.22 Centerfires on Medium to Large game

Bullets more than headstamps !

Placement above all else...

RichCoyle said:

That's because He got old and senile.

Click to expand...

Just read one of his books and am halfway through the second. He shot most of his elephants with a .275. Not so sure a .308 is that far off. His backup was a .313 or .318 I can't remember which.

I have experience with 22-250s on deer using 55 gamekings out if 14 twists and 50gr Barnes out of a 1-12 and they did a great Jon in the few deer I've shot and others in my group have shot. My great uncle used to shoot only his tc pistol in 223 for everything using 55gr gamekings and he always came home with venison.

Land of the free....shoot whatever you feel you can make a good kill with my friends and happy hunting.

Creoleboy said:

Land of the free....shoot whatever you feel you can make a good kill with my friends and happy hunting.

Click to expand...

Amen to that, some of the best words of this thread!

I've used a 24" 1:14 .22-250 with 50-55 grain varmint bullets out to 400 yards with excellent results. Placement is always the priority. In addition to hunting whitetails since 1971 with one, we shot a farm with crop damage permits and killed 10 deer in a couple days with it. Typically makes a pretty big mess inside.

I have/had larger caliber rifles from .243W up to 6.5-300 WBy and .35 Whelen that I've used on occasion, but for shooting in the open, the .22-250 has been fine.

I have seen numerous situations when So Tx lease hunting families were issued one "Trophy" deer. The wife being such a bad shot with husbands making them shoot a too large, too much recoil cartridge, then miss or wound a deer. The worst part of it is the shaming around the campfire, also, numerous literally brought to tears, if not in public, in private some disinterested in being involved in the "family" aspect of it any more.
I'm going to need to back up a bit. South Texas lease hunting is a situation where large landholders offer numerous families that all know each other, sometimes not, year 'round hunting access to large acreages of land. lessors are expected to shoot certain number of does and inferior deer, and depending on game surveys usually one trophy deer per family. These numbers are determined by Tx Parks and wildlife Biologists, using Helicopter surveys.
I have worked with a couple of these fine ladies with .22 centerfires up too the point that they could take a trophy with a .243 Win. It wasn't instant and probably where it started. Several of these ladies I offered to their husband to help, a few of these husbands asked me.
Point being here most of these ladies are too intimidated by there husband's training and caliber selection. Generally I can spend a few times at the range with a .22 cal centerfire, and not get them flustered. I can think of one that required to back up to .22lr.
After a few random range trips these ladies have been able to start shooting does and spikes, and st least get back in the family on the ranch. Most all of these ended up shooting their trophy, mostly with .243.

60 grain partitions do the trick.

It's been some years ago, I loaded Barnes .224 60gr original heavy copper jacketed in my 22 Cheetah Mk-II. Clocked 3756 fps in my Browning 78 with a 12x Leupold target setting on top. Not a brush gun, but my "you get only one first shot..." and super light weight carry. I took 3 antelope, about a dozen whitetails and several coyotes. When I ran out of the Barnes Originals, I moved to Nosler 60gr Partitions and clocked 3793 fps with the same load. Eventually I was talked out of the Cheetah so I dialed in my 22-250 with the 60 gr Partition. Good results on a couple of whitetails. As has been previously stated, shot placement is critical. The 12x Leupold was fantastic for head and neck shots. DRT. Today I'm building a 22-250 load using the Nosler 64 gr bonded solid base for hog and whitetail.

Coyote Shadow Tracker said:

Keep the .22 calibers for Varmint & Predator Hunting.
.243 & .257 for Deer size
6.5mm +++ up for larger animals.
Just my opinion.
I'll rephrase this.
I think that the larger cartridges like the 22 Creed and the 22-250 with an 85 grain or heavier bullets with shot placement and proper range will take down any deer size animals.

Click to expand...

I also shoot feral hogs with a .243, from 75 gr to 110 gr. Always aim for the neck, and they always drop on the spot. It's amazing how a good rifle can make me look like a marksman.

Took deer at 873 yds with 22/284 during testing the hammer hhts, run a hammer bullet, learn how to shoot and a fast twist 22 cal will do all u need on whitetail and mule deer! Took ton from 400 to 600 yds!

Hunted whitetail with 5.56 77gr smk's for the last 20yrs out of various ar15 rifles from 10.3" to 18" barrels. I'll also take the slow twist 22-250 with 50gr NBT's out to 350yds. Furthest kill with the 77gr smk was at 416yds on a doe out of a mk12 clone. Shot her in the neck and she ran about 15yds.

I've been itching for a 1-7.5 tw 22 creed & some 80-88gr elds just because

Chip_Shot said:

Hunted whitetail with 5.56 77gr smk's for the last 20yrs out of various ar15 rifles from 10.3" to 18" barrels. I'll also take the slow twist 22-250 with 50gr NBT's out to 350yds. Furthest kill with the 77gr smk was at 416yds on a doe out of a mk12 clone. Shot her in the neck and she ran about 15yds.

I've been itching for a 1-7.5 tw 22 creed & some 80-88gr elds just because

Click to expand...

Here in Va 22 cal. is not legal for deer or bear. Grew up shooting 243 and then to 30-06. I don't see much difference in using 85 to 90 gr pills in 22 creedmoor or 243. Never shot the 22 Creedmoor but it may have less recoil which would be good to start kids and newcomers to the sport. Shot placement is always key. My go to gun for big game, mule deer, elk and moose next week is the 340 bee.