Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Fusion 22/250--55 grain loads

Actually, I haven't seen much stuff about .22 centerfires being inadequate for deer (and other big game) in a gun magazine for quite a while. This might be because so many companies have introduced ammo and bullets for that specific purpose, but I do know some gun writers who've actually used .22 centerfires on big game, including me. And I was on a hunt in Arkansas with Layne Simpson a few years ago when he took a nice whitetail buck with Federal's then-new .220 Swift load featuring a Trophy Bonded bullet.

Recently I've seen the most objections to using .22 centerfires on big game on the Campfire--and just about invariably from people who have never tried it.

Gracias Juan....


Ingwe

you can use a .22 hornet in GA.

Seen hornets used culling in Africa with non-premium bullets on stuff lots larger than our deer...

Ingwe

The very first buck I ever saw killed was with a .220 Swift at 300 yds. with factory 48 gr. ammo. The shot hit high on the back, missing the spine. The little spike went right down and couldn't get up. He needed a finisher, but it was still very impressive.
I've noticed that Scenecar Shooter (Sp ?) has collected some really outstanding throphys with his Swift and the 55 gr. Hornady.
Heck, now I want a .22-250. Those new Ruger Predators seems like they'd be the rifle for me. E

Spot on and what I like to call the Columbus theory...

Dober

One of the rifles I've used on big game was the Sako .22-250 (suppressed) that one of my African PH's had used on at least 10,000 springbok, among other game.

The PH took me and a hunting partner out for a day of culling with the rifle when I was in South Africa for a month in 2007. His preferred load the Winchester 55-grain SP. We killed a number of springbok that day, my longest shot right around 500 yards. My partner shot a medium-sized kudu bull as well (a heart shot) and we also recovered one of the bullets from a springbok he shot at 350 yards. It was a perfect mushroom.

I shot a 90lb spike this past season with my .223 and the 62gr fusion. only went about 50yds. i'd definitely recommend and use them again.

Brett (Mac)

I have used my 22-250 on a few deer with great results using 60gr Partitions. Have also used Winchester 45gr HPs on Antelope does shooting them in the head. They worked great as well which was expected with head shots. Although I have seen a 22-250 used with horrible results too. This past season, I was sitting up on a big straw bale stack watching a wheat stubble field. Down in the bottom about 3/4 mile away, I could see my buddy sitting there watching an alfalfa field. I was watching him with my binos when I saw him raise his rifle. I heard the shot and saw a buck drop. The buck then got up and hobbled about 15 yards and fell again and laid there stuggling to get back up and dragging himself along with is front legs due to being shot in the spine. He could see the deer the whole time and didnt shoot again for about 10 mins at least. The shot was only about 150 yards. He then got up, walked half way out to the buck, which was still dragging himself along, and shot him again in the ribs. The deer still stuggled along while he walked the rest of the way to him. When he walked up, the buck was still flailing his legs, so he shot him through the ribs again. The deer laid still for about a minute and my buddy turned around and started walking back to get his pickup. As soon as he turned around and started walking, the buck started trying to get back up! One more shot to the neck and the misery for the buck was all over. I have no idea why he didnt just shoot him in the neck the second or even third shot. I dont know what bullet he was shooting. Just know that he was using a 22-250. My 22-250 has only lost one deer, which was found the next morning. It was due to my brother being an idiot and not listening to me. Had a whitetail doe walk up to us and stopped about 45 yards away facing head on to us. I told him to shoot her in the head or neck but for some stupid reason he shot her in the chest and she turned and ran into the thick brush/swamp. It got to dark while we were looking for her but dad and bro found her the next day and had already spoiled.

Couple of thoughts on that. First off, IMO your buddy should of hammered him again right away and not waited.

Secondly, if we hunt long enough from time to time we find the critters from hell, and they don't give it up easily and it's normally a bit of a rodeo.

I can recall two that I've had, one was a muley doe back in the early 80's on Bracket Creek with a 243 and 100 Horns.

The other was a 90 lb doe I put the cochise to with my 340 and 250 Speer G-Slams. I emptied the gun a time or two on her and it was quite a rodeo...

For me, I could easily hunt deer/lopes the rest of my life with a 22/250 and not worry once.

Dober

+1


Ingwe

I once blasted a small button buck in the head/neck junction with a 30-06. Of course he fell down. I walked over to him and he was still moving around, so I shot him behind the head. He kept right on breathing for a minute or more, so I shot him again in the neck to see what would happen. He still kept moving around. Finally I just gutted him with the muscles still quivering.

Sometimes they're tough to kill even with a cannon.