Deer Hunting

maxim311 · July 24, 2005, 07:25 PM

is it practical to try and take down a small deer with a semi-auto .22 LR?

Dean C · July 24, 2005, 07:54 PM

Not legal in Washington.
dean

buffalo_bore · July 24, 2005, 08:07 PM

Not ethical anywhere.

Chad Sexton is a badass.

impact · July 24, 2005, 09:12 PM

Yah not legal in Texas ether. Before you decide you want to hunt you need to read up on your state laws.

mete · July 24, 2005, 09:23 PM

Only if you're a poacher !!!

xXStarScreamXx · July 24, 2005, 09:26 PM

Horrible.

SCCop · July 24, 2005, 09:27 PM

Don't even think about it. Personally I wouldn't go below .270 but I know some disagree and no way on .22 anything.

Capt. Charlie · July 24, 2005, 09:34 PM

Absolutely, positively NOT. .22LR's a great little round for plinking and the range, but the only thing I'll kill with it is rats at the county dump.

MeekAndMild · July 24, 2005, 10:35 PM

It would be cruel to use on a deer sized animal, unless you're talking about those little Vietnamese deer that are about the size of a small terrier.

zeisloft · July 25, 2005, 12:52 PM

It is not legal, but a .22lr will work. I have shot countless hogs with a .22 up to 190# (never tried anything larger, kinda figured 150 was the upper limit), as with everything else, shot placement. I'm not advocating you do it, just saying that yes, a .22 lr will work.

just one question · July 25, 2005, 01:06 PM

If i was poor and had no food i would do it.

Violating seasons and baglimits is unethical but its more unethical to let your family starve.

Ruger # 1 · July 25, 2005, 06:42 PM

Unless one is starving to death, shooting a deer with a .22 rimfire is absolutely assinine. I find it quite irritatating that anyone would seriously contemplate doing such an irresponsible thing.Excluding a perfect brain shot(unlikely) a deer shot with a .22 is going to run a long way without leaving any blood trail, to eventually die of hemorraging, or worse, infection.Either is a waste. If you can't respect your prey enough to strive for a clean kill, STAY OUT OF THE WOODS!

impact · July 25, 2005, 11:24 PM

Ruger # 1 I killed a deer one time with a 22lr. I found this nice looking buck laying on the side of the road that was hit by a car. Both back legs broke. it was a bad deal! The deer tried to run but the only thing he had to push with on his two back legs were bones. The legs were broke at the upper part of the leg. The mussels pulled up to expose about 3 inches of bone. The lower legs were just hanging on by skin.

I took my marlin 22 and shot the deer in the side of the head at about 30 yards. with some subsonic ammo I had loaded in the gun. It was lights out! The deer did not suffer at all! No I did not take the buck. I could have gotten in trouble for shooting the deer. But I would have got in trouble if I put that deer in my truck. I really don't see it as a waste. many other animals had a good feed I bet. When I got home I made a toast to the buck with a glass of port wine. I toast the buck for having a good life and being the giver of new life.

It's a ritual I do when I take (kill) game.

Art Eatman · July 26, 2005, 12:09 AM

One of my father's south Texas tales:

Back in the post-WW II period, lotsa guys went deer hunting on south Texas ranches. Many of them just wanted to get away from Momma, drink whiskey and play poker. Ranch hands would go sit out all night by a stock tank and wait, and if a really large buck showed up, they'd shoot him between the eyes.

Mr. Whiskey-Poker would commonly pay $5 per point to have something to take home and show Momma what a good boy he'd been.

Yeah, a .22 will kill a lot of stuff. Trouble is, it's too easy for it to not be a clean, ethical kill...

Art

Twycross · July 26, 2005, 12:29 AM

Seeing as there is debate over whether or not the .243 is an acceptable deer cartridge, I am certain that the .22LR is not. In a survival situation, yes, but otherwise, absolutely no. Unless you find yourself in a scenario like impact's, with a stationary target at very close range, and to the back of the head. And as has been pointed out, it is illegal in many states.

artsmom · July 26, 2005, 11:42 AM

Many old timers used nothing else, but then, they HAD nothing else.

If you are writing a story, then you can have the character shoot the deer with a .22 L.R.

If it is real life, then you need to get a better choice or forget about shooting a deer. There is a reason why millions of hunters paid the extra money for a centerfire rifle to hunt deer.

22-rimfire · July 26, 2005, 09:37 PM

Legal: Not anywhere I am aware of in the US
Ethical: Hell No!
Humane: Big Negatory!!
Cute: Not even close!
Smart: Assinine
Why ask the question here: Dumber

Willis · July 26, 2005, 10:23 PM

IMPACT, I like your toast. I will start doing it also.

Willis

July 24, 2005, 07:25 PM	#1
maxim311 Member Join Date: July 24, 2005 Posts: 15	Deer Hunting is it practical to try and take down a small deer with a semi-auto .22 LR?

July 24, 2005, 08:07 PM	#3
buffalo_bore Member Join Date: June 21, 2005 Posts: 57	Not ethical anywhere. Chad Sexton is a badass. __________________ You're no daisy. You're no daisy at all. Val Kilmer-Tombstone

July 24, 2005, 09:26 PM	#6
xXStarScreamXx Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2005 Location: Nor*Cal 707 Posts: 353	Horrible. __________________ I still don't see why cannibalism is a crime.

July 24, 2005, 09:27 PM	#7
SCCop Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2005 Posts: 239	Don't even think about it. Personally I wouldn't go below .270 but I know some disagree and no way on .22 anything. __________________ "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Teddy Roosevelt

July 24, 2005, 09:34 PM	#8
Capt. Charlie Moderator Emeritus Join Date: March 24, 2005 Location: Steubenville, OH Posts: 4,446	Absolutely, positively NOT. .22LR's a great little round for plinking and the range, but the only thing I'll kill with it is rats at the county dump. __________________ TFL Members are ambassadors to the world for firearm owners. What kind of ambassador does *your* post make *you?* I train in earnest, to do the things that I pray in earnest, I'll never have to do. --Capt. Charlie

July 24, 2005, 07:54 PM	#2
Dean C Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2004 Location: Mill Creek (Just north east of Seattle) Posts: 343	Not legal in Washington. dean

July 24, 2005, 09:12 PM	#4
impact Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: the great state of Texas Posts: 854	Yah not legal in Texas ether. Before you decide you want to hunt you need to read up on your state laws.

July 24, 2005, 09:23 PM	#5
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	Only if you're a poacher !!!

July 24, 2005, 10:35 PM	#9
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,988	It would be cruel to use on a deer sized animal, unless you're talking about those little Vietnamese deer that are about the size of a small terrier.

July 25, 2005, 12:52 PM	#10
zeisloft Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Location: Amarillo TX Posts: 419	It is not legal, but a .22lr will work. I have shot countless hogs with a .22 up to 190# (never tried anything larger, kinda figured 150 was the upper limit), as with everything else, shot placement. I'm not advocating you do it, just saying that yes, a .22 lr will work.

July 25, 2005, 01:06 PM	#11
just one question Senior Member Join Date: April 5, 2005 Posts: 213	Well If i was poor and had no food i would do it. Violating seasons and baglimits is unethical but its more unethical to let your family starve.

July 25, 2005, 06:42 PM	#12
Ruger # 1 Member Join Date: December 6, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 86	Unless one is starving to death, shooting a deer with a .22 rimfire is absolutely assinine. I find it quite irritatating that anyone would seriously contemplate doing such an irresponsible thing.Excluding a perfect brain shot(unlikely) a deer shot with a .22 is going to run a long way without leaving any blood trail, to eventually die of hemorraging, or worse, infection.Either is a waste. If you can't respect your prey enough to strive for a clean kill, STAY OUT OF THE WOODS! __________________ So Much Ammo, So Little Time

July 25, 2005, 11:24 PM	#13
impact Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2005 Location: the great state of Texas Posts: 854	Ruger # 1 I killed a deer one time with a 22lr. I found this nice looking buck laying on the side of the road that was hit by a car. Both back legs broke. it was a bad deal! The deer tried to run but the only thing he had to push with on his two back legs were bones. The legs were broke at the upper part of the leg. The mussels pulled up to expose about 3 inches of bone. The lower legs were just hanging on by skin. I took my marlin 22 and shot the deer in the side of the head at about 30 yards. with some subsonic ammo I had loaded in the gun. It was lights out! The deer did not suffer at all! No I did not take the buck. I could have gotten in trouble for shooting the deer. But I would have got in trouble if I put that deer in my truck. I really don't see it as a waste. many other animals had a good feed I bet. When I got home I made a toast to the buck with a glass of port wine. I toast the buck for having a good life and being the giver of new life. It's a ritual I do when I take (kill) game.

July 26, 2005, 12:09 AM	#14
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	One of my father's south Texas tales: Back in the post-WW II period, lotsa guys went deer hunting on south Texas ranches. Many of them just wanted to get away from Momma, drink whiskey and play poker. Ranch hands would go sit out all night by a stock tank and wait, and if a really large buck showed up, they'd shoot him between the eyes. Mr. Whiskey-Poker would commonly pay $5 per point to have something to take home and show Momma what a good boy he'd been. Yeah, a .22 will kill a lot of stuff. Trouble is, it's too easy for it to not be a clean, ethical kill... Art

July 26, 2005, 12:29 AM	#15
Twycross Senior Member Join Date: January 26, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 1,187	Seeing as there is debate over whether or not the .243 is an acceptable deer cartridge, I am certain that the .22LR is not. In a survival situation, yes, but otherwise, absolutely no. Unless you find yourself in a scenario like impact's, with a stationary target at very close range, and to the back of the head. And as has been pointed out, it is illegal in many states. __________________ The test of character is not 'hanging in' when you expect light at the end of the tunnel, but performance of duty, and persistence of example when you know no light is coming. - Vice Admiral James Stockdale, USN (ret.)

July 26, 2005, 11:42 AM	#16
artsmom Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2005 Location: Nebraska Posts: 334	Many old timers used nothing else, but then, they HAD nothing else. If you are writing a story, then you can have the character shoot the deer with a .22 L.R. If it is real life, then you need to get a better choice or forget about shooting a deer. There is a reason why millions of hunters paid the extra money for a centerfire rifle to hunt deer.

July 26, 2005, 09:37 PM	#17
22-rimfire Senior Member Join Date: February 19, 2005 Location: Tennessee Posts: 5,323	Legal: Not anywhere I am aware of in the US Ethical: Hell No! Humane: Big Negatory!! Cute: Not even close! Smart: Assinine Why ask the question here: Dumber

July 26, 2005, 10:23 PM	#18
Willis Member Join Date: June 14, 2005 Location: Montana Posts: 37	toast IMPACT, I like your toast. I will start doing it also. Willis