Going to use my 22/250 for deer hunting this year. Alot of them used shooting in cut overs and around feeders. Be shooting about 100 yards. I have a couple thousand military 55 grain FMJ for target shooting. Decided on four bullets to hunt with. Wondered what bullet everyone might like out of the four.
1 Hornady 69 grain v-max
2 Sierra 69 grain HP botail
3 Winchester 64 grain power point
4 Speer 70 grain semi spitzer

I don't know if the V-Max is a game bullet but Sierra is emphatic that their Matchking is not. I've used the Winchester 64 gr Powerpoint in a 223 handload to take one whitetail. I know a fellow whose wife borrows his 222 varmint rifle to routinely harvest her annual venison with a handloaded 70 grain Speer. There are other 22 caliber game bullets to think about. I tried a little load devlopment with the Barnes 53 gr XLC (they offer several other weights). Nosler makes a 60 grain Partition but I've only begun to have luck making the spendy little pills group for me. Speer does a Trophy Bonded but I ran out of time about the same time I ran out of cash so I have't tried it yet. So far the Powerpoint works and it's the cheapest. Good hunting!

I have killed a couple of goats with the 55gr VMAX, no exit wound and nothing left in the chest. Pick your shots and they will drop!! Use any of the bullets.

Considering the posible velocity the twist and possible short distance the best bet sounds like the 60 gr partition. I've used the 22-250 on mule deer when I lived in Grand Junction CO.The only pill that worked all the time was the Fred Barnes' original 70 gr.I was lucky that my rifle stabalized it. As a young man I had some really terrible performance on deer with the 22-250 and bullets other than Fred's.
Blob! Get it out of your system once and than start using something that will always do the job. Bullet placement doesn't mean Dick if that bullet come apart on the hide or rib. roger

I don't advocate .224 caliber cartridges for deer hunting. However, if your insistent, of those bullets listed, the 64gr Win PP was developed with larger game in mind. Consider the .224 caliber Partitions and Trophy Bondeds also. The Speer may also work. If your rifle has a standard 1/14" twist like most factory 22-250s, you might not be able to stabilize the V-Max or Matchking. Again, I don't advocate .224s for deer.

Understand the reluctance to use the 22/250 for hunting deer. I grew up hunting in Western Colorado so understand the thinking. But down here shooting the 22/250 can be very sucsessful especially when hunting at about 100 yards. Many use the 22/250 with great sucsess. If I move on out to shoot across the large fields the old 06 will take anything that walks. But was wondering about these four bullets.

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Any of the four will work if you are good enough to place them right behind the ear. Makes tracking a whole lot easier too!
BJB

55grn Nosler Solid Base infront of 35grn AR2208/Varget out to 150yds will do the job. Make sure you hit one of the sweet spots.

Be sure the heavier grain bullets will stabalize in you're barrel. I know a 62gr bullet is about max for a 1-14 twist barrel which is what most factory 22-250's are.

You may want to try the .224 Barnes 55gr TSX. A friend of mine and a fellow poster on this form tried them with deacent results out of his CZ Varmint.

I am going to try them out this weekend and would be happy to post a range report and load data if you like.

if you really must use a 22 for big game try either the nosler partition or the barnes tsx. at least they're made to hold up and not just blow big holes as are most 22 varmit type bullets

If you must use a 22-250 for deer, I would use the 70 gr Speer. Pick your shot carefully (but I'm sure you already know that). Good luck

I'd steer clear of the hollow points and the v-max's for deer. There are better bullets for the job. As mentioned above, you could go with a Barnes X, Speer soft point, Trophy Bonded Bear Claw, Nosler Partition (or flat base) etc. All of these should be suitable. Find the one your gun likes best and you should be good to go.

Out the four listed, I would use #3 or #4. Whichever one shoots better in your rifle.

I shot 5 deer last fall with the the Barnes 53gr TSX @ 3800 fps. I was duly impressed.

I never recovered a single bullet and performance was typical Barnes. They did the job without destroying a lot of meat. I plan on using them again this year for my antlerless tags.

That is what I mean for doe day and a 50 to 100 yard shot. I can use the 22/250 in the places where I want to hunt and bring one down as there are alot of them in this place. 5 deer with the barnes 53 grain TSX. Might be one to look at. What about the Barnes leaving a bunch of metal in the barrel or is that just a myth? Know it can be cleaned out but was wondering. What load was you using?

On on board w/ the 22-250 ONLY if barnes X or Nosler 60 partition is the bullet. There are just too many things to go wrong w/ this small caliber shooting less than the best game bullets available.

Understand bear track. I am following a man who gets 8-10 deer a year with his .223 using 55 grain military FMJ bullets. Like I said slow feeding deer 50-100 yards and he downs them every year. When I move from the close stuff the old 06 takes up the slack.

Second the nomination for the Partition or X-Bullet!

Definitely #3 or #4. I've seen the 22-250 in action on Whitetails at ranges farther than you speak of. It will do the job on good placement but, sometimes they run like heck and leave very little (if any) blood trail. At that range, I'd just shoot them in the head. If you're hesitant on the head shot, a good hit to the base of the neck a few inches in front of the shoulder is a bigger target and it'll lay em' down.

Good Luck

Reloader

quote:

What about the Barnes leaving a bunch of metal in the barrel or is that just a myth?

I haven't had any fouling problems with the TSX's. That is in 22, 270 and 338 calibers.

Yeah I have seen some long shots taken in some over cut places. Last year I shot one in the head at 100 yards with a .223, 55 grain Remington soft point and he simply fellover in his tracks. Will head shoot with my 6.5 x 20 scope but the neck shot like you said is good also. I'll have to see how the 64 or 70 grain bullets group out.

quote:

What load was you using?

Remington brass-new
Fed 210M primer
38gr Varget
Barnes 53gr TSX
3852 fps average

It was a factory remington 55 grain soft point

Me and my family have shot a lot of deer with the .222 and the 22-250 and I have culled springbuck etc. in Africa for days on end with both...

I tried a lot of bullets, but the best bullet I ever used was the 60 gr. Hornaday in SP and Hollowpoint, they simply work great, they expand to nice mushrooms and stop on the off side skin or they make a nickle size exit hole every time...

That is the only bullet we have used for years.

Thanks Ray. So the hornaday 60 grain SP and the Hollow point both work well. If you were to go with one or the other which would it be, SP or Hp in that bullet for the 22/250? This what I needed some real hunting experience info with the 22/250. Thanks

I saw a guy shoot a deer with a 22-250 , no way would I concider using it on game its a varmit gun . my friend had deer legs and head not much left.

Yeah and hogs have wings and fly also! Bullshit! I'll give you the telephone number of 50 people who kill between 3-8 deer a year with the 22/250. What did you shoot one of those $2.00 plastic deer in the kids toy section? Hey Ray what about that!

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Blob1:
Going to use my 22/250 for deer hunting this year. Wondered what bullet everyone might like out of the four.

3. Winchester 64 grain power point - Or, Nosler 60-grain Partition.