Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters best deer bullet 222

Has anybody used Nosler's 64 gr. bonded solid base for deer?

Yes, and they work well. Dad and his friends have all gotten up there in age. Recoil is not something they want to deal with much anymore. 22 CF's with either the 60NPT or 64BSB have been accounting for more and more of our deer over the last three years or so.

Is the 64 BSB discontinued?

Shooters Pro Shop has 64 BSB's blem on sale right now.

Just one, but she was most sincerely dead in about 30 feet.

I think you should use a bigger gun

Job, you are right!!

I’d use a 243 or a fast twist 22-250. Even a fast twist 223 would be better with a 62 Bear Claw or TTSX, I’d really prefer a 25-06 minimum.

I recently corresponded with a former deer culler from New Zealand about this very question. His suggestion was to avoid any bullets made for varmint shooting, which eliminates most USA made bullets. He said if I could get Norma Oryx 55 gr. ammo they would be very effective. He said the Sako 55gr. is good too. He also suggested placing shots from broadside into the "vital triangle" - not necessarily the neck or brain. During his career, he took over 800 deer with the .222 without losing one. Oddly, he did not have the same success with a .270 which I can only surmise is lack of "luck" and the comparative accuracy and ease of shooting a .222 well. I remain skeptical of using a .222 on our rather large northern deer, but my NZ buddy's experience was encouraging.

I have been shooting the 222 for most of my life and it is one of my favorite chamberings, I have taken countless prairie dogs, rock chucks and coyotes with the 222. at the range a tuned 222 is among the most accurate of any you will ever shoot. after thousands and thousands of rounds fired I never even once had it cross my mind of taking it deer hunting................I guess if my only other rifle was a 221Fireball it might seem appropriate but that is not the case. the deer in NZ must be smaller than where I hunt.

Red deer are are a fair bit bigger than mule deer

I've got two 8 point racks on the wall that came from bucks killed with a .222. The bigger of the two weighed 172 lbs. dressed and dropped where he stood from one 50 gr. Nosler solid base over a max charge of IMR 4198 through the lungs. It was a quartering away shot from 125 yards. The bullet entered near the last rib on his left side and was recovered from the off side shoulder.

It's a sure guarantee kill. Done it more than once.

Yep, a mature female red deer in New Zealand is the size of a mature big mule deer buck, and a big stag the size of of a typical 5-point bull elk.

Ive seen two Remington 760 Gamemaster rifles in 222 REM for sale in my area recently. Pretty rare rifles.

Smallest .224 round I used was a CZ 527 in .221 Remington Fireball. I shot PDs and such with it, then went down to Texas to visit family. I had some old, discontinued Barnes 50gr XLC and loaded them over ( I think) BL-C2) or similar, never clocked it. It shot right with the factory 50gr varmint loads. Anyhow, I shot some varmints and then went pig hunting. I killed a 70-80 pound shoat at 75 yds. I hit her tight behind the right shoulder and it came out the fron edge of the left shoulder. Made a 50 caliber hole all the way through. Perfect "for that sized animal". If I lived in the Hill Country, shooting those small deer over a feeder and wanted to "finesse" them, any 221 (carbine) to 223 with the 45 Barnes would do the same. Many of my folks in East Texas use the 22-250 with any bullet on sale at Academy! ha My girl cousin has a "fancy rig" a tricked out Mod 700 BDL in 22-250 and a regular 3x9 and kills deer every year...for past 50 yrs down there. But these are small deer, and under 200yds, mostly under 100yds. A wild game culler ( for market) in Leakey, Tx used a 22-250 also, only head shots. Wicked little round. I am one that feels the 22-250 through the 224 TTH and now, 22 Creedmoor are better killers, but thats just me. Have fun! Aim small, miss small! .

Not to hijack but been waffling between these two. Can you share your opinion of how they stack up? Accuracy, ease of loading, noise, effective range etc..?

If you have never owned either go 222, might be a bit louder but I never use hearing protection when calling coyotes and it never makes my ears uncomfortable, for prairie dogs and rock chucks with a proper dial on a calm day 500yds is doable.
For deer it’s just that I prefer something that I deem more appropriate for the application, like 6mm,6.5mm,270,7mm etc....... I have no doubt a 222 will kill a deer, I’m sure some internet hero has taken a 400” Bull Elk with a 17HMR.
There is a reason some states have a.243cal minimum.

The assistant Inuit guide I had in Nunavut in Feb, 2018 used a Remington 700 .222 for hunting seals and polar bears. He had bought it 15 years earlier when he was in high school. Every year he had the local co-op store order him ammo for the year.

We discussed shot placement with the .222 on the bears....he said facing him, 70 or 80 yards away, and into the heart, usually putting a second bullet in for good measure. Not whitetails so not relevant but interesting anyway.

The Inuit guide I hunted musk ox with in 1993 used a .22 Magnum Rimfire on polar bears, which he pronounced mag-a-num. He brought a a Model 94 .30-30 on the musk ox, but said it made "too big hole in bear hide." They sell polar bear hides, and big hole means a big discount.

David didn't speak much English, and I spoke even less Inuktituk, but we got along pretty will with some additional sign language. I asked, "Shoot here?"--putting my finger behind my ear.

He shook head, touching the side of his chest. "Heart. After while, they go sleep." He put his hands together next to his head, closing his eyes, then laughed.