My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
Headshots will be iffy if not placed just right IMO. I wouldn't hit any bone.
A 50 gr. will work on a double lung shot. But the deer will run a ways, of course.
I won't say you can't kill deer with a 22mag, but I sure would rather have something with a bit more energy behind it.
A CF with a suppressor is what I would do....
I knew a guy for a while that hunted a private ranch for our Blacktails. He and his buddy used a .22 Rimfire Magnum with standard 40 gr. HP's.
They shot nothing over 125 yds. out and nothing less than 3 pointer's which usually are 4 yr. old bucks.
All of them were killed with neck shots. All went right down, etc.
Be careful doing this. If the bullet hits high, the buck will go right doiwn. Then he will recover and run off. They seldom bleed much even from much more powerful rounds. E
It will work , ive shot deer on damage permits with the same stipulations. 22 wmr or .17 works at close range, I usually went with head shots but if you break the neck same results. Just seemed to me the head shot was a bit better target . like others said if you miss the neck bone you likely won't find the deer. like most small caliber guns blood trail will be pretty much non existent. Wait for a good close shot and he'll do fine.
To me a 22 mag has a very loud high pitched report, that carries a long way. I think I would prefer some larger slower bullet. I've handloaded some 7.62 x 39s for kids that seem to be very quiet at 2150 fps especially if you are surronded by trees. They were also effective on a deer at 75 yds from a blind. The guys in the blind several hundred yards behind us didn't hear us shooting.
Good luck on your hunt.
My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
I've killed about a dozen with the .22 mag.. Always used the Winchester 40 gr. HP and kept the range under 75 yards. Most were under 50. Head shots always dropped instantly and most of the bullets went completely through the head. Lung shot 3 of them and of course they all ran but not as far as I thought they might. One only went 40 yards before it fell, one about 60 and one 75. In each case there was a nickel sized hole through both lungs. Found two of the bullets just under the hide on the offside ribcage and they were picture perfect mushrooms.
Load a 223, 243, or 308 with Trail Boss......
I'm itching to see what a .22 mag can do . My late uncle used to say he dropped deer as quickly with his .22 mag as with his deer rifle. I never asked him about his shot placement but I know he didn't take head shots.
A 22 mag will penetrate much better than I used to think so. I did some pretty extensive penetration tests back about 13-14 years ago.
I like the Federal 50 gr. JHPs for anything coyote sized or larger......
Butt of ear works splendid with a 22wmr.
I was thinking pretty much anything with trail boss would be perfect. I would use my 243 with a hollow point of some sort
Hogs are typically tougher to bring down than deer and we've shot many with the 22WMR. We usually use CCI 40g HPs, but the Federal 50g HPs are good as well. With neck or base of ear shots they are DRT. Rib/lungs penetrates enough to kill them as well, but they can run quite far and blood is usually nill.
I'm in agreement with others about loading down a larger cartridge, just be sure to use a projectile that's suited for lower Vs(Varmint bullets typically behave well).
Another option is a light loaded MLer. I once had a CVA that shot poorly with most pills, but shot surprisingly well with a cast 240g pill in a Hdy sabot over only 50g of 2F Pyrodex. It had very little recoil, a low report, and penetrated ridiculously well.
All our centerfires are carbines and loud as hell.
How old and how experienced is your son? Mine is 20 and 6'3" but I wouldn't have him shoot a 22 WMR for deer. He would hit the target and everything would be fine but I wouldn't put that pressure on him. I'd give him a .270 with the reduced recoil load.
He's 19 and he's a killer. When he shoots he puts the bullet right where he intends to. He's light years ahead of me at that age.
It can be done, but .223 easily grants so many more options.
My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
For the sake of discussion and comparison, what other calibers are available for him to use?
While it can obviously be done, why do it if you can use something more suitable? To my mind using a rimfire on deer is a poacher's trick, or a stunt shooter's trick. The animal deserves more respect than to shoot it with something marginal that may very well lead to a painful lingering death unless bullet placement is gnat's breath precise. Theory is one thing, real world happenings are quite another.
I would whack one or two with a .222 or .223, in a long-ish barrel (not a short loud carbine) and see if the landowner complains about the noise. If he does, then I would think hard about a suppressor, or think hard about finding somewhere else to hunt.
My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
For the sake of discussion and comparison, what other calibers are available for him to use?
Rem.660 .243
Marlin 30-30 spikehorn
Winchester 670 30-06
Husqvarna 30-06
870 12 gauge
Bear in mind, this is a place he only plans to hunt a handful of times. We're going on a hunting trip in the middle of NC deer season and won't have a lot of time here.
If your son is not interested in a bow of any kind, give him the quietest gun ever made as mentioned earlier - the crossbow. Quiet and kills the hell out of deer.
My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
For the sake of discussion and comparison, what other calibers are available for him to use?
Rem.660 .243
Marlin 30-30 spikehorn
Winchester 670 30-06
Husqvarna 30-06
870 12 gauge
I'd use the 12g. A shotgun doesn't have the crack of a rifle. It's dull thud type sound and it's a sure killer.
Up until about 1965 or so, .22 rimfires and shotguns were the only legal firearms for deer hunting in the southern part of Michigan's Lower peninsula. As I recall, about a quarter of the deer hunters in that area used .22 rifles for their deer hunting.
The .22 Magnum was a very coveted item at that time, and a hunter who carried one was considered very well armed.
I spent 25 years as a conservation officer in MI and investigated hundreds of illegally killed deer. A large percentage of them were killed with .22 rimfire rifles and most of those deer were killed with body shots.
I was always impressed with just how well the .22 performed on deer. The .22 Magnum with the right ammo (40 or 50 grain) would work better than many think as a deer rifle.
I would expect a deer shot broadside behind the shoulder with a .22 Magnum to run from 40 to 80 yards and pile up, without leaving a blood trail.
If a quiet rifle is needed for a few hunts in that special area and a .22 Magnum is legal, and the shooter is competent, personally I would feel quite comfortable with the idea of using one.
Bear in mind, this is a place he only plans to hunt a handful of times. We're going on a hunting trip in the middle of NC deer season and won't have a lot of time here.
Wildhobbybobby and I gave you your answer. The rest are talking out their azz. {zero experience, lots of theorizing}. If the kid can shoot like you say, give him the .22 Mag. and let him go forth and kill deer.
Up until about 1965 or so, .22 rimfires and shotguns were the only legal firearms for deer hunting in the southern part of Michigan's Lower peninsula. As I recall, about a quarter of the deer hunters in that area used .22 rifles for their deer hunting.
The .22 Magnum was a very coveted item at that time, and a hunter who carried one was considered very well armed.
I spent 25 years as a conservation officer in MI and investigated hundreds of illegally killed deer. A large percentage of them were killed with .22 rimfire rifles and most of those deer were killed with body shots.
I was always impressed with just how well the .22 performed on deer. The .22 Magnum with the right ammo (40 or 50 grain) would work better than many think as a deer rifle.
I would expect a deer shot broadside behind the shoulder with a .22 Magnum to run from 40 to 80 yards and pile up, without leaving a blood trail.
If a quiet rifle is needed for a few hunts in that special area and a .22 Magnum is legal, and the shooter is competent, personally I would feel quite comfortable with the idea of using one.
Good stuff. Thanks.
40 grn winchester hp's, and you'll have passthrough's on broadside body shots.
Don't try to recover/follow up for 30-60 minutes. Although he's shooting them with a rifle, follow up should be similar to bowhunting. 60 yards give or take, or into the closest cover, and they lay down.
I'd be more in favor of a head shot than high neck if it were me. If the kid can head shoot a squirrel, then a head shot on a deer is viable.
While it can obviously be done, why do it if you can use something more suitable? To my mind using a rimfire on deer is a poacher's trick, or a stunt shooter's trick. The animal deserves more respect than to shoot it with something marginal that may very well lead to a painful lingering death unless bullet placement is gnat's breath precise. Theory is one thing, real world happenings are quite another.
I would whack one or two with a .222 or .223, in a long-ish barrel (not a short loud carbine) and see if the landowner complains about the noise. If he does, then I would think hard about a suppressor, or think hard about finding somewhere else to hunt.
Come on guys, there is no worse feeling then losing wounded game. Not a good way to start a young hunter out. I agree with said in quote above. Hasbeen
40 grn winchester hp's, and you'll have passthrough's on broadside body shots.
Don't try to recover/follow up for 30-60 minutes. Although he's shooting them with a rifle, follow up should be similar to bowhunting. 60 yards give or take, or into the closest cover, and they lay down.
I'd be more in favor of a head shot than high neck if it were me. If the kid can head shoot a squirrel, then a head shot on a deer is viable.
I agree and disagree. Only one of the three I shot broadside through the lungs had an exit. The other two, as said before, were recovered just under the hide on the offside. Likely it depends on the size of deer, range, angle, whether or not ribs are hit etc.. Also, I could see two of the three the whole way until they fell and they were down and out within seconds. It appears to me that they aren't as panicked after being shot with the .22 mag. as they are with larger rounds. Don't know if it's the lesser noise or if they just don't feel as much pain/shock from the lesser impact or a combination of both. I body/lung shot a couple with my 5mm Remington magnum rimfire, which has similar ballistics and it seemed the same. Neither of those went far either. About the same as you'd expect them to go after being shot through the lungs with a .30-30.
My son got permission for a patch of woods on the NC/SC border. It's right next to a horse pasture and the only stipulation is he doesn't use a loud rifle. We have a .22 WMR and that is legal in NC. I told him to just use that and aim for high neck shots. Is that ok or is the 22 mag head shots only for deer?
For the sake of discussion and comparison, what other calibers are available for him to use?
Rem.660 .243
Marlin 30-30 spikehorn
Winchester 670 30-06
Husqvarna 30-06
870 12 gauge
I'd use the 12g. A shotgun doesn't have the crack of a rifle. It's dull thud type sound and it's a sure killer.
A 170gr cast over 9-10 gr Unique in the 30-30 shouldn't be too noisy. Probably 1400-1500 fps.
I shoot next to my wife's horses. One shot is fine - they start a bit and that's it.
Shooting next to others horses is a bit of a lottery. I've always felt there is scope for the Hunter to be blamed for all ills no matter if it's anything to do with him or not.
Between the eyes or in the back of the head I hear the 22 mag is a real lifetaker.
Heart shot with the maggie, or a mild load out of the .30/30. Gives a little more room for error, I think, and is always fatal. Personally, I'd want to be very close and only shoot at standing broadside deer. One thing worse than too much noise would be wounded deer staggering around on the property. The crossbow would be a good choice, but requires a significant investment, so may not be practical unless he plans to hunt there often.
He's 19 and he's a killer. When he shoots he puts the bullet right where he intends to. He's light years ahead of me at that age.
19? No damned reason to use a .22WMR. Can it work? Yeah, but why take an unnecessary chance?
Someone with a steady hand who takes prudent shots won't ever have a problem filling their freezer with a .22 mag. If your son can visualize the location of the spine within the neck or the brain within the skull, they'll drop like a rock every time.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs...-me-down-headshots-deer-are-contemptibleJuly 4, 2013 - Well, forget the head shot, advises Chad Stewart, a deer biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources who worked for two deer-control operations and sees plenty of hunter-killed deer in his ...