22 centerfires for big game?

[FOTIS]

Where do you stand on this?

 

[FOTIS]

http://gf.state.wy.us/web2011/Departmen ... 002860.pdf

 

[CMBTshooter]

You can take down a deer with a .223 no problem but I definitely agree with most state's .24 cal or larger rule just to play it safe. Also that way you don't get novice hunters trying to take down an elk with a 22-250.

 

[onesonek]

I keep some 60 gr. NPT's on hand ,,,,just in case. I prefer .243/6mm or bigger for big game.
It's not that they won't kill, but to kill reliably under a wide variety of conditions, is the question... Murphy is first in my mind, with most choice's when I head out..

 

[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.

 

[.280 Remington]

There are a select few folks out there that would be "qualified" to do so. Range time, bullet selection, ect..

But your everyday hunter is going to pick up whatever ammo is available, usually FMJ's or varmint ammo and should not be doing it. I would not use it, but that's because I have other options available to me. Others may not, and they need some coaching!

 

[HTDUCK]

Hunting meat, not horns I carry a .223 Tikka T3 on occaision.
This rifle shoots 65 gr SGKs under 1/2 MOA off of sandbags.
All of our hunting is done from elevated stands with rails which provide a very stable rest.

Head, upper neck shots only.
Took a doe last year at 145 yards with it.

 

[257 Ackley]

CF .22 calibers are legal in Minnesota, but they do not make a good hunting rifle/caliber for deer in most parts of the state. I have shot deer with a .22-250 while doing herd reduction work for the DNR over feeding sites in the metro area where a long shot was 75 yards. You can be selective and place your shot where it will be a DRT hit. I have friends in Montana that use 22-250's for their antelope and antlerless deer tags, and have witnessed many clean one-shot kills at long range. The problem with most .22 caliber bullets is that they are not constructed to penetrate into the vitals of big game unless it is the perfect scenerio. Nosler makes a great bullet for .22 CF deer/antelope hunting (60 grain PT), the problem is getting it to stabalize in a 14 twist barrel. I think Jim has been able to get the 64 grain bonded bullet to shoot in his 14 twist 22-250, which would work for these situations.

 

[Anonymous]

It's not really my taste but I've seen quite a few small deer and caribou taken with .223s and .22-250s.

With a hunting bullet the .22-250 will knock one down with a lung shot with amazing speed. A friend shot a small deer with a .223/TSX a couple of years ago and I've have believed him if he told me used a .270. I've also seen AK Native hunters using the .223/FMJ and it worked better than I thought it would, but they were habitually shooting from rock throwing distance.

Used within the proper envelope, I'm kinda OK with it- but the hunter has got to realize that they have little(if any) room for error. It pretty much depends on a lot of things working well together- I feel better when I'm confident that it'll work when a lot of things go wrong.

 

[DrMike]

The primary problem as I see it is that there will always be a percentage of the hunting public that are incapable of the required accuracy to put an animal down cleanly. This percentage may be larger than people imagine. Consequently, the general public will witness wounded animals and tar the hunting fraternity with a broad brush of poor ethics. Any of us can, and possibly have, overestimated our abilities at some point in our hunting experiences--the range was greater than we imagined, the bullet failed to maintain integrity allowing it to reach the vitals, the wound channel was less than we had hoped, the shot wasn't ideal, etc. Because we don't always control the variables (to say nothing of the intangibles), it is a mark of humility and wisdom to use enough bullet to ensure a clean kill. For me, that excludes many of the smaller calibres.

 

[noslerfan]

They will work but shot placement needs to be perfect. Hard to do on a running buck. I'm not a good tracker so bigger is better for me. 30/06 or 7mm mag for me.

 

[jmad_81]

I have taken one deer with a 22-250. Several family members have taken some as well. I can't think of any that required more than one hit. My wife thinks they are big enough.

While I don't think they are the end all deer and speed goat gun, they do work.

Elk.....out of the question (.243" min in Oregon). Same with Bears (although it is leagal to use a .224" on bears in Oregon).

 

[Thankful Otter]

We have no choice. by law the minimum is a 6 mm. We can hunt wolf and wolverine with a 22 centerfire.

However, we use a larger caliber than 6 mm for everything even wolf and wolverine.

This is funny that I saw this thread because just this morning I told a friend that lives in the States that even the wolves laugh at people who carry a 243 up here (-;

 

[BK]

Huh, A, I would have thought a .243 would be a good starting point for wolves.

 

[DrMike]

This is funny that I saw this thread because just this morning I told a friend that lives in the States that even the wolves laugh at people who carry a 243 up here (-;

Agreed. :grin:

 

[Thankful Otter]

Huh, A, I would have thought a .243 would be a good starting point for wolves.

BK. A would probably use a 300 H & H --just kidding

I think you thought it said Africa huntress, I wish but unfortunately I am in the frozen north and a different girl.

I was just teasing my friend in the States. when we are hunting wolves we use a 6.5 Swede, but a 243 would also be a good gun for those guys.

But when teasing, I agree with Dr. Mike (-:

 

[BK]

Huh, A, I would have thought a .243 would be a good starting point for wolves.

BK. A would probably use a 300 H & H --just kidding

I think you thought it said Africa huntress, I wish but unfortunately I am in the frozen north and a different girl.

I was just teasing my friend in the States. when we are hunting wolves we use a 6.5 Swede, but a 243 would also be a good gun for those guys.

But when teasing, I agree with Dr. Mike (-:

Yep, I totally read that wrong... Sorry about that, we are getting a lot of "Huntresses" around here (a very cool thing), and in my defense, I've had so much coffee this morning I can hardly read the screen right, let alone type without making a ton of mistakes.

And a .300 Ooch and Ooch is rarely a mistake!

 

[Guy Miner]

I've killed quite a few deer with an AR-15 in .223, using 55 grain soft point bullets. All of them were injured in some way, from collisions with vehicles, getting torn up by domestic dogs, or getting trapped in a fence and hurt. All of them at modest range. The .223 seemed to kill like all other rifles, quickly when shots are placed well.

IMHO hunters should be free to choose their hunting cartridge, without the government telling us which cartridges are legal. If they choose an inadequate cartridge, well, so be it. It's on them. I'm a less-government kind of guy.

Personally, I feel a lot better with the .24 & .25 cal rifles as my own minimum.

Regards, Guy

 

[Ridge_Runner]

I've killed 100+ with a 223, more than a few with a 22-250, of those my choice is a 223 if you use just softpoint ammo, controlled expansion bullets even them up. for our smaller eastern whitetail, in and experienced and disciplined hunters hands they work well, however you need to have the experience to know that on the pretty sunday broadside double lung shot, they will run 50 yards before they start to leave a bloodtrail. not diffacult to find them if you know where they were at 50 yards beyond impact point.
RR

 

[Kodiak]

You can take down a deer with a .223 no problem but I definitely agree with most state's .24 cal or larger rule just to play it safe. Also that way you don't get novice hunters trying to take down an elk with a 22-250.

I agree to some extent.

Years ago, while traveling with a friend in Idaho, we encountered an elk outfitter/guide at the trail-head. The conversation made it's way to weapons choices, where-upon we were enlightened that a 223 AR-15 was that outfitters go-to rifle. But what might a novice be lead to believe when listening to a "professional" outfitter's choice?

Some folks may need (as in survival) to take an animal and all they have is a small-caliber weapon.