dont know what to think.

[Deleted member 48126]

All my deer have either been shot with a 35 remington, .30-06, or a .50 cal percussion muzzle loader. I agree with what you're saying, that the 6mm, although effective doesnt necessarily drop them. I hunt in thick swamps of Georgia and most of my shots are with 100 yards and with the 3 mentioned rounds the deer just fall over with a heart/lung shot since the KE that close disrupts their bodily functions. My cousin used a .243 for a while and it killed deer but tracking them through all the brush and swamps was miserable. The two other rifles I have drop deer were a 7 mm remington mag and a 338 win mag. Both times my buddy shot deer in his cotton field at about 400 yards. The does dropped instantly with a heart lung shots. So at the OP I understand your frustration and the 300 ultra will definitely do the job. My savage 116 in 300 RUM is a monster at the range with 600 yard hits on steel being the norm. I can't wait to see what it does this season.

 

[lloydsmale]

I guess if you look at it the 240 at 600 yards has the same power as a 243 at 500 and teh 240 at 500 is about the same as a 243 at 400 and not many people i know would grab a 243 to go hunting with if they knew they were going to shoot 400 plus yards. At least nobody that had any consern for humane kills.

 

[Fiftydriver]

With a 6mm, ANY 6mm, unless you hit some major support bone (high shoulder), spine or neck, you will always get a run off after hit. Not really sure why you expected them not to run hitting them behind the shoulder?

I have hit deer behind the shoulder with rounds that have several times the energy and much larger bullet diameters then the 240 wby and they still run off if there is a soft impact.

Always have to smile when I read posts like this. Remember what your asking of your little 6mm. While it may be one of the biggest 6mm chamberings, its still a relatively small chambering when it comes to big game hunting at extended ranges. Sounds to me that you got exactly the performance that I would have expected to see, every animal died within 150 yards, without major support bone hit or CNS hit, I think you got the results you could expect with most conventional chamberings.

If you want them to drop on the spot, pin both shoulders.

 

[lloydsmale]

cant really argue with anything you said kirby.

 

[MagnumManiac]

wasnt talking the 257. I was talking about the 240. The 257 has enough more snort that it seems to get the job done better. I have to wonder if the sarcastic few here have ever shot a deer out past 400 yards and if so more then one or two. I spend at least 2 months a year shooting at least one or two a night and sometimes as many as 5. Close shots are 300 yards and many out to 500 plus and ive been doing this for 6 years now. If youve actually killed deer at long range with the 240 then my ears are open to your opinions. As to practice i probably send more lead down range in a month then some here do in a year and up till about 12 years ago i shot high power comp. Maybe a few of you should give the target work a break and actually kill something. Sure didnt start this post to instigate a ****ing match. Did it to pass on an experience that might help someone else make a informed opinion on caliber selection for long range DEER hunting. I didnt say the 240 wouldnt kill a deer. All those deer i shot with it are in the freezer. What i said is i found it a bit lacking in power out past 400 yards and am more the willing to listen to someone with REAL life experience thats contrary to mine. Ill have to add that id doubt youd find two many guys that really have that will recomend a 24 or 25 cal barnes bullet for deer out past 500 yards. That would be about your worse choise other thena a solid. There isnt much speed left to even a 257 out that far to insure expansion. The barnes bullets are great for letting a guy with a smaller caliber gun hunt larger species of game at moderate range. But there not great at making small bore guns into 500 yard plus big game rifles. Even some cup and core bullets have expansion problems out that far.

May I ask what bullet and weight you were using in your 25-06?
I have been using the 25-05 for about 25 years now in the exact same ranges you describe, my longest shot to date has been 620yrds on Fallow deer, here in Australia, I use Nosler 110gr Accubonds and 115gr Partitions exclusively. Unless a deer is hit with a high shoulder/spine shot, nearly all run a short distance, although when trying out the Nosler 100gr BT almost any hit within 400yrds was a bang flop, but further out was very iffy and not a good idea, furthermore for the switch to heavier pills. The 115gr Partition is softer than the 110gr Accubond, but the flatter shooting 110 gets the nod with me.

I shoot over strawberry farms, (which poses a bit of a quandary) which are in prime deer country and are quite mountainous outside of the valley floor, we tend to shoot from tree stands and this makes the longer shots easier, but the shots aren't always taken this way. We have 2 deer species in this area, Sambar and Fallow, which run 600+lbs and 300lbs, respectively. Now you can see why we don't always target only one species, but I WILL NOT take the risk of shooting a Sambar stag with a 25-06, UNLESS it's inside 200yrds and presents a PERFECT broadside shot, hinds are a different story nonetheless.
I've never had a deer get away when using the 25-06, but not all drop on the spot, I'm unsure as to what problem you're having, if it's a bullet issue with either the 240 or 25-06, the simple answer is to switch to something more suitable.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[lloydsmale]

ive loaded and hunted with the 2506 for over 30 years. Ive shot many differnt bullets in it through the years. Mostly 100 grain bts, sierra prohunters and boat tails, speer 100s and hornady interlock 100s. Ive also shot a good many 117 sierras, 115 bts 115 and 120 partitions and 12o speers. Probably more 100 sierra and bts then anything else. I fooled one year with barnes tsx and wasnt impressed. They shot real well but didnt do much damage to deer and i spent some long hours tracking. Ive got no experiences with the bonded bullets on game as the two 2506s ive had for the past few years dont shoot them well. Granted i havent tried all the bonded bullets but ive tried noslers, hornadys and remingtons. I dont think its as much of a bullet problem as it is like fiftydriver hinted toward that your just asking alot of a small caliber out at 500 plus yards. Pretty small bullet when its running out of steam. the 7mag and 300s with there larger heavier bullets just get it done better way out there.

 

[bigngreen]

I guess if you look at it the 240 at 600 yards has the same power as a 243 at 500 and teh 240 at 500 is about the same as a 243 at 400 and not many people i know would grab a 243 to go hunting with if they knew they were going to shoot 400 plus yards. At least nobody that had any consern for humane kills.

Really

I've piled up so many deer with a 250 AI it's not even funny, plenty of elk as well I find it absolutely awesome for deer, taken plenty in the 400 yard range. A few years ago my old man to a nice mule deer buck at over 400 yards, to the top of the heart of and he ran about 50 yards and ran out of juice and tipped over dead, next day he dropped a cow elk, business as usual!
My buddy and I have no problem killing antelope and whitetail out past 500 yards with our 22-250's and 60 gr Bergers, one round behind the shoulder blowing a couple inch hole through them they run a little ways till they run out of go juice then fall over dead.
One antelope opener my buddy smokes a goat at 530 with his 22-250 and she made a short sprint then fell over, a few hours later I smoked a goat with a 338 RUM with 300 gr Bergers at 300 yards, she ran a little ways then realized she was dead.

 

[Derek M.]

JMO but this is another thread that keeps me away from 6mm. Smallest I've got so far is a 6.5-284 and I will be using it this November in SC and KY for the 1st time. No one has to convince me the 6mm bullets kill. I know they do. They just don't do it in the fashion I prefer. The only time I've ever seen anything drop with a 6mm bullet is on those LRH videos from BOTW and the youtube video where John Burns takes some lady hunting and she dumps a cow elk at 600 or so yards with a 243.

My preference is simple. If I expect the animal to travel after I shoot it, I'm using archery. I expect it to drop and not travel at all or very little if I have a firearm. Of course it doesn't always turn out like I hope. My Colorado bear I just killed on the 4th made it about 4-5 feet after I dumped him.

 

[lloydsmale]

your buddys 22250 has about the same power or less then a 22 hornet at a 100 yards and not to many would grab a 22 hornet to hunt antelope. Same goes for your 250ai. I hunt with a 257 roberts which is about the same and woudnt even consider a shot past 400 and would think hard on a shot past 300. Youve about got yourself a 2535 at a 100 yards there. Guys think there out with a powerful round and dont take into account how much velocity is shed when your out at 500 plus yards. Even the magnums power levels are getting a bit lame at 600 yards. Dont want to stir you up but in my opinion shooting something like an antelope at 530 yards with a 22250 is stunt hunting. Why would you even do it when theres better rounds for the job. taking varmit gun out for long range deer shooting is about like taking a 257 wby on a 500 yard cape buffalo hunt. Just because you get away with it doesnt mean its enough gun to insure humane kills a 100 percent of the time.

A good many hunters dont believe the 22250 isnt adequate for big game at any range. Personaly ive seen it used and in the hands of a good shot and loaded with the right bullet i think its a legitimate 250 maybe 300 yard deer rifle but absolutely no more. that little bullet just loses to much steam after that. I shoot alot of deer and have seen deer suffer and dont like it. I think i owe it to the animal im shoting to use a gun powerful enough to ensure a humane kill. I have no need to prove to anyone that i can kill something with the smallest gun in the safe. Id bet someone here has killed a deer at 200 yards with a 22lr too. Does that make it right? Im going to bow out of this one now as its going to lean toward ethics and thats a personal thing. I dont care if you want to kill a deer with your slingshot. Just dont ask me to pat you on the back.
Ill add one last thing before i go. I did some looking at the ballistic charts and came up with this.
22250 shooting a 60 grain bullet at 3400
sighted in at 250 yards
drop at 500 35inch velocity 1820, energy 441 ftlbs
drop at 600 65inches velocity 1579, energy 332 ftlbs
Your basicaly shooting deer with 38 special levels of power hardly deer medicine

Now for the 250ai
I used a 100 at 3000 which is about right give or take a 100 fps
at 500 yards velocity is 1807 energy 725 drop 38 inches
at 600 velocity is 1615 energy 579 drop 72 inches.
so your basicaly looking at 50 yard 357 mag ballistics at 50 yards.
I sure dont consider that elk medicine

Really

I've piled up so many deer with a 250 AI it's not even funny, plenty of elk as well I find it absolutely awesome for deer, taken plenty in the 400 yard range. A few years ago my old man to a nice mule deer buck at over 400 yards, to the top of the heart of and he ran about 50 yards and ran out of juice and tipped over dead, next day he dropped a cow elk, business as usual!
My buddy and I have no problem killing antelope and whitetail out past 500 yards with our 22-250's and 60 gr Bergers, one round behind the shoulder blowing a couple inch hole through them they run a little ways till they run out of go juice then fall over dead.
One antelope opener my buddy smokes a goat at 530 with his 22-250 and she made a short sprint then fell over, a few hours later I smoked a goat with a 338 RUM with 300 gr Bergers at 300 yards, she ran a little ways then realized she was dead.

 

[MagnumManiac]

ive loaded and hunted with the 2506 for over 30 years. Ive shot many differnt bullets in it through the years. Mostly 100 grain bts, sierra prohunters and boat tails, speer 100s and hornady interlock 100s. Ive also shot a good many 117 sierras, 115 bts 115 and 120 partitions and 12o speers. Probably more 100 sierra and bts then anything else. I fooled one year with barnes tsx and wasnt impressed. They shot real well but didnt do much damage to deer and i spent some long hours tracking. Ive got no experiences with the bonded bullets on game as the two 2506s ive had for the past few years dont shoot them well. Granted i havent tried all the bonded bullets but ive tried noslers, hornadys and remingtons. I dont think its as much of a bullet problem as it is like fiftydriver hinted toward that your just asking alot of a small caliber out at 500 plus yards. Pretty small bullet when its running out of steam. the 7mag and 300s with there larger heavier bullets just get it done better way out there.

My experience with the 25-06 on deer size game mirrors what others have said, but I think if you're having trouble with 100gr pills anchoring game on the spot, then a switch to a heavier pill like the 115gr Partition would be a positive move. Although I have had few bang/flops with this particular bullet, no deer hit right has gone more than 20-30yrds before falling dead, most have jumped, hunched up and fallen after a few steps with this bullet, lungs are turned to jelly and most bullets are found under the hide on the off side, perfectly mushroomed and retaining on average 65% of the original weight.
Curiously, most shots with this bullet, even closer ranges, do not exit. The Accubond is a different animal, I have only recovered 1 from the 25-06 and 1 from the 338WinMag in 225gr, both were from frontal shots on a Fallow and Sambar, respectively. Broadside hits always exit, no matter the caliber used with Accubonds, in my experience.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[Sully2]

"your buddys 22250 has about the same power or less then a 22 hornet at a 100 yards and not to many would grab a 22 hornet to hunt antelope."

Falsamundo!!!
22 hORNET:= Muzzle Velocity: 3100 fps....Muzzle Energy: 747 ft. lbs.

22-250:=Muzzle Velocity: 3800 fps....Muzzle Energy: 1603 ft. lbs.

JUST A tad OF DIFFERENCE


I still dont want a 22-250 for a deer rifle...but there's quite a gap between a Hornet and a 22-250

 

[RTK]

I think he meant at 100 yards the 22 hornet has the same energy as the 22-250 at 500 or so yards.....

 

[Sully2]

I think he meant at 100 yards the 22 hornet has the same energy as the 22-250 at 500 or so yards.....

Misleading at the best. A 38 Special at 12 feet has more killing power than a 378-338 at 900 YARDS too..see what I mean?

 

[bigngreen]

I'm not interested in a big ****ing contest, don't think you are either but I will firmly argue that while I push it I'm not on the ragged edge of humane or loosing an animal by any means.

I'll just use the antelope at 530 as one of many examples, my buddies 22-250 shoots a 60gr Berger at 3500 fps and is sighted in at 100 yards. He dialed 7.3 MOA up and 1.75 left windage, when she cleared the bullet hit her at 2106 fps with 591 ft lbs of energy then dusted of the hill behind her. When we opened her up with had a pin hole entrance which is perfect, the on side of the first lung you could see the bullet just starting to open which is perfect then from there it put probably about a baseball size hole through the rest of the vitals with bruising radiating a little farther. The exit was about a golf ball size hole blown out. She did a short sprint then fell dead. That's perty much what you get every time unless you punch them in the shoulder and then it opens more and you'll pour the vitals out of them but the bullet won't exit the off side, they make it a few steps.
Damage like that kill 100% of the time, every time!! The 243 hands the 22-250 it's behind, shooting at those ranges is easily in done!!

The 250 AI shoots was shooting a 117 or 120 gr hollow point, can't remember what it is but it's mean when it opens, right around 3000fps with R17. I don't know the numbers for it because that was pre dialing days but we used that rifle for so many years for deer out to about 450 their screwed. Buck took the bullet at 430 yards took out his heart, he bounded about 30 yards maybe then fell over backwards dead, the blood trail was carnage, he was an average 4 point mule deer buck. The elk got busted in the timber at maybe 100 yards, first cow took a 130 gr 270 bullet through the chest and flopped over after about 50 yards then the other cow took a bullet from the 250 AI low through the neck, blew her wind pipe and all the veins in her neck all over the ground, she made it a couple steps maybe and she was out of juice.
I've dropped several bulls with it shooting behind the shoulder or high in the neck out to the 300 yards range no problemo, I won't say it's my favorite elk gun but it does stand in well enough, my 270 WSM has served me very well to 900 yard range on bull elk and piles them up nicely!!

I grew up in major elk and mule deer country and shots are very rarely close, nobody used to shoot magnums for anything, a 30-06 used to be considered the big elk gun. Now I use much larger rounds but ONLY because I want the advantage at longer ranges.