22-250 for deer
- Thread starter Dirtpoodle
- Start date
brdeano
New member
I shoot with an open mind and have a hard time writing something off due to "feelings". Bullets have changed in the 50 years and the bullets available to us today make. 224"s a viable deer killer. Admittedly I've not shot one farther than about 275 yards with a.224 but I've not recovered a single Barnes tsx yet, but ill keep trying.
encore3030
New member
I will atest to the matchking in 6mm ,have not used in 224.
the 6mm 70 matchking does not open up!!!!
I have a custom build springfield i finished last fall.
it is 6mm imp and tips the scale at 26lbs my bad was i got some 6mm matchking cheap and loaded up test rounds.
my loads ended up at 3990 fps with 70 grain sierra matchking
bullets and easy one hole groups at 100.
now the bad part and i will compare.
i have shot crows with it as close as 30 yards and only loose a couple feathers =bullets do not open up,=243 with 58vmax they blow a crow up.
i shot one deer last fall as my normal shot in the lungs
never found it lost blood trail.
again 243 with 58vmax they drop dead same goes for 243
and 95 sst they drop.
i put my 6mm imp up till i can get some ballistic tips
in 70 loaded to replace the match king.
do as you wish with matchking bullets but they sure do not work for me.
+it makes you sick to track and never find game
I myself WILL NEVER SHOOT SIERRA MATCHKINGS AT GAME AGAIN.
the 6mm 70 matchking does not open up!!!!
I have a custom build springfield i finished last fall.
it is 6mm imp and tips the scale at 26lbs my bad was i got some 6mm matchking cheap and loaded up test rounds.
my loads ended up at 3990 fps with 70 grain sierra matchking
bullets and easy one hole groups at 100.
now the bad part and i will compare.
i have shot crows with it as close as 30 yards and only loose a couple feathers =bullets do not open up,=243 with 58vmax they blow a crow up.
i shot one deer last fall as my normal shot in the lungs
never found it lost blood trail.
again 243 with 58vmax they drop dead same goes for 243
and 95 sst they drop.
i put my 6mm imp up till i can get some ballistic tips
in 70 loaded to replace the match king.
do as you wish with matchking bullets but they sure do not work for me.
+it makes you sick to track and never find game
I myself WILL NEVER SHOOT SIERRA MATCHKINGS AT GAME AGAIN.
thegreatbobbarker
New member
Shoot placement is too critical. Hunting bullets are a bit more forgiving if your not dead on and will penetrate. I eat deer. I prefer not to chew on tiny pieces of lead. When those match bullets come apart and turn everything into Jelly shrapnel goes everywere. I prefer weight retention.
fox n yote hunter
New member
i used a 243 with a 75. grain v-max but you HAVE TO aim 2 or 3 lungs back because of that really hard shoulder and it wont break through most likely
hunterintheshadows
New member
it works but you have to be surgical. keep it to 200yds and under.head/neck. no blood trails are left so have to drop them!
brdeano
New member
Originally Posted By: hunterintheshadowsit works but you have to be surgical. keep it to 200yds and under.head/neck. no blood trails are left so have to drop them!
I shoot them past 200 with .224", I like to shoot for shoulders/lungs and haven't had any issues with blood trails.
Unless these are unacceptable?
from a 62grTSX via 223AI.
I shoot them past 200 with .224", I like to shoot for shoulders/lungs and haven't had any issues with blood trails.
from a 62grTSX via 223AI.
brdeano
New member
Originally Posted By: fox n yote hunteri used a 243 with a 75. grain v-max but you HAVE TO aim 2 or 3 lungs back because of that really hard shoulder and it wont break through most likely
We tried that bullet/cartridge combo too. I never told her it wouldn't work and she had no doubts. It worked great. Shot was well past 200yds and closing in on 300yds on a quartering towards doe. the entrance was just in front of the shoulder (which you can see in the pic) and we had an exit behind the off shoulder. Deer did nothing but drop a the shot and never twitched.
Entrance on the right, exit on the left. I think most of the entrance size was due to bone fragments, the exit is actually "normal" sized. There were no bullet fragments found at all. Like I said though,it was out there a long ways and impact velocity was much less than muzzle velocity.
We tried that bullet/cartridge combo too. I never told her it wouldn't work and she had no doubts. It worked great. Shot was well past 200yds and closing in on 300yds on a quartering towards doe. the entrance was just in front of the shoulder (which you can see in the pic) and we had an exit behind the off shoulder. Deer did nothing but drop a the shot and never twitched.
Entrance on the right, exit on the left. I think most of the entrance size was due to bone fragments, the exit is actually "normal" sized. There were no bullet fragments found at all. Like I said though,it was out there a long ways and impact velocity was much less than muzzle velocity.
I will chime in. I was in between rifles last year and used my .223 on deer. Shooting Ultra max ammo, 55 grain bal tips. Shot a buck at 50 yards, he ran maybe 20 yards and fell. I absolutely could not find the entrance. Turns out the bullet trashed the heart.
I am thinking a hit in any other location would have resulted in a tracking job.
I have recovered some copper jackets from the offside of coyotes shot with a 22-250 and 55 gr soft points, not much left of the bullet.
All this to say, I think I am sticking with larger cals this year for deer.
I am thinking a hit in any other location would have resulted in a tracking job.
I have recovered some copper jackets from the offside of coyotes shot with a 22-250 and 55 gr soft points, not much left of the bullet.
All this to say, I think I am sticking with larger cals this year for deer.
kyotekiller25
Well-known member
Leave the varmint guns at home for any serious deer hunting.
Sure they'll kill a doe and forked horn relatively well, a big buck is a different story.
Ahh well, guess it depends what kinda deer.
Little 80lb texas whitetail does/forkys, sure shoot em with a little 223 if you want, my dogs bigger then them and it will work everytime...
250lb 4x4 northern whitetails/mule deer, no thanks...
Sure they'll kill a doe and forked horn relatively well, a big buck is a different story.
Ahh well, guess it depends what kinda deer.
Little 80lb texas whitetail does/forkys, sure shoot em with a little 223 if you want, my dogs bigger then them and it will work everytime...
250lb 4x4 northern whitetails/mule deer, no thanks...
As far as 204 goes, 22 cal centerfire is smallest allowed to use in Michigan for deer. There is a reason 243 is smallest centerfire allowed for Colorado...elk. I'm sure a 22 centerfire with a decent bullet would work with a well placed bullet no doubt about it, but things aren't always perfect.
Me and my son hunt in Nebraska.The deer there are big.I let him use my 7MM-08.He shot a doe with it.He wanted to get a deer with his own rifle,a .223.He shot a big doe,on the run,and was amazed at the exit wound.The next year he shot a mule deer buck at 300 plus yards.Through the heart,with an impressive exit wound.Last year he smoked a monster whitetail.You will never convince us that a 223 is too small.
brdeano
New member
Originally Posted By: 204GunnerAs far as 204 goes, 22 cal centerfire is smallest allowed to use in Michigan for deer.
That's simply not true. Here's the quote from the regs...page 28.
"It is legal to hunt deer in the rifle zone with any caliber of firearm EXCEPT .22 caliber or smaller RIMFIRE (rifle or handgun).
ANY centerfire cartridge is legal.
That's simply not true. Here's the quote from the regs...page 28.
"It is legal to hunt deer in the rifle zone with any caliber of firearm EXCEPT .22 caliber or smaller RIMFIRE (rifle or handgun).
ANY centerfire cartridge is legal.
coleridge
New member
All these threads end up the same. Guys that shoot them with small calibers say go for it, it works great I've tried it. Guys that think .224 is too small pull the ethics card and recommend no one should ever try it... I mean who in their right mind would.
Being out of my mind... I've killed 30+ deer with a .224" bullet. Never lost a single one (220 swift, 22-250 & 223). I've also killed 70+ deer with a 7 Rem Mag (my first serious deer rig). However, out of all the deer I shot with it, I lost 2-3. Does that make it unethical to shoot them with a 7mag??? I mean my % are better with the .224" (that's how your suposed to process info on the internet... right???)
At one time I thought bigger was better too. After years of the 7 mag I got a 25/06. It killed as good if not better than the 7 mag on NC whitetails. Then I shot several with 243 then 223 & so on. Every gun I picked up worked as well as the next & i've killed them with about every chambering .30" & under down to .22".
A bad shot is a bad shot. The bigger caliber may give you better penetration but that's all. A .22cal is just as lethal as any 30 cal.
Being out of my mind... I've killed 30+ deer with a .224" bullet. Never lost a single one (220 swift, 22-250 & 223). I've also killed 70+ deer with a 7 Rem Mag (my first serious deer rig). However, out of all the deer I shot with it, I lost 2-3. Does that make it unethical to shoot them with a 7mag??? I mean my % are better with the .224" (that's how your suposed to process info on the internet... right???)
At one time I thought bigger was better too. After years of the 7 mag I got a 25/06. It killed as good if not better than the 7 mag on NC whitetails. Then I shot several with 243 then 223 & so on. Every gun I picked up worked as well as the next & i've killed them with about every chambering .30" & under down to .22".
A bad shot is a bad shot. The bigger caliber may give you better penetration but that's all. A .22cal is just as lethal as any 30 cal.
Sensai
New member
I still think that a 105 Howitzer is the minimum for whitetail, of course you may need to go to 155 or eight inch for muleys. Seriously, the only thing that I have against the 22-250 for deer is that it ruins too much meat. I'm not condemning anyone else for using it, it's just that I hunt for food; and a bigger and slower bullet gets the job done for me. I have used just about all ranges of popular calibers for deer hunting, and settled on the old reliable .30 for my purposes. I use a 30-30 for still hunting and a 30-06 (love those hyphenated chamberings) for long/variable range stuff. I do love splattering varmints with my 22-250 though!
