Today at the gun shop I was back and forth over what cartridge I want the TC Compass in. I was leaning 22-250 even though they'd have to order one in. They had the rifle in stock in .223 and .204 Ruger. I could have them get me in a 22-250 but I don't know if there's really a good reason to choose that over a .223 for deer? The .204 would be tempting too if there were deer bullets available.

Speed kills. But you will need a tougher bullet for the 22-250

Using a 70gr bullet:

22-250, 33-3400 FPS (+/-)

223, 29-3000 FPS (+/-)

None of your choices is suitably for long range (over 300 yards) in even the best of conditions. Not saying it can't be done - but wind will really get after the .22 caliber bullets. That said, for a 300 and in gun, you can't go wrong with the .223. PLENTY of CHEAP ammo choices and it kills stuff deader than it should on paper. I too, was considering going to a 22-250 or a 22 Nosler... neither one can give me more of what I want unless I want to trade off LOUDER,LONGER and MORE EXPENSIVE to shoot.

Stay with the .223 and you can shoot CHEAP forever. The 55gr softpoints and the 62gr softpoints shoot well in my guns and kill with authority. When I run out of the current box, I'm switching over to the Speer 64gr Gold Dot (softpoint) law enforcement ammo

.223 is your Huckleberry. Cheaper to load and shoot and usually the twist allows for more versatility than the 14 twist in .22-250s....

Given the fast twists in off-the-rack 223's today, the 223 is going to be more effective than a slow twist 22-250, imo.

If you're going bang for buck (read between the lines w/ your choice of a compass), get a Ruger American in 22-250 w/ a 1-10 twist. Mine is fine w/ any 69 grainer. Also, you could order one with a 1-8" twist from member SAS via his shop (whittakerguns.com) if you want to shoot any heavy 22 bullet you can find.

My two bits...

Well the Compass is 1-12" in the .22-250 but the .223 is still sounding like the way to go.

Find a fast twist 22-250

A 22-250 is great but they come in different barrel twists. 1 in 14 is very common and is great for lighter varmint bullets. For heavier bullets for deer, like 60 and heavier, you need a 1 in 8 barrel.

Ive got a 9 twist 22-250 and love it. Used it for a few years on deer and 600 yard F-Class. 80gr Bergers were nasty on deer at 3200FPS and shot extremely well. Cold bore and 2 more rounds were under 2.5" at 600 yards so deer were a piece o cake out to 500 yards where i hunted.
But saying that, i never had any issues with a 8 twist 223 either with heavy bullets on deer and hogs.
So id say get both and figure out which you like better.

My Ruger 77 puts Hornady 55 soft points into little tiny groups. I've dug a couple out of the ground behind a 200 yard gong that were perfect mushrooms. Makes me think I should give them a try, I know I've seen Ingwe post good things about them.

Just pick and choose your shots...Ive had good luck with them and will be using them on a hog hunt in March. Pat ( Scenarshooter) has had great luck with them in his .220 Swift....

If you're buying it specifically for deer and you reload, get the 22-250.

If you want a wider range of versatility and don't reload, I'd get a .223.

I think the 22-250 is the most underrated deer cartridge in the country. Whittaker has their American in an 8" twist if you want an accurate sumbitch.





Dave

That's fun for people to say but the reality is that if the wind is howling and you're going to shoot a deer at 400yds with you're 30-06, you're going to have to know WTF you're doing.

And if you're going to take the same shot with your 22-250, you're going to have to know WTF your'e doing.

The problem is most people don't know WTF they're doing, so they compensate by buying a bigger cartridge that they rarely shoot. So they just keep not knowing WTF they're doing.




Clark

Get laid off and have to sell all your guns except a 222, and actually get to the point where, by necessity, you're supplementing your families' food with game.

You'll find out right away exactly what you can do with a 50gr SP, even at extended ranges.

Yep! When you're starving, a 22LR out of a handgun will kill deer quite effectively.

deflave u said it right on good for u an its true

223 with a 75 HPBT is bad medicine on deer. It kills with much more authority than it sounds like it would.

Why did you settle on .22 caliber, when there are so many GOOD deer calibers? Why not a 6.5 Creed at least?

I used to have a friend (he shot himself) that would only deer hunt with a .222 and factory 50 grain Remingtons. And he had a 25-06 and 30-06 but he liked the 222 better. I believe he got every deer he ever shot at with that gun and he killed some big bucks.

IME, 22 centerfires ARE a good deer caliber, given a few limitations. No recoil, you can watch the bullet impact in the scope, no deafening boom, no heavy gun, and deer are just as dead just as fast. Mike has his own reasons, which I an guessing have to do with health, but those are my reasons why I PREFER 22 cal for some deer hunting.

Good point. I should probably go .375 H&H because they are DEER after all. Is the 270 grain soft point adequate or would you go straight to the 300?

If not for fast twist 22 calibers and the 6.5 Creed, this site wouldn't have anything to talk about.

Boy Howdy! Those centerfire .22s are crappy for shooting deer sized game!

Horse pucky. Lots of good hunting bullets will shoot fine out of a 9 twist or even a 12 twist. Bullets like the 60 grain Nosler Partition, 64 grain Nosler bonded solid base, 64 grain Power Point, 50 grain TTSX and 53 grain TSX.. All of those will do just fine out of a 9 twist and most Will be fine in a 12 twist.

Bought a 22/250 Predator 1/10 twist. Looked all over for brass but found HDY 50 gr Vmax for 31.95 a box of 50. Put a 6X A/O 1/2 moa dot Leupold scope on it, a Surefire brake and went to the range. Presto boresite and a three shot 100 yard group of .42" looked at the cartridge box flap, it read .8 high is on at 200. Cranked two clicks R to center from the boresite group and three clicks elevation. Problem was I did not have a target at 200. There was however a 1.5" swinger next to a six inch next to a twelve inch.
'Rang the 1.5" gong 5 straight and darn near ruined the thing!
In the mail was the Lee Collet die and Forster BR seater die I had ordered. BiMart was selling Superformance for 21.95 a lb...Same place I bought the Predator. Tried a conservative load under some 65 grain Sierras. Seated them two freckles off the lands and shot some nice round .388 group average. That powder will push 60 grain bullets over 3700 fps. loaded some 60 Sierra HPs...maybe I can get a little smaller group!

Shot plenty with a 220-swift 70 gr and with a 52 tsx in 223. Both work fine...esp the swift.....I would still choose something bigger...

Where did you get a 52 TSX?

No elk is safe.

55 gr soft points out of my 1:14 M77 kills deer deader 'en heck

You get the 53, then use a small drill bit to widen the hollow in the nose, removing one grain of copper.

Mmmmm, no.

Try again.

Or don't.





Clark

Flave's pulling your leg...

Hard to believe, but....

8 twist will stabilize 80 gr, long, high ogive bullets. Those have pretty good B.C.s, perform well at longer range.

The 75 gr SSII is a good bullet for game. My 8 twist shoots those and 75/80 VLD's very well. I've never killed a deer with them but would not hesitate to do so.

DF

I don't know if you typed that in jest or not, but I'm not pulling anybody's leg.

Weight has nothing to do with twist.




Clark

Ask the ladies it's all about length


John Holmes

I have taken a deer at 252 yards shooting 45 gr. Hornady Spire Points out of a 204 Ruger.

I've taken one deer at about 80 yards with a 70 gr. Speer Semi Spitzer out of a 222 Remington with a 1:12 twist barrel.

I've used a 22-250 Remington on two deer. One with a Remington factory load with 55 grain bullets and another at 360 yards with a handload with Speer 70 gr. Semi Spitzers. My 1:12 twist barrels stabilizes the Speers just fine.

All that said, considering ballistics, cost of ammunition, etc., if I had to go with just one, it would be the 223 Remington.

Yep, it's bullet length, not weight.

You always pulling someone's leg...

DF

Theres something to be said for 'short and fat'...


Depending on how your rifle, or your lady, is twisted....

That's quotable, there.

A maid at a friend's house once said it's not so much the length as it is the roundth.

The new Barrett Fieldcraft list a 1 in 7 twist on their 22-250

Those look really nice, haven't handled one.

I guess they went with 7 twist in case someone wanted to shoot 90 gr.

8 twist does a great job with 80's.

At least the folks at Barrett are listening, which is a big plus.

DF

My experience with the 223 on deer is very limited. I have loaded a lot of 60 grain Partitions for him and he has used some factory Fusions. He stacks the deer up with that cheap break action 223. Most fall where they are hit. The bullets usually pass all the way through. Wound channels are impressive. The heart and lungs turn to jelly. Last Christmas I bought him a Ruger American in 22-250. He was 13 and needed a nicer gun. That gun is going to pile 'em up just the same. I am backing off max loads with it and driving the bullets about 150-200 FPS faster (estimated at this point) than I did with the 223. Full house 22-250 loads will test the integrity of a bullet.

That's my rambling way of saying either.

I have killed deer with both the 22-250 and .223AI.

Bullets used to kill deer in the .223AI were 53gr TSX, 62gr TTSX and Nosler 64gr BSB. All three of these worked great on deer.

In the 22-250 I used the Federal factory ammo that was loaded with the 55gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claws. Loved that bullet wished they still made them and were available to reloaders.

I didn't see much difference in how deer reacted at being shot with either rifle or bullet except in the 53gr TSX out of the 223AI. I shot a small buck at about 50-60yds he jumped and went maybe 10ft and stood there looking thinking I had missed I chambered another round and about that time he jumped straight backwards and landed on his back. The bullet had went right behind his shoulder and blew lungs and blood all over the leaves and small samplings behind him was very impressed with the exit hole about the size of a quarter.

My experience is only limited to one bullet in the 22-250 so results may be different using another bullet.

Below is some pics of deer shot with the .223AI
62gr TTSX entrance and exit through both shoulders of a 9pt. Distance was 140yds.

Exit


Exit on the dink using the 53gr TSX this buck did the back flip after the shot.

Entrance

I'm using the 62 TSX in my .223ai now too...primarily cause I got a deal on a bunch of them, but I have had the same experience on Oryx which are supposed to be tougher, entrance is under the knife handle, exit is out the other shoulder. DRT