according to new york state any center fire rifle is legal for deer( in the areas where you can use a rifle ) I have a 222 is that enough gun for deer ? it does a good job on woodchucks but I personally think it's too light for deer
ORIGINAL: johnl
according to new york state any center fire rifle is legal for deer( in the areas where you can use a rifle ) I have a 222 is that enough gun for deer ? it does a good job on woodchucks but I personally think it's too light for deer
Sorry, NO, your 222 Rem. should not be considered enough gun for deer hunting. The
.222, .223, 22-250, 220 Swift, etc. are varmint cartridges. They were never intended
for big game hunting, and bullets loaded in these cartridges are too frangible as well.
Even with premium bullets, they're really just too light of weight to insure proper penitration, and lack sufficient terminal ballistics. Yes, deer have been taken using these
cartridges, but to better insure a "humane" kill, and recovery of the animal, larger &
more powerful cartridges should be used.
Recommended minimum would, as noted above, be the .243 Win., which can do double duty in that it makes a pretty good varmint cartridge too. Just be sure to use the heavier, and well constructed bullets of 100gr. for the deer hunting.
Personally, if you like the .222 Rem. keep it, and get a second rifle for big game hunting.
Suggest a .270 Win. as minimum, but as noted, many make do with lesser such as the
.243Win., 257 Robts., 260Rem., etc.
It is the same in WV, as long as it is 22 caliber or larger and centerfire it is legal. I have seen deer taking with .222's but i wouldnt recommend it, its just too small. Most of the deer i have seen taken with these guns where head shots. I do know an older guy who was a friend of my dads who took many deer with a 22-250. Shot placement is very very critiical with the small calibers. Althought they will do it, its not an ethical idea. Like everyone said the .243 is probably as small as you should go.
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While not the best round by any means. . .it will work just fine if you shoot well. Lots of folks seem to think bigger is always better. I have seen many Deer fall from rounds as small as a 22 hornet, which I do really think is to damn small, but it does drop em.
With that said though if you can and have the means get a bigger gun. The smallest I have for Deer is a .260 Rem.
I've used an old Savage combo gun .222/20ga for deer in the past. Fine results. I've also used a .223rem and a .22-250, never had any problems with any of them...I used reloaded rounds that were pretty hot, and loaded with good big game bullets (rather hard for typical 22cal bullets). I've taken half a dozen deer with these three rounds, all were one shot stops, and only ONE of them did not exit, and it hit the far shoulder, shattering it at the joint...that deer did NOT move from where it stood.
The .243win is generally considered the bottom end, and for pretty good reason, as most 22cal centerfires aren't loaded with bullets suited to big game hunting. If you reload, you can bump the performance a bit by loading good big game bullets.
I WON'T say that it's a great choice, or even necessarily a good one, I've only used them to do something different than my typical rifles. I'd honestly recommend you buy a H&R/NEF Handi rifle or single shot in .243win or bigger, only cost you $200 or so new with a decent scope on it. You could also pick up an older mauser for very cheap too.
As long as you've got outstanding groups, there's nothing wrong with using the 22cal centerfires. They aren't the best choice, but if it's the only gun you've got and you don't want to buy another rifle, it's a viable option at least. Just limit your shots to supported shots on deer standing still at broadside/quartering away and under 150yrds and you'll be fine.
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"When you tell a fellow to go to hell, you had better be sure you can get him there."--LBJ
While I agree that .22cal centerfire cartridges will kill deer, I would not recommend same for deer. Regardless of the shot in the heart/lung area, deer can go to far, in many cases, with holes through and through. One thing cannot be denied; bigger bullet equals bigger wound channel. Bigger wound channel translates into more rapid hemorraging. The more the animal bleeds the faster he goes down.
Add to that the case of trophy deer presenting a bad angle for your well placed shot, using a 22. This could be walking straight away from your position or at a steep raking angle. In those cases, you need a bullet that will penetrate a lot of deer meat and maybe bone, before reaching the certain, quick kill area. We all owe it to the game to make every attempt at getting quick, clean kills.
I began hunting deer with a rifle chambered for .243Win. I saw for myself that deer could be hit through the heart and still go 100 yards or more. One ran, jumped a stock fence, as if he'd never been hit and disappeared in an overgrown field, 20 minutes before dark. Just by luck, I found where he'd laid down in heavy cover. When I dressed the deer, his heart was cut into a "Y" by my bullet. After that, I began using a .270Win, which anchors deer with the very same shots that I had previously seen them run off on.
with that little cartridge shot placement would have to be right on the money. use s 243 its a great little caliber, my dad has even taken moose with it.
When I was reloading for the .222 here in the midwest, I heard it had a rep for poaching. Got the job done, & didn't scare the goat herders. Kind of a backhand compliment for an inherently excellent little cartridge.
Now the 223 (pardon, I don't like it) has taken over.
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deer rifle ?
