet on deer, they really are too explosive.

Just call me old fashioned, but I think the 22-250 isn't enough medicine for deer. Even the 243 is in my opinion is an experts deer rifle.

I did use a 22-250 for better than 30 years, but as a varmint rifle. Idaho changed the rules a few years ago and it's now legal to use any centerfire rifle for deer and I know that it will kill them, but so will a 22 long rifle as I've killed some with the rimfire when I was young and stupid.

If a 22-250 is all you got then that's what your going to use, but if your starting from scratch there's lots better choices such as the 25-06 mentioned or it's little brother the 257 Roberts for instance.

See what happens when you get old and persnickety.

My first reaction when hearing of .22centerfire use on deer is that some hunt-loving guy is so weakened by some condition that that's all they can possibly handle. If it turns out they aren't feeble in some physical way, then it just might be a non-physical feebleness that lead them to that choice.

Where legal, can excuse it if you have some handicap/dissability/recovery factor that won't allow you to use anything better...even then, I'd question your reasoning for going on a hunt at all. But if you are a normal person in reasonable health...why?

I haven't shot a deer w/a 22-250 but I think I can answer why.

If I had a 22-250 that shot 3-5 shots at or inside an inch at 200 yds, I'd be tempted. With excellent accuracy, it would certainly give you confidence to hit what you were aiming at.

A doe or small(ish) buck probably wouldn’t know the difference between dead by 22-250 or a .308.

I think more than once I might have heard it's not the bullet or velocity, its placement.

This is extreme but illustrative:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVX0y2Pcj_s

It's late...and rather than answer, am going to tell a story.

Been well over 20 years ago, but one old coot Texas guide (big bend area) used a Browning lever action in 22-250.

Now old coots in Texas tend to live a long long time, and even though he'd be somewhere between 85 and 6,000 years old by now (as i never really could tell how old he was then, I'm just going on looks here), he might still be around. And if there is anything more dangerous than an old-coot-Texan it's angry-old-coot-Texan-with-a-rifle, so I'm not going to name him.

Talking it over one late evening (or early morning) over a few sips of Burbon, he admitted to me that the 22-250 is bad habit...a habit that's been working, but one he "ain't too pride of".

As I remember his analogy for his 22-250,
"it's about like kissing your cousin...you know it ain't a good thing, but it's just too much fun to stop."
-----
Edit:
Ok...he didn't say "kissing"...but this board won't allow the actual term.

Pard! I know the 250 is controversial but that is not my question! Does anyone have any experience with the Vmor the equivalent. I'm trying to draw a comparison with more heavily constructed bullets in .224.

Would I knowingly take a .22 centerfire to the woods with a chance at a trophy buck....especially one hyped up on hormones...**** no! Bucks in ruts, and big ones, are a totally different animal than does. Would I take a 22/250 on a doe hunt? You bet!

I read somewhere that Nikko Optics sales representaive went on an antelope hunt in some western US state and they were sucessful out to 300 yds using 22-250 Howa rifles,of course mounted with,you guessed it,Nikko scopes!!

Yellowhouse, I think the term "heavily constructed" .224 is relative to the bullet size. I reload 62gr partitions. Would I use them on any deer? No. Could they work? Yes, in a pinch, but my very last choice for a medium game bullet. It does not have the kinetic energy transfer or penetration of other larger bullets. It is better than a ballistic tip, but not near enough in my book, even on a doe. I asked a similar question a few years ago. I was concerned w/ recoil after surgery. I opted for a 6.5x55 instead. Good luck, Jim

If you do not hunt deer with the 62 grain Partition, then what do you use it for?

If you do not hunt deer with the 62 grain Partition, then what do you use it for?


Our Coyotes up here have done a little breeding w/ the Quebec Wolves, so the can be rather large, 45lb to 60lb. A ballistic tip is not the best choice for them. Also w/ don't have P-dogs, we have wood chucks, bigger and heavier by many times. I also like the 62's for the accuracy in my 1 in 9 DCM.

A couple of .22-250 friends think the Hornady SP and Nosler Solid Base are deer bullets. They are also too cheap to use the Partition or Barnes. They have no use at all for poly-tipped anything.

To answer this question is like putting your head in a noose!
However, yes I have killed a train load of deer with a properly loaded .22-250.....most with lung shots and large deer.
However.....I used the Speer 70 gr semi-spitzer (that has the same jacket thickness as the 100 gr .243)
Years ago, I also killed deer with a Savage .22 Hi Power.
Regards, James

i think that this topic could put the 270 vs 30/06 argument to shame!! i don't really know if there is a right or wrong answer, i have read the barnes bullet write ups and also p.o. ackley's articles on big game hunting with the .220 swift. now granted ackley doesn't have any experience or knowledge when it comes to the rifled bore, just the same he does have some interesting things to say about the small bores and deer size game.
if for financial or physical reasons i was limited to a .223 or 22/250 i would simply buy some barnes bullets and be sensible about my shots and get out my skinnin' knife.

There seems like a bazillion deer killed here in Alaska every year with the various 22 caliber centerfires. Some big bucks from Prince of Wales that will easily make the dressed deer weight specified. The 223 Rem and Ackley version seem to be the most popular.

Yup, Big Dan - This thread and the similar .223 Rem for deer has been kicked, beaten, drug and tossed about just about as often as the .270 V 30-06 threads. Opinions are like rear ends - everyone has one and think their's is the best! :p

My opinion - if you are experienced, have the right bullet construction and can assure a lethal hit at a reasonable distance, you can use (where legal) a .223 or 22-250 to harvest your venison.

I may as well wade into this with my take, I do use the 223 on deer and have never needed more than one shot. I do however pick my shots carefully and have something a little heavier at hand if needed.
Like tomorrow morning I'll be sitting in my small cabin with two or more rifles watching my field. If a deer comes out I'll decide which gun to use under the circumstances at hand. I may have a 223 and a 45/70, but likely a 308 will be there as well.
My limited mobility due to a foot problem has taken much enjoyment out of my hunting so I entertain myself as best I can.
To get back to the topic, I use the Speer simi spitzer 70 gr also, and It'll penetrate most any deer completely on a lung shot while giving a near perfect mushroom. You cant ask for more than that.

I can't believe how accurate my little .204 is... I'm completely comfortable taking brain shots, that is my preferred location, I do it with my .25/06 all the time... my reasoning for this is that being off a little doesn't injure, it misses, which I am okay with, but when you are right on, its an instant kill. The animal loses all nervous control, the heart and lungs stop, vision is gone... there is no question, and there is no meat damage...

Killed a deer with a .22-250 once.

It's still dead.

52 or 53gr. Barnes "X", can't remember which one, exactly.

I've seen too many deer run off after being hit by .223 centerfires to consider the caliber for deer hunting, Yes, a well placed shot from a .22-250 will drop a deer in it's tracks, but it's the slightly off shot that I'm talking about.

A case in point: A buddy of mine whom I've deer hunted with for many years, was really enamored with a .224 Weatherby magnum that he picked up. He started using it for deer hunting and was quite successful with it. One day when he was talking about how effective a caliber it was on deer, I made a comment about how he might see it differently if he ever hits one in a marginally vital area and the deer runs off, and is never found. He pooh-poohed my comments and continued to use the rifle. Later that same season when we were hunting in our favoritre swamp, he shot a deer in the neck at close range and the deer took off like a scalded dog. He and I both spent the better part of an hour tracking that deer. The blood trail stopped after about 100 yrds., and the trail just went cold. This incident not withstanding, my friend is a very consciencious hunter. He was absolutely beside himself that this deer he shot was probably out there somewhere suffering a slow death because of that .224. I never said anything to my friend about my previous comment, it wasn't necessary. After that incident, my friend never deer hunted with anything smaller that a .250 caliber.

.22-250 will kill deer. They are not as forgiving as the 7mm and larger cartridges, but they kill deer. I've even seen them put a small black bear down for the count. I'll agree the .22 centerfires are not for everyone. These few guys are varmit hunters primarily, and expert marksman, and are willing to wait for good shots. They dont take running shots, and 90% of their hits are neck hits. Reason for that is the neck of a deer as a very minimal area for a bullet to strike and not be DRT. They are not a beginners gun, and they are not for everybody, but yes they can kill deer.

Parker Otto has been gone many years, and his books came out long before that. One may as well take advice about cars from Henry Ford's writings.

If you are going to do it, then the only real bullet choices TODAY are Nosler Partition or Barnes TSX. No plastic-tip bullet is designed for animals heavier than 25 pounds, and should not be used for such. Most other heavy .22-cal bullets are designed for long-range target use, not on any game whatever.

I really don't have an opinion about .22 bullet construction for big game.

However this thread reminds me of an experiment as a much younger hunter. I had a 22-250 that I shot a lot of prairie dogs and coyotes with and felt totally comfortable with that rig up to 300 yards. Since antelope season was approaching I loaded up some 70 grain Barnes bullets. In my rifle they weren't tack drivers but figured they could still tag a goat. Opening day I worked up to a nice buck that was fixing to cross the fence to an area I didn't have permission to be on. I decided to go for a shoulder shot to anchor him right there. After firing, the buck took off like shot out of a cannon and showed no effects of being hit. Rather than go through the fence he circled around and disappeared. Going over to where he was standing was a chunk of hide and meat as big as my fist. I spent the next 4 hours and all of the next day trying to locate the wounded animal to no avail.

Personally I'd never use anything smaller than a 87 gr 6mm bullet and still go for head, neck and rib shots

Concerning a 25-06, it is my caliber of choice for deer, goats, and prediators.

I find a number of interesting comments on the internet about the suitability or otherwise of using the 22/250 on deer. I would say that the vast majority of those who speak against it have never used one. I come from New Zealand, and, as opposed to places where you can only hunt deer a few days of the year, we can hunt all year round. I have used the .22/250 since 1968 on deer – I used it for commercial hunting on Red and Fallow deer and shot a good number of Sika deer, Whitetail deer, Chamois, pigs and feral goats with it also. I have also operated as a hunting guide and many of my clients used it very successfully for deer and goats. I started off using the 55gr Nosler Zipedo bullet and then used the 70 grain Speer. Now I use the 53gr Barnes for deer and am in the process of building up a .22/250 AI with a 1 in 9 twist so I can use the 62gr Barnes. In summary I have shot hundreds of game animals with it and I have no issues with it on deer. A lousy shot would of course and they would blame the cartridge. I agree with PO Ackley in his renowned comments about the 220 Swift and 22/250 which many readers of course have not read. He says there is no better and if he was only allowed one cartridge for deer, it would be the Swift! The 55gr Bear Claw bullet sounds great too as does the 60 Gr Nosler partition. Could say more but that will suffice for the moment.
Alex Gale New Zealand www.nzhuntingexp.co.nz

I can't believe how accurate my little .204 is... I'm completely comfortable taking brain shots, that is my preferred location, I do it with my .25/06 all the time... my reasoning for this is that being off a little doesn't injure, it misses, which I am okay with, but when you are right on, its an instant kill. The animal loses all nervous control, the heart and lungs stop, vision is gone... there is no question, and there is no meat damage...

can i ask what bullet you preferr out of your 25??

Just call me old fashioned, but I think the 22-250 isn't enough medicine for deer. Even the 243 is in my opinion is an experts deer rifle.


I agree! I don't consider any .22 Caliber being suitable for hunting Deer by the average Hunter. The smallest rifle cartridge I'd use would be the 7.62 X 39 m/m, then I'd limit my shots under 125 yards.

I pretty much only shoot Noslers. I like them all, the Accubond and Partition are my hunting bullets, and the Ballistic Tips are my varmint and target bullets. I hunt with the Ballistic Tips too. Lots of people say they blow up, but so do the hundreds of thousands of traditional cup and core bullets that take way more deer every year.

Hi the first thing I'd say about the 22/250 and deer is that those who criticise its use have generally never used it on deer. I have used a .22/250 on deer since 1968. I come from New Zealand where we can hunt every day all year round for deer. I used it for commercial hunting on Red deer, Fallow deer and pigs and have also shot Whitetail, Sika deer, feral goats and Chamois with it. I have never had any problems with it on deer, as long as I use the right bullets. I started off using Nosler 55gr Zipedo bullets, then Speer 70 gr and both worked a treat. The best I have found though is the 53gR BARNES. I also operate as a hunting guide and many of my clients have used it very successfully on deer and goats. I am currently having built up a 22/250 AI with 1 1 in 9 twist so I can try the bigger bullets. The BEAR CLAW 55 gr bullet also sounds great. I have shot hundreds of deer with it and agree with PO Ackley that .22 centre fires (ie 22/250 and the Swift) are great for deer. Of course a lousy shot will blame the cartridge if something goes wrong.
Something tothink about - sincerely Alex Gale www.nzhuntingexp.co.nz

it's more about the bullet than the delivery system. the 62 gr TSX will kill nicely

Why is it that every time this conversation about shooting deer with various centre fire 22s start up the guy asking the question doesn't want an opinion on the ethical merits on doing so but says they are looking for comparisons with others who have done so???

Is it legal??? In some places.

Does it kill deer??? With a good hit, yes.

Is there increased potential to wound deer??? Certainly, but we don't ever hear anyone saying they did so.


Is it ethical???? :rolleyes:


Is there a point??? Not as far as I'm concerned.



Is the person asking the question about what works best because they have found what doesn't work???????


And so now we're entering the 204 Ruger for deer. What's next, the .17 Rem????

Perhaps we could neck the .17 Rem down to .14 cal and with a brain shot I could take a Moose.

I love these posts.
Not to derail the post. How ever I believe the biggest question here is can you hit what you are shooting at. Bullet construction is important, how ever caliber and construction do not mean diddily if you can't get the bullet where it needs to go. All the one shot kills I have made with the .223 and 60 gr. Partitions or 55 gr. Bear Claws had holes drilled through their lungs. I see very few hunters in the woods who have the patience to wait for a good shot if they see a deer. They figure the good old 06 or 30-30 will do the job if they just get it in the front half of the critter.
Any of the premium .223 cal bonded, tsx or partitions will drill a hole right through the vitals of a broadside deer or pig for that matter. Staying with in a reasonable distance of course.
I use the lowly .223. If you are using the 22-250 you will just get a little better penetration is all. And maby a little more range.
In my experience shooting pigs and deer with the .223 it's not how fast you can get the projectile moving that matters. It's keeping the bullet together to penetrate where it needs to go.
Just pick a good bullet and get it where it needs to go.

Welcome to the forum, Alex.

Keep in mind that the .22 centerfires are generally thought of as varmit rounds here, and factory ammunition is loading accordingly. There are plenty of bullets seated in .22-250 cases that aren't suitable for deer, both factory and handloads.

As you note it's a different world when handloaded properly.

Well time for me to add my input . I am 61 years old and have hunted big bucks in NY and mule and white tail in Texas and in my opinion the 220 Swift is the best one shot killer of deer ever invented and the 22-250 is in the same boat. there is an article in P.O.Ackleys book about killing power that I recomend reading. It states thar all things being equal if 100 deer were shot with a 30-06 and 100 shot with the Swift the Swift would be the hands down winner for ONE SHOT KILLS, and I have found this to be true.olddudeone

Just call me old fashioned, but I think the 22-250 isn't enough medicine for deer. Even the 243 is in my opinion is an experts deer rifle.

I did use a 22-250 for better than 30 years, but as a varmint rifle. Idaho changed the rules a few years ago and it's now legal to use any centerfire rifle for deer and I know that it will kill them, but so will a 22 long rifle as I've killed some with the rimfire when I was young and stupid.

If a 22-250 is all you got then that's what your going to use, but if your starting from scratch there's lots better choices such as the 25-06 mentioned or it's little brother the 257 Roberts for instance.

See what happens when you get old and persnickety.

What Bob says. I have an excellent Weatherby Vanguard 22-250, but I wouldn't even consider using it for deer.

I put together a nice .243 based on a Savage 10 action, but as Bob says, I consider it an "expert's" deer rifle, and would hesitate to take shots past 200 yards, even though it is accurate enough for 400 yard shooting.

I consider the 270 Win to be the perfect balance of ballistics for deer, and have yet to pull the trigger more than once to bring one to bag. Proved it again four days ago - a mule buck hit just forward of the diaphram at a little over 100 yds. went down in his tracks with nary a quiver. Zero meat damage. Can't ask for better performance.

On October 15th I had some work to do in Challis, Idaho- on the way there I nailed a badger at 250 paces with my .220; at 2:30 pm I ran out of work in Challis, had appointments the next day in Arco, so I decided to head out and see if I could strap a tag to a muley buck, I was back in town at 4 pm with a buck that did not know he was not supposed to die from a .220 Swift. One shot at 93 yards, three steps, dead deer staggering.

Last year, Sept 9th same story from 410 yards, on a large muley buck. One shot, penetration was all the way through with the bullet caught in the hide on the opposite side, no steps-just down hard.

This rifle has a lot of deer dead.
I use a handload for big game, NOT a varmint load.

Read "hunting with .220 Swift" thread, you will know why I am keeping my head down on this one, my opinion is not as welcome as a lot of other folks'.

I read and laugh to myself more than I type these days, giving some of you a lot of relief, I don't own this forum, just a member. Hehehe.

When you are a kid, you do "stupid things"
I was about 15, and shot a deer with a .222 Rem loaded with a 50 gr Hornady SX. A pure varmint load. The bullet blew up on the skin, and made a nasty, wound, eventually killing the animal. I am not proud of that at all.

With the right bullet, choose your shot wisely, and watch your range, but with the wrong bullet, leave the safety on!
Better yet, pick another caliber (bigger)

A lot of deer poachers here in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://shootersforum.com/ /><st1:State w:st=New Brunswick</ST1:place></st1:State> hunt with a .22-250 as it the largest caliber one can legally carry outside of the deer season. From an ethical standpoint, do I think it is an appropriate caliber to hunt deer with? Absolutely not. However, if it is legal in your state or province to do so, and it is not against your personal constitution, you should be using a 62 gr. Nosler Partition or a 62 gr. Barnes TSX.

I've said it before, just because you can doesn't mean you should.

I think a deer deserves a heavier bullet for more certain humane hunting.

Well time for me to add my input . I am 61 years old and have hunted big bucks in NY and mule and white tail in Texas and in my opinion the 220 Swift is the best one shot killer of deer ever invented and the 22-250 is in the same boat. there is an article in P.O.Ackleys book about killing power that I recomend reading. It states thar all things being equal if 100 deer were shot with a 30-06 and 100 shot with the Swift the Swift would be the hands down winner for ONE SHOT KILLS, and I have found this to be true.olddudeone

Hey olddude; Well said, experience trumps heresay.

if i by chance happen to see that dream buck.. ..
im gonna want my 06.. i went bigger, myself, for that reason..good luck