[*Moose]

That you would use a .22-250 or .220 Swift or their equal on? I belong to another forum and they have been posting pictures of deer, mule deer, black bear, elk, and sheep and goats taken with the .22-250 and .220 Swift. Several guys have said they elk hunt frequently with those cartridges. I've hunted whitetail numerous times with the .22-250 but I'm not sure if I could talk myself into carrying one for black bear ever. But maybe bullet technology has surpassed even my prejudices and maybe it's time to see the hot .22's in a different light?

 

[susquegander]

Deer! AND THATS PUSHING IT!

 

[Freytown]

Their both varmit cartridges...so a Yote would be max for me.

If a caliber cannot take down game in all situations (angles) it should not be used. Period!

 

[*Moose]

Of course this idea is nothing new. In the 50's Wally Taber took most of the African plains game and an African Lion with his .228 Ackley magnum. And we all know about Polar bears, eskimos, and .222's.

 

[b&ghuntre]

YO I see mine in the right light. My Swift is one heck of a chuck gun nothing out there can compare to it. .224 cal. guns and even with all the new bullets that blow up on contact aren't for deer size game and better. I see it theres always someone that will try anything. To me it's like strip mining with a bob cat, in time it could be done but why? Without looking in books i think 63grs. or so is heaviest bullets even Barns bts. that tout their penatration abilities won't do it in that small of cal. I'ed like chattin with those boys alittle...later

 

[Trailcamologist]

I've taken several whitetails with the Swift. Everyone went down like lightning struck them, but I attribute that to precise bullet placement. I shoot whislepigs all summer long with the Swift and I'm very confident in my abilities with it. Also, quite a bit of my hunting is on large farms that offer the kind of hunting that allows me to take my time and really concentrate on bullet placement, not that this shouldn't be done anywhere else, but its not the same as hunting the thick stuff, or being a sitter on a drive where a quick shot might be needed.

All that said, I wouldn't recommend the Swift or 22-250 as a whitetail round if other choices were available. However if its all that was available, it will get the job done. Especially with todays choices in premium bullets such as the Barnes X family, Nosler Partition or Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. I surely have my reservations about taking to the bear woods with either and can't even imagine carrying either for Elk!!

From the great "Karamoja" Bell, who hypothesized that "10 grains in the right place" would do a whole lot more than many times that in the wrong place.

 

[*Moose]

I guy I used to work with told me about someone he knew who took a medium sized PA Black Bear with a .22 Hornet.

 

[b&ghuntre]

DO they make the bullets you mentioned in the .224 cals. Again without looking in books the stoppin power of these small bullets VS. 270,06 300's is most likely laughable. A total head shot i mean in eyeball socket might and will do in most no. am. game less po. bear and griz maybe heck 22mag would do it. if and when i drop my elk it'll be from 180 gr. 300 rum and just read the 300 win. mag. is the #1 game getter in US followed by 270 and 06 i think thst says it all,,,,later

 

[overthehill]

agreed that a 22 centerfire will harvest a deer with proper bullet and proper shot placement. with that said just because hunter "x" has done it does not mean that "joe average" can do it also. a very high percentage of pa. deer hunters go out once a year, fire a box of ammo to check sight-in, then go out opening day to hunt their deer. is a 22 "right" for them??? NO!!!!! a 300 super dooper hypersonic ultra magnum plus is not good for this hunter either. medium powered cartridges from the 243 90 grain to the 30-06 with 165 grain are quite adequate for a humane kill with acceptable meat damage. jmho. the flaming may now begin. p.s. i have VERY thick skin.

 

[Harrysigafoo]

"ote or a badger.

Yes you can with perfect shot placement kill big game with a 22 CF. BUT that means passing up hundreds of good shots. There are a lot more proper shot placements with a 150 gr 308 than with a 22-250.

Few PA hunters have the patience to pass 5 or 6 bucks till the PERFECT 22-250 shot ccomes up.

 

[b&ghuntre]

Thick skin there you go startin to get into this. a deer is most likely the thinnest skined animal we hunt as big game. an elk mussel, moose, and all the bears with skin mussel and bone a 55 gr. bt. is like gettin a black fly bite. my 270 and 300 rum do only get shot around sept. 300 has 5 boxs through it since new and the 270 is waste of time its always there but my 220 and 222 get a work out. My huntin guns are for that huntin the 22 cals. for play and cheap to shoot. i see guys at club on sight in day with 4 ' group that are happy. I can do that off hand but the 22 big game hunters must be in a coma when their shooting to do what they claim....later

 

[Trailcamologist]

DO they make the bullets you mentioned in the .224 cals.

yes they all make 60 grain bullets in .224

 

[tundragriz]

Some people have trouble killing big game with large calibers and some people routinely kill any animal with small calibers. Woman and children seem to be particularly adept at killing just about anything with a 22 or 24 caliber. As you stated, eskimos do it everyday all day. They say "Too small for a white man but just right for an eskimo". 22 or 24 is just fine for polar bear, moose, grizzly, or walrus.

The difference is in the person, not the caliber. The caliber has the ability, the person not so much. A lot of big game animals are killed with bad shots. So many animals are killed with hits on the rear of the lungs or liver because the shooter, intentionally or not, aimed mid mass. A lot of animals are spined but the shooter was not intending to spine the animal. Arteries are hit under the spine or even in the rear leg although they were not aiming for those areas.

Some people have the ability to kill with the skill and coolness of an assassin, others get flustered by adrenaline, not sure of their precise aiming point, in the overload of the moment disregard essential markmanship skills, jerk triggers, flinch, and make comments like you don't feel the recoil when shooting at an animal justifying using a caliber they have proven to themselves they can consciously control at the bench, but not when combined with the numerous other stimuli in the field.

Shot placement is really what matters, plenty of 22 caliber bullets to do the job. As a bowhunter with 1 shot I have to very cautiously choose my angle, as a muzzleloader with only 1 shot I carefully wait for the right shot, as a turkey hunter I wait till the head is up and clear, as a rifle hunter no reason I can't be somewhat disciplined to make the correct 1 shot kill also.

 

[*Moose]

Good points Tundragriz.

 

[repsagA29]

agreed that a 22 centerfire will harvest a deer with proper bullet and proper shot placement. with that said just because hunter "x" has done it does not mean that "joe average" can do it also. a very high percentage of pa. deer hunters go out once a year, fire a box of ammo to check sight-in, then go out opening day to hunt their deer. is a 22 "right" for them??? NO!!!!! a 300 super dooper hypersonic ultra magnum plus is not good for this hunter either. medium powered cartridges from the 243 90 grain to the 30-06 with 165 grain are quite adequate for a humane kill with acceptable meat damage. jmho. the flaming may now begin. p.s. i have VERY thick skin.

That sums it up, no flaming needed

 

[b&ghuntre]

First time in Canada the outlaw guide i was with took 22mag. emtied gun in bear climbed tree and waited it out. We all know about first shot and it's placement never talked fire power. Bow hunting is about bleeding not shock and power. The .224 bullets stated Barnes X, Nosler Partition and Trophy bonded can't believe thats true. 22 bullets are designed to blow up on contact what would a trophy bullet be for in 22? Wouldn't want to chuck hunt in open fields with a bullet that sails onto next county. This is why most varmit bullets 22's up through to 243 use alot of hollow points. just sayen...later

 

[*Moose]

there are premium bullets available for .22's. I just saw Cabelas has Federal 22-250 with 60 grain Nosler Partition on the shelf. Winchester makes 64 grain Power-Points for the .22-250 and they are recommended for deer. I know Barnes makes X bullets in .22 also. Deer hunting with .22's has caught on and is here to stay.

 

[b&ghuntre]

Ok I guess i'm wrong. Maybe it is a fade gettin started not for me i'll take my deer with my good ol 270 150 cor-loket one shot always some times he never moves just sits down...later

 

[308Havoc]

i love both but i would have to say that a yote would be the biggest i would shoot. when im deer hunting with a rifle, i like it to go BOOM not ptssshhhhhh. lol

BTW the largest bullet you can get is berger 115gr.and barnes does make a X bullet; the triple shock-x.

 

[tundragriz]

Most of the major bullet manufacturers make big game 22 bullets. The 223 is the NATO bullet for killing clothed humans out to at least 500m. ALL my big game bullets including dangerous game are hollowpoints. The reason for plastic tips are to increase expansion compared to hollopoints. The most fragile of 22 bullets may not be hollowpoints, i.e. Hornady Vmax, Nosler ballistic tip, Sierra Blitzkings.