# 22-250 for White Tail



## Hair Trigger Gun Dogs (May 5, 2007)

What do you all think about 22-250 for WhiteTail? I read the 223 thread, but I had specific questions about particular factory ammunition for 22-250. Please let me know your thoughts.


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## blue geese (Apr 1, 2008)

go for it. i have shot many deer with my 22-250 they have great speed and are very accurate.


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## jmillercustoms (Dec 11, 2007)

if its what u got use it, a 22-250 was my first deer gun, killed many deer with it too just have to shoot a heavier bullet and put it where it counts, however in the future i would save up and buy a bigger caliber and save the 250 for the yotes! :sniper:


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

I personally consider any 22 caliber centerfire too light for deer. Yes, if everything goes right and you place your shot perfectly it will kill a deer, but ethically don't we owe more than that?

For the same reason I shy away from the 243 for deer. Yes I've killed my share with the 243 but it never gave me that warm fuzzy feeling of confidence. Even the strongest proponent, if he's being honest, will admit the 243 is on the light side for deer.

With both 22 centerfires & the 243 I've seen hits that blew up w/o giving adequate penetration to reach the vitals, bullets blowing up when hitting heavy bone (same end result) and less than idea body hits that didn't do enough damage to slow or stop the animal.

As far as I'm concerned a deer caliber starts with the 260 Remington and goes up from there. My two favorite deer rounds are the 270 Win. and 257 Wby Mag...

Don't be cheap, just save a bit & buy a rifle in an established caliber that's right for the job...


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## Colt (Oct 25, 2007)

It can be done, but I have way too much respect for deer to try to kill one with anything less than a 243. Bad things can happen when using a bullet under 100 grains.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

just shoot a tsx and shoot it in the shoulder and you will get the bang flop that everyone wants.


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

NDTerminator said:


> I personally consider any 22 caliber centerfire too light for deer. Yes, if everything goes right and you place your shot perfectly it will kill a deer, but ethically don't we owe more than that?
> 
> For the same reason I shy away from the 243 for deer. Yes I've killed my share with the 243 but it never gave me that warm fuzzy feeling of confidence. Even the strongest proponent, if he's being honest, will admit the 243 is on the light side for deer.
> 
> ...


Maybe we can get some good debate going here. Is a 300WM big enough. If I had to go off of what you are saying and my experience of the whitetail I shot this year alone, I'd have to say no. I hit my WT deer with a 180 gr bullet from my 300WM and blew the heart in half. It still ran 50 yards or so. It is my belief that there is such a thing as too much gun. If you punch through too quickly and too hard, the deer doesn't even know its been hit. My belief is they go down quicker if you have just enough power to get the bullet to the exit side, expending most of the energy in the target (deer).

I believe a 22-250 with good bullets would do just as well as a 300WM. I shot my first deer with a 222 Rem. Yes, it ran a ways, about 50 yards or so. But it knew it had been hit and it had a hard time going for that 50. With the deer I shot this year, I couldn't even tell the deer had been hit until about the last 4 steps it took.

In short, I believe there is such a thing as overkill and when you hit that point you are not gaining anything. I believe the overkill point starts at about 270 or so for deer sized game.


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## spentwings (Apr 25, 2007)

NDTerminator said:


> Even the strongest proponent, if he's being honest, will admit the 243 is on the light side for deer.


On the contrary! :shake: 
I've taken deer with a .444, 8mm, 30/06, 30-30 and 7mm-08. 
When by chance I tried a .243 in 1990, I heard the argument then as now "The .243 is on the light side for deer." so I used handloads with premium bullets. 17+ deer later (most pumped up and moving), I've never looked back.


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## Whelen35 (Mar 9, 2004)

Personally, I don't care for the .224's on deer sized animals. I have seen first hand quick kills, and also good hits that left no blood trail and animals found after lots of looking with no blood trail to follow. For me, I have gone from the fast small and large to moderate speeds and traditional bullets. The 45-70 with 300 or 400gr bullets, the 358 with 200 or 225gr bullets, 35 whelen with 225's, 257 roberts with 115's. Bullets that have been tried and proven to work. Matching bullets to velosity is in my thinking the way to go. Moderate speeds with bullets designed to perform properly is the way to go. I personally can't see how a bullet could be expected to perform "right" at all speeds. If you shoot a bullet designed to perform "right" at 300+yds with the super fast, don't wimmper when you take a shot at 30yds and did not get the right bullet performance. Most of my hunting for deer is shots from 5-150yds and I plan my guns and loads for what I expect to shoot at. This for me meand at times one gun in the morning and a differant one for evening depending on where I am hunting. The .224's are small and fast without a lot of mass. For me and the way I hunt this is not the combination I need. Perhaps smaller deer at a longer range with proper bullet would work good, barns tsx or the partition nosler if you can get them to shoot well in your gun.


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

Bottom line, 22 centerfires are varmint calibers that were never intended for big game. They are legal for deer in ND because most every farmer has one in his truck, usually a 22-250. It has all to do with popular politics and nothing to do with ethical big game hunting...

IMO the 243 is possibly the best coyote round ever devised, and that's all I use it for. There's no question of the limitations of the round, ballistically speaking, for big game. For those who think the 243 is a deer death ray, more power to you & rock on with it. I'll go with a bit more buck when it come to big game, thanks all the same... :beer:


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

I find the use of appletiti's or any of the cheerleader beers work well for white tail or any kind I am not picky on color. Well any sweet drink for that matter. Oh you ment deer type critters. In factory ammo stick to any of the heavier bullets and you should be fine. Most brands will have a picture of what the bullet can be used for.

To all haters.

Haters only hate the things that they can't get and the people they can't be.

It does not take a belted magnum to kill a deer. If you fire a shot into the spot it should be then you will be fine with smaller rounds. Each round and bullet fired from said round has it strengths and weaknesses. I personaly hate the 25-06 as a deer round but others love it so much they get red-faced mad trying to explain how it is the bla bla bla bla bla bla bla what ever they say. I only know two shooters who use it and consistantly kill deer with one shot and they both shoot 85gr BT bullets. Yes the varmit bullet. All the others shoot the heaviest bullets. It seems they are always shooting 3 to 4 times to put down a deer. Yes I have fired that many times and once a few more times, but not every year. Does my dislike of the 25-06 make it a bad round? Heck no! You just have to work with its strengthes. Same thing needs to be done with any round and bullet you shoot.


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## wherdog (Nov 3, 2008)

The last 8 deer I have shot have all been with the 22-250. I have never had problems bringing one down. They have all been one shot kills. I have never lost a deer shot by my 22-250. I am very confident with that rifle. I would rather shoot a rifle I am comfortable with than to use one that is no doubt large enough but am not comfortable with. The main thing is proper shot placement and no your limitations before pulling the trigger IMHO.


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## KurtR (May 3, 2008)

Give me some one who can put the shot where it counts with a good bullet and cal. is a non-issue.


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## Longshot (Feb 9, 2004)

NDTerminator said:


> *Bottom line, 22 centerfires are varmint calibers that were never intended for big game.* They are legal for deer in ND because most every farmer has one in his truck, usually a 22-250. It has all to do with popular politics and nothing to do with ethical big game hunting...
> 
> IMO the 243 is possibly the best coyote round ever devised, and that's all I use it for. There's no question of the limitations of the round, ballistically speaking, for big game. For those who think the 243 is a deer death ray, more power to you & rock on with it. I'll go with a bit more buck when it come to big game, thanks all the same... :beer:


I completely disagree. IMO it's the bullet that you choose. Call the bullet maker to make sure what that bullet is made for. I shot a nice sized doe last year with my 22-250 using a 55 gr. Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. It did a good job and didn't go any further than 35 yards. I used my 22-250 last year since I have seen one used for many years and decided it was one of the calibers I would shoot that year. The other extra doe tag I used my 45-70 with 300 gr. HP. The deer traveled the same distance with a good shot also. If you're going to shoot the 22 cf don't use the varmint bullets and choose the correct one for the job. Too many people keep reading the magazines that keep pushing the larger and larger calibers every year. It seems that now days they try to make you think you need a 338 RUM for deer. I may have to get one of those to try too. :lol:


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## NDTerminator (Aug 20, 2003)

More power to you & your 250 for deer, but the fact remains 22 centerfires were developed as varmint calibers, and even the most rudimentary research proves this to be true...


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## keenansnyder (Jan 25, 2006)

i would use a barnes bullet...with a smaller caliber like a 22-250 it will have the best penetratin...

goes in and out of coyotes...

do you consider a .243 too small for an elk??? i know a woman who has shot 3 elk in the last 3 years with a .243. Granted she limits her max range to around 75-100 yards....depending on environmental conditions and the elk....


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