Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Wanted: real experience stories with 22 caliber rifles for deer

That's why I loaded it. It worked and it's a Partition, which is always my first choice.

Had it not, the boy may have had to wait some number of years later to take his first deer, because 308 was the next step up and at 8 years old I wasn't about to spook him with a 308, or 243.

I agree. Youngsters too often get started with too much gun for their comfort.

It might also be noted that at one time Hornady made 2 versions of the 55 gr SP one with a cannelure and one without. The non cannelure versions were more likely to hold together better from what I have read.MB

Agreed!

Thank you. That is good info. I am thinking these may be short enough to stabilize in my 14 twist

My two boys when they first started out hunting used .22 Hornet and .223 Rem with great success. The two of them killed whitetails, axis, fallows, red deer, even a cow elk, and numerous feral hogs.

I didn't reload, so we used factory ammo.
The .22 Hornet we used Nosler Custom loaded 45gr. Nosler Solid Base

.223 Rem we used just about every decent soft point offered. Partitions, TBBC, Power Points, Fusion, etc. The TSX was also used quite extensively, especially on feral hogs. Great times!

I had a Ruger M77 carbine SS .223 that I killed several deer with. Favorite load for the task was Federal premium factory loads with 62 gr Bonded bullets. Fun little deer gun and I regret selling it. I also dispatched a few using little 45 gr. Barnes xlc’s They killed as well as anything. With a slow twist a light Barnes might be an option as well as the partition.
Best part I found was after the shot I could stay on the deer with the scope due to zero recoil. I watched them all fall over dead through the scope.

I just want to vote for Pat to bring back the Hockey Hair....

A little bigger critter.....

Good shot placement solves quite a few issues. This bull went down after a few seconds, after taking a broadside shot to the lungs.

52gr Sierra Match King at about 100 yards broadside. he went only a short ways before going down.

God damn that buck has some tine length!!!!

That’s one thing I’ve noticed about those Montana boys, they like their 22’s cf for buck huntin

Had to throw this one in here...;) Idaho 1991.

55 Hornady, 100 yards. This was a neck/shoulder junction shot, and he dropped on the spot, and never moved. I then did the fastest, downhill 100 yard dash I've ever ran..;)

77gr TMK. Just under 300 yards.





62gr sub 50 yards.





110 yards, 77gr TMK-




303 yards, 77gr TMK-

IIRC, all the states that border us allow .223. Even the People’s Republic of Maryland.

Haha I bet!!! That’s my # 1 choice for deer and elk, though it’s not what it once was it would still be fun! I draw I’ll be hittin ya up for the secret spot!!! Grin

100’ish yards, 62gr Fusiin/SPGD





240’ish IIRC, 62gr Fusion/SPGD-

Are you saying that Schtick likes them....

Since they are also short??

Nice pictures everyone.

Seems the lowly .223Rem works better than most expect!

Why .22’s for deer over other calibers?


Because with the right bullets there are fewer a rodeos with .22’s than with any other caliber this side of 5-600.


People miss less, they wound less, and when either one of those happen, because they can watch the hit through the scope the follow up and corrections are way faster and more accurate.


There is nothing “marginal” about what a 77gr TMK or 75+he ELD-M does in an animal. They do too much damage as a matter of fact, and I have started to use bullets that destroy less meat on steaks. That means that they run a bit, and the damage is less dramatic of course, but a 77gr TMK inserted in a bone pretty much destroys that quarter. Bucks still get the good stuff however.

That is one beautiful deer! Congrats 28 years later!