# 22-250 good gun or bad gun????



## mireault88

hey ,
I recently got a ruger 22-250 and it was a Christmas present from my dad. It was intended for me to use when me and my stepdad go coyote and fox hunting and now my stepdad tells me that it is one of those inbetween guns that he wouldn't buy. He said it is too big for fox and to small for deer. I am still going to use it but i wanted some input on the situation. Will it blow apart the fox and coyotes?

Sincerely,
Mireault88


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## mallard

Make sure you use a solid,non- expanding bullet and it should put them down with only a small hole on both sides.The 22-250 is a good varmint calibre although I would not use it for deer(my opinion only).


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## mireault88

thanks mallard!
I currently use remington 50 grain premier varmint loaded with hornady v-max it says on the back explosive break upon impact. I take it this isn't what i should be shooting. I got my gun bore sighted at cabelas but i haven't sighted it in further. what kind of bullets should i use?


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## muskat

I personally wouldn't use it for deer either, but my mom uses one, and she seems to take down deer just fine with it(all depends on the grain and type of load).


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## mireault88

ok,
I am still wondering about hunting fox with it though? what about that ? I probably wont' use it for deer. 
?


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## Ron Gilmore

Two rules of thumb on bullet selection. The gun will more than likely shoot differently with Winchester, Federal, or any other brand in the same bullet weight. Find the one that shoots best from your gun. I have two 30.-06 rifles that shoot differnt groups with the same load.

Bullet type for varmit hunting should be solids to minimze pelt damage, bullet weights of 40 to 55 grain would be my recomendation. See which shoot best.

Remember that if this gun is brand new it may take 100 + rounds to season the barrel. You have internet access I would go to some of the shooting sites and get break in info do's and don'ts.

This is a fine round in a good rifle that should provide lots of years of service. You should be very happy with it on varmits. Learn the guns and your limits and never try and make shots above them and your in field experences should be great.

Good luck.


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## grandpa

from an old gunsmith
22-250 is my favorite cal.

owned 6 or 8 while i lived in wy. shooting prairie dogs.

62 gr blitz hp was may favorite. did a ---- of a job on dogs.

varments are ok---not on big game.

enjoy your new gun---most of mine were rugers too.


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## Duckskinner

I would not recommend this cal. for fox. It will definately blow a big hole in them. They are very light skinned. It is an awesome yote caliber though. I have relatives who have shot alot af deer with it but I would not recommend it for deer either. It has killed alot of antelope though.


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## Plainsman

mireault88

Back when I was young and could not afford a rifle of my own I barrowed my fathers 22-250. I shot deer, antelope, coyote, fox, and anything that moved with that rifle. I also believe that the 22-250 is light for deer, but I never lost a deer with that old gun. I shoot a 300 mag now, but still think I could do it with the old 22-250. Now I use it for coyote and fox. If you reload your problems are over. Almost everything blows fox up. They are small and delicate. You can go from two angles here, either a full metal to shoot through, or a highly frangible at a lower velocity that will not exit. Good luck and happy shooting.

Plainsman


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## Bobm

Plainsman your e-mail to me was accidentally deleted by my kids can you e-mail me at [email protected]
Thanks


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## lezpaul2000

U guys must be smokin crack a 22-250 wont kill a deer ?My dad wouldnt use anything other he has killed more than 25 deer with his and notched each one on the buttplate until he has now run out of room ... ive seen him shoot deer that done complete backflips when he hit them in the chest and last year won the big buck classic where i live with his buck that barely fits on the wall after shootin the doe in front of it and layin them both down with ease and almost giving my unc a heart attack when he seen the horns .. Out of all the deer through the years he has shot them once and i cant remember a time when he even needed a finish off shot to put them out of there misery... Ive seen it scatter blood spit and *** many times like its heavier counterparts like the .06s and the .300s maybe u guys should learn to shoot and not rely so much on ur howitzers to do the work ..... SPEED KILLS MY FREINDS :sniper:


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## ND_HUNTER_14

:withstupid: lezpaul2000, no offense but u must be smokin the crack (_Y_) cuz everyone likes there own gun like ur dad trusts his gun my dad trusts his im not an "experienced" hunter with a gun cuz this is my first year but im kinda leanin' toward my dads 30-06 springfield (like ur dad , he never has to shoot twice) and my uncles .257 roberts

k....... :sniper:


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## headhunter

lezpaul2000, Well, your right, a 22-250 can kill a deer, but so can a 22 rimfire. anything "can" kill big game. It is just not the ideal caliber to take hunting whitetails. Speed does not kill my friend, Energy transfer/bullet placement/bullet performance is what kills. It should be illegal to shoot at deer with anything less than a 25-06. and even a 25-06 is on the light side for people who take killing a deer seriously. I know people use varmit class rifles for deer,(way too many) but someday, they will wish they actually used a "deer rifle" when they loose a deer. For an adult hunter, there is no reason to shoot anything smaller than a 270. (ok, we'll squeeze the 25-06 in too...grumble)


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## isthmusbob

mireault88 said:


> hey ,
> I recently got a ruger 22-250 and it was a Christmas present from my dad. It was intended for me to use when me and my stepdad go coyote and fox hunting and now my stepdad tells me that it is one of those inbetween guns that he wouldn't buy. He said it is too big for fox and to small for deer. I am still going to use it but i wanted some input on the situation. Will it blow apart the fox and coyotes?
> 
> Sincerely,
> Mireault88


Straight from the ND Hunting Regs:
Deer Gun Season - Centerfire rifles of .22 caliber or larger and muzzleloading rifles of .45 caliber or larger are legal for deer. 
Here in Wisconsin you can only use a rifle/handgun/slug-gun that produces 1000 ft-lbs on deer. I think that is a good standard to go by. If you use factory Remington ammo in your rifle, the ballistics are something like this:
Cartridge Type	Bullet	Muzzle	100	200	300	400	500
UMC®	45 JHP	1598	1114	767 
Premier® Varmint	50 V-Max	1540	1188	910	689	512	372
EtronX™	50 V-Max	1540	1188	910	689	512	372
Remington® Express®	55 PSP	1654	1201	861	603	410	272
Remington® Express®	55 HP PL	1654	1257	947	703	511	363.

The chart doesn't line up to well. Look here:http://www.remington.com/ammo/ballistics/centerfire/results.asp?cal=7
Obviously this cartridge excells at long range on varmints, but using a 50 grain bullet, you should be able to whack deer with confidence out to about 125 yards. Beyond that range, the lil bullet doesn't produce enough energy .


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## rdsii64

What about a .308 winchester
I would be willing to bet that many a .308 has droped a dear dead in its tracks



headhunter said:


> lezpaul2000, Well, your right, a 22-250 can kill a deer, but so can a 22 rimfire. anything "can" kill big game. It is just not the ideal caliber to take hunting whitetails. Speed does not kill my friend, Energy transfer/bullet placement/bullet performance is what kills. It should be illegal to shoot at deer with anything less than a 25-06. and even a 25-06 is on the light side for people who take killing a deer seriously. I know people use varmit class rifles for deer,(way too many) but someday, they will wish they actually used a "deer rifle" when they loose a deer. For an adult hunter, there is no reason to shoot anything smaller than a 270. (ok, we'll squeeze the 25-06 in too...grumble)


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## bigblackfoot

headhunter said:


> It should be illegal to shoot at deer with anything less than a 25-06. and even a 25-06 is on the light side for people who take killing a deer seriously.
> 
> What about a .243 or 6mm. these two calibers have shot thousands of deer with no problem. Everybody has there own opinions, but to say it should be illegal is an overstatement to say the least. My .02


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## headhunter

Bigblackfoot, I guess it probly was an overstatement, If the deer is standing broadside within 150 yards, a 6mm or 243 or 22-250 is adequate I guess. But why not be properly prepared and carry a gun that will knock em down dead at 300 yards. Dead, Beyond a reasonable doubt is what I'm getting at. these smaller calibers cannot be counted on in all situations, therefore I think in a flat state where reachy shots are the rule not the exception, shoot enough gun, and a little extra if in doubt. :-?


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## bigblackfoot

Good point, i got what you are saying. Although a 243. or 6mm will kill a deer at 300 yards, youre right, it is getting to be pretty lengthy shot. But if you can kill deer consistently at 350-400 yards you are a pretty damn good shot. Personally i shoot a 7mm, which is more than enough for whitetail. Its just that i used to have a 6mm and am kinda parshal to them, and have seen them work. Good conversation. Have a good season


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## headhunter

Bigblackfoot, a couple years ago i took a very risky shot at a buck trotting at 300 yards (dumb) I held high to either kill him or miss him. Well, I hit him just below the spine. He did go "down" but I had to run up there and finish the game. I learned NOT to do that again. But, if I would have been shooting a 243 , I would have wounded that deer and he would have run and run. They don't have the energy if you screw up like that. I was shooting my 7mag with 160 grain Nosler Partitions. I got enough penentration/expansion to knock him down pretty good, but not good enough. Was my 7mag more than enough in that circumstance? no. A bad shot is a bad shot too though. I'm just saying no gun is necessarily overkill. depends on the shot.

later


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## rdsii64

I learned to shoot in the military(USMC) I can tell you that if you apply the basics of marksmenship a 300 yard shot is not hard at all. if you are using a scope you have the luxury of your deer and your aiming reticle in the same focal plain. not to brag but we learn to engage man size targets with iron sights at 5oo yards. So I must say that a 300 yard shot at a good sized deer with a scoped riffle isn't that hard. I will say this though kinetic energy transfer and bullet placement are just as important as shooting ability so my weapon of choice for dear is a .308 winchester. 
its light recoil makes it easy to control when you squeeze the trigger.
I have no doubt with a 180 grain bullet you can stop a dear dead in its tracks at ranges less than 500 yards. for that matter it will stop any animal that weighs less than 200 pounds out to 1000 yards if you can shoot well enough. yes i said 1000 yards. don't get me wrong I would never take a 1000 yard shot even if I can shoot that well. ( I have hit a few paper targets from that range.) that is just not using common sense in the field.



bigblackfoot said:


> Good point, i got what you are saying. Although a 243. or 6mm will kill a deer at 300 yards, youre right, it is getting to be pretty lengthy shot. But if you can kill deer consistently at 350-400 yards you are a pretty damn good shot. Personally i shoot a 7mm, which is more than enough for whitetail. Its just that i used to have a 6mm and am kinda parshal to them, and have seen them work. Good conversation. Have a good season


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## keith trosen

greetings,

been using 22-250 for everything from prairie dogs to deer.....using same load...53gr. hornady, 36 gr. h380 and fed 210 primer....fox doesn't exit...prairie dog devistating.....deer...place shot where you want it or let it go...i have never had a deer go more than 100 yards after the shot....an excellent rifle


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## TANATA

I've heard talk about somebody taking a large buck from around Carrington with a 22. hornet. Kinda ****** me off because my zone is there and you never know. ; P

:sniper:


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## stolenbase

shooting deer with small calibers like 223 22-250 22 hortnet will kill deer but is not an ethical choice. THEY ARE THE MINIMUM


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## muzzy

I am not sure how you can say it is not an ethical choice. It is quite ethical if used in the right way. I have shot quite a few deer with a .22-250. 1. DON'T shoot at running deer with one. 2. I only take head shots on standing deer, usually 200 yards and under. If I have an extra doe tag to shoot, and have lots of opportunities at standing deer I will use this rifle (on stand) as I shoot it very well. If I am walking/pushing deer, or am hunting bucks where I will probably take a running shot I am either carrying my 7mm Rem Mag or my .308 Win. There is more chance of error here so I use a heavier caliber, I also don't want to lug my 10lb. plus varmint rifle around.

The cartridge is fine if a little judgement is used along with it, it is not a cartridge designed to push through heavy muscle and bone. I avoid everything but head shots with it, although if you have a broadside or slightly quartering shot where you can avoid the shoulder it is also quite devestating on the lungs.


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## mallard

In my opinion there is allways the chance of hitting the front shoulder on a deer.That is why I choose a rifle caliber that will deliver 1000 ft-lbs of energy at point of impact and a well designed bullet(grand slams,partitions,fail safes,barnes X,etc).If I make that mistake the rifle and the bullet will do the job.I curently shoot a 7mm rem,30-06,and a 280.


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## MADTRAPPER

A 22-250 is excellent for fox and coyote. I myself wouldn't use it on deer.


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## varmiterkid

madtraper yes i agree i use a 223 and 22-250 for coyotes and fox not for deer. i could prob. kill a deer with one without much trouble yet i can also wound one with out much prob. also. i use too many guns for deer and i can't settle in on one260,270,280,308,30-06,300, 35 rem i am starting to favor the 308 and leaving the others in the gun rack. yet when i go to grab on the last two i think about r the 223 and 22-250.


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## Longshot

A 50 grain Barnes X-Bullet in a 22-250 can deliver 1000 ft/lbs. of energy at 100 yards. A good constructed bullet with adequate energy within its range. I typically use a 260 or 300, but I would not tell someone they are wrong for using a 22-250.


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## Varminator

Will it ever! I have a Remington 22-250. It is totally awsome round. 22-250 has range and with the heavier bullets. It will take down a larger animal. You dad must really love you!


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