Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting For those who use 22 caliber for deer

What is the main reason you use it for deer? I have been toying with the idea of 22-250 in Tikka which has a 1:8 twist I believe. I know there are guys on here who have used a 22 caliber on deer for years, including shooting them behind the shoulder. I do understand the importance of bullet construction when using .22 bullets.
Along with that, do you usually see a lot of bloodshot meat due to the warp speeds? Most of my shots are within 100 yards, and I don't like throwing away a lot of meat.

One of my long time hunting partners of 24+ years hunts with a 22/250 Ruger mannlicher using the factory iron sights. I thought it was a terrible choice for a deer rifle, but he had no trouble rolling deer with 55grn bullets. After seeing what he could do with it, it was clear that my opinion was not holding back any of his success.

The other example was a teenage daughter of a landowner whose property I hunt on who used a .223 with 55grn bullets also had no trouble killing deer, no drama of any sort. After she dropped a 150 class buck over 200lb live weight with one shot, I had to rethink how effective the .22 centerfires are.

Since then I have used the .223 and .22 Creedmoor with 75grn+ projectiles on deer and have no complaints.

I've mainly used them to see what was possible, and so I could speak to their effectiveness or lack thereof.

Don't you have a good cast bullet load for your 358?

Certainly 22 centerfires work well for some shot angles and not others, if you are happy with that limitation you will be just as successful as anyone else. Some of my deer hunting takes place where shot angles are a big variable.

Low recoil and an easy carrying gun I am comfortable with. I hunt deer every year with a 223.

No more lost meat than with a .24 caliber rifle.

Partitions, 55 grain Gamekings and a few plastic tipped bullets.

Some under 25/30 yards out to 250-300 yards.

Behind the shoulder with all but Partitions, through the bone with Partitions, blade or knuckle joints. Hitting the knuckle with a Partition will be the most bloodshot meat.

No need to start 22 caliber bullets at warp speeds and induce bloodshot meat. An 88 grain ELDM will run in the 2900 fps range from that Tikka, which is a good starting speed for that sort of bullet.

A sample of eight deer all adult does shot in the ribs with 223 and 22-250. I have yet to get A exit wound with soft point bullets.

The main reason I have used it is because it works.

It works on whitetail deer, feral pigs, coyotes, bobcats, javelina, and all sorts of small varmints.

In my .223's, a 64 gr Federal Fusion bullets over a suitable charge of TAC, CFE-223, or Varget gets the job done.

Ed

Yup, but have 2 boys coming along that will need guns as well!

I have in the past and it didn't turn out very well measured by my personal yardstick. Each time is a learning opportunity.

First time was with a .223 with a 1-12" twist and it was before there were many good hunting bullets to choose from. I had one tuned up and ready to go but at sight-check a day before season opener I got 3-4 case head separations out of 10 shots and the other cases looked ready to go. I had forgotten to re-adjust my dies switching from my standard WW brass to the Federal brass I used for that hunting ammo and, being "dead" rather than springing back, the federal cases had wildly excessive head space. Anyway, I switched to a less good bullet and had less than acceptable results. I got the deer but it was a rodeo. The bullet went through some inches of soft tissue expanding which slowed it down and it didn't have enough momentum left when it hit heavy bone (spine, under the chin, head-on) ... it stopped mushroomed out on the close side of the spine.

The second try was with a very good bullet, 55 grain TBBC, in a .22-250. It killed the deer stone dead, bored a 2 inch clear through the rib cage including heart, but it also turned everything "north" of the hams to goo. Pick that one up with a ladle. Impact speed was around 3500 fps best guess.

I'm going to try again. Things have changed. I have an AR with a fast twist that shoots the Nosler 70 grain Accubond very accurately. Velocity won't be extremely high. Construction is appropriate. I'm expecting a good outcome.

First deer I ever killed with a CF rifle, when I was 19 and didn’t know any better, was a running doe at 290 yards that did a face plant , courtesy of my .222 shooting a 50 grain Norma factory load. I have long since given up shooting at running deer, but one or more of my.22 CF’s is in the rotation every year.


That's a typo. ^^^^^^^^^^It was 200 yards, not 290.

It’s a good thing your rifle has that fast twist. Take advantage of it and shoot a bullet that maxes out under 3000 fps, or better yet a little slower.

I shoot a 70 grain Speer SP out of my 223. It kills deer very well and does no meat damage. I haven’t shot shoulders with them, but I think they would work fine. Would pick a heavier bullet for your 22-250, or load down to 28-2900 fps if you choose a lighter bullet.

I have 1 in 8 223’s and a 1 in 8 22-250. They hill cshit out of pigs with a 62 grain Bear Claw or a 62 grain Barnes. I haven killed a deer, but have hit bunches of pigs in their shoulders, went clean through. Some were 225 yards. That has changed my my mind about using 22’s for deer. It’s 225 yds to that protein feeder, have killed a bunch in that feeder pen. Deer in the pen I think, hard to tell, small 8 as I recall.

Exit after plinking a big doe broadside with a suppressed AR shooting 77gr TMK last season. I'll likely do it again when it's time to get some more freezer-deer. Felt very odd to pull the trigger and quietly watch it all happen through the scope, much like knocking a squirrel off a limb with a 10/22.

i have killed deer with a 17 Rem.,22 mag, 22-250 ,220 Swift ,243 ya they worked but sometimes you may have to track that deer too ? when i hunt for bigger bucks that are in super great shape in the fall /Rutt they do die hard sometimes so more gun is better then ,there are plenty good cartridges out there to hammer a nice buick i use a 257 Weatherby mag. works well for me.

I’ve shot several truck loads of deer with sierra1365’s and quite a few with 55&60gr hornady soft points out of 22-250’s. They all kill deer very well. Only the 60’s usually gave pass through. Properly hit deer will not go far at all with any of those three bullets.

I've only shot 1 animal with a 22-250, an antelope. I used a Sierra 55gr Spitzer. It went through both lungs and the heart. I found it in the far shoulder. I had a 10 yard tracking job.
I have another antelope tag this year. I loaded up some 64 gr Noslers. It's a slow twist barrel and I haven't had a chance to shoot them yet so I can't say how they'll do.

I started shooting .22 caliber bullets about 15 years ago when I got my first can for a 5.56... Did it just to see the results mainly and now, it's what I shoot 95% of the time. Just don't stretch it out too far on deer/hogs and place your shot.

If I think I am going to shoot 300-600 yards I bring a bigger gun.

I have killed stuff with a lot of 62, 60 and 55gr soft points. Also killed a fair amount of hogs with FMJ's at 100 yards or less in the neck.

No bullet/caliber will make up for POOR SHOT PLACEMENT.