22-250 for deer?

[jimirwin]

Picked up a 22-250 from a gent on the forums and really enjoy shooting it! So I am thinking about picking up some Barns 50gr ammo and using it for white tails! I believe that a 50gr pill rolling over 3800fps will kill and get the dbl lung in a perfect side shot, my questions is how far would y'all use this rifle for deer, was kinda hoping I would be able to use it to about 200ish yds and allow my nieces and nephews a gun to take and let them pop one. It has a stock barrel with a slow factory twist or I would reload heavier pills

You rightly see that there are some things to overcome with the hot little 22-250, a favorite cartridge of mine. I've been able to shoot 62 gn bullets ok, and haven't tried anything heavier. The 50 gn bullets will "blow up" hitting any critter at 22-250 speeds. Lighter bullets are designed for paper targets or varmints, so have no reason to have more controlled expansion. I've thought to try faster twist & longer/heavier/hunting bullets. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

 

[del2les]

Ok what you said is true however most handguns are short range deals , bow and arrow is better than the 22-250 on penetration and besides it's a ultra short range weapons ( as is crossbow ) shot guns and muzzleloader are much more powerful and devastating . When it comes to rifles if you have something better use it.

It about the challenge or using something different because you can (You know like LR/ELR hunting and shooting?). While I own many larger caliber rifles, often, I will hunt with smaller calibers. I.e. elk with a handgun or 25-06 or 270 instead of the 300's, 338's or even larger, and real LR deer size game with varied 6mm's instead of the larger bores.

As for penetration with a 22-250, again, with properly loaded bullets, I often shoot clean through large whitetails, and at ranges well beyond any bow. As for handguns, many of us have taken varmints and game beyond 400 yards.

Simply, because one can and they work.

 

[del2les]

You rightly see that there are some things to overcome with the hot little 22-250, a favorite cartridge of mine. I've been able to shoot 62 gn bullets ok, and haven't tried anything heavier. The 50 gn bullets will "blow up" hitting any critter at 22-250 speeds. Lighter bullets are designed for paper targets or varmints, so have no reason to have more controlled expansion. I've thought to try faster twist & longer/heavier/hunting bullets. Just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Not the 50g Barnes. I have used 63g SMP's in a 14" twist 222 and the 62g TBBC in a 14" twist 22-250 with good success.

 

[Yeager]

Picked up a 22-250 from a gent on the forums and really enjoy shooting it! So I am thinking about picking up some Barns 50gr ammo and using it for white tails! I believe that a 50gr pill rolling over 3800fps will kill and get the dbl lung in a perfect side shot, my questions is how far would y'all use this rifle for deer, was kinda hoping I would be able to use it to about 200ish yds and allow my nieces and nephews a gun to take and let them pop one. It has a stock barrel with a slow factory twist or I would reload heavier pills

I am a 22-250 enthusiast: Short answer, don't. Todays world puts less importance on caliber and more importance on bullet and BC. Secondly, it is not muzzle velocity but terminal velocity and the resultant ft/lbs of energy that kills. Of course shot placement is equally important; however, deer have been killed with 22LR. Lots of deer have been killed with the 22-250 caliber in the hands of truly great shooters, but it still dose not make it a white-tail deer caliber of choice. If you choose to use this rifle consider tuning the trigger and re-barrel to a faster twist rate allowing to you to hunt with higher BC bullets. Just saying, new times; improved computers, improved telephones, and improved bullets. Tough to keep up. More than you asked for??

 

[Mc Fraser]

Picked up a 22-250 from a gent on the forums and really enjoy shooting it! So I am thinking about picking up some Barns 50gr ammo and using it for white tails! I believe that a 50gr pill rolling over 3800fps will kill and get the dbl lung in a perfect side shot, my questions is how far would y'all use this rifle for deer, was kinda hoping I would be able to use it to about 200ish yds and allow my nieces and nephews a gun to take and let them pop one. It has a stock barrel with a slow factory twist or I would reload heavier pills

I don't know where you from but if you're in Canada it is illegal to hunt big game with anything less than 25 cal. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Pmacc60]

Th

It about the challenge or using something different because you can (You know like LR/ELR hunting and shooting?). While I own many larger caliber rifles, often, I will hunt with smaller calibers. I.e. elk with a handgun or 25-06 or 270 instead of the 300's, 338's or even larger, and real LR deer size game with varied 6mm's instead of the larger bores.

As for penetration with a 22-250, again, with properly loaded bullets, I often shoot clean through large whitetails, and at ranges well beyond any bow. As for handguns, many of us have taken varmints and game beyond 400 yards.

Simply, because one can and they work.

This point is not lost on me and after nearly 50 years of completely being infatuated with hunting and guns I can understand the desire. I'm always interested in the next thing and that why I'm on this site. Yes I'm well aware that if you hit the animal in the right spot then it can kill it quite cleanly. You you are the guy that can wait for the perfect shot then by all means , have at it. I loaded 60 gr partitions and at longer range they are not giving the energy that I'm comfortable with and at close range is bullet going to hold together if it hits the rib? It's my opinion nothing more! I can tell you if you were my hunting partner I would not tell you what to use , I would just go with something that would handle more variables .

 

[Pulpwood]

I have a friend that was a trained army sniper. He used a 22-250 for two seasons taking deer both years, head shots only and out to 100 or so yards. Only a small fraction of shooters can shoot as well as he could and he stopped using it because others in our group started going to tiny calibers and could not shoot like this guy. We spent more time hunting after they shot then before they shot, if you know what I mean.

That's the point I was trying to make .

 

[jdavistx]

I would suggest that if you're hunting Texas whitetail or Cous deer with the right shot - not to far out - you'll be fine. I'd say no to a big Michigan deer or Mule deer - you need to step up.

 

[bigngreen]

Im beginning to wonder how many have actually opened up a deer that has been shot with a 22-250 that someone chose bullets for hunting vs varminting, it will flat mess a deers vitals up, I've shot many a whitetail through the lungs, easy shot requiring beginner skill level, and deer just drop or can't move for the few seconds they try to hold it together, lungs are a blown mess golf ball size exit. My 28 Nosler or 338 RUM wont make a deer anymore dead at the ranges the op is talking.

 

[Pulpwood]

So a .243 shooting a 75 grain bullet is a good deer rifle, but a 22-250 shooting a 70 gr bullet isnt!!??? Hmmmm.??

No with 100gr Speer

 

[436]

Picked up a 22-250 from a gent on the forums and really enjoy shooting it! So I am thinking about picking up some Barns 50gr ammo and using it for white tails! I believe that a 50gr pill rolling over 3800fps will kill and get the dbl lung in a perfect side shot, my questions is how far would y'all use this rifle for deer, was kinda hoping I would be able to use it to about 200ish yds and allow my nieces and nephews a gun to take and let them pop one. It has a stock barrel with a slow factory twist or I would reload heavier pills

I've used one a few times for Idaho whitetail, never the less kinda a bad idea I wasn't really happy with it, that's why I had that rifle re-barreled too a 6XC for Deer.

 

[jdavistx]

We've shot a pile of deer with 22-250's, if all I shot were deer I wouldn't shoot anything bigger. I've shot a lot of 60gr soft points, kills the heck out of an elk too 300 easy. When we loaded 60 gr Bergers we would run them out to 600 ish on deer and goats and it's done an absolute beautiful job, we haven't used any other bullet after shooting the Berger, just stomps them hard!!

Love Bergers. I shoot 7mm 168gr VLD's in a Rem mag. They are fast and flat. Almost have to make sure your not to close!

 

[del2les]

Im beginning to wonder how many have actually opened up a deer that has been shot with a 22-250 that someone chose bullets for hunting vs varminting, it will flat mess a deers vitals up, I've shot many a whitetail through the lungs, easy shot requiring beginner skill level, and deer just drop or can't move for the few seconds they try to hold it together, lungs are a blown mess golf ball size exit. My 28 Nosler or 338 RUM wont make a deer anymore dead at the ranges the op is talking.

EXACTLY! A lot of responses from people with no real experience with using the caliber on deer size nor the correct bullets. Often, I cannot tell the difference between the 22-250 properly loaded vs my 6mm's. AGAIN, within reasonable limits. Mine maybe more than some others.

 

[del2les]

Just an FYI: This buck was taken at 350 yards with a 22-250 and DRT.