Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I have a new savage rifle in 22-250 cal and I believe it to be a 1-14twist..What is a good bullet to use for deer hunting? Would the V-max be good for head or lung shots..Nothing will be over 300 yards..I have several bullets availabe..What about the ballistic bullets? Thanks..Johnny

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

A good bullet would be 6mm or better. Just because you can doesnt mean you should.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Read Here:

http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=2440664

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I don't think that using any .224cal CF for deer is a good idea. As said before, just because it can and has been done, doesn't mean it's a wise thing to do (it's an ethical question). But if you do decide to try it, I think it's important that you realize that your .22-250 has a twist rate (1:14") designed for bullets of standard weight for caliber and less (55gr). It MIGHT stabilize 62gr bullets, but it's not likely to stabilize any bullet heavier than that. The problem is that all the bullets that are "suitable" (I use the term loosely) for deer are heavier than standard. The V-Max and .224cal Nosler Ballistic Tips are VARMINT bullets that are designed to fragment explosively on impact and hence may not penetrate deep enough to humanely kill a deer. Barnes has a video of their Varmint Grenade bullet completely disintegrating before passing through a cherry tomato. You might consider trying the 62gr Barnes TSX.

As far as head and neck shots are concerned, I think that they are unwise at best. There are plenty of people who do it, but I'd also guess that there are many deer that have suffered nasty but not soon fatal wounds because from "hunters" attempting such shots. If you've ever seen the movie "The Patriot", you're familiar with the saying "Aim small, MISS SMALL".

I'd STRONGLY suggest you consider something a little larger. The .243Win would so quite well, as would the .25-06 or 7mm-08. Save the varmint rifle for varmints.

Mike

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

i dont know if you can get it or not but the milatry used a bullet that would tumble when it hit ,it would do a fair amount of damage, shot from a m16 they may still be using it for all i know

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

The current production M855/SS109 62gr FMJ green tip NATO ball ammo will tumble on impact, and will generally break in half at the cannellure when it hits above 2700fps, but it is NOT considered an expanding bullet and therefore is not legal or ethical for big game. It is a military bullet that is designed to produce casualties within the limits of the Hague Accords, not necessarily to kill as quickly as possible (kill a man, you take one man out of the fight, wound a man and you take out at least two, him and the guy(s) who has to carry him). It is NOT for hunting anything on more than two legs!

Mike

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

STOP!!!
NO!!!!
STOP!!!

I'm in your EXACT shoes. I have a remington with 1-14" twist, but I *believe* your savage will actually have a 1-12" twist. That's not important. There are very few factory ammos that would even be close to suitable. Ballistic tips...no Unless Nosler has come out with two seperate BT for .224 all their .224 BT are designed for varmints. I've lost 100% of the deers I've shot. (One deer, perfect broadside at 50 yards) I would think you have the same scenario with the .224 V-Max. I've tried the 64gr powepoints by winchester...horrible accuracy for a 22-250 (about 3" at 100yards)...this is due to my 1-14" twist and your gun may handle it better...but it's still pushing it to try and get a 64gr bullet to stabilize in a 1-12" twist. I brought down a nice doe at about 30yards with this load (ruined the far-side shoulder too!)

I can't get the nosler partitions to stabilize in my handloads...and I've not used them due to this
I can get the Barnes 53gr blue bullets to go in the same hole...but I've lost one deer to these as well...another perfect 60yard presentation.

Federal makes a load with the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw...cant find them around here but they ought to be acceptable as well.

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES....factory ammo is NOT suitable for deer.
Handloads MIGHT be...at least you can use non-varmint bullets and get some penetration.

I will only use it for neck and head shots from now on. The only nice thing about this is the low recoil and inherent accuracies make this a SLIGHTLY better proposition than normal.

I read all the articles in favor of the 22-250 as deer cartridge...but without custom gun to shoot the heavy bullets...or custom ammunition WITH head/neck shots my experience gives a resounding NO!
STOP!!!!!
NO!!!
STOP!!!!

Learn from mistakes/arrogance!

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

In a .22/250 or a 220 Swift, you MUST use tough bullets for deer, as the varmint bullets at those velocities are BOMBS designed to blow up on contact with things like prairie dogs and crows! Minimum would be the 64-grain Winchester bullet, and I would personally use the 60 grain Nosler Partition, the Bear Claw, or one of the Barnes "X" type bullets, IF my rifle shot any of them well. The 53-grain Barnes X might work in a 1/14twist. Pinpoint accuracy is essential, if you insist on shooting deer with a .224" bullet! In addition, you will need ALL the penetration you can get, and NO varmint bullet such as the V-Max or similar is reliable enough regarding penetration! They are designed to do the opposite.You don't want a deer running off with a big shallow hole blasted in its' side.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

All good sound advice and I appreciate it as well..
Only thing I still have trouble understanding is
why have I killed several deer with a 222 and the
22-250 is not as good..I realizethe bullets I
mentioned were not a good choice and I knew that
when I posted the question. I was just courious as
to the answers I would receive..I have the Bear
claw bullets and am going to try them for accuracy
if it stops raining...

I know of others who use high power rifles and the
bullets seems to pass right on through and they
lose game every time..So is this also a choice of
bad bullets or too much power or if the truth be
known,poor bullet placement?

So now I suppose I have to get out there and find
a 243 cal..I do have loading dies for it..[8D]

Once again I say thank you for your comments....Should
I use my 300WSM instead....

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

If you have ever shot one head of game or seen it shot with .222,.223.22-250 or .220 Swift we wouldn't be having this conversation.One shot kills all like an electricution.Lungs and heart fall out while dressing as one clot.They are all accurate enough to leave no excusses for missing or crippling game.I have used Hornsdy's 55gr SP with the cannalure in the .222 and .223.[bang flop]If you can't hit a basket ball size lung area while staying away from the shoulder blades you shouldn't be carrying a gun.The Swift and 22-250 both work well with 55-60gr bullets.Deer typically either drop dead on the spot or the classic 25yd I don't feel so good dash and do a faceplant.Never shot one twice or lost one? Three black bears as well.............Harold [The Inuit shoot walruses,seals ,caribou and yes polar bear with lowly .222]It's not what you shoot ,it's how well you shoot it! [not directed at anyone in particular]

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I have killed close to a dozen deer with a .22-250. I don't recommend it.

My brother just lost a deer the other day with one. He was using a .22-250 because his .30-06 had a broken scope. I have had some long tracking jobs. I don't think I have ever lost a deer with a .22-250 but it has been close a couple times.

You can kill deer with one, just as you can with a .222. You can kill them with a .22lr. But you can also wound them. Enough deer are lost just from bad bullet placement, why make it worse using a marginal gun.

If you have a .300 wsm, why not use it?

If you must use a .22-250:
1. use a triple shock, or a partition, or a bear claw.
2. Be very selective of shot placement and angle.
3. Don't stop shooting till the deer is dead if you have any doubts. My brother knocked the deer down and then it got up and ran away.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I recommend the 243

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I like the 243 would be great with some plain ole seirra bullets. OR the 300WSM with NON-premium non-prenetration-oriented bullets. (No A-frames, Scirroccos, Barnes, TBBC.) Stick with good ole core-lokts or something similar that are accurate.


^^^that's just my thought, I have no first hand experience with deer and 300mags. OR the 243 and deer.

I'm humbly limited to
44mag
12gauge sabot slugs
22-250 (cause my "home" state is a no-rifle dungeon)

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I would not say for one minute that the .22/250 is not as good as a .222 for shooting deer! It is even better, provided the right bullets are used! However, I do believe that with lightly constructed varmint bullets, you are MORE likely to experience a shallow wound with a .22/250 than with a 222 simply because the bullets from the .22/250 travel so much faster! In the .22/250, just use a bullet that will stand up to the much greater velocities it produces!

You do have a 300 WSM? Would I choose the 300 WSM over a 22/250 for deer? Yes. If I had a 300 WSM would I buy a .243 Win. for deer instead of the 300 WSM? No. I'd use the 300, and try not to hit the critter where there's a lot of edible meat to ruin!

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

varmits arent deer!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

lol , they can be

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Here in ALabma deer are pests. We have a two doe a day season that lasts about 75 days.(150deer a year limit just for gun season) I have found a 22-250 to be an excellent deer cartridge FOR ME. I shoot a Sendero with a 6.5x20 Leupold target scope. I only shoot deer that are standing still and that I can drive my truck up to. I use a 55 grain hornady Vmax. You have to be careful when shooting a a group of deer, and be sure and count them before you shoot. They hit the ground so fast that you do not see them fall. I shoot them in the neck which givesiInstant kills and no mess when you clean them. I shoot the 50# does for myself and give the larger ones away. The local jail with take them 24-7 and give you back the back strap and tenderloin. (If you are not afraid of blood borne pathagens.) I normally just strip the back straps out before I drop them off. I made the mistake of buying a 30-06 for my first rifle as a kid. I would not shoot a 300 anything magnum for deer. This is just my opinion but it is backed up by a lot of dead deer, including one 250# 11 point that scored 146. (220 yards shot in neck, hit ground.) I do limit my shots to 300 yards. I have tried a number of bullets, partition, balistic tip and am now playing around with the Barnes SSX. It should be adequate for a lung shot but not on any deer that I will clean. I'll let you know how they do.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I shot a small deer with a 60 grain partition bullet late yesterday pm. It was almost too dark to shoot but it was close and I wanted to see what the partition bullet would do. It hit the left shoulder but I did not see an exit wound. I asked the person I gave it to to let me know if they found any part of the bullet. The deer dropped in its tracks but judging by the frothy blood, it must have drowned. Based on that experience, I will go back to shooting them in the neck with the 55 Hornady VMAX. With a Sendero and a 6.5x20 Leupold target scope, I am assured of good hits out to 300 yards. THe VMAX neck shots give cleaner kills and the deer are much more pleasent toclean. I may try one more partition on a larger deer if given a quartering shot where I can be insured of fatal damage before attempting to exit the far shoulder. Will keep you posted. ( I also have those Barnes tripple shock to play with.)

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I LOVE THESE DEBATES!!! BIG BORE VS. SMALL BORE!!! Woot Woot!

I have shot probably 30 or more deer with my 22-250 with a 52gr Horady BTHP Match. I shoot everything in the neck and every one of them there is about 2"-3" of neck bone that is pulverized. It's like a light switch on the deer.

This goes for big bucks, cull bucks, does..whatever. Boom! Light switch..deer never moves!

The only deer I have ever lost in my entire 20 years of hunting them was with a 270 because I didn't make a good shot.

Yet, people on this site will say that you are unethical for shooting deer with such a small caliber gun...(Eldeguello, I realize you are not saying that) but I've seen this debate on this site MANY times!

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Sounds like the 22-250 is a deer rifle after all,right..
I hear in Texas,the 223 is what they use..Now maybe
this is a B.S I really do not know..I did load up some
of the Bear Claws but have not seen a legal deer to
shoot...Thanks for all the replies rather positive or
negative...I guess I will have to be the judge..[:'(]

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I worked up a load to use in my 22-250 for hogs and last spring took four hogs from 160# to 320#, all were shot through the lungs and none went more than 20 feet (Pictures in the Hogs and exotics thread). I used Barnes 53gr solid copper TripleShock bullet pushed along by 35gr of Hodgens Varget. I wouldn't be afraid to use this load for deer in any state where the 22-250 was legal. The TripleShock got great penetration and raised holy he** with the insides of all the hogs that I shot.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Well,no matter what you all say,I have kilt 2 deer this year with the 22-250
all were dead with in a minute or two...One was shot at 450 yards in the neck.
She went down like a ton of bricks.The other 2 bucks were any where from
170 to 325 yards..Same thing..So I guess I answered my own question..
The 22-250 WILL do the job and do it well...My bullet was the 55 grain Hornady
V-MAX.......No meat wasted either...

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Thats pretty stupid to use a V-MAX on deer, but oh well, you will learn the hard/arrogant way.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

You shoot any deer in the neck with a .22 cal 55grain bullet and it will either drop it (if it hts the spine) or wound it probably mortally without youeven knowing because it would leave a measly blood trail at best.

In my opinion, neck shots are NEVER OK (or head shots) - with any caliber - Pests or not.

If you are serious about hunting, and have any respect for the sport, why push the limilts of the law with a marginal caliber or bullet ?

FH

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Oh, c'mon...I love shooting squirrels in the head with grandpas old 10/22. And he certainly would have skinned me if he had ever thought I had missed 'tween the shiny eyes' on purpose!:D


Seriously though we've given him our best advice and he's decided to ignore it. That's his own choice. I'll still take the middle ground and say its all of game of "ifs" and there has to be a point where you decide you don't want "ifs" and go buy a 45-70[8D]

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Funny you should mention the 45-70..I have one in a sharps model..
Pedersoli in fact. Also have a 50-70 Navy arms..But I aint gonna
take the sharps hunting..The sights are too expensive...
And I wish you would stop kicking me around about,deer hunting
with the 22-250..It works for me..Im sorry if your not capable
enough to use this cal. Maybe you shouldnt be hunting either..

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I think at last count my son and I have killed eight deer so far this year with my 22-250. All dropped in their tracks and are a joy to clean with no mangled insides to deal with. I have tried several bullets but keep going back to the 55 grain vmax. Aim for the neck out to 300 yards, pull the trigger then go get the truck. There is a guy (a Dr. who runs the state crime lab) who is a member of club where I age my deer. He shot a doe with his 338/378 Weatherby earlier this year and it ran over 60 yards into the woods. (No fun after dark as thick as the briars are around here.) It was not a bad shot through the chest cavity. I never had one move out of there tracks with the 55 vmax. To each his own. Thankfully there are plenty of guns and calibers and bullets out there. Otherwise, what would we talk about over whiskey back at the camp, who got screwed worse in their divorce?
Merry Christmas and good shooting.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

The horse is staring at the water....

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Dude, I'm not kicking you around about anything. Do you even remember my first post? It was all about my own experiences trying what said you were gonna try to do. The difference is mine were vital placed shots and yours where neck placed shots. Before you get defensive, know who's bustin chops and who's actually trying to get people off your case (me).

You can attack my hunting skills all you want, for all I know your a grandma in Pittsburg who owns a "Vintage" clothes store.

That's not the point. You need to figure out who's on your side and who isn't before you start making enemies.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I'm not on his side!

Thats just freakin stuipid to shoot a deer in the neck at 450 yards with a 22-250 or with any rifle!! Like Farm Hunter said, you will either drop or hit kill it eventually and not even know it.

How much holdover on that shot? Or do you even know what I'm asking?

If you HAVE to hunt with a 22-250 (no other rifles...) then GET CLOSER use use a well constructed bullet!!

You WILL learn one day, probably after you get your drivers license.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

????

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Why did you continue to use them???

And YES, you would be much better off using the 300 WSM.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I'm actually getting some humor out of this thread now.

He wants to use the 22-250. I did too. He's tried w/o taking our advice. I tried both w/o and with the advice here and never got it to work. (spent a lot of time and money working up those loads with premium bullets) He seemingly has. More power to him. Lubricious, I certainly am the horse looking at the water...but this horse has tried and is done with 22-250 for deer...he was quite happy with his .44 revolver year. (300gr XTP @about1200fps) Come to think of it there's another difference between mine and his experience: His shots were longer range and gave the bullet some time to bleed of velocity.

Now, I've gotta go clean my MAF/MAP and figure out what "The ECM has detected a fault in the 5 volt reference voltage line." means. My truck is throwing those three codes and if I don't get it worked out by the next wet spell I won't have a vehicle worth driving.

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

I the first place I do not use hold over..I go by PBR if you know what that is..
I have my scope settings out to 800 yards for this load I use..
Hold over is a big mistake as far as shooting goes...You can very likely miss
or wound the animal..I have shot this rifle several times so I know pretty much what it will
do....I am saving the 300 WSM for small game such as fiels mice or blue jays..Thank you
very much for your comments and advice..Happy Holidays to you

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

And no I do not have a clothing store..I have a machine shop
at home..I have never lived in Pittsburg...I have thought of
moving to Texas though..And I realize that your comments are all
ment to mean well..I understand what your saying..I guess
I just wanted to say it can be done and with the v max bullets.
It is all bullet placement..I have also shot a few deer in the
head with the Combined tech.Bullets..And they work as well..
Lets try to get along here people..I might see you on the street
sometime.And would like to shake your hand..[8D][8D][8D][8D]

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

When used with tough bullets, the 22/250 (likewise the .220 Swift) can be counted on for quick kills at ranges where the bullet is still moving very fast. At the longer ranges, (beyond 300 yards) these little bullets with relatively poor ballistic coefficients have lost most of this advantage......

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Yes I know what maximum point point blank range is about. You would have to be sighted in dead on at about 300-350 yards to still make a 450 yards shot with a 22-250. Are you using calibrated turrets?

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Yes,I have target turrets on a 8 to 32 BSA with the dot..This is a very accurate
rifle..Savage single shot 12v,flutted barrel,etc..And I have shot the V MAX
bullets for a long time as well as other bullets..I am sorry if my shooting
bothers you guys,but thats the way it is..Come down to Bodine,PA sometime
and let me see how you do at the 1000 yard targets..I do not make a habit of shooting
game at these ranges,but wanted to do some balistic test on my own...
What would you say if I had told you I was using my 30-338 cal with 180 gr
ballistic tips at that range? I guess I will stop coming on the page any more
as I do not want to upset you guys or gals..Have a nice holiday and God Bless

PS-i FORGOT TO SAY I HAVE .010 SHIM UNDER THE REAR MOUNT SO i CAN GET
OUT TO AROUND 1750 IF I WANT TO...

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

Just what all does a guy have to take into consideration if he wants to shoo 1500 yards?

(don't ruin the surprise for me...and want to here Johnny2's answer, he's got a thing or two figured out)

Where should I try to hit the animal?

RE: Deer with my 22-250 ??????????
 

RR...you're ruining the fun I was planning to have.[8D]

I've got nothing to look forward to today[:o]


Oh well, there's at least 6 more points you could've made...easily.