22-250 for goats

Walker1

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I am thinking of buying a 22-250 for varmint hunting but was wondering if it is usable for antelope? I was also thinking of a .243 but that would be overkill for coyotes.
 
Im sorry but unless you can be under 250yds the 22-250 is to small and hits to lite. the 243 with a 75gr is to much for coyote? NOT, try a solid or non ballistic type. Just my 1cts:) I shoot 25/06 for all the above. just different bullets for each. and in the wind the 25 out performs them both. gun)
 
Seems a bit funny to worry a 243 is too much for coyotes and not worry the 22-250 is too small for antelope.

Both will do both jobs well. The 6mm will offer a significant advantage in wind drift and energy in factory guns. Most 22-250's are a 1 in 14 twist which would radically limit the usefulness of the 22 for big game.

I think if you really want a multi purpose tool the 243 is a hands down winner in this case. If you really want a 22-250, it'll darn sure kill antelope and deer too. Just be aware of its limits.
 
Go bigger.

I've taken a dozen small to medium whitetail deer with the .22-250 at ranges to a little beyond 400 yards and, IMO, it's just not enough for humane kills and sure stops when distances exceed 200 yards.

Almost all of these deer were shot as crop damage animals in open fields, incidental to late season groundhog shooting. I've hit them with several bullet styles, from 40 grain HPs and 40 BTs to 55 BTs and 55 BTHPs. Up close = lightning. Far away = failure.

I had one animal return to feeding after a lung shot at 375 yards, and I thought I shot over him. I held lower and shot again, and that bullet landed on him near the bottom of the rib cage, and all he did was jump and look around. I thought then that both bullets must have gone under him, so I adjusted my hold up and shot one more, which spined him and he dropped on the spot. When I skinned him, I had three bullets about 4" apart in a vertical line up his rib cage. Any would have been (eventually) fatal and all passed through w/o expansion.

That was just one of several long range deer where the bullet simply didn't carry enough energy to provide the violent expansion we expect of a .22-250 and/or the impact required to get the animal's attention. Others I've shot long walked or ran away, and left no blood trail. Only because I'm persistent in following up a shot I think is good were they recovered.
 
If I was going to use the cartridge {22-250 Rem} for antelope, I think I'd re-barrel it with a 1 6.5 twist 28" long'…... and do it right. Then I'd contact North West Custom Projectiles {NwCP} for some of their great 90gr. bonded .224 cal bullets. Believe me that would do the trick if you can place the shot.
The other option would be to try Nosler 60gr Partition or Sierra 65gr Game King both are good on small deer size target, again shot placement and range is always the key facture. But they might work with your factory barrel.
436
 
I'd opt for the .243. I'd rather kill a 'yote too much rather than an antelope not enough. It's easier to load down for less power than going the other way.
 
Me and my buddy shoot coyotes, stinkalope and deer with 22-250's with no problems at all. I'm shooting a worn out 788 and shot a heavy bodied whitetail this year, he turned and pilled up just like the others. I've shot a few antelope with it and it does just fine. I shoot 55gr remington soft points for game and coyotes get 52 gr v-max's.

My buddy shoots a Savage model 12 low profile, stock in 1-9 twist, not actually sure what he shoot for ammo but he shoots all his deer with it and antelope, most all around or under 200yds.

The 22-250 is arguably one of the best coyote rounds available.
I have had several coyotes walk away from getting smack with a 243, I was not shooting a varmit bullet and they would not open up.
If it kills a coyote it will kill a antalope, I'd even say that coyotes can be more resistant to dying than antalope some times.
 
I know of probably 2 dozen deer or more and a bunch of Antelope that have been taken with 22-250 and all of them were good clean kills. I would not hesitate to hunt Deer or Antelope with one any time. Just my opinion though!
 
I am thinking of buying a 22-250 for varmint hunting but was wondering if it is usable for antelope? I was also thinking of a .243 but that would be overkill for coyotes.


Yes and no. An off the shelf 22-250 will work fine for varmints, and also work on deer depending on how far you want to shoot them. If you want a 22-250 to kill goats at distance, you will need to build and shoot heavy bullets. 80 grain smk's do the trick, and I've also seen 90 smk's down a few goats. As stated the 6mm will so better in the wind, but a 22-250 shooting 80's is a different animal than shooting 55 class bullets.
 
Yes and no. An off the shelf 22-250 will work fine for varmints, and also work on deer depending on how far you want to shoot them. If you want a 22-250 to kill goats at distance, you will need to build and shoot heavy bullets. 80 grain smk's do the trick, and I've also seen 90 smk's down a few goats. As stated the 6mm will so better in the wind, but a 22-250 shooting 80's is a different animal than shooting 55 class bullets.
Would the larger grain bullets work in a factory twist?
 
Not in the ones I've owned in the past. I don't know if anyone makes a fast twist off the shelf. Someone else might be able to help.
 
Savage offers the 22-250 in 1-9 twist and it looks like somewhere around a 70gr bullet would work.
When I get my current project done I'm going to rebarrell my 788 to a 22-250AI with a 1-8 or 1-9 twist for shooting deer and smaller stuff under 500yds.
The bullet I would think is the determining factor. I killed a literal truck load of whitetail does between 350 and 450 yards but I used my coyote loads to get good bullet action, four died with one shot behind the shoulder with 52gr vmax, lungs where mush they just did a 20-30yd sprint and tipped.
Antalope are not hugely larger than a coyote and I don't think there as tough as a coyote, you can shoot them and just get a clean pass though if you don't shoot a bullet that will open.
 
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