22's and big game

[Takujualuk]

I have played quite a bit with high speed 22's and big game. In the 80's and 90's I lived in Nunavut and couldn't help but notice that the Inuit used 223's and 22-250's almost exclusively on caribou. I was satisfied with my 308 but curious.

For several years I used a 22-250AI fast twist and a regular 223. I was pretty happy but to me the 223 ran out of steam past 130 yards or so. Still a little micromedallion has been my wifes caribou gun and we have had pretty good success with it. We have tried almost every conceivable bullet from the 53grain X and various bonded bullets but have pretty much settled on the 60 grain Nosler or 64Winchester at just under 3000ft/second as top choices.

Now that we are in the NWT my wife upgunned to a wonderfully accurate Stevens 325 in 30-30. I thought I'd see how the two rifles compared and blew up some newsprint today.

Top Row from left to right
170 Horn FN, 170CIL Sabretip, 170 CIL KKSP (a doozy) and the lead from a 225 358 Sierra a no good core shedding bastard I used as a control.

Middle Row from left to right
170 Horn FN, 64 Win PP, 60 grain Nosler and the 225 Sierra Jacket

Bottom Ropw
125 Sierra Spitz, 125 Modified Ballistic Tip (polycarbonate tip removed), 130 Speer FN and a 150 Horn interlock modified as the Nosler.

Penetration and weight retention were uniformally good. The only core shed was the 35 caliber bullet! During the first three inches of travel the wound volume of the 223 bullet exceeded the 30-30 bullets except for the 125 Sierra which I drove at 2500ft/sec.

After this the 30-30 bullets took over and the .223 had poor wound volume over the last 6" perhaps half or less of that evidenced by the better 30-30 bullets.

Overall the 30-30 seems quite capable and creates about 1.5X the wound volume on wet newsprint than the 223. We have settled on the 125 Sierra at 2500ft/sec as a lethal caribou load expanding well out to 200 yards at least.. The 150 modified Hornady is also worth a try as it is a good low velocity expander and hangs onto 90% of it's mass.

I am really impressed by the 30-30 and didn't expect to be.

I guess this gives some picture as to the relative merits of the 223 and big game. To use it you need to be careful as you don't have much margin for error...you must also have discipline as it is easy to hit at ranges where the little gun lacks any semblance of power.

 

[horshur]

Hey, is there any truth to the rumor that they use 22 centerfire on Polar bear? just curious.

 

[Gatehouse]

I guess this gives some picture as to the relative merits of the 223 and big game. To use it you need to be careful as you don't have much margin for error...you must also have discipline as it is easy to hit at ranges where the little gun lacks any semblance of power.

That is why, whenever someone brings up 22 centerfires, I say It is an EXPERTS gun, not a beginners gun.

People liek to tak abotu Inuit using these guns on big game, and cite that as evidence of thier effectiveness, but they always forget that the Inuit that use these in circumstances different form most of ours, and they also neglect to mention that some animas are hit and not recovered.

 

[Takujualuk]

No Inuk I know would take a CF .22 for a polar bear hunt. I knew a guy in Pond Inlet who shot a maurading bear with one which was in camp and he said he tickled it with the 22-250 and a friend finished him with a .303.

The .303 is considered a polar bear gun and the minimum for sea mammels like Nar-Whale though the 375 H&H is popular for whales.

I have to agree about the 223 as an experts gun. I remember going out with an Inuk in Igloolik and I quickly killed two with my 6.5 Rem Mag. He went out and I heard his battered .222 going off for much of the morning as I cut up my boo. Two hours later he came back on his four wheeler with one badly holed caribou on the rack. He seemed pleased with his success and proceeded to cut up his boo in about 10 minutes reducing it to it's component parts. How many three legged caribou where left in the herd I have no idea. With an absolute diligence to shot placement and range limitations the 223 can be usable but then so can a 22 LR.

I am satisfied that the .223 has about 2/3rds of the killing power of the much maligned 30-30. With 125 Sierra Spitzers at 2500ft/.sec the 30-30 even has the quick shocking impulse but will maintain better second half wounding power over the 223. When some-one talks about the killing power of the 223 that's what I will respond with. However with the correct kind of use it's not tottaly unusable and has the advantage of low recoil.
My wife can shoot hers very well. The 30-30 bothers her and anything bigger is unusable. I wonder if the new 6.8 Rem might be the answer.

The 22-250 is more capable especially with the correct bullets where it acts much like a .243. No paragon of power but fairly capable and as Jack O'Conner said when the light bullets slip inside the rib cage and explode the lungs it's lights out quickly.

In a fast twist the 74RWS conepoint in .224 diameter is a wonderful bullet if you can find them.

 

[Gatehouse]

You didn't say what gun your wifes 30-30 is?

Frankly, the disomfort coudl be more a cause of stock design/rifle not fitting her.

I find that little 30-30 carbines don't fit me well, and smack me in the face, causeiong much more discomfort to shoot than any 30-06 I have shot.

 

[Scott_N]

Interesting report. I'd like to try my 22-250 with TSXs on deer / antelope, but 22s are illegal on big game here in Alberta.

 

[horshur]

No Inuk I know would take a CF .22 for a polar bear hunt. I knew a guy in Pond Inlet who shot a maurading bear with one which was in camp and he said he tickled it with the 22-250 and a friend finished him with a .303.

That's what I expected thanks. Good to hear it from someone who actually knows.