22-250 for deer?

[Jerrys kid]

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

 

[dk17hmr]

I have shot several antelope with a fast twist 22-250. Furthest was a 257 yard chest shot, she took the first one in the heart and just stood there bleeding out I put a second shot into her shoulders and she dropped. We are required to use 60gr bullets at a minimum I was using 62gr TTSX at almost 3600fps. Prior to switching to Barnes I was using 80gr AMax at about 3300fps which killed very well but I ended up picking lead out of the meat.

One thing to be aware of is the general lack of blood chest shots produce. I'm in open country so blood trailing doesn't usually matter to me but I always look.

 

[Jerrys kid]

My grandson used a 22-250 with 55 grain ballistic tips and killed when DOA at 300 yards!!! Shot placement is everything! Oh.....he shot the deer running. Shot 4 times, hit twice.

 

[Backcountry sports]

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

 

[Backcountry sports]

The recoil is almost the same as a 243 that's ok for deer get a 243 you will be good for youth and adults

 

[huntintoo]

I lost the biggest deer I ever had a shot at using my new Ruger #1 in .22-250. 50 Grain VMax Chronoed at 3850 Average. Knocked it down, but it got up and ran into the trees. The neighbor kid found it about 9 months later the other side of the trees. It had traveled about 600 Yards from the point of impact. From the dried out carcass it looked to have been double lunged.
The only deer I've taken with it since have been head shots to fill doe tags.
Just don't trust it for a normal behind the front shoulder shot. Too small!

 

[BigNate]

I think you'll be impressed with it given good Bullets. My BIL used it exclusively in Texas with 55gr Hornady sp, I've been using 64gr Nosler BSB as they are short for the weight. With the Nosler I wouldn't be afraid to let a young hunter have at it, given they've been taught where to aim. It will do the job. I think 250 and in with this bullet is safe.

 

[Will Gray]

Interested to hear others thoughts on this, the farmer we hunt with switched to a .22-250 after shoulder surgery made his 25-06 a bit to heavy to hold up. He has killed a few deer with it using 55gr Federal Soft Points but some of them took more than one shot.

Just practice shooting from the other shoulder and keep using the 25-06

 

[bbraden]

.22-250 was all I had when I was a kid - Dad's hand me down Rem 788. Shot anything 55 grain that I could get hold of. Piled up a couple whitetail with it and Remington Core-Lokts. Everything shot in the vitals ran 50 yards or so and then died. Never had a problem finding deer. I stretched it out to 300-350 yards on a WT buck once and made a lucky shot to the neck and he dropped in his tracks. I ran out of corelokts and all walmart had were winchester ballistic tips (2001 or so) so I made a broadside shot on a WT doe with it. She didn't run far but pieces of shrapnel wound up in the guts and that ****ed me off. Went back to spire points after that.

Started hunting mule deer on farmland with the .22-250 when I turned 14 and didn't know anything bigger was needed so long as I put it in the neck or the vitals. I got in a hurry one time and accidentally shot a decent MD in the guts and he ran and ran. I had to chase him down with the four wheeler and it took two more shots after that. I chalked that one up to a learning experience.

.22-250 works just fine for deer. Keep it in the vitals, head or high neck. 55 grain or heavier, and spire point or mono will work. It shoots especially flat which makes a 350 yard shot on vitals easy.

 

[wana408.cheytac]

So ive always said stuff like "300 or less is like wearing a dress"
And everything I have other than 22's and 556 is 300 and up... but.
Several years ago I worked on a ranch here in Montana, the 2 brothers that own it both had 22-250's and I was constantly razzing them about it.
One day we were feeding and a group of antelope were 250 yards from the 2 track.
I had a tag so the one brother handed me his 22-250 and ONE round.
I shot a doe in the neck, she never twitched, just dropped.
A few weeks later we were feeding again and there was this big muley with abnormal antlers, they were like baseball bats just going straight up, and they wanted him culled.
They had a 25-06 in the pickup so I grabbed it. The buck was a little over 100yds away and the first round was a dud (might have been a light strike) and the buck heard the action work and took off. His path was taking him around this little hill, but he jumped off a smaller knob that put him in my line of sight and I shot him.
He landed sprawled out and dead. We looked at the blood in the snow, you could see where he was when I hit him - mid jump and where he landed and slid... for a tiny bullet it did enormous damage.
I still prefer larger calibers, but I don't make as much fun of 22-250's and 25-06 any more... it's all about shot placement

 

[slickyboyboo]

The new 70 gr Nos Accubond should be a game changer for the 22-250 or 22-250 AI. I am planning on giving them a go in my 22-250 AI, and my 224 Grendel, if I can get a load worked up before the end of the season, if not, I will have both dialed in for next deer season.

 

[Dorran Larner]

Check the regulations, some states have defined minimum parameters and a 22-250 might not meet those minimums.

 

[Allen Kitts]

I used the Barnes 50 grain TSX for years for killing Mule Deer does and all of my Antelope. Never had an issue. I agree with the people who say it is not a suitable caliber for deer hunting because there are too many people who don't take the time to make the right shot decisions. If your going to use it then you have to make sure of your shot and take the time to get the bullet in the boiler room. You shouldn't take running shots, hard quartering shots, frontal shots etc. If you take the time to make sure the bullet gets into the heart and lungs you will not be disappointed. I also agree that this is definitely not a long range caliber for any big game animal. 2-3 Hundred yards max. Obviously this is not gospel just my opinion.

 

[slickyboyboo]

The original post stayed a guy buying a .223 and was planning on shooting deer in the lungs with it , which i feel is inadequate

Incorrect, the original post is about a 22-250, not a .223.