Are 224 Bullets Too small for Deer Sized Game?

[Backcountry sports]

243 or a 2506 much better choose for deer should be the minimum

 

[marvee]

Because of lack of potential clean kills due to poor decision of bullets used in a 22 caliber it is outlawed in Idaho for big game hunting.

 

[Paul Spaulding]

You also have to keep your state regs in mind. I live in VA, where it is illegal to hunt deer with anything below .24 caliber.

 

[David Emerson]

It takes very little to kill. But to numb them is something else. I have never done it but have read that 60gr nosler partition wounds about like a 30-30. The accubond , 65gr sierra and my choice would be the scirrocco. But there are better tools for the job. 25-06 with 115 to 120gr hammers them at least the big northern deer. West texas dog sized deer the 22,s would work fine I think.

 

[mcmdphd]

A lot of discussion about 224 bullets being to small, too low penetration, too explosive, etc for varied deer sized game at "reasonable distances", so of the below bullets, which is unsuitable for deer and similar sized game and why?View attachment 166189

I have taken many whitetails from Kentucky with this caliber. Sierra 63 JSP, Hornady 60 VMAX, Hornady 68 BTHP ≈ 50-80 yards; through and through; 16" M4; like the FBI terminal ballistics data: large internal wound cavity

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

Idaho allows the use of 22 caliber center fire weapons to hunt big game.

rimfire cartridges are not allowed with the exception of hunting mountain lions and running a trap line using a rimfire to dispatch wolves.

ive has good success with Barnes TTSX & 222 on deer! Next year I will be trying 70 gr. Accubond out of my 22-250 ai.

I would venture out to say most that do not think hunting with .224's is acceptable - would more than likely believe bow hunting is humane —— how does a well constructed .224 bullet running along at 2600-3800 FPS be considered inadequate for smaller thin skinned game?

I've seen first hand the destruction on deer these little bullets make - they flat out work!

 

[Jimbarnett]

.224 Weatherby Magnum

 

[chris fiore]

A lot of discussion about 224 bullets being to small, too low penetration, too explosive, etc for varied deer sized game at "reasonable distances", so of the below bullets, which is unsuitable for deer and similar sized game and why?View attachment 166189

What all of you are forgetting is there is a new 224 in town., actually a couple. both 224 valkyrie and the 22 nosler are perfectly suited to take even the largest deer. They are making the new all copper bullets for just about everything and sporting up to a 95gr and hopefully a 100 gr soon, staying supersonic up to 1300 yards and the copper projectile being slow expansion and deep penetrating you can't go wrong.

 

[chris fiore]

.224 Weatherby Magnum

how to burn out a barrel, this is how you burn out a barrel

 

[BGHUNT]

I've used and seen the 223 rem used to kill far too many deer for anyone to tell me it won't killdeer. Is it the best choice? That's debatable!

I have harvested well over a hundred deer and more pigs than I can count on my ranch with my suppressed 223 but I only take neck shots on the deer and pop the pigs in the ear. Recently my 223 failed to keep a 300-pound boar on the ground and also a 200-pound axis that was neck shot at 110-yards. For this reason, I purchased the CR 6.5 and added a suppressor. I think I have found my new partner. The exit wound on a 400-yard neck shot of the 6.5 143 grain is impressive.

 

[Arctiv Bob]

I spent 13 years in high arctic, traveling constantly. The 'Inuit' (please, do not call them 'eskimo' it's like the "N" word to them) They, because of economics & or ignorance use .223 for every thing, including polar bear. they have no understanding of bullet construction. They some how survive? Just saying!

 

[rammerjammer]

This topic comes up often but why use .223? If that's your only rifle well.. ok.
But I seriously doubt anyone in this forum only has one rifle.
Just know limitations and shoot thru the lungs and you'll be fine.
The Barnes, accubond or partition will all kill well if you keep shots around 100 yards.
Fine for a kid shooting deer on a plot or feeder where you can pick your shot but I'm not going to risk losing a deer or a long tracking job just to say " I killed it with a .223!" like it makes you some kind of bad a** or something

 

[treeman]

A lot of discussion about 224 bullets being to small, too low penetration, too explosive, etc for varied deer sized game at "reasonable distances", so of the below bullets, which is unsuitable for deer and similar sized game and why?View attachment 166189

If I were going to use 224 in deer I would use Barnes x bullets. Good expansion and penetration

 

[Earlybugle]

This threat is like a Rorschach test / we all tend to see what we each are predisposed to see. Perhaps the post sought benefit from the exercise more so than the answers.

Pmscc60 nailed it. Too many variables still undefined to reach a defendable selection/answer (unless many assumptions are made).

IMHO, maybe the most fundamental variable that needs to be defined is the anticipated impact velocity. That number will strongly influence so many of the other variables discussed here like distance, shot placement, shots thru cover, etc.