64 grain enough for deer?
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My brother has been using 55vmax over h380 for 12 years. If you hit them, they die immediately. I personally p
Used 55 soft point in 22-250. Never tried 62s.
Patocazador
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If they will stabilize in your rifle, I'd use 60 gr. Nosler Partitions. They hold together to penetrate.
DannyLandrum
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....or the Nosler 64 BFB (bonded flat base)... But generally, yes... Just avoid that shoulder blade and wait for broadside with a cup and core going that fast.
Random 8
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Depends a lot on where you live. For MN deer or elsewhere in the North Woods, I'd say absolutely not. For little southern deer, maybe. Personally I'd hunt even little Texas deer with a .243 or larger, but lots of people take them with .224 heavies. If your deer are the lighter, less fatty variety, you should be GTG with good shot placement with your 64s.
MCgunner
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Shot a 6 point in the shoulder, quartering away, came out the front of the off side shoulder. It was a 62 grain Barnes TSX out of a .223. Deer made it 20 yards and expired.
mustanger98
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While I have no experience killing deer with a .223 or .22-250, I do seem to recall Winchester's grey box .223 64gr offering having a deer on the label at one time. That said, the lightest I'd usually recommend for deer locally is 100gr .243's. The top end for these deer is approximately 225lbs. and they're not really fat... yeah, we have little bitty deer to, but sometimes you'll wish you'd have brought a little bigger rifle.
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SoonerMedic
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I wouldn't hesitate to use my .223/5.56 on any Oklahoma deer from 200 yds and in using Winchester Deer Season XP. My wife put a half dollar sized hole in the first chest wall and a quarter sized hole on the exit. Shattered ribs on both sides. Liquid lungs on the inside. This was at 50 yards on 150lb (give or take) doe.
mustanger98
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While everyone has a preference, I'd say your wife's results are worth noting and good to hear.
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Many as in most .22-250s are twisted at 1 in 14 which may not stabilize a 64 Gr bullet. The slow twist rate on .22-250’s drives me insane BTW. I’d own a 250 if I could find one twisted at about 1 in 8 for heavy bullets.
The thing would be wicked with a 70 or 80 Gr bullet.
The thing would be wicked with a 70 or 80 Gr bullet.
For the reloader the Speer 70gr semi spitzers are marginal in 1-14s I think, but are often do able.
A but a buddy of mine used them in a Savage sporter .22-250 for axis deer and they were fantastic. I used them from my 1-12? Rem .223 and they did fine. They also shot near moa from my buddies skinny mini.
For factory ammo I used mostly Winchester 64gr powerpoints. They worked really well from my .223. I THINK they would be ok In a 1-14, 22-250.
caribou
Member
55grain work just fine on Caribou, from my experience with a .223, so I see no reason that the 62 grain wouldnt work via .22-250.
.22-250 is a perfect Seal hunting gun. All head shots and so flat shooting that they take the guess work out of range estimation on a flat white snow/ice back ground, and the fact little Seals and big Seal generally look the same , proportionately.
.22-250 is a perfect Seal hunting gun. All head shots and so flat shooting that they take the guess work out of range estimation on a flat white snow/ice back ground, and the fact little Seals and big Seal generally look the same , proportionately.
troy fairweather
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in my 22-250 i use 50 vmax at 4000 fps high shoulder or neck they are dead before they hit the ground an no flailing around.
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Grumulkin
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The longest shot I've taken on a deer (360 yards and DRT) was with a Thompson/Center Encore chambered in 22-250 using Speer 70 grain Semi Spitzers. Twist in that rifle is 1:12 and those bullets stabilized fine in that gun. They also stabilize in a 222 with a 1:12 twist.
I've also take a deer with a 22-250 shooting Remington 55 gr. Core Lokt and no problem. The deer I took at a little over 250 yards with a 204 Ruger shooting 45 grain bullets went about 15 or 20 feet.
Patocazador
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I have two .22-250's, a 1:14 and a 1:12. Neither of them will stabilize a 60 gr. partition. The shorter 64 gr. Nosler works OK with the 1:12 but not the 1:14. However, I don't even think about taking a .22 center-fire when I go deer hunting. I like a .25 like the .25-06 or .257 Roberts.
GooseGestapo
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My Rem. M700 .22-250 shoots splendid with Sierra 63gr SemiPt softpoints. Around 0.5” 5-shots @100yds. (1/14” twist).
It’s taken several deer. I actually prefer it to my .243.
Deer in my avatar was shot Christmas Day ‘17 with a 60gr Hornady PtSpt from a 18.5”bbl .223.
Shot placement, Shot placement, Shot placement.
It’s taken several deer. I actually prefer it to my .243.
Deer in my avatar was shot Christmas Day ‘17 with a 60gr Hornady PtSpt from a 18.5”bbl .223.
Shot placement, Shot placement, Shot placement.
MCgunner
Member
I'm glad my .223 M4 is rifled 1:8. Those Barnes 62 grain TSXs are longer than a lead bullet as copper is less dense. I don't think they'd work in 1:12 OR 1:14. They're near 1MOA in the M4 and they work quite well on deer. I expect they'd be fine on hogs, but haven't shot one with it, yet. I have a better optic on my SKS in 7.62x39 with a green laser, so it gets hog hunting duties. I would use a good bullet in that small a caliber.
.22-250 has been popular for a kid's or lightly built recoil shy female's gun for quite a while in Texas. I knew a fellow who took quite a few deer with a cheap little Remington M788 in .22-250. I sighted that rifle in for him. The trigger was less than optimum, but I was able to shoot MOA groups with that gun shooting some generic 55 grain stuff. He used that ammo to take deer with.
I always said that if a kid couldn't handle the recoil of a .243, he was too young to hunt. I have altered my opinion of .22 centerfires since then. But, I still think a bigger caliber is better, less room for error especially for a novice shooter. I took my first buck at age 11 with a 117 grain Sierra flat based spitzer out of a .257 Roberts, my grandpa's gun and I still own it and it shoots 1/2 MOA, an old Remington M722 short action. I grew up in the squirrel woods and by the time I started deer hunting I was a pretty decent rifleman. But, that .257 didn't hurt me at age 11. It did kick, but no worse than a .300 mag kicks me now.
Good training for more powerful calibers when I got older.
.22-250 has been popular for a kid's or lightly built recoil shy female's gun for quite a while in Texas. I knew a fellow who took quite a few deer with a cheap little Remington M788 in .22-250. I sighted that rifle in for him. The trigger was less than optimum, but I was able to shoot MOA groups with that gun shooting some generic 55 grain stuff. He used that ammo to take deer with.
I always said that if a kid couldn't handle the recoil of a .243, he was too young to hunt. I have altered my opinion of .22 centerfires since then. But, I still think a bigger caliber is better, less room for error especially for a novice shooter. I took my first buck at age 11 with a 117 grain Sierra flat based spitzer out of a .257 Roberts, my grandpa's gun and I still own it and it shoots 1/2 MOA, an old Remington M722 short action. I grew up in the squirrel woods and by the time I started deer hunting I was a pretty decent rifleman. But, that .257 didn't hurt me at age 11. It did kick, but no worse than a .300 mag kicks me now.
Good training for more powerful calibers when I got older.I think most of us have been sold a bunch of goods on deer. They just are not that hard to kill.
1. Does it have a enough sectional density to penetrate.
2. Will it destroy the vitals when it gets there?
I really think that's all you need to worry about. All these energy theories are just that ... Theory.
In the last three years I have taken 6 yearling doe of roughly 60-80 lb (I don't trophy hunt anymore). All with a 1892 Winchester in .38 WCF (.38-40 for Colt Guys). 180 grain hard cast large meplat bullet at 1300 fps. With maybe 500 lb of energy at impact theory says it would be a disaster. Actual results are a .401 Diameter Hole clean through the deer and not a one has went over 20 yards.
Now I realize that the little .22 rounds are polar opposites but if it has enough density to penetrate all the way through the vitals while expanding to 4/10" how would it be any different? As a matter of fact you might get a little more damage to the internal organs (and unfortunately meat damage) from the higher velocity. That said my .270 didn't really kill deer any deader than the .38 WCF just did more meat damage.
Edit: Buddies little girl killed her first deer with an AR15 SPR 18" and a .223 75 grain Gold Dot. Worked just fine. Huge Mushroom just under the skin on the far side and it was a quartering shot through the front shoulder.
With a classic shot it would have blown right through.
1. Does it have a enough sectional density to penetrate.
2. Will it destroy the vitals when it gets there?
I really think that's all you need to worry about. All these energy theories are just that ... Theory.
In the last three years I have taken 6 yearling doe of roughly 60-80 lb (I don't trophy hunt anymore). All with a 1892 Winchester in .38 WCF (.38-40 for Colt Guys). 180 grain hard cast large meplat bullet at 1300 fps. With maybe 500 lb of energy at impact theory says it would be a disaster. Actual results are a .401 Diameter Hole clean through the deer and not a one has went over 20 yards.
Now I realize that the little .22 rounds are polar opposites but if it has enough density to penetrate all the way through the vitals while expanding to 4/10" how would it be any different? As a matter of fact you might get a little more damage to the internal organs (and unfortunately meat damage) from the higher velocity. That said my .270 didn't really kill deer any deader than the .38 WCF just did more meat damage.
Edit: Buddies little girl killed her first deer with an AR15 SPR 18" and a .223 75 grain Gold Dot. Worked just fine. Huge Mushroom just under the skin on the far side and it was a quartering shot through the front shoulder.
With a classic shot it would have blown right through.
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mustanger98
Member
Regarding post #22...
1- In Georgia, last I remember and I'll have to check the regs, a muzzleloader had to be .45cal minimum to be legal for deer. As I understand it, a patched round ball in that .45 muzzleloader is legal for deer. And that ball ain't that heavy.
2- The old buffalo rifles were BP cartridge with a 405+gr cast lead bullet which performed much differently to modern bullets. As big of an underachiever as some think those are, they'd punch clear through a buffalo and kill at longer ranges than we're talking about on deer.
1- In Georgia, last I remember and I'll have to check the regs, a muzzleloader had to be .45cal minimum to be legal for deer. As I understand it, a patched round ball in that .45 muzzleloader is legal for deer. And that ball ain't that heavy.
2- The old buffalo rifles were BP cartridge with a 405+gr cast lead bullet which performed much differently to modern bullets. As big of an underachiever as some think those are, they'd punch clear through a buffalo and kill at longer ranges than we're talking about on deer.
Bbear
Member
In my time, the number of deer I've taken with a .224 cal. bullet here in Texas, up in Missouri and even a nice mule deer in Idaho is pushing 50. Adding in the number I've watched being taken with the .224 caliber cartridges (223, 5.56, 22-250, 22 Hornet, 222 etc) would push that number up to around 150 animals. 94045 hit it pretty spot on. If the shooter is worrying about the recoil, they will more than likely make a poor shot.
My mulie was taken at close to 200 yards with a 222. Complete pass through. Not certain what grain bullet it was but probably a 55 gr of some sort. DRT. Took a farm-land buck in Texas that field dressed 145 lbs at 275 yards with a 22-250 in the shoulders. Complete pass through. DRT. A whitetail doe in Missouri dropped in her tracks at 75 yards with a 5.56 and the 64gr Nosler bonded. Entered behind the near shoulder and went through the off shoulder. Do field dressed 155 lbs. My grandson's first deer, a doe, was shot at 80 yards with a 223 from an AR. Deer ran about 20 yards. Complete pass through both shoulders.
AS for the 64 gr in question, remember, it's not the WEIGHT of the bullet that causes instability but the LENGTH of the bullet. The 60 gr and 64 Nosler bullets aren't all that long and should stabilize.
GooseGestapo has it correct - shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.
Is it a 'perfect' deer round? Probably, probably not. We all have our experiences and opinions. Will it work if properly applied? Definitely.
My mulie was taken at close to 200 yards with a 222. Complete pass through. Not certain what grain bullet it was but probably a 55 gr of some sort. DRT. Took a farm-land buck in Texas that field dressed 145 lbs at 275 yards with a 22-250 in the shoulders. Complete pass through. DRT. A whitetail doe in Missouri dropped in her tracks at 75 yards with a 5.56 and the 64gr Nosler bonded. Entered behind the near shoulder and went through the off shoulder. Do field dressed 155 lbs. My grandson's first deer, a doe, was shot at 80 yards with a 223 from an AR. Deer ran about 20 yards. Complete pass through both shoulders.
AS for the 64 gr in question, remember, it's not the WEIGHT of the bullet that causes instability but the LENGTH of the bullet. The 60 gr and 64 Nosler bullets aren't all that long and should stabilize.
GooseGestapo has it correct - shot placement, shot placement, shot placement.
Is it a 'perfect' deer round? Probably, probably not. We all have our experiences and opinions. Will it work if properly applied? Definitely.
FL-NC
Member
I don't know the 22-250. How fast does that round go? I kill deer and pigs regularly with 223 in 75 gr BTHP match. Others I know do the same with 62 grain Barnes TSX.
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