22-250 for deer?

[Beautiful Mulberry]

I have a good friend that is a biologist. Elk and whitetail are among the free range animals. When they are doing sampling for disease research he shoots a tack driving 22-250 with Barnes 50 grain TTSX. Pretty routine for 1 shot quick kills on deer and elk.

Does it mean it is perfect for everybody? Nope it doesn't. Some folks couldn't hit the ground with their hat if they had 5 chances.

I have never had a deer or elk complain when hit with a 223 or 22-250. Usually drops them. Minimal tracking. The 250 is like a laser beam.

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

My brother started hunting with a borrowed 22-250 and killed several deer with it, and my parents ended up buying him a Browning A Bolt 22-250. He has hunted with it most of his hunting life and never lost a deer that I know of.

When we started hunting in NW Oklahoma where the bucks outweigh east Texas bucks by close to 100#, he bought a Ruger M77 270 Win.

Here’s the way I look at using varmint calibers for big game hunting. I’m fairly certain I can kill a deer with a well placed field point on a crossbow bolt, but just because I can do it doesn’t make it a good idea. For me, the same applies to using a 223 or 22-250 for deer.

Goes back to skill. If you lack it, don’t do it. Not saying you don’t. For me it was all I had. Ammos plentiful. Hunting was never a sport, strictly to keep from going hungry! I do make traditional bows and arrows from bois de ark and dog wood, 10-15 yard shots feels like your heart is attached to a supercharger!

 

[Beautiful Mulberry]

I prefer head or neck shot, I do not have to track them.

neck meets the skull is the best

 

[Two Gun Warrior]

Years ago I worked for a Boys Ranch in Texas, I taught the boys that were doing good how to shoot rifles and bows. I had them shooting my 30.06 and 22-250, when season came around we went hunting and everyone of them took a dear with one shot. No matter which gun they were shooting, clean kills. Most of them would choose the bigger rifle, it was more impressive. We were hunting deer in the 77 to 150 pound range. I do believe if hunting something in 200 pound > size I would use 6 mm or bigger.

 

[joshuacarrifee35]

All (4) of my deer were shot with a 6.5 MB. I put together a Ruger American Ranch in 5.56 for my youngest son (13) to use. He has an any antlered deer (Coues or Mule) for a November youth hunt on Fort Huachuca, AZ. Planning on using Winchester Deer Season XP, .223 Rem, 64gr, 3020 FPS. Hope to be able to report that it worked. Finding those rascals is the hard part.

Awesome your coming to Arizona to hunt coues have you ever hunted them before? We are going to Oklahoma in November for rifle. What unit does your son have? I know these mountains very well and have been hunting coues my hole life so if you need any advice hit me up. Always good to get the youngsters out and experience our deer population. Best of luck to you guys.

 

[Jim Draper]

I don’t understand the recoil argument. Pending of course small frames kids, those I get. But any adult should be able to handle a higher caliber like the .243 or go to crossbow.

What am I missing?

My problem is that I had surgery on my right shoulder and I 'm right handed so I can't go with the bigger caliber rifles because of the recoil.

 

[Dorkus]

My problem is that I had surgery on my right shoulder and I 'm right handed so I can't go with the bigger caliber rifles because of the recoil.

Didn't think about that one, I see the point.

 

[Johnny]

Sometimes you have to say ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 270 and 270 wsm are perfect for deer and elk, unless you’re shooting way, way, way out there but ‘Most’ shots are less than 200 yds in Oklahoma . I said most, so no neg responses from any of you long distance killers out there please.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix are my sentiments exactly. I honestly don’t know why anybody ever developed anything past the 45-70 Government.

 

[Hirschkopf]

Awesome your coming to Arizona to hunt coues have you ever hunted them before? We are going to Oklahoma in November for rifle. What unit does your son have? I know these mountains very well and have been hunting coues my hole life so if you need any advice hit me up. Always good to get the youngsters out and experience our deer population. Best of luck to you guys.

Hi Joshua,

We actually have lived in Gilbert Arizona since 2009. My eldest son and I each have harvested two Coues deer. My youngest son has not had his own tag before. His Fort Huachuca hunt is in 35B. It has its own lottery number for folks with access to the installation (I'm retired Army). The weekend after my boy's hunt, I'm headed to Checotah Oklahoma for rifle season. We bought a quarter of land near there in 2022, so I'm done with the AZ lottery :-)

 

[Coug91]

I prefer head or neck shot, I do not have to track them.

Two feet of snow made it easy to track the 6 feet he moved. Horse didn't even mind dragging the buck back to the barn.