I have become interested in a 22 cal deer rifle after doing some research on the 224 TTH. BUT!, I would really like to keep the barrel at 24 inches. So is the 224 too much, at that lenth will a 22-250 with the proper twist to shoot the 64gr. powerpoint, to the 75 A-Max be more practical, or will the 224 TTH at that lenth still be worth the speed gain. What about a 22-250AI, 220 Swift, etc. What is best suited for 24" of barrel?

I've used both a 222 Rem. and a 22-250 Rem. for deer. They both work well for deer. If my memory serves me correctly, both rifles have 24 inch barrels and are definitely 1:12 twist. My load in both utilizes Speer 70 grain Semi-Spitzers which gives me good accuracy.

You're working way too hard on the issue of barrel length.......it don't mean squat here!

Build your gun and get on with it.....24-25-26-more....all the same in the end!

My 22/6mm, aka 224tth, has a 24 inch tube. You will have to hand load for any "deer" bullets in a 22 so barrel length is not really an issue. my loads range from 68gr at 3700fps to 75gr at 3500fps and all do about the same thing. A couple inches of tube will make exactly O difference ballistically in real world hunting situations. If you are shooting deer you will want to stick to either the 62gr or 70gr TSX, everything else hand gernades at those velocities.

Perry

Do not even consider the A-max! It is a frangible target bullet. If you want to shoot deer with a .22 caliber, use a Nosler partition or Barnes TSX. Other bullets will work, but may also leave you with a woundeed deer due to lack of penetration. If you wait for a perfect shot through the lungs or neck, all the heavier soft point bullets will sure do it, but I like the insurance of a premium bullet in something that light. If you are looking for a deer rifle, get something bigger.

I've had the opportunity to shoot quite a lot of Deer with .224 bullets.Shot them with 50,52,53,55,60,63 and 70 grain bullets and got very mediocre performance from all of them ( all resulting in kills) and found that the 52 and 53 grain Barnes in X and Triple Shocks are far and away the best and take all .224's to another level of reliability and penetration. The length of barrel you are speaking of has been answered by previous posters and they are correct you are looking at minimal differences.
Whatever you do use a good bullet ( must again recommend Barnes) and take carefully placed shots and you'll do fine. If your gun can't shoot the Barnes very well I've heard the Nosler Partition and Trophy Bonded Bearclaw are good too, don't think that a 60, 63 or 70 grain bullet will be a reliable performer just because of its greater weight than the 50 grainers. I've tried the 60 Hornadys and Sierra's, 63 grain Sierra's, and 70 grain Speers and have used them with "some" success but have found that all of them cannot be relied upon for consistant performance, all were too frangible for my tastes. Use the Barnes x or triple shocks and you'll get tons of internal damage as well as an exit wound.

quote:

I've tried the 60 Hornadys and Sierra's, 63 grain Sierra's, and 70 grain Speers and have used them with "some" success but have found that all of them cannot be relied upon for consistant performance, all were too frangible for my tastes. Use the Barnes x or triple shocks and you'll get tons of internal damage as well as an exit wound.

Well stated. Bullet construction is super critical in these cartridges at high velocities. Been there, done that and screwed up once or twice more than 40 years ago. At this time in life ,the necessity to kill deer with a 22 caliber cartridge escapes me. There really are better choices. roger

I've smoked deer with a 22 hornet, 222, 223,22-6mm, 22-250,and 220 swift.

Use the best bullet you can. I like the 60 grn partion good bullet. 70grn speer simi spitzer, 53grn barnes X. 55 grn cor-loc. All good results on south texas and north west texas deer (north of Abilene. I had poor results with 75grn A-max bullets out of a 22-6mm but they were scooting out the muzzle.

I'm looking at the GS custom bullets for my 222 and 22 hornet and will try them on some does next year.

505ED

At the SHOT show last week, saw a 65gr I believe from Sierra, Softpoint, not sure if it may be a new product, possibly for those wanting to use them on deer. Another option perhaps.

I had to switch off Hornady V-max's in my .223, because every time I went out coyote hunting last year, I ran across wild hogs. Started off with Barnes bullets. I liked the expansion of the triple shocks, but I just couldn't get a load developed that was still accurate enough to kill a coyotes. I bought some 55 gr. Sierra Gamekings because they were cheaper, and I've been very pleased with the results. They grouped much better in my gun, and performance on hogs has been flawless. I figure if they can take down hogs, then there's no reason they can't take down a deer.

While I have killed 1 deer with a 22 Hornet, and seen a few taken with 222, 223, and 22-250, I feel that any of the 224's are best only when used by experts, that will only take perfect shots, and not try to get the round to do something it is not designed for.

Yes, many deer are taken yearly across the country with 224's where it is legal to use them. I can't help but wonder how many deer are also lost each year because people try to force the 224 bullet to do the same job as a larger caliber. JMO.

If a person is disciplined enough to wait for the perfect shot, and knows when to not pull the trigger, then for those folks the 224's will work. How many folks out there aren't that good or don't have that type of discipline?

62gr and 70gr TSX results afield:

They expand to 45 caliber in the fisrt 1.5-2 inches of the animal and exit even when they hit bone.

I have used every 224 bullet made in every weight from 50-75gr, if you want to shoot deer use a Barnes TSX!

Perry

Well put Perry! If all you have is a .22, USE BARNES! If you are doing it for the novelty-BUY A BETTER GUN AND GIVE THE DEER THE RESPECT THEY DESERVE!

I agree with the TSX or the partition, but I also think for Texas their is nothing wrong with a 22 cal for deer. I've seen deer in Idaho and MT and would not takle them with a hornetor a 222, but as long as I kept the range under 100 yards never had a problem. To add to that though I grew up on a working farm and ranch and I got to hunt everyday of the season so I never felt rushed. Also I'll admit I would much prefer a 25-06 or a 257 weatherby.

505ED

I was planning on building a 22-250 ackley deer rifle to use the tsx bullets, 53 gr @ ~4000 fps, or if you have a fast twist barrel you can use the heavier tsx.

Then I got a .243 donor rifle and made the mistake of shooting it

But back to a 22 deer rifle, with good bullets and proper shot placement they are fully up to the task. The generally excellent accuracy and non existant recoil make them a good choice as well.

Donor or loaner?

The first couple of years my grandson hunted,he used various .22 centerfires. I was not on a lot of his hunts. One that was with me,he used Rem 600 in .222(18 1/2" barrel). This was a 55 grain Winchester bulk packed bullet. Shot a doe through the boiler room and a few feet from there we were gutting a deer. I have shot a few with .22-250 using same bullet.

I have a Winchester heavy bbl 22/250 that is like a laser with 52gr SMKs. I have absolutely no issue with taking whitetail deer within 250yds with the rifle. I am picky about my target. I figure God put eyeballs on them for targets and penetrating into the brain. 32x power scope does the trick.

The old Nosler 60 gr. Solid base in my Kimber 223 was my favorite bullet. When that bullet went way, I switched to the 70 gr. Speer. I've since switched to the 60 gr. Nosler Partition.

take a look and see if Winchester is selling the 64gr power point they load in the 223 WSSM.
Serious hunting bullet, and will take some velocity and stay together.

Rich
DRSS

Many times I have watched my 250 pound pigs dispatched with one shot to the head of a 22 rimfire.

My mother used to watch the same thing in the 1930s.


It is kind of like her telling me that if I could put salt on a bird's tail, I could catch it.

If you can shoot an animal in the head with a 22, you can kill it.

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Originally posted by tnekkcc:
Many times I have watched my 250 pound pigs dispatched with one shot to the head of a 22 rimfire.

Well, tnekkcc, did the same with some of the beef I raised. Always made me cry when I saw the surprised look in their eyes. roger

I just purchase a box of Barnes moly coated .224 in a solid copper 45g. format. I don't remember the name of the model and perhaps it has been discontinued. I am working up some loads for a 223 and the velocity will probably be around 3700 fps but wondered if anyone had any experience with the accuracy of this particular bullet.

quote:

The old Nosler 60 gr. Solid base

That was a really fine bullet!