22 centerfires for big game?

[BeeTee]

Years ago, while at a shooting site I frequented, I saw a 55-gal drum sitting off to the side. It had been shot a few times, but was relatively virgin. Hmmm, at 100 yards I wondered if a 50gr BT from my 223 would blow up when passing through the drum.... It didn't. The BT produced a 22-cal hole on the near side and a 22-cal hole on the far side.

For whitetail deer or antelope, it's probably important to select the right bullet. The excellent Nosler 60PT should do a good job. We may learn soon whether the Speer 70gr semi-spitzer will do it. I suspect it will. Both of the mentioned bullets were designed for the small side of big game...

Saw a wolf kill on a hunting program on the Sportsman channel a couple of weeks ago. The wolf was hit just behind the rib cage at about 70-80 yards while angling away (on the run) with a 22-250. It didn't make it very far. BT

PS. When the 221 Fireball and XP100 pistol were first released - back in the sixties, some writer/hunter traveled all over Alaska taking a variety of big game with it. I don't remember the specifics, but it did work....

 

[Ridge_Runner]

Years ago, while at a shooting site I frequented, I saw a 55-gal drum sitting off to the side. It had been shot a few times, but was relatively virgin. Hmmm, at 100 yards I wondered if a 50gr BT from my 223 would blow up when passing through the drum.... It didn't. The BT produced a 22-cal hole on the near side and a 22-cal hole on the far side.

For whitetail deer or antelope, it's probably important to select the right bullet. The excellent Nosler 60PT should do a good job. We may learn soon whether the Speer 70gr semi-spitzer will do it. I suspect it will. Both of the mentioned bullets were designed for the small side of big game...

Saw a wolf kill on a hunting program on the Sportsman channel a couple of weeks ago. The wolf was hit just behind the rib cage at about 70-80 yards while angling away (on the run) with a 22-250. It didn't make it very far. BT

PS. When the 221 Fireball and XP100 pistol were first released - back in the sixties, some writer/hunter traveled all over Alaska taking a variety of big game with it. I don't remember the specifics, but it did work....

Bob Milek?
RR

 

[usmc 89]

As most of you know I have hunted this year with a 22x47 lapua I had built this summer. As of now I have killed an antelope doe at 660 and last week I took a mule deer doe past that mark. the bullet used is a 80 grain jlk vld @ 3320 Which is going faster and has a higher bc value than a 80 grain .244 bullet fired from a .243. I had tested this bullet first on coyote to see how the bullet reacted. After seeing that the bullet did not explode on impact I decided to use it on larger game. the antelope was bedded and shot through the heart with complete penetration and proper internal damage. the mule deer was shot first on the aft section of the shoulder and one lung, second shot was on the money double lung with.the animal
dying within 40 yards of initial impact. so my
opinion is this, yes a .224 bullet in the proper hands and platform along with a proper bullet going the proper velocity conducive to killing is an efficient deer and antelope combination. are there better offerings available?absolutely, but again a bad shot is a bad shot regardless of bullet diameter.

 

[FOTIS]

I am just surprised that Wyoming now allows it for antelope and deer

 

[Oldtrader3]

Washington law is mimimum .24 caliber. Plus, I agree with DrMike, after watching the local guys sighting in their rifles, or patterning them if you prefer, at our local range.

Plus, even I don't put a bullet exactly where planned sometimes but it comes out okay because I use a larger caliber rifle.

 

[Teknys]

I've seen a few deer and have taken deer with 22-250 w/60 PT. They have gone down just as fast as with other "Deer" calibers. I don't recommend it for anybody that won't pass up shots waiting for the right angle and stance for a "perfect" shot. When used properly they cleanly kill deer.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I think that we have a difference of venue issue. Where I hunt is on public land. When I shoot a deer, usually someone comes over to see what I have shot. I the one case in recent years where I shot a 4-point with a .243 at 300 yards. The shot did not put him right down. Three guys on horseback shot the deer, right after me (3-times) and tagged it before I even got there on foot. Now it was 3 to 1 odds with local redneck cowbows armed, on horseback and them having shot and tagged my deer. I did all the work of finding the deer, tracking it and shooting it. They just rode up on horseback without a clue that there was a deer within 10 miles. Was it worth a stupid gunfight because I did not use an adequate deer rifle to knock the deer down immediately?

This may seem extreme but many of you hunt ranches or at least public land where you are not going to get poached or game stolen, so you can use any caliber and probably get by. I can and have killed deer just fine with a .22 LR, plus a 9mm and a .380 pistol and have done it quickly, in the Army. Are these now deer guns? They worked for me!

 

[BK]

I have witnessed my buddy taking a couple of does with a .22-250. One day I was shooting right next to him with my Whelen, and honestly, his went down sooner. But, head shots will do that. He's also killed a speed goat with it as well. I guess where I fall is that with the right bullet, I would probably shoot a small deer or antelope in open country with a .22 CF, but if going after a bigger muley or when blacktail hunting in the jungle of Western Oregon, I'm going to use something bigger.

I have just changed my mind on this. I've decided that you should have to use a minimum .40 caliber rifle on deer. That way, it will get everybody but myself, Fotis, and the Marlin .45-70 hordes here out of my deer hunting woods.

Just kidding.

Mostly.

 

[Greg Nolan]

I would think the growing number of AR rifle owners probably had an influence on the law change. Even California allows 22 center fire. I have killed deer with the 22-250 but to support DrMike's position I will say I have wounded animals with 25, 277 calibers and an elk with a 300 Wby with a shoulder shot at 50 yards. The shot placement and bullet type is everything. If I were in a position to decide I would set the minimum by Foot Pounds Energy at 200 yards rather than caliber.
On the subject of wolves, I've been up close and personal with a couple of packs of wolves. They are way larger than the biggest german sheppard (and most California deer). I would "NOT" want to have to track a wounded one down in the brush. I can see deer calibers as the standard for hunting them. I havn't seen any since I started buying wolf tags so I can't attest to how hard they are to bring down.

 

[JD338]

With the correct bullet and perfect shot placement from an experienced hunter, they will get the job done when used within their range limitations.
I would prefer to use a larger caliber.

JD338

 

[Rigbymauser]

When I think of .22Centerfire calibered rifle for big game I think of calibers like .22 Newton, 22QT, 5,6x61 Vom Hofe, 5,6x57RWS.
Would I use one of them for elk, moose,bear, kudu, gemsbok?. Sure!!. The right bullet the right place.

BTW. lapua did at one time a 120grain .243cal bullet. Unfortunately it didn´t turn ou to become a succes. This was over 20 years ago. Had that bullet been invented today instead, I believe there would have been a marked. I would have bought it.

 

[Oldtrader3]

The .22 Savage Hi-Power had a 70 grain bullet on the market 80 years ago. The only hunters who still use them to kill game are the eskimos!

 

[BK]

But .227" bullets are a little tough to find!

 

[Oldtrader3]

Admittedly, Kurt but if these were such a good idea, where are they now. I am old enough to remember articles in magazines in the 1940's and 50's about the limitations of small bores on game and associated wounding issues. Nothing has changed, at least as far as I am concerned.

The technology of scoped rifles and rifle accuracy has improved, granted. However, unless you are a good and cool shot, all the time, I do not think this method has much currency for most hunters.

I notice that our friend from Denmark is now considering killing his Kudu's with .22 centerfires. Well, I am just glad that I dont have to clean up after him!

 

[DrMike]

With the correct bullet and perfect shot placement from an experienced hunter, they will get the job done when used within their range limitations.
I would prefer to use a larger caliber.

JD338

I have few doubts about most of the fellows who post here. They are competent in selecting components and using their rifles. I realize, however, that those posting here represent a minority in the field. It is that larger number of unqualified shooters who take three shots from the bench with the cheapest ammunition Wally World sells each year and pronounce themselves good to go that give me pause. I have harvested moose with twenty-two bullets festering under the hide. I can only wonder what happened. I have also picked off a few bears with a twenty-two bullet sealed off in muscle. Incidents such as these give me pause. I am sufficiently libertarian that I do not like government restricting our freedoms, but I am realistic enough to know that if we don't police ourselves, the "guvmint" will. The use of 22 centerfires appears to me an invitation for the politicians to regulate hunting somewhat more severely. Hence, philosophically, I'm uneasy when this is permitted.

 

[Anonymous]

The .22 Savage Hi-Power had a 70 grain bullet on the market 80 years ago. The only hunters who still use them to kill game are the eskimos!

My last village stay was an Inupiat town on the Arctic coast...the ONLY centerfire rifles and ammo I saw in town either in use or at the village store was stainless Ruger Mini14s and UMC FMJ ammo.

I was impressed by the 12yo girl with the dead polar bear and her Dad's Mini. I hate to imagine how wrong that could have went though...

 

[FOTIS]

No Kidding!

 

[Africa Huntress]

I do not want to create a problem here, But I do want to make sure that the fellows here realize that there are minimum caliber and energy requirements in African countries. The 5.6 x 57 RWS is an interesting and effective caliber that is ballistically comparable to the 6 mm. Therefore it would not meet the minimum caliber or energy requirements in some Africa countries, which is usually 7mm for plains game

This is important, remember if you shoot and draw blood, you pay, whether you ever find the animal or not, that fact alone should want you to bring the largest caliber that you can shoot well.

All Class II animals, ie Kudo, Gemsbok, Impala, Zebra, Blue wildebeest etc are not easy animals to bring down. Granted, there are plains game animals, like the pygmy antelope that weigh 20 pounds

 

[SJB358]

I have shot alot of deer with the 22-250 and 52 grain Speer HP. I know by all rights, it shouldn't work well, but man, if you stick that bullet in the ribs on a WT, it collapses. We had alot of crop damage shooting over apple orchards, and me being a gun kid enjoyed the heck out of shooting deer in the Winter.

Saying that, I haven't used a 22 caliber rifle for deer since.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Aleena, I was aware of trophy fees being based on animals fired at, even though I have never been to Africa.On Class II animals the 7mm minimum makes good sense to me. In fact, I would probably opt for a .300 H&H for such hunting, unless required to use a .375 H&H. You at least have enough bullet weight to assure that even a less than perfect shot will probably kill the animal or at least disable it enough for another shot.

I pride myself on killing quickly and with no drama. However I do occasionally misjudge angle, hit a small branch that I do not see, or the animal moves just when I squeeze the trigger and I get a less than optimum hit, we all do occasional. The extra horsepower of a more powerful centerfire than becomes an insurance policy. I hate trying to find blood spore in the dark, in the rain, half a mile down a drainage and in the thick brush from where I pulled the trigger!