22-250 for deer hunting
 

I work part time in an outdoor store, and someone called me today asking about deer hunting with a 22-250 and a 220 swift.

I really cannot recommend it

what are other feelings?

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

why not just go with a 243 then your could use it as a varmit rifle too.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I agree with the 243, but i mean it isnt like a well placed shot with a .22 cal centerfire wont kill a deer. We have all heard about some one shooting deer with a .22 rimfire. they say like 75% or more poaching is done with a .22 rimfire. so a .22 centerfire will kill a deer no problem. just like anything else if you hit them right they will die fast

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Wouldn't be my first choice, but it would kill a deer with the right bullet choice. Just make sure they are not using varmint fast expanding bullets with it.

Might want to make sure it's legal in your state as well. Some states have caliber restrictions.

I just can't see a varmint set up lending itself well to deer hunting situation.

Paul

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I agree, but with the right bullets, either cartridge will do the job, and you won't have to hit them in the eye, either!

I recommend to anyone who is contemplating this, or wants to know the truth about this subject, that they read the section on KILLING POWER in P.O. Ackley's Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, VOL. I.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I, personally, am of the belief that all .224cal cartridges are inadequate for deer sized game. Can they kill a deer? Yes, they can and they have. But just because something can be done, doesn't mean it SHOULD be. I'd wager that for every deer successfully recovered after being shot with a .224cal rifle, there are several that have been wounded or unrecovered. The problem is that you won't hear about those because most people who have done it won't admit it. I'd say recommend the .243. It's enough gun, won't beat up young or female shooters, and doubles as an excellent varmint cartridge.

Mike

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

It will kill deer. But it is on the low end of the spectrum. Just a little off and you have a wounded deer where a larger caliber will give you a little grace. And we are all off a little at some time.

Yes it will killed a deer but why risk it.

I wouldn't recommend it either,

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

My brother has been hunting with a 22-250 for years and never lost a deer, and I am in the process of trading for a Sauer 202 Outback in 22-250 and fully intend to cull does with it. Granted, it will not be my primary deer rifle, but it is very adequate for what I intend to do with it.

I started both my sons deer hunting with a NEF 223, and it worked great.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I too would not make the 22-250 my first choice , however , My mom has killed dead one shot about 15 good mule deer with one . It was loaded with sierra flat base soft points of 55 grains at about 3100 fpssome of the shoots were as much as 225 yds .

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Ditto !
A classic double lung shot and it's all over with just about any centerfire rifle, the ribacage of a deer just doesnt offer any resistance to stopping a bullet. I'll bet less deer are wounded with small calibers over large calibers, because the people using them are very disciplined and only take good broadside shots within range and place bullets exaclty where they aim.
It's guys toting 300 mags for 150lb whitetails that are usually the ones wounding deer.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Any experienced and seasoned hunter can kill deer with .22-250 all day long. Would not recommand it over the counter! If they call to ask if it will, than my answer is......I recommand the .243...

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Hell yes! They will kill deer stone dead if you can shoot and use the right bullets! As will the .223 and .222Rem.The Inuit shoot seals ,walrus,caribou,and even polar bear with all the above.I handloaded 55gr Hornady's with 24gr of Win 748 for my dad in a Sav 340 .222 Rem and he took oodles of WT deer all with one shot apiece.Head neck or lungs are the only viable targets.I once bought a used Rem 788 .223 that a smooth talking salesman sold to a young lady for her husband to hunt moose!I got the rifle /opened box of shells ,minus 3 rounds,one used to check the sights, one in a moose's hump and one in his head.I understand he got a bigger gun but the one he had did in a pinch.....................Harold

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Yes the 22-250 works great on deer. I have used it and personally know several people who have used it with great success.

It is all bullet choice and shot placement.

The 22-250 is more than capable of killing a deer. I have seen this calliber absolutely lay out whitetails.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

if i didnt fill my buck tag already, id be hunting with a 22-250 this season while on stand..

not because i dont OWN other rifles....

but because i spent 1200+ on the rig, 40 groundhogs aint got it paid fer yet;)

a 60gr partition or 55gr bear claw with me behind the gun up on the ole dirt pile would done some damage im sure...

like the other said...all about bullet choice and shot placement...

i dont know how far id push the range though...hmm whats the energy of it look like anyways...? got me thinkin now...

real hard because the ole dirt pile has some 300+ yard shots...throw me a groundhog out there and i'll make mush of him when a ballistic tip meets him...but what about a deer and a DEER bullet??

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Energy at 300 yards, check here...

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ballistics/ballistic-tables/

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

A rancher that I know used his 22-250 for everything for many years but the year before last he lost a huge trophy Mule deer Buck that he thought he hit pretty good. The next year he had a 270. Not that it can't happen with a 270 as well but he feels a bit better with the bigger gun.

The 223 is the minimum in our state. I feel just as good hunting with a 223 as a 243 but prefer the 6.5, 270, 300 Savage or 308.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I've had this discussion many times with folks. I generally argue that smaller cartridges should not be recommended generally for the following reasons:

1) Most hunters shoot their guns about two times a year. One confirmation shot and one shot on the first deer that walks out in front of them.

and

2) Most hunters get buck/doe fever and can't place the perfect shot on a deer. (I've spent time at the processor and have look at the deer and seen the entry and exit holes, scary!)

Larger more powerful bullets typically allow for more margin in error.

Also I wish folks would get off the 300 WM shooters are the worst etc... etc... While I have to agree there seems to be a slight trend I chose the 300WM for it's ballistics and managabel recoil, not to mention the versitility of game it can take easily. I can shoot mine just fine.

Tom

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

There's NO WAY a .22 centerfire is big enough for general hunting of deer-they do kill,sometimes spectularly,but not under any but HANDPICKED shots. A person using a .22 centerfire responsibly will turn down 2/3 of all shots presented.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I once worked for a gunshop owner in Las Vegas, NM. This guy used a .22/250 for deer hunting, and built himself a heavy-barreled .270 WIN. for shooting coyotes and other varmints. Now, ol' Les wasn't the brightest light in the bushel, but he never failed to kill deer -and I mean BIG mulies like you find up around the Jicarilla Apache reservation..... again, I say read the report on how the .220 Swift worked on wild burrros that's in Ackley's handbook, volume 1. In case anyone doesn't know, wild burrows are about as hard to kill as an elk......

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I'm glad there is someone here who knows thistoo! I mentioned this before and got many replies with doubts!:)

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I subscribe to Texas Trophy Hunters Magazine, and every month they've got pictures of junior hunters who have taken their first deer with a .22-250 or a .223. The Texas rule is that "any centerfire is legal", so even ridiculously underpowered cartridges like the .30 Carbine, .25-20, and the .17 Rem. are "legal". All of these have significantly less punch than the 22-250 or .223. With the right bullet, and the right shot placement, the .22 centerfires will work, although I suspect that part of the reason is the relatively small body size of most Texas deer. Note that the .22's are NOT legal in all states.

That being said, my personal choice is .243 Win....

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Florida minimum, .243

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

thanx techy...

seems 300 or less still packs the magic "800ft/lbs" or some say 1000ft/lbs is needed..so thats 200 or less..with a 60gr pill.

id honestly have no problem taking a 300yd shot with my rifle given the right shot and rangefinder and click chart in my hand. but its also the rifle i shoot the most and am most confident in. crank the leupold upto 18x and click in the distance and place the bullet where i want it to go. wish i woulda counted the number of groundhogs i head shot on purpose this summer...200 and less was always a head shot unless i was shooting freehand. 200+ id shoot the vitals...wish i kept track of my misses..though there honestly wasnt many to count..and when i did miss it was hairs away because i forgot the range finder or jerked the factory trigger...if next bow season dont produce, i will be shootin the 250 when im on stand..the right bullet and right shot is what matters...

i know groundhogs aint deer...but hitting a 3-4" groundhead head consistantly at 200yds makes the 8" deer vitals look huge..

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

i've killed deer 22cal (22mag,221fb and the 22-250) but its taking a chance on loseing one everytime you shoot.iv'e seen some walk like a fly landed on them.there are to many other calibers out that will work way better for a all around gun. i used to varmint hunt all summer ,sometimes taking 400 groundhogs a yr. with my 270win loaded down to 85-100grn bullets and then go deer hunting with 140grn. it just makes more sense useing the right gun.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

i like a 22-250 for deer hunting, a 270 is nice for deer hunting as well

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Like the others have stated, I see no problem with it as long as they use the proper bullet and make sure it's legal in their state (.243 is the minimum in WY). If ranges started getting a little long, just go for a head shot so that if you miss its no big deal and if you hit it you know it's going down.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

That is if you don't punch it in the jaw. Then it just starves to death.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

It's funny how the 5.56x45[.223] is fine for shooting humans [NATO cartridge]but inadequate for deer? Amazing..............................Harold

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Pioneer.
In a war, I don't think wepick a cartridge for it's ability to make an ethical quick kill. Shoot a guy in thevitals with a 223 or 30-06 and he's out of the game. In fact if he's still alive, well now we've taken a few people out of the action. The guy who got shot, the guy dragging him to safety and the guy trying to patch him up in the field.
Not to sound cold but 223 or 300winmag. I'm not caring if he dies quickly or dies later in the triage.

All that aside. I think a 223 or 22-250 at reasonable range is fine for deer. I was just making the point that in war we are looking for something different than when we hunt.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

cas·u·al·ty /ˈkæʒuəlti/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kazh-oo-uhl-tee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation –noun, plural -ties. 1.Military. a.a member of the armed forces lost to service through death, wounds, sickness, capture, or because his or her whereabouts or condition cannot be determined. b.casualties, loss in numerical strength through any cause, as death, wounds, sickness, capture, or desertion.
The primary purpose of any military weapon is, like Danny said, to produce CASUALTIES. The 5.56 NATO is very good at fullfilling it's role, as well as having a number of other desirable characteristics for military use. A military application, when any available shot is acceptable and possibly necessary, is completely different from a hunting situation where the hunter has a duty to make the cleanest, quickest and most humane kill possible. Of course, a hunter, unlike a soldier, has the option to NOT hunt if his weapon doesn't match his intended game, and NOT shoot if the shot is questionable.

It's unfortunate that some people can't understand this difference.

Mike

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

That's because of 2 things-#1 I never was a fan of using a groundhog rifle cartridge in combat in first place. #2-The animal deserves RESPECT-if I'm shooting at a human,trying to kill him,it seems to me he don't deserve respect anyway.:D

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

a 22-250 is actually more efficient on deer at longer distances, not shorter.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

If someone is shooting at me rest assured I'm not going to be satisfied with incapacitating him.The military lingo perhaps was developed to make [killing]wounding more socially acceptable.Never heard of a soldier trying to wound the enemy.............A war tool is for killing..............Harold

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

In Louisiana 22 centerfire is minimum for deer. I know a few people who have killed deer with 223 and 22-250. I also know people who "don't miss" and haven't been able to find deer after shooting with these rounds. My opinion: too small. 243 or bigger. No sense in using a round that may not give optimal performance on deer size game.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

22-250 is too small, IMO. Yes, it *can* kill a deer. Yes, it *has* killed deer. Same with the .223. But I know people who've lost deer to them, too. And I've taken deer with a .220 swift, although I don't plan on ever doing it again, nor do I recommend it to anyone else, even though the deer I shot with it were bang-flops, dead on the spot.

IMO, the .22 rounds just don't leave any room for error. But who generally uses them? The younger,less experienced (i.e. lessproficient) hunters/riflemenwho want to start out with a smaller cartridge.

I feel we owe it to the game to use the best choice available. I just don't think the .22s are it.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

The 5.56mm round was chosen because it was lighter, cheaper and had more range than the current .30 cal ammunition.

As much as you want to think killing the enemy is the point, it is not. Achieving the military goal is. Out of commission is out of commission whether dead or not. Wiping out the enemy is not usually the goal, getting them to fall back or surrender is.

If in war we were worried about clean kills no one would be using ball and FMJ ammo in rifles that have better cycle rates than they do accuracy (AK). We would be using more accurate platforms with better sights and ammo that was designed to make cleaner kills.

You can never really compare military weapons and ammo to hunting and self defense situations. They are to completely different beasts.

Look at what a sniper uses when he goes to intentionally kill something. He basically uses hunting equipment, not combat weaponry.

My take on it anyway.

If you can kill a deer with a cap and ball musket, a .410 shotgun, a handgun or a bow I am pretty sure a high powered rifle will get the job done if you put the bullet in the right place. I think we tend to over think things too much sometimes.

Paul

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

First consideration would be if they were legal calibers in Winnepeg.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

If your going to use a 22 for deer hunting and it is legal in your area then use the right 22... 224 TTH, friend of mine had one built last year and my gunsmith has built a ton of them...They drop deer in their tracks and are very versatile and very flat shooting.

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

Why do you think most States do notAllow FMJ's for hunting?????:eek:

RE: 22-250 for deer hunting
 

I've read the responses...my opinion is I cannot support the 22-250 or similar cartridges for deer hunting..

someone hear mentioned the INUIT hunting in N CANADA.

I sell them guns, and hear there stories. They have no problem with wounding deer, and having to shoot them again and again.

Someone from that area bought a 50 count of 22 cal rimfire shells to hunt caribou with. Apparently there are no laws up there.