Using .22 cal rifles for deer

[ksfowler166]

I wanted to share a few thoughts and experiences on using 22 caliber rifles for deer. I am by no means an expert. Having only recently gotten into deer hunting. With five deer all taken by a Savage 22-250 with 63gr Sierra SMP to my name. But I find such discussions interesting and wanted to add my .02 worth.

First off I do not claim that 22-250 is the perfect deer cartridge in every situation. No cartridge is. Only that it is perfectly serviceable under certain conditions. In my opinion the major drawback with using a 22-250 is the inconsistency of the blood trail. Two of my deer ran any sort of distance the other three being cns hits. Of those two deer I had run one was a yearling doe that produced a easily trackable blood trail. Not that I needed that I saw her go down in the corn field I was hunting. The other a mature doe produced no blood trail that I could find but like the yearling went down in the middle of a wide open corn field. So not the best choice if you want reliable blood trails but it does offer some real advantages.

It is cheaper to shoot meaning it is more economical to practice with. I believe accuracy is the most critical thing when it comes to hunting and that the power of the round does not make up for lack of shooting skill. Meaning that 338 Rum is of no use if you put the round into the deer's digestive tract.

Recoil is less which makes it easier to shoot accurately and allows for quicker follow up shots. I experienced this first hand. I am a bird hunter and what I was taught is pick a target and continue to shoot at it until it either goes down, is out of range, or you run out of ammo. Well when I got my chance to take my first deer I shot at a mature doe broadside at about 50 yards. I noticed no indication that I had hit her so I reloaded and fired again. At that point the guy I was hunting with tells me I got her and to move on. So then I notice a yearly doe that was part of the same herd standing broadside around 35 yards away. I again fire two shots at her as well. I wind up making four lung hits on two deer in the space of only a few seconds. While shooting the deer twice was unnecessary and it was at extremely close range it does go to show what is possible.

People tend to disregard the 22-250 with out any experience to back up their claim just saying it is unethical. Or you get people who say to only take head/neck shots or only perfect broadside shots. Maybe they say to keep your shots under a certain range. While that last point is true I have read accounts of people taking deer at 300+ yards with 22-250's. So I would say that it is fine at any reasonable range a normal hunter should be shooting at.

Now I will admit that the 22-250 can certainly produce a greater percentage of wounded/unrecoverable animals than say a 308 win if your bullet selection is poor. I would never recommend modern varmint bullets like v-max, varmint grenade, tnt, among others. Nor would I recommend target bullets of any description. What I would recommend is bullets like the Sierra 63gr smp, Speer 70gr smp, Win. 64gr PP, Nosler 60gr partition, Swift 75gr sirocco II, Barnes 55gr+ tsx/ttsx, Sierra 65gr gameking, among others. With those bullet you should see expansion with adequate weight retention along with sufficient penetration. Through and through penetration would not be uncommon with a broadside shot and especially with the Barnes tsx/ttsx breaking both shoulders is a real possibility.

To illustrate my point I have had four bullets that expanded and exited the other side and on one of the other deer I put the round high in-between the shoulder and spine with a downward angle. The bullet wind up breaking a rib in multiple place on the off side and I think had it been a broadside shot instead of a quartering shot it would have completely penetrated. Just goes to show you these aren't inept bullets and absolutely perfect shots aren't needed. I don't mean that poor shot placement is effective and that you won't lose the deer. Only that you do have room for error such as you would have with other cartridges.

I hope I gave a reasonably balanced account of the 22-250 as a deer cartridge. So do any of you guys have experience with .22 cal rifles for deer and what has your results been?

[versa-06]

I've had experience with the 223 & deer & killed all I've seen shot. Not all pass through's though. The 243 has had a lot of bad publicity for the same reasons you explained in ref. to bullet choice. I own 9-243's & as you can tell I'm rather fond of them & they do kill deer well. But then again bullet choice is crucial as is with the 22-250, But most any 95-100 grain bullet & 243 makes meat. Varmit bullets may do the same but I wouldn't depend on them. Controversy is lack of knowledge or lack of application. My 2-cents.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

An interesting and previously well explored subject. I see nothing wrong with the cartridges mentioned for deer hunting. Much better than the poachers who take deer with a .22 Short-- and that seems to work if properly applied. But, I'd much rather use a .30-30.

DG

[ksfowler166]

So I do have one story that might go to show the limitations of the 22-250. This past season was weird we had unusually warm weather and I think it affected the deer. In previous seasons we have always seen lots of deer in the field we hunt whether corn or soybean was planted. Last season between the two of us we saw one deer in the field. Which was a three or four point buck that I stalked and shot. After a couple of hunt with seeing nothing and talking to my friend who also hunts the same land and him not seeing anything either I decided to try the river. In late Oct. and early Nov. when scouting for a duck blind and on opening day of duck season I had seen multiple deer cross from a sandbar in the middle of the river to woods that border the crop field we deer hunt.

One evening after not seeing anything in the corn field I decide to check and see if anything is crossing the river before shooting time ends. I make it to our path and get down to the river a couple minutes before the end of shooting time. What I see is two deer just about at the end of the sandbar about to cross a little 10-15 yard stretch of back water before going up the bank. Looking back I defiantly was not thinking clearly and should have waited, left, and came back the next morning or evening. But I hadn't seen a deer yet and one of them was a decent four or five point buck so I decided to take a shot at the buck who is the trailing deer.

By the time I had deployed by bipod both deer were in the water broadside with the range some were between 200-300 yards. My rifle is sighted to be dead on at 200yds and I have shot out to 300yds so on a static deer I would say the range would not be a problem. The thing is they were moving and I have no experience leading a target with a rifle. So I am center of mass and in front of the deer. If I remember right I wasn't out past the head and I pull the trigger. The deer doesn't immediately go down and a split second later my view is obscured by some trees. So I don't see them reach the bank.

At this point I am debating whether to attempt to track the buck immediately, wait an hour, or come back the next morning. Knowing that there are lots coyotes in the area and a striped deer is of no use to me. Plus my previous deer have only lived a few seconds after being shot if they didn't drop right their. So I debate for a couple of minutes and decide to go after the deer.

I get up and over the bank into the corn field and I spot a deer standing not to far from were the two deer should have exited if they chose to go to the field instead of staying in the woods. At this point it is past shooting time and figuring it is the deer I didn't shoot at so I head down the tree line to were I think he came out of. I spent a good amount of time trying to find a blood trail but found nothing. I did find were the deer got out of the water and was able to follow that trail for a while but found no sign I had hit the buck. Finally I give up and decide to try again the next day to locate the deer. The next day I spent hours going all through those woods and the adjoining field looking for that buck but I found nothing.

I really don't know if I even hit him with only the circumstantial evidence that I did being that I only saw one deer in the field after I took the shot. So in that instance I do wish I had used a larger caliber rifle than my 22-250. Not because I believe the 22-250 lack killing power on a good shot but that on a bad shot a larger caliber would give a better indication of a hit and a blood trail. But at the end of the day the fault fully lies with me and not the cartridge.

[catboat]

My wife had a co-worker (female) who has shot 22 deer with 22 shots in something like 24 seasons up here in Maine (where you are allowed 1 deer per year, whether it is by archery, firearms or muzzle loader) with a 222 Rem Savage 340 wearing old Weaver 4x scope and shooting factory loads. She is not a GREAT shot, but she is a disciplined and patient hunter. She shoots from a tree stand on her father's farm in Albion, Maine. She is sighted in for 50 yards, and that is about the typical distance she takes her shot. She aims at the base of the skull, for "dead right there" results at non-moving deer. None of her deer were taken with body shots. All shots were "base of the skull" shots. A 222 Rem IS legal for deer hunting in Maine, just for the record.

She MAY take a shot or two to sight-in / verify scope settings prior to the season. She is not a group shooter or reloader. The Savage 340 is her only rifle, and it may have only been fired 50 times TOTAL. She is just a no-nonsense, patient hunter. I have never heard of what brand of cartridge or bullet weight she uses (just factory-loaded 50 or 55 grain bullets, by Remington/Winchester/Federal. Nothing exotic).

I'm pretty sure that if all I had was a 222 Rem, and was patient-like my wife's co-worker, I would not go hungry; however, it is not my first choice. I will not input on any side on "ethics" discussion, or if it CAN be successful. Clearly my wife's co-worker does everything right (sets range limits, perfect shot location, patient, competent shooter, puts in A LOT of time in the tree stand each year, knows the place she hunts, as she grew up on the farm, and she is VERY disciplined-including passing on shots on many deer).

A 222 Rem load is just not my first choice for deer hunting (I have owned four 222 Rems for woodchuck hunting, and currently have a CZ 527 Kevlar Varmint 223 Rem with 1-9 twist barrel).

Pick your shot, be patient, be legal, and drag it home. I'm using my 30-30 or 30-06, with jacketed bullet reloads for my deer hunting.

[JWFilips]

The only experience I has seen was with my Brother-in-law taking a buck at 50 yards with a heart lung shot with a 222 Mag.
Deer took two steps and dropped! I have shot 2 deer with a .243 Seirra HP 85 Grain Spitzer , Liquified the lungs but never came out ....both dropped on the spot.

[Duke3026]

The deer I’ve shot have been with Nosler Partitions 60gr., and Hornady 60gr. SP. All behind the ear, most were with Partitions. Some of the people I know use 22-250’s regularly for deer, most being inside of 200yds.

[MT Gianni]

I have a neighbor that raised three daughters. They all shot elk and deer most years between the ages of 12 and 18. They used a 22-250 for all the game. Another friend traded into a 22 Rem Short Mag. His son shot two elk with it before sports took a bigger hold.
The commonality of this is that all used 60 gr bullets. In the 22's you can load a bullet as light as 33 grains. IMO, bullet make up has a lot to do with killing in the smaller calibers.

[versa-06]

All is OK with the .224 bullet in the hands of seasoned shooters. But youth I feel they should stay away from light bullets @ high velocity (Low recoil I know) & use low velocity wide, heavy bullets instead (still low recoil). Less report, less recoil, heavy hit, complete pass through, & blood trail. I know the youth thing has not been brought up, but it seems a lot of people want to use little fast bullets for the youth which may be prone to a bad hit for many different reasons. Gun too heavy, Green, Fear of recoil & or report, or even trigger pull with little fingers. The same may go for us big people, I think this may be one of the many reasons for loading slow soft cast boolits.

[Texas by God]

According to my records I've killed the same number of deer with the 22-250, .308, and 8x57mm. For what it's worth, the 22-250 had more DRT kills than the bigger rounds maybe coincidence maybe velocity. My first rifle was a 22-250 so it is a favorite- but I do hunt with bigger calibers too. My last two deer were with the 30-30 and 25-06.
Those "dash" cartridges sure work!

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[cwtebay]

I truly believe in disciplined, well placed shots with a rifle that you are comfortable with. Period.
Back when depradation tags were given to the ranchers, I would wager that I have killed more whitetails, muleys, elk and antelope than a large number of this forum put together - most with a 22 Long Rifle. I used everything from the 22 to a 22 Hornet and up - cervical spine or head on the vast majority. Sitting in a hay stack or tractor bucket or on a hay rack on undisturbed game - anything will likely be effective in that scenario.
However, I had an employee who wounded a total of 4 elk and 2 deer in a single hunting trip....... with a 22-250. I helped her brother recover one bull, the shot was right - the bullet was plattered against the OFF SIDE shoulder blade. Not enough to bleed him out from the wound in both lungs after 24 hours (N=1 out of the possible 6 I know).
I really enjoy field data, from real situations. Read Nathan Foster's Ballistic Studies. He has immense knowledge of what he is speaking of, and the vast numbers to support his dataw.

(PS the depradation hunts were done by the rancher if desired, and all of the meat was given to the local food banks and churches - before anyone blows me up for that)

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[gc45]

When young, my brother and I killed deer routinly and sometimes antelope using an old winchester in 220 swift..All were head shots using factory 48 grain bullets that turned the brains to mush....

[white cloud]

I have killed a couple of deer with .223 rifles. I placed the shots carefully and the deer didn't move very far after being shot. This is a very good thing because there was no blood trail in either case. For my hunting a wider diameter bullet is good thing.

[Kylongrifle32]

Proper shot placement is always key with any caliber used. No shot is ever the same. Sometimes things just happen. Loose muscle or tissue will float around and clog up holes at times preventing blood from leaking out.
I have taken many deer over the last 20 years from the same tree stand walking the same trail down the creek to the same spot. All with the same 7mm-08 rifle. Most deer only took a step or two some have traveled 100 plus yards.
One thing I have learned from 40 plus years of deer hunting is no matter what you use learn how to become the best tracker you can. Even on deer I watch go down I walk to the spot where the deer was shot and look all evidence of the hit. Hair color and blood splatter then track the deer from there. Following the trail of blood or in the case of no blood follow the tracks to the downed deer.

[centershot]

I've been hunting deer since 1970. At that time this area was a "shotgun only" area and remained so until '76 (I think) when muzzleloadsers were allowed. Handguns soon followed. Centerfire rifles became legal in the early 2000's. I've used them all.

In 2010 I began using a .223 Remington to hunt deer. Why? Well, my friend John had been telling me for two or three years how well his .223 was working for him, I was disbelieving. Until one day, at the LGS, there was a Ruger American at a good price, so I bought it. I was no stranger to the .223, I'd had a couple nice varmint rifles and was competing in Service Rifle matches so I knew the cartridge petty well. But, the key to success in deer hunting with it, said John, was the Federal Fusion ammunition he was using. So I bought three boxes of it when I bought the gun.

Let me tell you, the key to success with any .22 on deer is the bullet, not the cartridge! That little 62 grain bonded-core softpoint is advertised at 3000 fps. My chronograph tells me i is actually 2918 average fps from the 22" barrel of my Ruger. And it kills deer like crazy! Ten deer in the last eleven years, all were complete pass-throughs! One shot really stands out to me - A 6 point was moving up the hill from my right moving across to my left angling slightly upward. He stopped and lowered his head at about 35 yards, I placed the crosshairs low on his left shoulder and squeezed the shot. BANG! DOWN! He kicked his hind legs, pushing up a pile of leaves in front of him for about 10 yards, then stopped. At that point he was about 5 yards from the logging road I had driven in on. Easiest drag I ever had! When I skinned him, I saw that both front legs had been broken and two ribs had been hit, one going in and one going out. His lungs had been totally wrecked, of course! Now, think about that - that little 62 gr. bonded core bullet had gone through six layers of hide, two heavy leg bones and two ribs - and kept going!!! You can't ask more from ANY bullet!

Every single deer I've shot has been an instant DRT or, at most, has run 10-15 yards. Complete pass throughs! They all look like they'd been shot with a roll of nickles! After the third one, I sold my '06. The .223 burns half the powder, a lot less roar and recoil, who needs an '06? Not me. But, the key here is the BULLET! Use a bonded core or partition bullet and a .22 CF is a very capable deer cartridge!

[white eagle]

never work need a 30 carbine minimum

[centershot]

never work need a 30 carbine minimum

LOL!!! *****!!!! Ridiculous statement! What vast cache of knowledge do you base this on? Get some real world experience!

[Murphy]

One family I know, a father & 2 sons have used .22 Caliber centerfires since the 80's. The father actually prefers his .222 Remington over the 22-250, the 2 sons use 22-250's. If they've ever lost a deer, I never heard about it. I've hunted with them many times and been in their reloading rooms. From my observations, and their success at using the .22 caliber for deer, it seems to be a matter of three things. Bullet selection, distance, and not taking risky shots.

Murphy

[centershot]

"Bullet selection, distance, and not taking risky shots.

Murphy"

Exactly my point! Thanks Murphy!

[todd9.3x57]

i've been there, done that....says the LEGEND!!!!

i have shot at a doe with a 75gr hornady bthp in 22-250ai at 50+/- yards. it was a headshot, which i won't do again. my experience tells me that .257" 100gr+ bullet will work. i'm told by a guy who farms, the 22 hornet is all you need. he has depredation permits and he shoots them at night.

a 243/6mm (i've used 243 win many times and many different guns on deer) bullet (not premium bullets) is not what you need for close cover deer, unless you like to track them. i know, i know....you, your son/daughter, mom, dad ...will say balderdash!!!! the 243 or the 6mm rem will lay deer flat out and i(you) will prove it. yes, a 243/6mm will kill a deer, but my experience with the 243 (in the early 1990s) will kill a deer, but when and how far? i've used the 243 for shoulder shots and behind the shoulder shots and every one of them ran about 75-125+ yards with little blood/hair on the ground. my friend, however, luvs the rem m788 in 243 win for deer. he uses a 100gr factory load(rem, win, federal...) and he puts the deer either DRT/20+/- yards after the shot. go figure.:veryconfu

[M-Tecs]

One family I know, a father & 2 sons have used .22 Caliber centerfires since the 80's. The father actually prefers his .222 Remington over the 22-250, the 2 sons use 22-250's. If they've ever lost a deer, I never heard about it. I've hunted with them many times and been in their reloading rooms. From my observations, and their success at using the .22 caliber for deer, it seems to be a matter of three things. Bullet selection, distance, and not taking risky shots.

Murphy

Bullet selection, distance, and not taking risky shots That sums it up nicely.

I've only killed a couple of deer with a 223 and it worked fine. I have killed around 30 deer and some antelope with the 22-250. 22-250AI and the 220 Swift. With the 243 Win that number is 60 to 80 deer total and a couple of antelope. Range was from a few feet out to about 325 yards.

I did kill one antelope of a 30/06 with a 165 boattail that went about 400 yards with a heart hit. Never had a hard recovery or a lost deer using any of the 22 Cal. or 6mm's.

I am partially color blind and I am at best a poor tracker. With the 22 Cal I use a standard 55 grain soft point and limit shots only to behind the shoulder double lung. The bullet liquifies the lungs and normally it's a DRT or 30 yard sprint max. With the 243 it's the same shot placement or into the shoulder. With broken shoulders or liquified lungs most are DRT or very short sprints.

All of my near lost or hard recoveries have come for using bullets designed for much larger game in a 270, 30/06, 338 Win Mag and a 375 H&H Mag.

From 1970 to 2010 I hunted on 3,000 acres of deer rich river bottom land. The landowner required that you purchase and use all available bonus tags and party hunt. Deer harvest was normally 60 to 75 per season. Shot placement was the number one reason deer were lost or a hard recovery. Funny how all those "perfect" shots when recovered later were far from perfect. It is truly amazing how far a deer can go with a single lung hit. Same for legs shot off and liver and gut shots. Poorly hit the will to live is strong and animals can be shot to pieces and keep going. That being said I have never seen a double lung hit with a bullet that actually expanded go very far. Having hunted with a large number of different hunters is always surprises me how little some know about deer anatomy.

[Pepe le PewPew]

I’d use a 22-250 if they made more factory options with at least 1/9 twist rate. If I can’t get diameter on a bullet I definitely want sectional density. I can’t argue against the ease of both accuracy and follow up shots that comes with centerfire .22s, but I would still prefer to use a larger caliber.

[white eagle]

LOL!!! *****!!!! Ridiculous statement! What vast cache of knowledge do you base this on? Get some real world experience!

the last time I brought up this very subject that is what the consensus was the only difference in my post was I used a 220 swift
so look it up see the vast cache of knowledge for yourself

I would and have used a 22o swift for deer(with 55 gr. Trophy Bonded Bearclaws) but lately I would use my 224 Valkyrie with either 70 gr Barnes X's or 90 gr Federal's or heavier TBB's in the Swift, say 62 gr. or so.
High velocity and pin point accuracy do a lot of damage to deer internals'

[centershot]

the last time I brought up this very subject that is what the consensus was the only difference in my post was I used a 220 swift
so look it up see the vast cache of knowledge for yourself

I would and have used a 22o swift for deer(with 55 gr. Trophy Bonded Bearclaws) but lately I would use my 224 Valkyrie with either 70 gr Barnes X's or 90 gr Federal's or heavier TBB's in the Swift, say 62 gr. or so.
High velocity and pin point accuracy do a lot of damage to deer internals'

I've read that thread. I was a contributor to that thread. I finally gave up trying to change the minds of opinionated people with NO experience with the calibers in question. Those of us who use them know how well they work. For those that don't, well, it's their loss. Next thing you know someone will say you can't kill elk with a .17 caliber.............

[versa-06]

Then there's that big word "IF"

[gunseller]

If you are going to use a 90 grain bullet in a 224 val.you need a 1/6.5 barrel. The first deer I shot with a rifle was neck shot at 300 meters using a factory 5.56 round with a 55 grain fmj bullet. Only round they would let me have for my M16A1. Drt deer. I have shot a few other deer with 223 using 55 grain sp bullets all were dead within a few steps.
Steve

[white eagle]

my 7 twist handles them just fine

[Jeff Michel]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

[Screwbolts]

I have done a lot of "Hunting with CB's" The Leadhead Meatgetters Category! this is. LOL Is it not so?

shot placement is always important.

[dverna]

I have done a lot of "Hunting with CB's" The Leadhead Meatgetters Category! this is. LOL Is it not so?

shot placement is always important.

There are folks who do not hunt the cast bullets (like me) and we wind up posting here because there is no other sub forum for hunting with jacketed bullets. It is interesting what can be accomplished with "inferior" jacketed bullets sometimes...LOL.

[brass410]

In this era of faster magnumitus, it's shocking to see that anyone would even consider shooting an animal as dangerous as a 200lb whitetail with anything less than a 458 win mag. We all agree no risky shots and shot placement are key BUT when the trophy of a lifetime shows up at a sketchy distance presenting a less than ideal shot how many would actually say HMMMM I thinks the temptation would be to great ! It's why my own choice (everyone has theirs) is as much calibre as I can shoot accurately, I have eaten way too much track soup to chance a loss for lack of killing ability drt is my favorite. If you can wield it and its works for you who am I to pooh pooh your choice.

[gunseller]

When the 224 val came out many people got them with the thought of shooting 90 in the 1/7 barrels. At 100 yards they were getting perfect profiles of the bullets. If yours shoots them lucky you. If you use the green hill formula it will give a 1/6.5 twist. To shoot 90 grain bullets in my service rifle I have a 1/6.5 to shoot at 600 yards. I spoke with CMMG rep and he agreed that they had to change to a 1/6.5 in their 224 val chambered rifles.

[white eagle]

so glad they have it figured out

[warren5421]

In Indiana you can not use .22's.

Rifle cartridges for Public Lands (state and federal property) must meet the following requirements:

Fire a bullet of .357-inch diameter or larger,
Have a minimum case length of 1.16 inches, and
Have a maximum case length of 1.8 inches

Some cartridges legal for deer hunting on public land include the .350 Legend, .357 Magnum, .38-.40 Winchester, .41 Magnum, .41 Special, .44 Magnum, .44 Special, .44-.40 Winchester, .45 Colt, .454 Casull, .458 SOCOM, .475 Linebaugh, .480 Ruger, .50 Action Express, .500 S&W, .460 Smith & Wesson, .450 Bushmaster, and .50 Beowulf. Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal.

A summary of the rifle requirements for deer hunting on private land are as follows:

The rifle cartridges must have a cartridge case length of at least 1.16 inches and have a maximum case length of 3 inches
The cartridge must fire a bullet with a diameter that is .243 inches (same as 6mm) or larger
A hunter may not possess more than 10 such cartridges for each of these rifles while hunting deer
These new rifle cartridges may only be used on private land
Full metal jacketed bullets are illegal
These new rifle cartridges may be used during the youth deer season, deer firearms season, special antlerless firearms season (where open), and deer reduction season from Nov. 13, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2022 (in deer reduction zones where local ordinances allow the use of a firearm)

Rifle cartridges that are legal under this law for private land include, but are not limited to, the following:

6mm-06
6mm BR Remington
6mm PPC
6mm Remington
.240 Weatherby
.243 Winchester
.243 Winchester Super Short Magnum
.25 Remington
.25-06 Remington
.270 Winchester
.30 Carbine
.30 Herrett
.30 Remington AR
.30-06 Springfield
.30-30 Winchester
.30-40 Krag
.300 AAC Blackout (.300 Whisper)
.300 H &H Magnum
.300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum
.300 Savage
.300 Weatherby Magnum
.300 Winchester Magnum
.300 Winchester Short Magnum
.300 Remington Ultra Magnum
.303 British
.307 Winchester
.308 Marlin
.308 Winchester
.32 Winchester SL
.35 Remington
.350 Legend
.38-55 Winchester
.444 Marlin
.45-70 Government
6.5 Creedmoor
6.8 SPC
7.62x39mm
7.62x54mmR

[murf205]

This is .22 cal topic always gets a lot of ink, or pixels in our case. My favorite slug for the .22's is the 70 gr Speer semi spitzer. A 1-12" twist will stabilize it and I shot it out of a 1-14" gun before that.I've killed several deer with it in a 22-250 and never lost one, BUT, I don't take Texas heart shots either. Remember, "It what aint what you shoot, it's how you shoot it"

[Texas by God]

That is a good bullet, Murf205. I've used it and the similar Sisk 63 and 70 gr bullets successfully. Waiting for a sure shot and passing up iffy shots is probably why I've gotten DRT results on all the deer I've killed with the .223 and 22-250 since 1972. The plain old 55gr sp in Remington factory ammo has a good reputation around here as well.
Texas regulations for deer are;
No full auto.
No rimfire guns.
No dogs.
Good hunting!

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[murf205]

It is a good bullet even though it doesn't look like an ICBM which is what the new wave of long range shooters think you have to have now and it is very accurate with BL=c2 . I got better results with .223's than 22-250's probably because of the slightly slower velocity not blowing the bullet up. The guy's at Sierra told me that their 55 gr was tougher than people think and I never had a rifle that disn't shoot it great but I like the added weight of the Speer

[KCcactus]

If you're going to use a .223, I'll add another recommendation for the Federal Fusion 62 gr. When he was younger, my son took two nice bucks and a 200lb pig with it. All three were broadside double lung pass throughs that dropped within 50 yds. The bucks both reacted to the shot, then slowly walked away until they fell. Everything in the chest cavity was liquid. Why .223? At the time, it was the only rifle I had that he could shoot small groups with at the distances we get hunting on our place. Now, we both have 6.8s and use 115gr Federal Fusion.

In Texas, any center fire cartridge is legal for deer.

[murf205]

"that he could shoot small groups with at the distances we get hunting on our place"
That's the secret. Ya' gotta' hit em' first. I can't find the 62 gr Fusions but I've heard good stuff about them. I've got 450 70 gr Speers so I've quit looking too hard. It is legal in Alabama to use CF 22's as well.The farthest I ever trailed a deer was one shot with a 300 Winchester.

[centershot]

The Federal Fusion 62 gr. load was my choice, on recommendation of a friend after he'd shot 7 bucks with it. I wasn't disappointed! It punches straight throgh while expanding and leaves an impressive wound channel! Today I handload the Speer 62 gr. Gold Dot (same bullet used in the Fusion load) to the same velocity.

[Texas by God]

The worst performance from a .22 center fire bullet on deer that I’ve experienced was a Sierra 52 gr bthp from a .223. I shot a cull 3 point in the chest facing me at 25 yards. It penetrated just far enough to rupture the heart; pieces of the bullet were found in the heart. About 6” penetration. He sidestepped and fell.
So, as Joyce Hornady once said, “At what point in the animals death did the bullet fail?”

[white eagle]

there was a fella who used a 220 swift to harvest numerous heads of big game including African game
he said the best bullet he found for the swift on deer was the 52 gr Sierra boattail hollow point

[wallacem]

I killed 40 deer with my 22-250 before retiring it and going to pistol hunting. I always shot 55 psp bullets and distance was from 25 yds to 200 yds. Placement was from head to lung shots at the further distances. The furtherest one ran was 25 yds. Never lost one. Great gun. Wallacem in Ga

[white eagle]

better bullets, high velocity things just die

[wallacem]

Absolutely. I shot deer in the lung area and they would go down immediately and die before they could get back up. Wallacem

[MarkP]

My father's friend shot a large buck with his 22-250 it dropped dead in its tracks. He said it was the nastiest wound he has ever seen and would not use it again. He used a heavier (65 gr) Sierra Gameking. He is in his 80's and has shot multiple deer over the years.