.22-250 Enough For Wolves?

[lewwetzel]

Unloaded all my larger-cal. rifles a while back; only hunt varmints, yotes and occasional slug-gun deer now. Was looking at a .243 or bigger for a wolf hunt, but as I am now already re-barreling a '250 in a faster twist for heavier bullets, am wondering if this will work for wolves?
Not interested in semi-autos @ this point. Thanks.

 

[royinidaho]

Unloaded all my larger-cal. rifles a while back; only hunt varmints, yotes and occasional slug-gun deer now. Was looking at a .243 or bigger for a wolf hunt, but as I am now already re-barreling a '250 in a faster twist for heavier bullets, am wondering if this will work for wolves?
Not interested in semi-autos @ this point. Thanks.

Hey, r u da guy I red about in what was it? Zane Grey, North of some thin'??

Ubetcha!!! The 250 is plenty for wolf. Especially with the fast twist and heavy for cal bullets. The only real benefit of the heavy projectiles is longer range and improved wind handling.

Any bullet the 250 will shoot well will do the job.

Shot placement, as always, is king. But, keep in mind that their heart is just behind the last rib. If you want to take one home move the shot a bit more forward. Think bait about that one.

A local just received his Montana Rifle in 220 Swift as his wolf rig.

Good luck on your Woofin'.

 

[westcliffe01]

A typical wolf weighs close to 100lb. I would say that to make a clean kill a 243 with a heavy bullet is probably the minimum if deliberately hunting them. Longer range would require more. I have seen some of the guys on the sportsman channel hit them twice with a magnum before they gave up.

I have been hunting coyotes and so far the 243 with 95gr Bergers has stopped them dead. Now a wolf is at least 3x the typical coyote, probably closer to 4x the scrawny western coyote...

If you go with a 243, it is a straight drop in on your 22-250 (same bolt head and magazine). A 308 would also be a drop in and either a 308 or a 243 barrel would be easy to find (even if looking for a Shilen) since these are 2 of the most popular calibers. There is no doubt that the 308 is the more challenging to shoot, but if the range was modest (<600 yards) that would be my first choice out of the short action rounds. Further than that, a smaller diameter higher BC bullet would be better and for that a long action is the right platform. Then you are looking at all the usual choices: 7mm Rem mag, 6.5x55, 6.5x284, 270 Win etc etc.

 

[HARPERC]

Count me with Roy, whats the worst that could happengun)! Good luck where are you going to hunt?

 

[royinidaho]

I have seen some of the guys on the sportsman channel hit them twice with a magnum before they gave up.

Me thinks you may be over thinking a bit.

Much depends on expectations.

My personal objective when after yotes is population reduction for increased fawn population.

Our scrawny yotes regularly take down mature white tail and mule deer. Both of which live behind the house.

Plus it's beginning to look like the put the munch on my 200 pound lead pack goat. Further research is needed. Haven't seen him in a week.

My objective is to put holes on both sides of the yote with the first shot. If its DRT good ! If I have track a bit, that's ok. . . If I can't locate it, that's marginally acceptable but still acceptable.

Same rules apply to the yote's larger relative .

More that this approach applies to only these two critters. For all other big game it's one shot DRT. Or the shot isn't taken!

Therefore I maintain the position that the 22-250 will serve one well on mr woof.

 

[westcliffe01]

There is no mammal that does not deserve to die a humane death. The wolves are doing what the creator intended. The people who recklessly put them back in an unnatural habitat are to blame for the issues, not the wolves themselves. If you lose respect for what you hunt, you have lost your soul.

 

[royinidaho]

There is no mammal that does not deserve to die a humane death. The wolves are doing what the creator intended. The people who recklessly put them back in an unnatural habitat are to blame for the issues, not the wolves themselves. If you lose respect for what you hunt, you have lost your soul.

Having said what I said I can't recall a coyote ever lost, a deer ever lost or any other animal lost. Some missed. Never wounded.

And. . . I have yet to get a wolf in my sights. I'm bettin' I do like I practice. The shot will most probably be spot on though possibly a bit beyond the range to which I am totally confident.

Also, there must be no gophers in your back yard.

My Soul is totally intact.

 

[lewwetzel]

Hey, r u da guy I red about in what was it? Zane Grey, North of some thin'??

Ubetcha!!! The 250 is plenty for wolf. Especially with the fast twist and heavy for cal bullets. The only real benefit of the heavy projectiles is longer range and improved wind handling.

Any bullet the 250 will shoot well will do the job.

Shot placement, as always, is king. But, keep in mind that their heart is just behind the last rib. If you want to take one home move the shot a bit more forward. Think bait about that one.

A local just received his Montana Rifle in 220 Swift as his wolf rig.

Good luck on your Woofin'.

Thanks. I'm a 5x great-nephew of frontiersman Lewis Wetzel on his ma's (Bonnett) side. Hard to separate fact from fiction about the guy - such as that in Grey's Spirit Of The Border, but it's pretty much agreed on by historians that Wetzel's skills and lifestyle were more of a white Indian's than Boone or Simon Kenton's, and his deeds no less verifiable or incredible than their's. I own a flintlock (Jaeger?) rifle that may have been owned by him or one of his brothers and it's possibly had the barrel shortened, which is believed to aid in loading on the run; maybe even while chasing - or running from - a wolf.
Hoping to get Idaho tags, as the hunting friend's family is out there, plus I'd really like a pelt to take back for my new grandson (middle name "Wolf" btw); if not we'll do the Kap River Ontario, CAN thing.
Will probably come down to a coin flip over the barrel twist change or re-chamber. Thanks, all.

 

[rooster740]

There is no mammal that does not deserve to die a humane death. The wolves are doing what the creator intended. The people who recklessly put them back in an unnatural habitat are to blame for the issues, not the wolves themselves. If you lose respect for what you hunt, you have lost your soul.

Well my soul might be gone, but so are the elk herds that once thrived here! I have no respect for knap weed or wolves and I hunt hard for both noxious species! I have a couple of friends that have flattened several Montana wolves with a 22-250, and I have a proven 243 and 25-06 at range, on wolves. They are not really tough to kill but they are hard to hunt!

 

[snowpro440]

22-250 is plenty of gun , hell I've killed coyotes with a .22mag . Even bigger things have fallen to the 22 mag .

 

[royinidaho]

Thanks. I'm a 5x great-nephew of frontiersman Lewis Wetzel on his ma's (Bonnett) side. Hard to separate fact from fiction about the guy - such as that in Grey's Spirit Of The Border, but it's pretty much agreed on by historians that Wetzel's skills and lifestyle were more of a white Indian's than Boone or Simon Kenton's, and his deeds no less verifiable or incredible than their's. I own a flintlock (Jaeger?) rifle that may have been owned by him or one of his brothers and it's possibly had the barrel shortened, which is believed to aid in loading on the run; maybe even while chasing - or running from - a wolf.
Hoping to get Idaho tags, as the hunting friend's family is out there, plus I'd really like a pelt to take back for my new grandson (middle name "Wolf" btw); if not we'll do the Kap River Ontario, CAN thing.
Will probably come down to a coin flip over the barrel twist change or re-chamber. Thanks, all.

Wow, what's the odds?

In a couple of weeks I'm starting wolf scouting and getting the pack goat string trained and in shape.

Where will you be going in Idaho?

What a story could be made of shooting a wolf with that rifle!

I'm thinking that pack goats could have more uses than packing.

 

[MontanaRifleman]

There is no mammal that does not deserve to die a humane death. The wolves are doing what the creator intended. The people who recklessly put them back in an unnatural habitat are to blame for the issues, not the wolves themselves. If you lose respect for what you hunt, you have lost your soul.

You are kidding right??? Why don't you ask the elk who are being torn to pieces and eaten while still breathing about "deserving" a "humane" death. Animals are not humans. There is no such thing as humanity or compassion in the wild natural world. It is quite cruel. Wolves are cold blooded merciless killers and a scourge to this country. A gut shot wolf will die more humanly than any elk it ever killed. If you want to bring the Creator into this, anything I ever read that He said about wolves painted them as evil beings.

Wolves need to be eliminated in any way possible...period

I have respect for desirable wildlife and game... take all the soulless wolves and throw them down to the fire of hell!

 

[MontanaRifleman]

Unloaded all my larger-cal. rifles a while back; only hunt varmints, yotes and occasional slug-gun deer now. Was looking at a .243 or bigger for a wolf hunt, but as I am now already re-barreling a '250 in a faster twist for heavier bullets, am wondering if this will work for wolves?
Not interested in semi-autos @ this point. Thanks.

A 22-250 would make a dandy wolf regulator.... bring plenty of ammo.

 

[F224]

I have a friend and hunting partner who has studied the killing of wolfs around North America for years. He says that anything in the 22 Hornet class will kill them easily.

I also know a guy who shot several with an AR15 and 55gr prairie dog bullets, all DRT at 60-90 yards in just a few seconds.

60gr Partions, 65gr Gamekings or 55-62gr Trophy Bondeds will work just fine in your 22/250.