Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 22-250 for Antelope?

When I lived in Georgia, I whacked a doe in the back of the neck at about 50 yards or so with a 22-250 using 55 gr factory lead bullet. I've never seen anything die that quick before. I swear I saw the soul leave that does body. That was years ago but remember it like it was 5 minutes ago.

22-250 is one of my favorite calibers. Experimenting with 22 Creedmoor now.

Unreal.....

Will a .22-250 kill an antelope?

Yes, if used the right bullet and put it in the right spot.
I've had several friends that shot their deer and antelope every year with their .22-250s, and also black bears, elk, and a few buffalo.

Have I killed antelope with my .22-250?
Yes, several, along with several deer.
Also, the only big game animal that I ever shot and lost, I shot with my .22-250.

Would I ever shoot another antelope or deer with my .22-250?
Probably not.

Would I reccommend a .22-250 to someone else for hunting antelope, or deer?
NO!

22-250 AI 88 ELD-M 350+ yds and DRT

Exit

Proof that the 50gr v max is probably not the best bullet to use on a deer or antelope.. Just sayin. It always boils down to what bullet you use, and where you put it.

Well you proved a 22-250 can put holes in paper and you know what an antelope looks like.

I think bullet construction is key with any .22 you would use for big game, antelope included.

This is probably the best analysis of what a 22-250 is good for, and a 223 would rate below that.

I agree with this 100% and yet there are dozens that would argue the validity of hunting big game with a 22-250.

The thought and use of these cartridges for hunting is widespread and not without some merit, but I will stick with Kurt on his assessment…

Speedgoats and 22-250 is a match made in heaven.

Assuming you're smart enough to pair your bullet to your game.

To paraphrase Phil Shoemaker, if a person has trouble killing an antelope with a 22-250, they're unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship skills.

22-250 is plenty to kill a speed goat, but the Colorado DOW doesn't think so, so it's a no go here. Minimum of 6mm required.

Dumbassess......

I don't think it's ideal. Also, many 22-250s have 1:14 twist. They won't shoot any suitable bullets. I think it's an expert's gun rather than a all- around good choice. Far better options if you are getting it to intentionally hunt antelope.

Why not just use a 6.5 Creed and have peace of mind knowing you have the right caliber?

6.5 Creed checks a lot of boxes, both East and out West.

For chrissake, the 22-250 has been working great on antelope for damn near 60 years in factory garb, and around 30 years previously as a wildcat. Factory 55 grain soft points are perfectly fine on light boned pronghorn in factory rifles. The new crop of faster twist rifles offer more of a good thing.
It would be interesting to know how many tons of antelope have been killed by ranchers with their truck gun 22-250s.

Of course it never hurts to hear from the experts, which isn’t true of most of the Campfire…



“You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel

For antelope and deer, I'd recommend .270. I personally use .308 and .30-06 for all my hunting needs but they tend to be overkill for where I'm at.

I’ve killed many dozens of deer with 22-250 55gr hornady sp. 60gr hornady sp and sierra 1365’s. Absolutely it will work on antelope. Absolutely would NOT recommend a vmax. My one and only time antelope hunting I took my trusty 22-250….. unfortunately I bumped the scope and missed my goat. Ran back to the truck and borrowed my buddies 30/06 but I am absolutely sure the 60gr hornady sp I was shooting would have worked perfectly. The 06 worked fine too.

I gotta go with Shrapnel, Bob Hagel and Varmintguy on this. And yes, I did kill a white tail with a 22-250. Is the best cartridge for white tail and for pronghorn a 22-250? No! Would I recommend using a 22-250 on pronghorn - nope. The 22-50 will work very well most of the time.

The smallest cartridge I’d recommend are the 243 & 6mm. (243, 243AI, 6mm C, 6mm R).

I’ve killed more than a few pronghorn with a 6mm Remington. I’ve found the old 7x57 is a reliable cartridge too.

The cartridges I think are best are the 25-06, 270, & 280.

I’ve also used the 280AI, 308, & 30-06 on pronghorn.

No matter what cartridge, picking the right bullet is important. Being absolutely careful where to place the bullet is also important, but sometimes the darn animals will not stand sideways allowing the perfect shot. Having the right combination of equipment used is comforting. Having a minimalist cartridge can be/is worrisome.

Totally agree. I've seen and shot myself a truck load of deer sized game with 55 grainers. Seen lots of big bucks drilled with a 223 or 250 from the feed truck gun. I dang near wore out an sps stainless in my truck on coyotes and deer for a few years with 55 grain remingtons green and yellow box. Rebarreled it to an 8 twist shilen and it didn't really kill any better. Kinda liked the velocity I guess.

22-250 with a good bullet is plenty for any speed goat.




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