Ok folks I just picked up a Remington 700 BDL in 22-250. Now the question is do I use it for deer hunting? My shoulder is getting older now and the old 30-06 and 270 are kicking more than I like. I got a really good deal on the 22-250.

Slap a suppressor on one of the larger calibers and do work.

Why not use a reduced recoil load on the 30-06 or 270? The 22-250 makes a poor choice for a deer/hog caliber. Sure, they work for head shots. But I've known many hunters lose animals because they are shooting game with a light weight varmint bullet that has no penetration.

Sure. A 60 grain partition or 62 grain Gameking would be my choice.

Those or 64gr Nosler, 62gr sirocco are a couple more good ones. If it had the twist rate which generally factory rifles in it don't there are some other good choices.

Neither of those bullets are likely to stabilize in a 22-250 with a 14 twist. I tried to use the 60 gr Partition in my 220 Swift. It almost worked in my 20” barrel. Maybe pushed faster in a longer barrel it might borderline stabilize. I tried the 63 gr Sierra SMP (which did stabilize), the 64 gr Nosler BSB, the Partition, and the 65 gr Sierra GK. Just the 63 gr was workable in my rifle, and I think I was pushing it at approx 3300 fps. I have read of folks that were able to use the Partition in a 220 or 22-250. You might try it, if you can find some. Worse case, I could mail you enough for a test.

If the 62 gr Sierra GK is as short as the 63 gr Sierra, it should stabilize.

Anyway, the 63 gr Sierra worked on a few pigs. I never tried it on deer.

One of the hunters on my place insisted on using his 22-250, didnt end well.

Its a varmint caliber.

I won't use .224 or 6mm (.243) bullets on deer.

Get you a 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 or .308 Win. Put a suppressor or brake on one of those and enjoy.

Long action cartridges are not necessary on whitetail. Most people go to the field over-gunned.

I have killed a dump truck load of deer with a .22-250 and 55 grain bullets.


Its not a deer hunting caliber. It will work ( and I will use it from time to time to shoot culls ) but everything has to line up for the shot to be successful. It's not a do-all gun.


Get a good reduced recoil load for the .270 from Hornady, or as mentioned use a suppressor or brake, relying on a .22 caliber centerfire is setting yourself up for failure; it works until it doesn't.

Sell the 30-06 and 270, buy a Tikka CTR, 20" barrel in the caliber of my choice, .308.

The 63 gr Sierra SP works great on deer and works well out of a 1:14 twist. I grew up on this bullet and loading it for my boy's current 22-250 at close to 3300fps. Almost always get good expansion and full pass throughs.

This would be the path I'd take...

I love a 22-250.. but for me, thats a prairie dog rifle.. not a deer rifle..

Ive got a very lightweight 308 (kimber adirondak with a swaro z3 mounted.. that fully loaded comes in right at 6lbs).. it kicks like a rented mule..

a YHM Resonator K (small, lightweight, and affordable suppressor) cured that problem.. its now got recoil somewhere slightly less than a 243 shooting typical 100gr loads.. and while not "hollywood" quiet, the sound reduction makes it much easier on the ears in an enclosed blind..

and I get to keep pushing 168gr 30 caliber bullets at 2700 fps (more than enough to be effective on deer at reasonable ranges)..

You might consider a 6.5 Creedmoor or a 260, with 100 gr ammo. Pretty mild kick. And, depending on what you need from a rifle, an AR in 6.5 Grendel has very little recoil. And you could get a bolt gun in that caliber. Very mild.

You don’t have either, but don’t let that stop you. You could tell the wife that it’s a medical necessity.

I would give it a whirl with some Barnes or similar. Killed way too many deer with a 223 for the 22250 to not be enough. A lot of it depends on what you expect out of it range wise etc. I know tons of people that hunted an entire 80+ year life with nothing bigger than a 222.

Brian Pearce recommend hornady 55 grain soft point with the cannalure on deer with the 22-250. Worked well here and i tested several bullets by shooting 5 gallon buckets of water at 75 yards. The hornady held up the best with Winchester 55 sp's second. These were all reloads and not maxed out. The 22-250 Ackley didn't fare as well with those bullets but the velocity was higher.

Wonder how many pages this thread will go.

Awesome. Love my 700 BDL in 22-250. Congrats!

45gr TSX

It was overdue for having a 22 caliber for deer thread.

I’ve got my son shooting a Tikka 22-250 and 65 grain Gamekings. It’s better than most would think. That same bullet killed lots of animals for both my kids with an AR in 223. Now that same bullet is scooting a lot faster. It does wonderful.

I have killed a lot of deer with it. 55 grain bullets have always been my favorite for the 22-250.

All depends. Not the best caliber but it works. About 40 years ago, bought my wife a REM 222. Now been through several grandkids. Never lost a deer with it. If you hit it in the right place, the deer or hog is down.

Lost several over the years with 30-06.

This is the Remington 700 BDL 22-250, just too nice a rifle to pass up.

Definitely a good one to have in the mix regardless of what you use it for, I would have snagged it too. Seems like copper bullets would help get the penetration for deer. Don't you have a Tikka 6.5x55 or am I thinking of someone else? The PPU load is very mild but has a high BC and certainly up to the task out to 300+ yards in my experience.

I also have three tikka t3s, 30-06, 308 and 6.5x55. So this Remington 700 is just fitting in with the rest of the mix. Like I told the wife just part of the daughter’s inheritance. lol 😂

I know you learned that it wasn't the caliber that caused that, right?

Anyway, the 63 gr Sierra worked on a few pigs. I never tried it on deer.[/quote]
The 63 gr Sierra SP works great on deer and works well out of a 1:14 twist. I grew up on this bullet and loading it for my boy's current 22-250 at close to 3300fps. Almost always get good expansion and full pass throughs.

This
I have my dad's early 60s Sako custom, that was his bullet of choice. It killed a LOT of deer in South Texas

I tried loading some 64s and they would key hole but the 63g Sierra SPs were one ragged hole.

Last year I took it out and used some Nosler 55g BT, shot two does at about 200 yards, high neck shots and of course they went instantly down.

I read on the internet that a 22-250 makes for a great elk gun too. I'd recommend it for that too. I think all slow twist varmint calibers make for a great over all hunting platform. They allow deer to run really far after being hit so you can see how fast they run. SMDH.

I ran into a guy up in the mountains of Utah during mule deer season who was carrying a 22-250. I just smiled and walked on.

These threads never get old

Geez what did I start?

A poop storm that some folks on this forum secretly love that you did. Gives them a soapbox to stand on. Hahaha.

I won't comment on whether the caliber itself is good enough or not. If I were in your position and have the reloading capabilities (including equipment and components) then i would load my own with the heaviest higher end hunting specific bullet that can be accurate. especially something that holds together the best. I'd start experimenting with something like the 55gr TSX/TTSX given your twist. Ironically, i think I'd even choose a load that is on the slower side.

The 6.5x55 (Swedish Mauser) is used in Europe as a moose caliber. But, I understand that it was developed as a military rifle during WWII. I have one and enjoy hunting with it.

Topics that will instantly start a chit storm on the THF

.22 cal bullets for deer
match bullet for deer
beans in chili
stick burner vs pellet smoker

You forgot one. High fence versus low fence.

A conversation that was happening before you joined the forum. And still comes around at least once a year. Congratulations for being "that guy".

Ok, here's the deal. A 22-250 is a VARMINT cartridge. The vast majority of factory 22-250 barrels are mostly a 1:14" twist with some being a 12" twist. With a 14" twist, you are limited to about 50-55 grain lead bullets or lighter. Light 22 cal bullets are designed to fragment which will limit penetration. Bullet stability is based on the length of the bullet, not the weight. So, naturally, heavier bullets get longer. And solid copper bullets are even longer than the same weight lead bullets. If you have a 12" or 14" twist, most of your 60+ weight bullets become too long to stabilize in those barrels. If you go copper, the 50 grain and over is too long to stabilize in the 12" and 14" twist. If you look at the Barnes reload data (see Barnes link below), the ONLY solid copper bullet that will "reliably" work in a 12" or 14" twist is the 45 grain TSX. Yes, this bullet would work and might be a decent hunting bullet for the 22-250 for smaller game. To gain penetration, ALL of your tougher lead bullets in the 22 cal are heavier, like the 64 grain Nosler bonded and 70 grain Accubond.

My kids have shot multiple deer and pigs with an 8" twist, 223 Rem bolt gun from 65 grain Sierra GameKings to 55 grain SP and others. Nothing would penetrate well and kill effectively. Once we switched to the 70 grain Accubond and 64 grain Nosler bonded PSP, penetration and performance for the 223 Rem improved a lot. And the 22-250 can not shoot these heavier and tougher bullets due to lack of twist rate. When you have a 22-250 that pushes similar light weight bullets even faster for more dramatic expansion with much less penetration, they become even less effective.

Many years ago we had a hunter on our lease that brought his 22-250 as his primary hunting rifle. Why? Because he said his fancy engraved Browning A-Bolt 270 Win was "too nice" to hunt with. I mentioned that the 22-250 was the wrong gun/caliber to shoot and he said it would do fine. He had already lost one animal to it. One morning we heard him shoot, and he shot the one big buck we were all after trying to kill. He said he hit it perfectly behind the shoulder and it ran off. One of our other hunters saw it from his stand area clear the fence (wounded) to the neighboring property, where we were NOT allowed to go. It ran a long way to get to that point. I can't tell you how pissed I was, as well as the other hunters on the property about it.

In a nut shell, the 22-250 is the wrong [censored] caliber for deer hunting. I have a long hatred of this round being used in a factory rifle with a 12" or 14" twist barrel for deer hunting. People talk about ethics of hunting and using the correct round that is powerful enough to ethically kill the game animal you are hunting. The factory twist of a 22-250 is simply not set up to use the correct hunting bullets for adequate penetration on game animals. IMO, it crosses the line of being an unethical cartridge for game hunting.

https://www.barnesbullets.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/22-250-Remington.pdf

The headstamp doesn't do the work, the bullet does. All that matters is what bullet it is, its impact velocity, and it's trajectory through the animal. Some .22-caliber bullets will work and some are not suitable. For deer and hogs, choose something like a 70-grain Accubond over a 50-grain V-Max. The problem with the .22-250 is that slow 1:14 twist which will limit you and eliminate a lot of good choices, but I don't think that leaves you with none. It looks like handloading territory to me, but there may be a factory (yuck!) loading or two that would be appropriate.

From a fresh start, were I faced with physical limitations affecting recoil tolerance I'd be looking at some of the 6mm cartridges.

There is proof that it works. If you want to try it get some components and try. Once upon a time I told a school buddy he couldn’t kill deer with body shots with a 223 rem… I was wrong! I have now killed many deer with a 223 rem and body shots with multiple bullets. There will always be people that tell you you can’t do something that other people do every day.

And I'm tired of "the people of the internet" saying it's a good round for deer hunting. I can't tell you how much bull [censored] I hear from talking to customers over the phone that they "read it on the internet" that think something is a good idea or what not. Some things I can let slide and some things I can't. Between the amount animals I've killed and the amount of animals my customers have killed and talking to them about it, you get to see what works and what doesn't. A rifle is a tool, and there are much better tools in the shed than a [censored] 22-250 to go shoot deer with.

Now, I'm off my . Carry on.

Here's the one .22-250 factory loading claimed suitable by the manufacturer for big game, which I was able to locate easily. Interestingly enough, neither Remington nor Hornady had a recommended big game load.

https://winchester.com/Products/Ammunition/Rifle/Power-Point/X222502

There may or may not be others.

Y'all are really making me think I want a 22-250AI w/ an 8 twist barrel just so I can watch the head's explode when I tell folks I'm deer hunting with a 22-250 Put me some of them there Hornady ballistic tips in that bad boy and watch things die

The only reason I went 22 Gaymoor instead of it or a swift was because brass didn't need formed and was easier to get.

A Winchester 64 grain PSP bullet is .808" long. In a 14" twist 22-250, it provides .909 bullet stability. What does this mean? Anything under a 1.0 is fully unstable and the bullet tumbles when it leaves the muzzle.

Yes, I hear them dang Hornady Ballistic Tips work great in a 22-250. I highly recommend that bullet for it!!

And just so the "unedjumicated" know, Nosler is the only one who makes the Ballistic Tip. Other bullet companies make polymer tipped projectiles, but Nosler is the ONLY one who makes a Ballistic Tip projectile.

I could peen out a rasp into a knife with nothing but a 12 ounce hammer. But it ain't the best tool for the job to rough one in, when I've got plenty of 3 pound hammers available.

The largest animal I've shot with a .223 Rem or a .22-250 is a coyote. The most animals I've shot with .223 Rem and .22-250 are prairie dogs.

Because .22-250 is a Varmint Cartridge.

Why don't you get in touch with Winchester and let them know they don't know what they're doing?

I don’t like the hammer comparison here. Deer well shot with a 223 and adequate bullet die as fast and as close as deer shot with a 300 mag etc.

I don't care if you like it or not.

I've tracked deer that have been hit by a long list of cartridges and bullets. All with good shot placement, in vitals. And every track was in the dark. We got very good at it, but we also didn't like it. The likelihood of tracking or worse, completely loosing the deer is when it's hit with a .224" caliber bullet. The only way I'd use it would be brain stem shots only. And not everyone is a comfortable enough shooter to do that.

Oh Lordy I’ve done it now!

The vast majority of 22-250 rifles are a 1:14" twist. This ammo will NOT work in that! Most of the people who purchase a 22-250 rifle do not pay attention to twist rates or understand this. This ammo will work in a 12" twist, which some 22-250 rifles are. But the vast majority of 22-250 rifles are a 14" twist and consumers do not know what their barrel twist is. And this bullet will tumble in a 14" twist. Winchester doesn't state this in their description of the ammo, nor do other retailers who sell this ammo state this. So it leaves a shooter with ammunition that won't shoot in their rifle. And you didn't post anything about the twist rate needed for this ammo to properly work either. So another 22-250 shooter with a 1:14" twist barrel would assume it would work because they "read it on the internet" but this ammo will NOT work in their 14" twist rifle. How long you want to discuss this!!!

RR, I totally value your opinion and feedback. But there are times when the fine details mater. We are still "trying" to turn a varmint cartridge into an adequate game cartridge, and it's just not there for me. It's a bad choice. There's better tools in the shed to use.

None of the deer we shot in the vitals with a 223 and a partition failed to have an exit. None didn’t leave a blood trail and none went more than a typical heart lung shot deer ran with any of our 243, 7mm08, 30-06, 270, or 300’s.

I don’t care if you care what I like it was a figure of speach saying it’s not an accurate comparison.

A deer shot in the exact right spot with the exact right circumstances with a .22LR will die as fast and as close as deer shot with a 300 mag too. That does not mean it is the right tool for the job.

I looked all over that Winchester web page and saw no disclaimer or advisory regarding twist rate. You'd think they'd mention it.

How long do YOU want to discuss this?

So you are saying that this ammo works in your 22-250 with a 14" twist rate?

Same can be said for a 177 cal air rifle. Bullet in vitals and done deal. Use good bullets and shoot them where you normally do and collect your deer. You cannot get deader than dead.

If I did, you may quote me.

Well darn, never knew my 1:8 twist 22-250 was a varmint gun. A couple thousand hogs, couple hundred deer don't agree with that at all. Same with my 1:7 223. Never lost one, guess due to the interweb saying it won't work they will all start walking away now.
I trust me more than anyone, here's to more animals with a varmint gun, cheers!

Same, but the folks who self admittedly have never tried/done it know better.

8" twist vs 14" twist barrel- totally different animal. The 22-250 is a different round when you can shoot the better bullets.

What does that even mean? If, may.... yelp, that's the internet talking.

Be as dense as you like. I couldn't possibly care less, Oh Mighty King of THF.

Here ya go, Chad.






Take it up with Winchester. They obviously don't know what they're talking about. But give me a chance to buy some of their stock first.

Most anything will kill an animal. What matters is, can you find it after you shot it?

What is adaquate to use shooting a 120lb deer under a feeder at 75 yards is getting real risky shooting a 220 lb deer in thick brush or across a canyon.

Many of the people who say they have used a .22 caliber centerfire for years have never shot a buck over 3 years old or over 150 lbs on the hoof.

If you can limit yourself to neck or head shots at close range, it’s fine. But it’s foolish to advocate for a .22 centerfire as a general hunting round. Way too many variables for it to be considered a do all round.

It will work fine on one deer and the next your following a scant blood trail for several hundred yards thru the woods hoping you’ll find it.

Why risk it when it’s not necessary. A 6.5 cm or .260 has hardly any noticeable recoil and kills 10x’s better than a .22 centerfire.

But, like anything else, people want to discover the bare minimum and go with that…

Some are just better at doing more with less.

I suppose the OP has his answer. For me, if the 22-250 or the 220 Swift were all I had, yes I suppose I’d hunt with it. I’d use the 63 gr Sierra SMP on close shots only.

Or, get a 6.5 Grendel bolt gun
Or, use downloaded ammo in the 270
Or, rebarrel the 22-250 to something like 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 6.5 CM.

Every time this subject comes up, I read every word, hoping to find some new info. But nope…same old same old.

As for me, I have a 220 Swift and 63 gr Sierras, but I’m not planning to shoot much of anything bigger than a coyote with it. Better options exist.

Fixed it for you.

People love having delusions of grandeur.

Because there is nothing new to find. it's been beat to death since the .220 swift was commercialized.


There are people who will argue that the .22 centerfire will work just as good as anything else, knows someone that uses it exclusively, etc. and then there is everyone else.


I pose it like this:

Say you are given a trophy deer hunt where you will shoot a 180" deer. If you kill it, its free. If you wound it, you pay $10k. Are you gonna take a .22 centerfire? No, because you don't have the odds of success with that cartridge as you do with anything .25 caliber and above.

So if you won't bet on it under those circumstances, why use it at all?


Like I have previously mentioned, I have used a .22-250 for shooting deer since I was 11, so that's 28 years and no telling how many deer I've shot with it. And I'll be the first one to tell people it's not a deer rifle. The results are too inconsistent to consider it for anything but selective use.

Been doing it since the late 60's, no compensating for inadequacies needed.

Pretty straight forward. If you’re twisted for enough bullet then use it for deer. If not, then don’t.

You win the thread.

Lots of “how to say you’ve not hunted with a heavier fast bullet in a fast twist without saying you’ve never hunted with a heavier bullet with a fast twist” going on in this thread…it hits like it’s the hand of God.

Said it on another thread here…anyone who speaks in absolutes as it pertains to bullet performance, ignore.



I’ll take that bet…but it’s going to be an 8 twist 80 grain bullet running 3300fps. When we going?

So you've got a .243 equivalent there. We all know what a hammer that round is.....

So now, the .243 is inadequate. Next up---forget the .257 Roberts.



Meh...screw that. Let's make it .25-06.

Bobo to the plate!

257 Roberts. The only thing I use factory ammo for. Putting that ammo in a Ruger 77 with a horrible trigger. Love that gun and the pigs hate those factory partitions.

Where’s Bobo when he’s needed?

Take that bet then....

It was not a bet. It was a hypothetical situation. And it wasn’t a “could you do it” scenario it was a “would you do it” when there are other calibers available scenario. But you saw the word “bet” in a response and zero’d in on that.

I couldn’t give a chit less what people shoot deer with. Shoot them with red ryders for all I care. Just don’t expect sympathy when you use a lesser caliber and they get away.

Two members used to swear by a .243 and then they both lost good deer and then all of a sudden those calibers weren’t cool anymore…


I really don’t care what person uses. If they want to learn the hard way, let them learn

Who were the 243 users?

Mine still never let me down.

Hwyman lost a good deer and BMD’s daughter lost a good deer.

Hwy probably could have gotten his though as he got out of the truck and walked to the deer without a rifle, had he had a gun in hand he probably could have popped it again.

Pose it any way you like, people pay this every year, use a bow and pay a trophy fee if they just wound one (not cool). Are they wrong for not using a gaymoor?

Now we’re talking!!! If y’all go down this rabbit hole this thread may set a record.
I think most people say they hunt with a bow cause it’s more challenging. That seems to imply they realize it’s not the most effective.
So if someone hunts with a smaller caliber cause it’s more challenging then it seems they may be admitting it is not the most effective.
Muzzle loader guys, come on down!!
Open sight shooters, join the debate, too.

The challenging part is the effective range, not that a bow has less killing power ( bow's have different power levels too and are not all created equal ). A broadhead tipped arrow is a very effective killing weapon and within its effective range gives up nothing on deer size game compared to a rifle.

Comparing how a arrow kills vs. a bullet is comparing apples to alternators.

Do you use what is most effective or you limit yourself to what you have in your gun safe?
Could it be that someone has a sentimental connection to something that started out with a gun their uncle built for them when they were young?.
Could it be that some people are just more effective with less than others?

There are things I wouldn’t want to do with a 223. I have a 375 win and a 3030 win, I feel more handicapped with them than a 223 or 22-250. Does that mean a 3030 and 375 Winchester are inadequate deer calibers?

Anything smaller than a .458 Lott is inadequate.


I think all kids’ first deer rifles should be a 460 weatherby.

Cartridge debates are ... always the same. It's spicier on THF because most of them are posted in the rifle forum instead of the ammunition forum.

I did not realize what a bad father I was a allowing Shotsie to head shoot all those does with the M77 loaded with 55 grain bullets and, egad, a Leupold fixed 6. Of course, that was after she was consistently putting them down with neck shots. In comfortable situations with a proven track record, many can find this caiber quite useful. Stretch it and then you have problems. Preferred for all situations and sufficient under given conditions are two different things, both of which can be successful.

Can't believe she neck shot that gobbler at hundred yards either. What was I thinking?

It wasn’t a bet and worded as such…I knew what you were saying and in part agree with you. Varmint bullets in varmint cartridges aren’t ideal for hunting deer.

But the part that wasn’t well thought out is blanket statements about .223 and now .243. (It wasn’t just you it was a general observation, I used your post trying to be funny to illustrate that) You can pair them with bullets that are very effective and especially on whitetail. Let’s be realistic, whitetail are looking for a place to die the day they are born.

I’ll go so far as to say, most folks will be far more accurate with a 223 or 243 than they are with magnum cartridges due to noise and recoil.

100% they will be. But there are many rounds chambered between a .223 and a 7mm mag or .300 mag. Use a .25-06, 6.5 CM, 7mm-08, etc. You don't even have to get up to a .270/280.



Only bullet designed for deer that I used were 55 grain federal fusions that Ime was the worst of all 3. Would penetrate just fine but I shot 5 or 6 deer with them and they mostly left light blood trails and the deer ran a ways. Internal damage wasn't great either.

My favorite was the 55 grain Sierra GameKing or the 55 grain V-max. Blood trails were almost non existent but the body cavity was turned into jelly most of the time.

My kids all shot their first deer with a .22-250 like I did and my wife used it as well for a time. They all prefer the 7mm-08 though.

5 or 6 deer, none of them dropped, poor internal damage? You just said everything that needs to be said about why it's a bad idea to go light. The plan should be to drop the deer where it was standing when you pulled the trigger.

Txtrophy - still to light of a bullet to be "a good choice", my opinion...I know you were dealing with what you could due to the rifle but that 's the part I'm agreeing with you on...heavy fast is where it's at if you're going to go to the smaller calibers.

os&w - that involves being able to put a bullet where you want it within the size of about a quarter...most guys are looking at hitting a pie plate. I can remember being a kid and my Dad hanging a paper plate with a sharpie dot in the center of it and said, you can hit that...you can hunt deer with me. Many folks have that same mentality and I know that because I realize (you do too) in order to hit a quarter consistently...folks have to shoot more than a box of shells a year

Why has bullet sectional density not been brought up yet?

It's a thing...

@Judd, exactly what I mean. The goal should be to drop the deer where it was standing when you pull the trigger. That involves more than bullet/caliber selection. I say it all the time, the right bullet in the right place. For me, that's a 165 gr. .308 SST right here:

Why didn't you mention it instead of high fence verses low fence and making a blanket statement that the 250 is a varmint cartridge. You've never shot a deer with a 22-250.

You are the guy who will argue til you're blue in the face, then have it in your will to have the statement put on your gravestone that a 22-250 is a fine deer cartridge. We're just gonna have to agree to disagree.

I agree on the agree to disagree part. People have lost deer with numerous calibers way bigger than what is required. I’m picky about bullet selection, but it works. You’re right you’re not going to sell me on what Ive done and lived for 15 years won’t or doesn’t work.

And I’d like to be cremated no grave.

Because I've had .260 Rem. 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08, 7mm-08 A.I., and .308 Win available to shoot deer with.

Since the .22-250 is a varmint cartridge, and that's what I've used it for. My first barrel was a 1:14, and it was loaded with 55 gr SGK. The next barrel is a 1:8, and is loaded with 75 gr A-Max. I did that to combat Texas panhandle wind, and to be able to shoot prairie dogs and coyotes farther. The sectional density helps on the farther coyotes.

More deflection............ yawn.

So why can we hunt with target bullets but not hunt with a “varmint” caliber?

This is good!

You can hunt deer with a 22-250 in Texas if you want. Not all states will allow it.

I wouldn't. If I'm going to spend money on a lease/hunt, fill feeders all year, put up trail cams, drive to and from the ranch, wake up early, sit for hours, and freeze my tail off, the last thing I want to worry about is the caliber I'm shooting.

If the 30-06 and 270 are hurting, try low recoil rounds and changing your but pad if you haven't. If you're itching to buy a new rifle for whitetail, look at a 7mm-08.

You can do whatever you want.

The bullet makers call em "target". And then some of us field tested things for ourselves and found out they work great to hunt with. The same holds true for many stories in this thread. Guys tested varmint cartridges on whitetail and had bad results.

ah, summer on the THF

I agree the 22-250 is not a big game rifle. Love shooting mine and have killed a few deer without ever losing one. Killed many hogs with head shots. Very accurate rifle that is fun to shoot.

You exposed inadequacies and fear.

Agree. I don't care if I'm cremated or buried. Funerals are for the living.

Surprised it took this long

Lmao. This is a caliber debate not a deep dive into one’s inner persona.

Well, I’m just glad that after all these years of argument and counter-argument that the issue is finally resolved.

You guys have high expectations of people. I'll just be thankful if the deer is shot on property the person can legally hunt on and that it's during daylight.

A buddy and I killed 111 deer in two weeks with a 22-250 from 20 -300 yards over a two week period. We didn’t lose one. All given to hunters for the hungry. Those were taken with 55 Gamekings dipped in Moly coat.

I don’t kill many deer anymore but the last few were killed with a 45gr TSX over 27.5 of RL15. The last buck I killed a few years ago was an old 8 at 150 yards. I remember the shot because I was disappointed at the meat loss. I shot him looking at me in the neck. The bullet broke his neck and traveled down his spine and lodged in the top of his [censored]. Still weighed 43gr and was flattened like a quarter.

Until next time

Hey, y’all don’t quit now, I’m at work looking for entertainment.