Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 222 remington caliber for generally everything up to deer.

I am currently thinking of getting a CZ 527 American in 222 remington caliber. I am wanting something new to play with. Thought I might do some coyote hunting along with deer.

222 rem can't kill deer.

Clyde: This something "new" for you has been one of my favorite Varminting rounds for MANY decades now.
I am not even sure when this cartridge was "invented" by the great folks there at Remington Arms Corp.
I just shot one of the many 222's I own, yesterday in fact.
The 222 Remington IS one of them most inherently accurate cartridges ever devised.
Its hard to find one (a 222 Rifle) that does not shoot well!
All my friends that own CZ's really like them and almost universally get great accuracy from them.
So I am confident accuracy won't be a problem for you.
I have killed my share of Coyotes with the 222 Remington and it is definitely up to that task.
Now for Deer you ARE going to have to be patient and a good shot and have to be fully willing to pass up less than near perfect shots whilst using the 222.
I have seen PLENTY of Deer harvested cleanly and humanely with the 223 Remington and other larger 22 centerfires but I do not recall seeing a Deer harvested with the 222 - so I won't comment much there.
Other than to say - if the 223 Remington can do it the 222 Remington should be nearly as capable.
Best of luck with the CZ 222 and maybe look into a 243 Winchester for your Deer Hunting needs?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Count me also as a big fan of the 222. The article in the relatively new Barnes Manual #4 on the 222 is written by me with my daughter modeling one of my Sako's so chambered in the photo. With a Barnes TSX or TTSX of 50 or more grains wieght the 222 should be quite capable, but A) I have never tried it as I have other larger deer rifles and B) I am not sure what the rifling twist rate is of the CZ 222 so do not know how heavy and long of a bullet it will stabilize and shoot well. The 222 is only very slightly less powerful than the 223 so it has the horespower with a good bullet well placed at reasonable ranges, say inside 200 yards with under 100 being much the better... If CZ rifles thier 222's 1 in 10 or faster one should be able to shoot the 50gr TSX just fine. If it is rifled 1 in 14 I would have my doubts and would steer you toward a non varmint or non fast exploding 55gr bullet with even more emphasis on truly perfect shot presentation, placement and close ranges. Normally a very accurate round in nearly any reasonable rifle and lots of fun to shoot as well.

All that said, a 22-250 would be a better choice if deer is really a frequent target of said rifle and a 243 FAR better still.

I have a 222 remington in an old sako, my son began deer hunting with it at the age of 8 years old. The rifle will be a family treasure, all of the nephews and nieces started out on this rifle. Will it cleanly kill a MULE DEER? YES it will, with very little meat damage. I can only remember 2 muley's that ran after the shot and they didnt go over 30 yrds. Shot placement is always important weather its a 222 or a 300UM, a well placed shot behind the front shoulder from a 222 always seemed to work as well as a 30-06 at yardages within 200. I know I will have nay sayers beat me up on this one, but I have phone numbers of kids who are grown and gone now that will attest to the facts here, because they were the ones who pressed the trigger on that 222!!!

Hello to all and hope I am welcome to visit and put in my opinion. We have a 222 Rem here in our family. Have had it for years. Like the others above, if you value patience and good shot placement, it can harvest game up to deer size at reasonable ranges. Also, it is, without a doubt, the most accurate firearm I have ever had the pleasure to pull the trigger on.
It makes a wonderful firearm for inexperienced people to start with. It has very little, if any, noticable recoil. A little time at the range to prepare them for what the gun can do, then it is to the blind to do the hunt. An older person to help with patience and shot selection are all that is needed.
I dont suggest someone use this gun for all their life, but it can be a fun gun to start out with before graduating up. I would rather see a kid enjoy his first hunt with a gun like this than to be put behind something like a 7mmRM and maybe make a poor shot and not gain the confidence to graduate up to a bigger gun.

When I made my first post, I should have mentioned somethings. I have been deer hunting for several years. My father started me on a single shot 30-30. I have used everything from it to 30-06 remington 742; to a 12 gauge deer slug. My main thought about the 222 is because I want to try something "new". I read about how eskimos have used the 222 to take polar bear and that got me interested in the caliber. I know a person needs to be mindful mainly of shot placement and distance. I will be going deer hunting on my uncle's farm this year. It is very thick and a 65 to 70 yard shot may be a stretch! LOL
I guess as I get older, I think it would be nice to not take the pounding of a 30-06 or a deer slug. By the way, I will have to wait on getting my 222 due to some other things. I plan on using the 60 grain 222 remington nosler partition bullet for deer. Any thoughts? Thanks!

Although I love my triple deuce and have used it for a ton of crows, foxes, and groundhogs it would not be my first choice for deer. No matter which bullet you select the .222 should not be considered a deer cartridge.

A 7-08 or .260 would be a much better choice and would not subject you to the pounding of the old '06.

.222 may or may not stabilize a 60 partition...

maybe try a 45 TSX???

My Dad's old Sako in .222 was what I shot my first deer with at the age of 5. My old man has probably shot a few hundred deer with that "inadequate" round. No telling how many I shot when I was a kid either.

Now I'm putting one together for my daughter to use when she gets old enough. SS 700 action, McMillan stock, and a 1:8" Brux No. 2. Figure I'll try the heavier bullets, and that 60gr Partition is at the top of the list along with the various TSXs.

-Dan

Clyde,

The discussion on the use of a .224 bullet on deer comes up frequently. We're never going to settle the issue, but here are some things to consider.

The .224 aficinados advocating the use primarily tell you about the good outcomes, but the caveat here is they rarely tell you about the bad and the ugly outcomes.

Bullet makers want to sell bullets so some design bullets to please this camp. The ones that do...do they stand behind them as a all-around deer bullet?

The .224 aficinados spew caveat's to justify the use of the caliber. Get close to your game, use patience, use good shot placement in other words wait for a Disney Bambi broadside pose. It is an effective deer caliber in the hands of a good shot is one of my favorites. It takes experience to become a good shot, yet people put the caliber in the hands of kids fresh out of hunter safety class. You don't think some of those kids are going to get a little excited or buck fever and take a shot they should not have?
Oh well, the light recoil makes them a better shot...there are a plethora of light kicking calibers that the young-uns can use effectively. Geez, they are giving these kids shotguns with turkey loads to turkey hunt that have a lot more recoil than the calibers I am talking about.

Think about some these statements of the .224 advocate...it makes me wonder why I have "deer rifles" in my safe...should sell them all.

Clyde...if at all possible get your hands on a copy of Bob Hagel's book..Game Loads and Practical Ballistics for the American Hunter....go to pages 36 - 38 ".22 Caliber Cartridges Are Not For Big Game."

Don't tie one arm behind your back by using a .222 on deer...increase your chances of harvesting a fine game animal humanely...look further up in the line of calibers.

I am done talking now...

Roundoak, I agree with what you said 100%, good job.

I love the .222, owned many of them..they all shot the 60 gr. bullets well, not as well as the lighter bullets as a rule but within an inch and a half and thats all you need for deer and then some, so take that into account..

I have shot many deer with the 222 Remington under simi controlled conditions as have all my kids and grandkids..I only use the 60 gr. Horndady HP and SPs as they have worked wonderfully for me for the last 60 or more years. Keep all shots at 200 yards or under and under is better, standing broadside and place the shot in the lungs or heart, otherwise your in for a hell of a tracking job with no blood and probably a lost deer. We have never lost a deer with a hi-vel 22 btw, but we pass on iffy shots as we have plenty of opertunities. I believe it to be and excellent beginners rifle and a meat gun. I wouldn't pick it for trophy hunting anymore than I would my old .25-35, but for shooting a doe or spike buck for meat at close range they both suit me fine.

I don't know of a hunt that I enjoy anymore than walking around behind my house with our old .222 or 25-35 trying to sneak up on a good buck, but mostly watching them bounce off over the saddle as the range was a bit too far, and If I dont' get real lucky I end up settling for a spike, forky or doe for meat, and nothing wrong with that as far as I am concerned..

As to varmints that's a given, it can't be beat, especially when you are shooting high volume such as PDs...it heats up slower, cools down quicker, ammo is cheaper, brass is cheaper..It's only competition is the 223 because of its military availability of components, and its a tad better velocity and trajectory I suppose, but not noticeable in the field..

What I see is some folks have not used the 22s or they would know that those that advocate its use under certain circumstances are correct, its not what you use, it'
s how you use it..Archers know this, Muzzle loaders know this, and those that have hunted as opposed to read to much know this.. I have seen many deer wounded with all those good deer rifles btw, There is no substitue for good shooting and a properly constructed bullet, caliber is secondary IMO..

Atkinson: I have never tried a bullet heavier than 55 grains in any of my 222's!
I should put that on my "bucket list" - I would love to harvest a Deer with a 222 Remington!
I hope you enjoy many dozens more seasons "out behind the house" with your 222!
By the way I looked up the year the fine folks at Remington Arms brought out the 222 Remington - Lordy!
It was in 1950 or 60 (sixty!) years ago!
Time flies!
In honor of Remingtons 60th year with this splendid cartridge I will make it a point to kill one Varmint of every species I can sneak up on with the 222 Remington this year!
Yeah I am gonna do that!
And in that same honoring mode I would like to lead a cheer for this cartridge.
Hip hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray!
Long live the 222 Remington (and ALL its derivative offspring calibers)!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Atkinson and Varmitguy...Nice job!!!

Long live the triple duece..!!!!

Like VG...Ive never shot anything bigger than a 55 gr.in the deuce..and just worked up a 53gr. TSX load for deer...I need to put that on my bucket list too....

Ingwe

I lied.



55 gr Hornady SX.

You'll note the lack of exit wounds......

Are you Shure????

Ive got a vintage Rem722 itchin to be at them!!

Ingwe

Every other year, the farmer plants soybeans.

If your looking for meat, nothing beats the back porch, rocking chair, coffee thermos and a 222rem.

No pressure shooting. Wide open. Sooner or later, you get the primo shot.

Sometimes you get two. The top one was a head shot. The bottom was a high shoulder.

I'm out of sx's though. Blitzkings this coming year.

We used to save the back porch deer for Grampa.....
Trust me, Ive dressed a few within rifle range of the back porch!!

Ingwe