Question to you regular rifle hunters: is the 22-250 sufficient for Texas whitetail hunting?

I have shot a .243 for years successfully. I was given a Savage 22-250 which I will use on varmints, but I wonder about it's sufficiency for whitetail.

I appreciate your feedback.

No, you need at least a 300 win. mag. for even the small Hill Country Deer unless you are wanting to have to trail a wounded Deer.

It will kill a deer but save it for varmints

It's all about the shot placement. My son killed his first 3 deer with a 22-250. I kept the distance short and made sure he had a steady rest.

IMO, the key would be to use a Bullet designed for deer, not varmints

You can kill deer with it, particularly the little ones in the Hill Country, but use a good bullet. I killed some with my 220 Swift in years past. Of course there will be the folks suggesting that you shoot them in the head or neck, but I'm not a fan of that (though I have done it).

Don't use a varmint bullet.

I wouldn't hesitate...Ive shot a bunch with a .22-250 and bunches more with a .223 As someone already said, don't use a varmint bullet....

ive killed 8-10 deer with a 22-250.. the furthest one ran 50 yards.. shot placement is always key.. it is a flat shooting accurate gun.. great for beginners and kids.. I love my 270 but always like to break out the 22-250 for some fun easy shooting

yep, it will do the job with a good bullet and proper placement.

I killed my first several dozen deer with a 218 Bee 45 grain jacketed hollow point.

68 grain Nosler Bonded Bullet going 3,000 fps?

your rifle....it will kill

Use this and don't even worry about the size of the deer.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/186185...-free-box-of-20

I was going to say that you probably want to stay with copper bullets 53 grains and under in a standard 1:14 twist .22-250. In lead bullets the 55 grain SGK and the 63 grain SGK semi-pointed seem to be the class of the field when it comes to hunting bullets, but I'm sure others will chip in with suggestions..

That's all my Wife uses is HER .22/250 it is a 1980 Remington 700 BDL bull barrel stacks one ragged hole at 150yds with 55gr. Soft point can give you load data if I can find it but this gun loves Serria game Kings crony at 3650fps tiny entrance hole like a Needle total devastating results on the exit Never had one go further than 50yds from shot point and it is exactly 105yds to her feeder

If I were going to take a .22-250 deer hunting, with a common 1:14 twist, I would use a 55 gr Sierra Game King spire point boat tail.

Then I would make sure and have a perfect 100 yard zero.

Then I would line up the reticle below the ear, and behind the jaw (in line with the horizontal portion of the jaw), for the broadside presentation.

For the forward facing presentation, I would put the reticle just below the chin.

For the rear, head presentation, I would put the reticle again, center of the neck and in line with the horizontal portion of the jaw.

Limit 200 yard shot. And shoot the rifle on the range, at 200, prior to hunting with it, to learn the reticle placement, for a perfect 200 yard center hit.

I'm make shots like this, every year, on does. But I'm using a 162 gr out of a 7mm-08. As long as shot placement is just as solid, I would expect the .22-250 to work just as well.

I have killed 30-40 deer with a 22-250 and 55gr HPs, and I've never lost a deer.

I have heard several stories of hunters using a 218 Bee, mostly older guys. The old man that owned the ranch next door (5500 acres) drove around in his truck with a 218 next to him every time I saw him. I took every effort to speak with him when he come by the house. He said that he had killed more deer with that 218 than I would see in a year.

I have killed quite a few deer with the 22-250 and will say lost a few using the wrong bullet. Best bullet IMO the beat bullet I have used in it for deer is the 60gr partition. The 55gr Trophy Bonded when available also worked well as does the 64gr Nosler bonded. If your rifle will stabilize it the 62 or 75gr Sirocco are fantastic as well.

What Syncerus & FJG said +1 in spades...limit the range, make excellent bullet placements and only hunt with and practice with ammo that performs well on WTail sized critters, with 2-3 rounds from a cold barrel that can be hidden under a nickle every time you pull the trigger.

IMO Wish Shot Odd's with a 22-250 can be sky high otherwise, and IMO you need to reduce those Odds as much as possible even with todays much better bullets...and why I've never used anything smaller than a 100gr'er & preferably in a bigger bullet, even back in the '70's when I had good eyesight, no BP issues and shot 2-3k rounds a year and could write my initials on a standard sized business card at 100 yards most of the time.
Ron

I've used it, not a lot, but I've never had and issue...but as everyone else has stated shot placement is key...but isn't it always? As for head and neck shots I'll pass and just put it through the heart.

Before someone jumps on me for saying I've killed over 100 with it understand we have a MLD III ranch we hunt and get 130 doe tags a year so my numbers are higher than most people's. That being said, I've killed over 100 with it, I assure you a deer hit in the vitals or neck with .22-.250 is not going far if anywhere. More than half I shoot drop in their shadow, the others die in sight. Any deer not recovered was bad shot placement and no caliber will kill them with bad shots. The only limits I put on myself with it are long range, 300+, in the wind but on calm days that range is easy enough.

I usually shoot a 243 or 270 for my deer and I always aim behind the shoulder to pass it through the ribs. They always run after the shot, maybe 40-50 yards good blood trail. Last year I went with my dad to his lease and left my guns at home. He lent me his 22-250 and I shot two mature bucks and a hog. All shot behind the shoulder and they all dropped in their tracks. I couldn't believe it. My dad hand loads so I don't know what bullet he had, but it anchored them.

Killed my biggest to date with a 22-250.

happens on 90% of the deer I shoot. The bullet usually does not exit which means the animal is absorbing the full force. The bullet will usually fragment on the near side ribs and send a million tiny missiles made of bone and bullet through both lungs and just pepper the far side ribs. A bullet that is exiting with force is not doing much good as its passing through an animal. The less it expands as it passes through the less damage is done. It only makes sense that an animal taking the full force of a bullet, eventhough its small, is being damaged more. Oh and also recoil sucks!!! I freaking hate recoil, especially unnecessary recoil.

Not my first pick, but it will work.

For best results I would be carefull with your shot placement and use a bullet with hunting in mind. If you are a neck or head shooter they are likely no different than any other gun. I have been killing deer with a 223 for years without incident.