Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting .222 Magnum on deer

My brother in law has a .222 Magnum and wants to use it on deer now that it is legal in Minnesota. None of us has any experience with .22 centerfire on deer.
What kind of performance can he expect out of factory ammo.
He doesn't reload. Deer normally don't exceed 200 lbs very often around here because of the hunting pressure.
We have had bad experiences with .243 in our hunting party in the past so I am skeptical. ( Of course we have had bad experience with 30-06 due to crappy shooting)
Let's hear it!
whelennut

Of course it will kill them,good idea? NO I think a decent deer rifle starts at .243 and goes up from there.

TSX's, Nosler PT, 70 gr. Speer are where I'd start. I've shot them in the neck, high shoulder and ribs. My fav is the high shoulder or lungs. Over the years I've killed more than 50 deer with 22 cf's with nary a lost animal.

I know its not for everyone, but it works as well as anything else for me. Have fun with it.

222 RM is one I havent jacked a deer with, may have to change that.

Joseph

I too would not recommend using that .222Mag on deer! NOT for a novice or beginner.

And why was the .30/06 a bad expereince? Because of the recoil? Why not use a .243 if that was the case? Or a .30/30?

Actually your BIL's best bet is if one of the more experienced hunters in your party took (BIL) under his wing and coached him on his first deer hunt/deer kill.

Twas me I'd try to put BIL in a ground or tree blind, and help the guy just fill that first tag. Huge learning curve there. If your BIL indeed got bitten by the hunting-bug, he'd be well on his way to being 'experienced' after that first buck.

A .30/06 is a 'big round' to most folks unfamiliar with shooting or that particular round, but behind the .30-30 the .30/06 is the SECOND-MOST POPULAR big game cartridge used in America - according to ammo sales.

That .222Mag "will kill deer," but I'd be extremely apprehensive if I was a member of your deer camp that you BIL has the patience or discipline to pick [only] the right shots! And the deer "cooperating" and presenting that perfect broadside shot is a "big IF" too!

A .30-30 or .243 is plenty powerful and more likely to dispatch a deer even if the shot isn't perfect.

okiebowhunter,
He uses factory ammo and doesn't reload. He also travels a lot and so doesn't have much time to practice with the rifle either.

The bullets you mentioned OBH, would certainly work fine - except the brother-in-law IS NOT a reloader!

Can you get ammo loaded with anything but a varmint bullet?

That is kind of what I am leading up to. I wonder how many guys like my BIL are going to try to use varmint bullets on deer?

Do your best to discourage him from trying it.

Last I checked (in 2005, I think), Hirtenberger was the only brand of factory ammo in .222 Rem Mag being produced. They only offered 3 different 55 grain loads: a 55 Nosler SP, a 55 Sierra SP and a 55 Nosler BT, none of which I would recommend for deer. Unless he wants to take up reloading, he should stick with his old reliable deer rifles.

I don't believe so...leave the .222Mag at home...

I think it really depends on two things:
1) Having a good bullet
2) If the terrain has excellent visibility so you can watch the deer run off and collapse in case of a poor blood trail.

Where I hunt it is SUPER dense and thick, I would not use that small of caliber in case of a poor shot. What happens if the deer of a lifetime walks out at 300 yards and doesn't give a nice broadside shot? We all know we SHOULDN'T take the shot but let's face it some people will, especially those who have never harvested a big mature buck. So, now...would that shooter be better off with a .222 or a .300WM ?

I saw a 15yr old shoot his first deer last year with a .223 and he hit it in the rear end/hip area. Specs of blood into a DENSE thicket....after 5 guys searched for 30 minutes we finally located it to finish it off. Had he shot it with a "Powerful" gun the blood trail may have been better and the deer would have suffered less.

Unless experienced I think the smallest a novice should go is .270 or .308

Bullet?

I do know its damnfine on decent sized hogs.......with a good bullet.

I might know someone in Iowa who can hook you up with some new cases and bullets with grandois margins of error......


I'd trade our rifled slugs, sabots and schit for my 222 Magnum and loads not made for gophers any day our DNR gets the sand out!!!

Funny that the 223 on deer is the best deer round since sliced bread, but a 222 mag wont work...

Billy

Restricting it to available factory ammo is the issue here. He'd be fine if he would hand load a stout heavy for caliber bullet.

What bullets can you still get in .222 mag. factory loads ? Geeze, I didn't even know anybody was still loading them at all ! Some so called "varmint" bullets work pretty damned good on deer. I killed a bunch with win. and Hornady, 55 gr. sp's out of a .223 for example. My point is, don't discount all of the so called varmint bullets cuz some are alot tougher than you'd think.

Where in MN is he? Habisch outdoors in Winstead does some custom reloading. Looks like John in Gunstop in Glen Lake is set up for it too, but I'm not sure if he does it or not.

You may be right, but he doesn't reload, he doesn't shoot much, and there ain't many choices in factory ammo for the 222RM. How would he ever KNOW if those particular varmint bullets are "tough"?

Start using a 25-06 or 270 I killed deer with 223 quick when in the head . These 25-06s 270s make more sence