22-250 for big Montana Mulies

[Pumpkin]

I have a box of Speer 70gr semi-spritzers that they used to offer as a medium game bullet for the bigger 22’s back in the day. Kinda short with a not so great BC. Bought them for a Swift along time ago and never got around to using them. Not sure if they are still available.
Apparently, they still have it and sell it as a “ varmint “ bullet that gives minimal pelt damage. Still, not going to turn the standard twist 22-250 into a 243/6mm.

[jmhyer]

If confined to this caliber, there are, indeed, factory loadings in 22-250 using both partitions and copper projectiles. I would suggest he pick up one of these if time/opportunity permits.

But, otherwise, I think what he used did just fine.

[Jim Watson]

I have a box of Speer 70gr semi-spritzers

I'm not a hunter but just for fun I shot some of those blunt Speers in my Ruger 77V 14 twist and found them stable and reasonably accurate to 200 metres.
Sierra makes or made a 63 grain semispitzer game bullet, but I have not shot any.

Right on the ragged edge, I shot some 60 grain Hornadys, both HP and SP. The shorter Spire Point was quite accurate, the longer Hollow Point was wild, although not to the point of key holing, just scattered on target.

[reynolds357]

Originally Posted by samsmix

Edit: Upon skinning the critter in this story, I discovered the bullet performed far better than my initial field inspection suggested. I thought it was a shallow wound with too little damage, but it was a through and through wound with more damage than I initially realized.

Original Post:
I have used the .223 before, and seen the .22-250 used, and was not impressed. Yesterday I saw a mulie doe taken with a 22-250 64gr soft point that Winchester alleges is a medium game bullet. The deer was plainly well hit, my hunting partner was only about 50 yards from it... but the result was less than impressive.

Is there a magic-ish bullet, or is this just the way of the fast .22?

I personally don't see a .22 cal on a mulie as ethical. A 90GMX in a .257 Wby exits with 50 cent piece sized exit hole and looks like a bomb went off around wound channel. There are a lot better rounds for mulies than anything .22 cal. A .25 is marginal.

[FrankenMauser]

I didn't know that the original post had been edited and updated.
samsmix, in the future, please post an update as a normal reply. Otherwise, it may go unseen by people that have already replied.

[georgehwbush]

i'm not sure what "ethical" is. i have seen the complete heart and 2/3 of one lung blown out a baseball sized exit with 7mm slug, and the stupid "dead" deer still run 50 yards before falling... i have also seen 22lr drop an 800lbs hog. but as to ethical, dead is dead, granted the quicker the better. but as long as you are not tracking it into the night and still not find it down somewhere.... just what is ethical?

[georgehwbush]

seems that it is not always the size or speed of the bullet, nor even the organs destroied... sometimes it's just 'deer karma'

[Jim Watson]

Once upon a time, the .220 Swift was considered a suitable rifle for stalking stag in Scotland. I trust the gentry have learnt better by now.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by georgehwbush

i'm not sure what "ethical" is. i have seen the complete heart and 2/3 of one lung blown out a baseball sized exit with 7mm slug, and the stupid "dead" deer still run 50 yards before falling... i have also seen 22lr drop an 800lbs hog. but as to ethical, dead is dead, granted the quicker the better. but as long as you are not tracking it into the night and still not find it down somewhere.... just what is ethical?

The definition could vary depending on how empty stomach is.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Pumpkin]

That changes everything, and also throws legality out the window depending upon how dire the situation.

I would think that most people on a firearms related forum aren’t in this category.

[tangolima]

Originally Posted by Pumpkin

That changes every, and also throws legality out the window depending upon how dire the situation.



I would think that most people on a firearms related forum aren’t in this category.

The hunter couple, the op's friends, may be in that situation. They have only one rifle.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[natman]

Originally Posted by FrankenMauser

These are the only two loads that I know of, that I think could be reasonable for Muleys.

Norma Oryx 55 gr Bonded
It is a little light, but is at least a good, bonded bullet.

Barnes VORT-TX 50 gr TSX

I was going to recommend the same two loads. A 22-250 is not optimal for deer, but if you must, then bullet selection is critical.

[Ricklin]

Far from optimal. Not legal in Washington. Other states also have big game caliber restrictions. Min. of .24 caliber in Wa. for deer.

[Nathan]

This discussion has made me wonder if I should make a deer load for my accuracy AR15 in 223 W.

Nosler has a 55gr e-tip bullet with a good bc. Looks like a good round to 400yds….thoughts?

[natman]

Originally Posted by Nathan

This discussion has made me wonder if I should make a deer load for my accuracy AR15 in 223 W.

Nosler has a 55gr e-tip bullet with a good bc. Looks like a good round to 400yds….thoughts?

Is it the first of April already?

[44 AMP]

Nosler has a 55gr e-tip bullet with a good bc. Looks like a good round to 400yds….thoughts?

A .22 cal bullet for deer at 400 yds??

I wouldn't.

[georgehwbush]

minute of deer gets a lot smaller at that combo eea 44?

[Tallest]

If your twist rate allows for it, go for something more along the lines of the 77 Grain Sierra TMK. Out to 400 yards, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

[ammo.crafter]

My brother in law has taken north east deer with it and never had an issue. Muleys are another animal completely.
Muscle, bone, strength, etc., I think it's a bit light.
All aside, if you can put that .22 cal pill exactly where you want it and where it should be go for it. Be an ethical hunter!

[samsmix]

Well, here we are: cutting up a cow elk.

It was shot from about 180 yards. As he tells it, "She was quartering away very slightly with her head down, grazing. Watching her with the rifle over my pack, at some point I realized I was looking at the classic archer's shot to the heart, so that's where I put it. You always told me 'if an elk doesn't go down imediately, hit it again!' So I immediately sent another round into it's lungs, but when I dressed her out I found out it wasn't necessary, as her heart had a better-than-thumb-sized hole through it. She was dead when I got to her."
He also said the lungs looled like you'd expect: near side had a tennis ball sized hole, far side pin-holed. No exit on the rib cage.
The rifle will be a 7-08 by next year.

His Whitetail fell to a load of "00" buck, so that's a wrap...in freezer paper to be exact.

I AM NOT HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR FAST .22s ON DEER, and ESPECIALLY NOT ON ELK! I don't really like them even on antelope, but there it is, and it's history now.

Anyone wanna buy a Marlin M7 VT barrel in .22-250?

[samsmix]

Correct, Tangolima, he has only one rifle. That and an inherited Knight TK-2000 muzzle loaded turkey gun.

[georgehwbush]

"beware the man that only has one gun..."

[deadcoyote]

So as is typical for me I have two completely contradictory things to add here:

1. My close life long friends dad swears by .22-250 as a great easy to carry and kill anything round and claims to have taken many deer and one Roosevelt elk with one. I always thought it was silly as it’s basically a 5.56 plus 400 fps and I’d still not want to kill anything I hunt with that.


2. When the .22 Creedmore came out the marketing/paid hunters/ influencers were crowing about how they should call it .22 bleed more because it kills deer and medium game so easily. My own reaction to that caliber was “man, that looks GD near exactly like a .22-250”. So maybe right bullets etc it’s capable.

[Ricklin]

The caliber digits can start with a 2, .270 is a nice choice for big game. It's nice to think about putting that little pill exactly where you want it for a quick ethical kill. In my experience the animals are not always so accommodating with regard to presentation. Pretty sure that ain't just me.

[44 AMP]

I always thought it was silly as it’s basically a 5.56 plus 400 fps and I’d still not want to kill anything I hunt with that.

Make that 400fps 400-600fps and you're closer to reality. Which is enough of a difference to make a significant difference in down range capability.

However, its not enough to completely overcome the fact that it is a .22 cal bullet. Energy is not the issue. Accuracy isn't the issue either (and its your responsibility, anyway).

The issue is simply bullet mass and frontal area. No matter what you do, the .22 starts out with less, and very likely ends up with less, as well.

You can load a .22-250 and a .45-70 to identical ft/lbs energy. Which one would you want in your hands if the job was stopping an angry 800lb bovine?