My T3's twist rate is 1-14 I believe. I hunt sitka blacktails. If one weighs 150 lbs it is a monster. Most guys I know use .223 - .243 for them. For a big white tail I think I would start at .243 personnaly but 22-250 with 60 gn partitions would probably be fine too.
What Twist and What Bullet to Use In 22-250 For Deer?
- Thread starter Gerald
- Start date
- Status
OK, back to arguing about minutiae!
If a guy wades into a big animal with a 7mm Ultra loaded with 120 grain V-Max bullets, has a rodeo, and then talks about it failing? People say he's an idiot and used the wrong bullet. Why doesn't that same logic carryover to a centerfire 22? Varmint bullets get varmint results.
One thing you never read when this topic comes up. "I took my 22-250, loaded with an appropriate bullet like a 62 grain TSX, whapped a deer in the shoulder and it failed. "
When a larger bored rifle fails, people blame the bullet. When a centerfire 22 fails, people blame the cartridge.
Edited to add: why? Because Jack O'Connor said so 60 years ago, gun writers copied him, and without trying it we quote them. Technology has changed what all cartridges are capable of.
If a guy wades into a big animal with a 7mm Ultra loaded with 120 grain V-Max bullets, has a rodeo, and then talks about it failing? People say he's an idiot and used the wrong bullet. Why doesn't that same logic carryover to a centerfire 22? Varmint bullets get varmint results.
One thing you never read when this topic comes up. "I took my 22-250, loaded with an appropriate bullet like a 62 grain TSX, whapped a deer in the shoulder and it failed. "
When a larger bored rifle fails, people blame the bullet. When a centerfire 22 fails, people blame the cartridge.
Edited to add: why? Because Jack O'Connor said so 60 years ago, gun writers copied him, and without trying it we quote them. Technology has changed what all cartridges are capable of.
No.
Does being 10 make a .243 for elk OK? Do you honestly have doubts about a .243's effectiveness on game such as elk?
As RickF stated, the guys that have done and witnessed it done by others in the first hand don't have a problem with it.... Guys that haven't/can't do it seem to think it's an awful idea...
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
The award for "smallest caliber used" is reserved for the experts only.
I know of a 180 plus 300lb Mule Deer that took a 95gr partition from a 243 in the right ham and then promptly lost it out the left shoulder. He was bedded facing away and needless to say he never twitched. Lights out.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I would be inclined to make use of the capacity of the 22-250 to drive a 70 grain bullet. But...I'm certain that a 12" twist will stabilize a 70gr TSX due to the length. I don't know if a 55gr TSX would be as stiff as I would like, especially driven at that kind of speed. I suppose it would depend on the size of the deer you ram it into. Maybe that's my old-timey heavy bullet Fudd love bubbling to the surface again. There really is only one way to find out.
60 grain Partition @ 3500 fps muzzle velocity or 115 grain Ballistic Tip @ 2500 fps. Nearly identical cases with identical case capacity. Which cartridge combination will kill a deer cleanly? The correct answer is both.
We are all hunters Chuck, and I get your point, but we all "know of" someone who pulled off a shot with a small bore with great success....... Start a grizzly thread and guarantee you that within 30 posts or so, som one will post a pic of that grandma that took one with a .22lr......
I am also of the mind that the guys that attempt the shot only to not recover the animal after using a small bore cartridge tend to not post their stories on the interwebs......
At the end of the day, if what you are using is legal and you feel comfortable using it, then it's really not my place to tell you not to do it..... however, when opinions are solicited I can certainly add mine......
I think my biggest issue is that there seems to be some gold star system in place where members feel they accomplished something by using a marginal cartridge to accomplish the task....... A guy takes a whitetail with a .30-06 and posts of it on here and he will tell you cartridge and bullet used, then go on about the hunt, the animal and how it went down...... a guy takes a whitetail with a .223 and inevitably when he tells his story, you get a pic of the deer followed by a diatribe about what a small caliber he used and some comments like "who ever said .223 isn't enough for deer" (in fact, that part is usuallly right in the thread title)..... followed by pics of recovered bullet etc........
- Location
- kingston Ontario
Well I guess I should sell every gun with a bore over 24 LOL Them little guns will kill anything that walks with ease ,, A varmint gun will kill 600 I lb elk like a 30-06 will so I guess no need for the the 30 -06 anymore ..I recently found some ammo on line for my 25 stevens ,, I was showing it too a guy and the next thing that came out of his mouth was "" My dad use too kill deer with a 25 stevens "' So I guess most of my guns are way too big
If only someone was wise enough to point out everybody talks Cartridges, and not bullets.
I used thoise bullets in a 1-12 .223 to kill a nice black bear, too.
As always- Good bullet + proper placement = very dead animal. Surprising to see how many people get confused about this sort of thing.
Maybe because a bullet not seated in a cartridge is pretty useless?.....
I don't think anyone said it "won't work"..... just wouldn't be my choice is all....... not sure what geographical location has to do with it though.... lol.... is nobody in BC capable of shooting anything bigger than a quarterbore?....
- Status
