New to forum and have a question. I am taking my 8 year old on a youth hunt soon and my question is; Will a 22 LR kill a deer? The shot would be up to 50 yards. If not a 22 LR, how about a 410 slug. Tried to get him a 243 but his mom shot that down. Thanks in advance for the advice.
NO!! Please don' t use a .22lr. Yes it can kill one but you are more likely (like 90%) to wound the deer. A .410 slug can kill a deer, I actually killed my first deer with a .410 slug twenty years ago. It' s not your best choice but with practice it can be used. However they loose speed fast and I would suggest not taking shots bast 25 yards depending on how the gun shoots. The Remington rifled slugs usally group the best in my Savage/Stephens, though it was only used for deer hunting the one time.
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In most states it is illegal to shoot a deer with a 22 LR, and even if it is not it is ill advised. The 22 LR is fine for small game but not for anything much bigger than a rabbit. 410 Slugs are also illegal in many states and are quite anemic. A 243 Win is about the minimum.
I would not advise shooting a deer with a 22LR. It is almost certainly illegal in any state. A hunting buddy of mine did something that I never thought of before when he was breaking in his daughter to deer hunting. He had a scoped 22 magnum that he had her practice shooting with for about 2 weeks prior to the hunt. When it came time to hunt, he simply substituted a scoped .30-30 for the hunt. She killed a nice doe on her first morning out, and he told me that she never made a comment at all about the difference in recoil. She was so excited, she didn' t even feel it. I don' t know what caliber gun you normally hunt with, but unless it' s a bruiser, I' d say that it could work for you as well........just a thought.
Good luck!
GH
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The .22LR makes a very POOR deer rifle! As stated earlier, it is illegal to use for that purpose in most localities. (And it is unethical at best.) It can kill deer but is far more likely to " wound" and cause a miserable death, with a " lost and unrecovered" deer! The only possible excusable reason for even trying would be in a " real survival situation" where the only firearm available is a .22LR. (Even then you' d go hungry as often as not!)
The .410 with a slug is somewhat better, but not by much. It too is unlawful in many areas. If you are going to try using it, make sure that it is legal for use in that area. And as stated before....limit its use to extremely short range. Make sure that your son can precisely place his shots inside a paperplate size target...and keep the range inside of 50 yards.
I understand your desire to take your child hunting, but we have a moral responsibility to use a tool that can do the job effectively, (and to pass that lesson on to our children as well).
Good luck with your endeavor!
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All great replies and advice. I have a Marlin 30-30 and I will let him use that. I told him it kicks a little harder than his 22 and he says OK. So we will be off to the range this weekend.
Personally I think you made a great decision. (I really hoped that you didn' t take my earlier post in a negative way...it wasn' t meant to be.) If and when your son gets a shot with the .30-30 it will do the job cleanly....and very humanely! I can' t think of a better way to start a " budding sportsman" !
Best wishes and good luck!
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If price is a concern, get a used 30-30- probably for under $200, or an H&R/ NEF singleshot 20 guage. Both will be low in the recoil department, will be economical, and will be more than adequate to tke a deer with. The .410 will probably take deer, just as a .22 would, but like the .22 is illegal to use for hunting deer in most places.
IMHO, you should also get him a .22. Its a good gun to use to teach safety and proper shooting skills with. Its extremely cheap to practice with- for $5 he could shoot all day long an not have to worry about recoil beating him up. Get him good eye and hearing protection as well.
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22 LR for youth hunt
