.22-250 for deer?

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EasternNChunter

New member
Just ordered a Savage Predator in .22-250 and am having 2nd thoughts. My 3 year old son will be deer hunting in a few years and I am starting to think that maybe I should have ordered a .243. I keep telling myself that there is plenty of time to get him a "Deer Rifle" and that I made the right choice, but I still have the doubt. I am wondering how the .22-250 would do on deer (thinking 100 LB doe). I know shot placement is key, but even with a good shot, is this enough gun for a young hunter? I do like the fact that there won't be much kick so that I can really teach him to SQUEEZE the trigger and not jerk it. I mostly hunt with my 7mm mag or sometimes my 300 win mag but I don't want him shooting those until he gets much older. Thoughts?
 
I've shot quite a few whitetails with the 223/223AI/22-250 and I prefer the Barnes TSX's. The 53TSX would be my bullet of choice for your situation. The 60gr NP would be another good one, as would the old 64gr PP from Winchester.

I really prefered the 62gr TSX, but my 22-250 was an 1-8"twist and you won't get that bullet to stabilize in any of the 1-12 or 1-14" '250's.

Lots of bullets will work, but I tend to lean to the premium bullet side of things when running a .224" rifle on deer.
 
I have killed plenty of whitetails with a 22-250 and can tell you it will put the lights out as good as any cartridge as long as you make a good bullet choice. I shoot Seirra 52 gr. MKBH and have never had to chase a deer even with a questionable shot, they go down like you turned of a switch.
 
It will kill deer just fine, I have killed tons of hogs with 55gr hornady's over 38gr of H380. I also like the 64gr powerpoint, or the 62gr ultrabonded in the 223.
 
I am a HUGE fan of Barnes TSX. A buddy of mine reloads for me and that is what I shoot in my 7mm mag and 300 win mag. GREAT BULLETS!!!!!! Thanks guys!
 
We have shot several deer in the last few years with a 22-250 at ranges from 50 yards to 250 yds all were shot with 53grain Barnes TSX. I have to say shot placement is important with the 22-250s but it is just as important with anything else we choose to shoot deer with. I know that several of these deer were shot through both shoulders,and when the hide was pulled off it was plain to see that this gun and bullet combination is very deadly.
 
While I don't doubt that it will do the job given the right shot, the question is if it is legal to use for deer. The caliber is not big enough here to meet the minimum requirements.
 
Originally Posted By: EasternNChunterAlso, my new rifle will have a 1 Pin 12" twist.

mine has a 1/14 twist and I can stablelize up to 55's. 1/12 should do up to 62's
 
Originally Posted By: HPWWhile I don't doubt that it will do the job given the right shot, the question is if it is legal to use for deer. The caliber is not big enough here to meet the minimum requirements.

Yes, it is legal.
 
Are you into reloading?If so many cals can easily be tailored to be comfortable for kids to shoot and as they grow so can the loadings.I'm sure the 22-250 will work fine with the proper bullet/placement but I think something larger like the 7-08 would be a better choice.
 
My dad has shot numerous deer with his 22-250 with only one not being recovered.(his fault rushed a shot through a little bit of cover) The 22-250 did the job just fine. He uses a 60gr. Nosler Solid base.(i think the partition took their place?) his rifle has a 1:14 twist and somehow manages to stabilize them just fine. As with all guns proper shot placement is a must. I've shot these two deer with my .204

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10pt was shot through the eyeball and 4pt through the neck
 
Originally Posted By: Bryan8Originally Posted By: EasternNChunterAlso, my new rifle will have a 1 Pin 12" twist.

mine has a 1/14 twist and I can stablelize up to 55's. 1/12 should do up to 62's



Bryan, No it won't stabilize the 62TSX. That bullet is LOOOOOOONG, and it's bullet length, not weight, that dictates that. In general terms the longer the bullet the heavier it is, but that's not the case with monometal bullets. They're longer than comparable weight cup and core bullets of like weight.

This pic I snapped shows the length/weight relationship fairly well, you can see how long the Barnes 62TSX really is. It's longer than the 69gr SMK and is almost as long as the 77gr SMK. That is why it takes a faster twist to stabilize that particular bullet compared to other 60'ish grain offerings. Barnes recommends a 1-7" to 1-9"twist to stabilize them and I've only ever ran them 1-8"twist 223AI's and a 1-8"twist 22-250. But you can see how that bullet is in the same length range as the 69 and 77gr SMK and why it takes a comparable twist to run them, even though they are lighter.

In order:

50Vmax, 52SMK, 53TSX, 55FMJ, 62TSX, 69SMK, 77SMK, 75Amax

100_1554.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: JDolezal I've shot these two deer with my .204



When Barnes comes out with a .17cal 25gr TSX I'll build a .17-204 and whack some deer with it.
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I personally don't like small caliber guns for kids where a bad shot could lead to a cripple never found and sour a youngster to hunting. I feel this way about 243s and down as a first deer gun. Remington makes the Managed Recoil loads in many calibers now even your 7mm Mag. And yes, I've killed many deer with a 223, but we're not talking about adults here.
 
I have killed deer with 55 soft points but dont recomend it as ideal, the 30-30 is a low recoil option for kids that wont jar their teeth.
 
Originally Posted By: mad okiethe 30-30 is a low recoil option for kids that wont jar their teeth.

In what rifle? I have a Winchester Model 94 and it ain't real fun to shoot!
 
Originally Posted By: brdeanoOriginally Posted By: Bryan8Originally Posted By: EasternNChunterAlso, my new rifle will have a 1 Pin 12" twist.

mine has a 1/14 twist and I can stablelize up to 55's. 1/12 should do up to 62's



Bryan, No it won't stabilize the 62TSX. That bullet is LOOOOOOONG, and it's bullet length, not weight, that dictates that. In general terms the longer the bullet the heavier it is, but that's not the case with monometal bullets. They're longer than comparable weight cup and core bullets of like weight.

This pic I snapped shows the length/weight relationship fairly well, you can see how long the Barnes 62TSX really is. It's longer than the 69gr SMK and is almost as long as the 77gr SMK. That is why it takes a faster twist to stabilize that particular bullet compared to other 60'ish grain offerings. Barnes recommends a 1-7" to 1-9"twist to stabilize them and I've only ever ran them 1-8"twist 223AI's and a 1-8"twist 22-250. But you can see how that bullet is in the same length range as the 69 and 77gr SMK and why it takes a comparable twist to run them, even though they are lighter.

In order:

50Vmax, 52SMK, 53TSX, 55FMJ, 62TSX, 69SMK, 77SMK, 75Amax

100_1554.jpg


My guess is, he's never fired a TSX (of any shape or size) in his lifetime, nor has he ever killed a deer with a .22-250, and more than likely has never killed a deer period.
 
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