taking a white tail with a 22-250

[saskcop]

.22-250 will work fine for deer. Use heavy for caliber bullets and you will have no problem. Shot placement is the key as always.

 

[scruffee]

Why the f*** would you even want to try that in the first place?

 

[MiG25]

Have any of the naysayers used the 22-250 or seen it used? It works just fine.

 

[gps]

I am always astonished at how the critical thought stops at bullet diameter when it comes to how well a particular cartridge doles out death.

30-30
"The cartridge that has killed more deer than all others in the history of all the world" and is universally accepted as a classic deer cartridge...
150 gr bullet @ 2000 fps delivers 1333 ft/lbs of kinetic energy to the target

22-250
80gr SP @ 3150 fps delivers 1763 ft/lbs of kinetic energy to the target
52gr SP @ 3500 fps delivers 1496 ft/lbs of kinetic energy to the target

Just for fun, I tried an even "smaller" cartridge and did the math...

204 Ruger
45gr SP @ 3600 fps delivers 1295ft/lbs of kinetic energy to the target.

Regarding bullet performance, all bullets listed above from my manual are SP, not varmint bullets. Even a 204 Ruger packs similar punch to a 30-30, which is widely regarded as the father of all deer rifles. I'm not really sure what all the fuss is about.

 

[MiG25]

I think you are a few hundred fps short on the 30
WCF

 

[gps]

I think you are a few hundred fps short on the 30
WCF

Not according to my reloading manual. Even at 2300 fps, the 30-30 would deliver 1762 ft/lbs. Bullet performance and shot placement are key considerations, and both cartridges will deliver said bullets to the target just fine, although the 22-250 is inherently more accurate. God forbid I actually claim that the 22-250 is a BETTER deer cartridge than the famous 30-30.

Ironically I use a 375 Ruger for most rifle hunts these days which people may argue is too much gun. With premium bullets, it works just fine too

 

[MiG25]

Better is hard to define, for me the end result has been the same on whitetail with such cartridges as the 22 Hornet, 22-250, 7.62x39, 30WCF, 303, 30-06, 9.3x57 and a few more. It's where you hit them, not what you hit them with.

I'll say the 22-250 is better than the 30WCF in the sense that the average person will shoot it better.

 

[brobones]

I have taken deer and black bear with the 22 250. They are drt. Catch the bears coming out of the orchard and crossing the cedar rails and summersault them off it. Broadside on whitetails and complete penetration. They drop like a rock. A head shot on a doe will remove the head.

 

[Superbrad]

A head shot on a doe will remove the head.

Bahahahahah... You can't be serious..

 

[SuperCub]

Bahahahahah... You can't be serious..

That WAS funny, yes?

 

[gwes2003]

I think a 22-250 would work. So would a rock to the head and a spear chucked thru the air. Remember in school when your teacher said there was no such thing as a stupid question? Well they lied to you.

 

[crashem&smashem]

I think some of us never went to school,or listened to the teacher.I also remember some of us being smarter than the teacher.How about you?

 

[rral22]

I think some of us never went to school,or listened to the teacher.I also remember some of us being smarter than the teacher.How about you?

My God, that's juvenile!

Oh, and off topic just a bit too.

 

[Nester]

I think some of us never went to school,or listened to the teacher.I also remember some of us being smarter than the teacher.How about you?

The irony in this sentence is just too funny. I would definitely listen too what this guy is saying

 

[crashem&smashem]

My God, that's juvenile!

Oh, and off topic just a bit too.

Logic like that would scare others.

 

[9.3mauser]

I know a fella who has done it successfully many times, but I keep asking him, "why?"

... nobody's been able to provide a good answer to that question yet.

 

[MiG25]

Because it is more than adequate, and the rifles tend to be accurate and easy to shoot well. And maybe some people shoot many more coyotes than deer and the 22-250 is hard to beat for that purpose.

 

[crashem&smashem]

Logic is hard to argue with, but some of us try.

 

[speers]

Myself, I find this question a bit like if your driving with someone and you have to make a turn with traffic coming and you ask "think I can make it". If you have to ask you should know better, its you that picks the shot, you that pulls the trigger and you thats gotta go look for the deer. Make your own choice. Ive seen that it works and like other have said the hornet, .222, .223, 22-250 all work. Deer arnt cats they dont have 9 lives, and I know im not the only one who knows a 250 will take all nine of a cats lives haha. Proper bullet proper place! Then on the other hand I bet you enough deer to fill a whole with have been shot with varmit type bullets from a .243 over the years.

 

[B-78]

... nobody's been able to provide a good answer to that question yet.

The main reasons I do it is it works just fine and it is legal for me to do so. I can hit gophers consistently at 250 yds with my 22-250s so how hard is it to put a bullet in a deer's lungs at that range. And yes I have even shot a few in the head with my B-78 at ranges under 100yds and they died right on the spot although it never took their heads off. The 222 rem is used widely in Europe as a deer cartridge and nobody will argue that it has more hitting power than the 22-250. I even hate to mention that I have shot quite a few 800 lb steers and a few cull cows in the head with my 204 and they all died too. I have never shot at a deer with my 22-250s that has failed to be recovered. Is the 22-250 my first pick out of the safe when going deer hunting, only if it is the first week of rifle season, the deer are not yet too scared and I'm going to be sitting in a blind or stand otherwise I will pick a rifle in a bit bigger caliber. I guess I will have to go out and shoot one the first week of rifle season this year and post some pics so all you skeptics can see that deer are not that hard to kill if you take your time and make the shot count.