22-250
 

If i wanted to shoot does with my 22-250 (remington 700 vsf leupold 6-18 with target nobs) i was wondering if the load i use on coyotes, a 55 grain ballistic tip would penetrate well enough for a head or neck shot on small texas does. The reason i ask about the ballistic tip is because it is shooting less than .5 moa out of my gun. I am very capable with that gun so shot placement will not be an issue. I am not trying to spark a debate i just want to know if it is capable of what i want it to do (i know of the better contructed deer bullets in .224 and none of them have shot well enough for me out of my gun)

RE: 22-250
 

Yep the bigger and better deer bullets in that caliber require a different twist rate for best accuracy. Head and Neck shots are pretty risky unless the range is relatively short . Prepare yourself you'll get a lot of varied responses on this.

RE: 22-250
 

texhookem,
No slam on your marksmanship at all, but I wouldn't allow it on my hunting lease. There's just too much of a possibility of wounding an animal.

RE: 22-250
 

22-250 is a VARMINT cartridge! Will the 55gr. bullet do the job on deer hit in the head?
Probably, yes. Neck shot, maybe. But why? Why is it folk got to try these dang fool stunts to see how small a cartridge/bullet they can use to dispatch an animal?
For varmints a 22-250 is okay. For deer, use a proper deer cartridge! The animals deserve our best, not the least we can figure to get away with.

RE: 22-250
 

There are NO .22 calibers that are suitable for deer hunting! I wouldn't use any one of them even on a Cues (sp?) deer doe!
.22's and head shots equal lost deer!

RE: 22-250
 

I know several ranchers who hunt deer with their 22-250 rifles because many of them always carry one in their trucks. I have no expierence shooting deer with the 55 grain Ballistic tip but the 55 grain Hornady works well. I have seen a few big mule deer bucks taken with the 22-250 which is a legal deer gun in our state. As is the 223.

I wouldn't use one now because I have rifles that are better suited for deer hunting. However at one time the only rifle I had that was legal for deer in our state was a 222 Savage O&U rifle. It worked well for me and I never lost an animal while using it. 25 caliber is my minimum now.

RE: 22-250
 

60gr Partition or 55gr Gameking

The only bullets I would use on deer in a .22 Centerfire. Not saying I would use a .22 centerfire on deer but if I were to it would be with either a .22-250 or .220 Swift.

RE: 22-250
 

I used my 22-250 to take a doe on a late season hunt. she wasnt far away tho, only about 20-25yards (coulda got her with my knife) I was there to kill limb rats (squirrels) because there were no signs of deer all season. then she walked out at daybreak, so i put it in her ear. 45gr 4000fps was moving, she didnt even finish the step she was taking.

RE: 22-250
 

The 22-250 itself is certainly up to the task of taking Texas deer or any other deer for that matter.

If you are loading your own I would try the Barnes bullets in the same weight range as the ballistic tips you are shooting now. Like the 50 grain X, the 53 grain TSX, or the 53 grain XLC.

If you don't reload then Federal loads the 55 grain TBBC and the 60 grain partition. Connely precision loads the Barnes bullets, the TBBC and the partition. http://www.cpcartridge.com/22-250-V.htm

These listed here are all big game bullets and are designed to be used on big game animals in a .22 caliber centerfire rifle. There is no reason not to use it if you want to.

Even with body shots this cartridge is more than up to the task of deer hunting so long as big game bullets are used. I would not trust a ballistic tip bullet on a deer.

RE: 22-250
 

I wouldn't have imagined a 55 grain ballistic tip would be very effective on even smaller big game animals. However, there is this rancher I know who keeps a .22-250 on his porch for any critters that need extermination. His ranch is in country that is home to coyotes, deer, elk, and bear. All of these animals, at one time or another, have fallen to that old .22-250. Some thrashed around for a short period of time, but not one has run off wounded. I also know a game warden who has killed an amazing variety of big game over the years with the only rifle he carries in his truck - a .22-250 Remington.