Help! 22-250 Boar/Deer Load NEEDED!

[NEFP]

I am leaving on a trip to Texas for a Boar/ Exotic Doe hunt in February. I am looking for someone who has a Proven recipe for a 22-250 round that will work for these at 100 yards or less... I have a Savage Striker with a 14" Barrel. Please let me know if you can help!!!

[skeet]

Might be ok for small deer but get something bigger for Hogs..especially big'uns

[NEFP]

Ok, So if I use something else for the Hoggs....... I still need an awesome load for the Deer.... Any suggestions?

[HPBTMTCH]

If you must use a 22-250 for deer, go with nosler 60 grain partitions, or if the striker has enough twist, the 65 grain sierra`s, or 64 winchester power points. These work well for deer in .223, which should be close to the muzzle velocity of your pistol.

[Catfish]

I also would not try to stop a hog with a .22-250. I`ve killed alot of farm raised hogs with a .22 LR revolver at point blank range, but a wild hog with a bad hit can get real mad and do alot of damage. Get something alot bigger. As for deer I would recomand the Nosler partitions, I`ve never been able to get them to shoot well in any gun I`ve tried them in, but they will be good for a 100 yrd. shot. The 63 gn. Serria semi pointed would also be a good choice. You shoyuld be able to get loading data from a Serria manual, or from about any other loading manual. I want to be able to hold a 6 in. group at the max. range I`ll be shooting deer, so if your max. range is 100 yrds. you really won`t need much in the way of accuracy.

[TEXOMAOUTFITTERS]

I SHOT MY BIGGEST DEER WITH MY 22-250 ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS MY DADS KILLED A BUNCH WITH HIS HOGS 2 55 GR HOLLOW POINT DOES THE JOB REMEMBER SHOT PLACEMENT IS THE KEY NECK SHOTS THEY DONT MOVE ANY WHERE HOGS SHOT AROUND THE EAR

[Dom]

I also do NOT recommend the 22-250 for deer or boar. It shines as a great varmint round, but is not geared for larger game. You don't always have that great option of shooting them in the head or neck, and one little move means a wounded animal that ain't going to leave much of a blood trail and will travel miles and days. Even to shoot them thru the boiler room with a .22 pill does not leave much of a hole. Course, there's a lot of difference between what one calls a pig -- the bigger they get the tougher they get. Also a big dif between ferals and the European or Russian wild boar.

No, there's a better purpose for the hot .22 cf's, and in my opinion it is not for game animals, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

[8X56MS]

no offense, but what you need is a bigger caliber rifle.

[NEFP]

Well, Acually I have already gone on the trip I needed these special loads for. I shot 3 Big Mean Texas Boar between 210 and 250 with my 22-250 at 100 yards. I used a custom load with a 55 grain trophy bonded bear claw. All the shots where broadside and the biggest boar only took 3 steps and the others fell over in their tracks. One thing I have learned is SHOT PLACEMENT is the key to success!!!

["yote"]

22-250 on deer? Are people nuts!! Hell, I consider the 243 a
MARGINAL deer round. 22-250's might be fine for a texas fawn,
but if you try to use one on deer up here in MN they will lock you up! That's why the vast majority of states prohibit the use of
.22 cal on deer and other big game.

P.S. get a WAY bigger gun for those hogs!!!!!
NEFP, No offense but those are baby pigs. The area that we have
hunted in TN for the last few years, the boars have run 375-430#
We don't even waste our bullets on the little ones, We just let
the dogs( Airdales) kill them.

[Barlow]

NEFP, you have found what I and many others have learned over the years. 22-250's and 220 Swifts with the right bullet, just plain work. The bullet you are using is a good one, I have tried the 50 gr and did not get good accuracy in my Swift, but have used various 50, 55, and 60 grain bulets for our deer in Wisc, and have had no problems. Been using them since 1976. There are actually quite a few guys in our area that use them. I would use them over a 243 any day.

[Rapier]

What you folks from other states do not know is, what I have been told by a ton of Texas hunters and that is, that the most popular deer rifle in Texas is the 22-250.

We here in Florida get predition permits to kill deer that are destroying crops. A buddy has a permit to kill 90 deer in three peanut fields that run over 800 yards across, each. He uses a fast twist 223 with 80gr Sierras and has never shot a deer more than once and fills the permit every year. He has many one shot kills at 800+. He swears by the 223 and the 80gr HPBTMK. I use my fast twist 22-250 AI with the Hornady 75gr A-Max to hunt deer in big fields (over 450yards) all of the time. Never shot a deer more than once nor have I ever lost a deer.
Best,
Ed

[GoodOlBoy]

Most popular deer rifle in Texas is not a 22-250. It is (In order)

22 lr (which is illegal it is still the most popular)
30-30 winchester
243
25-06
270
308
30-06
7mm Mag
222 Rem (no I didnt mistype thanks)
223 Rem
22-250
300 Rum
30 carbine
303 british
Then you get into a host of other calibers uncluding old cowboy guns. if you add shotguns the 12 guage is number three and 20 gauge is number nine.

At least according to the Texas parks and Wildlife officer (game warden) standing in my office right now. He's been with TPW for around 30 years so I take his word for it. (No I don't have a link his brain and experience dont have a web page)


And Texomaoutfitters you may be using a 22-250 on javelina or on oklahoma pigs, but in East Texas we have nothing but Feral hogs. It is not unusual to see a 400-600lb hog. You shoot him in the neck and you hit the cape, a piece of gristle that is a BEAR to penetrate with a 7mm rifle. Records in East Texas on Feral pigs go way above 800lbs. Ain't ABOUT to shoot at that with a 22, 22-250 or even a 30-30. I shoot at him it is going to be from a deer stand 80 feet up with a 45-70 405 grain lead, and I will pack a lunch and a sleeping bag.

A 683lb board charged my cousin about 15 years back out here. He shot the charging boar three times with a 7mm rifle. The boar dropped on the third shot. First shot entered his muzzle, and went out the side of the cheek. Second shot glanced off of his skull because of the angle. Third shot snapped his spine about halfway back. Yes he shot him a forth time in the vitals from behind and away afterwards. We weighed the pig on the scales at the Feed CooP in town. Makes one heck of a difference when they are charging you. Normally I would say he could make that shot with that rifle hands down any day of the week in one shot. But normally he would be in the stand waiting, not being charged on the ground.

Just sayin. For small deer you might get away with it. Don't mess with the piggies unless you like sleepin in trees for days on end.

As an FYI I carry a Ruger Blackhawk in 45 colt loaded with hot 300 grain lead bullets as a backup when hog hunting just in case. Something to think about.

GoodOlBoy

[popplecop]

Years ago I killed quite a number of deer doing damage with a .225 Win. with 55 gr. factory loads. I had the advantage of picking my shots, never had to track one down. Aftet i retired shot one during deer season with a .223 with Win. 64 gr. factory load, deer dropped in it's tracks. Am not avocating.22 CFs for deer, but by choosing your shots they work.

[gd357]

yote,

one thing to remember - the deer you shoot at are probably better than twice the body weight of something that far south. My first real look around the southwest indicated that better than 90% of the population appeared to be undersized fawns (no joke). I sure would think really hard before using a .22 CF up north... JMHO

gd

[Ol` Joe]

I was in on a cull here and took a 223 Rem with 52gr Hornady match HPs handloads pushing 3300 fps.
11 shots fired, 11 DRT deer, all adult whitetails. The 223 from what I`ve seen must be a great deer cartridge... :D :D
I took nothing over ~100yd and all were placed in the ear hole. (as best I could) I did have a stout tree branch as a rest and unspooked deer for the most part.
What I`m saying is shot placement is everything, especially with marginal cartridges and bullets. What works well when everything is right might be a whole-nutter ball game if things aren`t perfect.
JMO.........

BTW there were no exit wounds we noticed although afew had an eye popped out.

[Contenderizer]

Here in Florida poachers swear by the 22LR ... but that don't make it right.

The 22-250 is sending a bullet at the target WAY too fast to get good penetration, and, even if it did, the energy level is simply not up to the job of guaranteeing a humane kill - even for deer.

Unless you can load a FMJ bullet in a 22-250, and place the shot just below the ear, get another gun. Being a Sportsman entails more than simply being a good shot. Things can, and do, go wrong.

[Evan03]

actualy with say a 53gr triple shock and impact velocity of 3200fps at just shy of 200yds.

thats what happend this last deer season, i live in idaho, i can hunt only bucks. idaho mulies are considerd to be big, atleast bigger than average texas deer.

anyways i have lots of rifles i shoot lots. and i have bigger calibers 2506 270 and 3006

the rifle i used was my #1 loaded with a 53gr triple sock. the load exits the muzzle at 3800 and some change. i shot my deer quartering hard away wich meant i hit it a long ways back right at the last rib(actualy centerd it), and angled hard forward pentrateing over 24" comeing to rest just insidde the hid on the far.
were talking inside the hide of the shoulder after it pentracted shoulder bone. for alittle buttle impacticting a rib at 3200 going through vitals impactiong shoulder bone then comeing to stop was very amazeing to me.

i bullet did not exit. deer went a few feet tumbeling over forward. upon cleaning i did not find the bullet. waited till i got home and skinned deer. still finding no bullet. i had to lay the hide out on the floor and feel around. finaly found the bullet. it looked like a perfect mushroom. so i toss it on my scale. all it looks like is mushroom. it mushrromed back 3/4s the lenght of the bullet. and it also weighed alittle over 53grs so i took it to sink cleaned the flesh out of the peeled back petals and it now weighed exackly 53gr 100% weight retention.

i had some 44mag bullets so i placed the mushroomed triple shock on it and it had exspanded to well over 44mag diameter. kinda of amazeing for small pointed bullet impaction bone at 3200fps.

i am now true belive in barnes triple shocks. i load 115gr triple shocks in my 2506 and i feel there is nothing in idaho or most anywhere i couldnt hunt with the load.

[Evan03]

there is mor going on then just haveing energy.

impact velocitie has alot to do with killing its like dropping a small rock in the watter. the riple exstends all the way across the pond. upon bullet impact everything is effected and blood actualy flows backwords in the veins way from the impact point and may be the reason that faster exspanding higher velocities calibers seem to kill dead right there.

i will continue to kill game with the 220 and 53gr triple shocks. my kids will be shooting 22centerfires long before there old enough to hunt deer. they will be placeing shots. well be shooting paper deer targets and they may use the 220 to take there first deer. if they cant place there shot in vitals they wont be shooting and deer.
if they cant hit vitals with 22centerfire at 100-150 im not going to give them a bigger gun to go hunt deer. that just does not make sence. and at that range the 22/250 220 will do just as good as a 243 6mm will.

any caliber could bring very bad results when handed to knew or uncarreing hunter that cant hit anything past 20yds. ive seen guys that hunt with 338s and i know for fact im 100% more deadly with my 220 then them. a bigger cal does not mean anything. all it means is they contunie to shoot bad and will never almost never have wll placed shot untill they learn to shoot.

i also feel that you should not knock 22cals untill youver tried them. you certianly have not if your knockn them on texas deer. the texas trophy hunter is the 22swift improved.

on side not 22s are not for everyone. but on deer sized game if everyone could place a well placed shot and keep distances inside 200 we would see a rage to the big 22s. but 90% of hunters are exsperinced or have practiced enough to do that. so we will keep shooting and wounding game with bigger calibers and knockn the 22s. that could 90% get the job done with better placed shot than what the flinching hunter pulled off with bigger caliber


Evan

[Evan03]

got to thinkn, if we made all calibers dissapear bigger than 257 im almost 100% positive we would see a very large redunction game lost in the feild after the first missplaced shot.

[GoodOlBoy]

Just because the TTH is a 22 caliber does NOT make it right for all deer. Keep in mind that round was designed to be very accurate and to be used on whitetail deer. I have rarely met a TTH hunter who would be willing to try it on a mule deer. Also keep in mind Evan that the original post asked for a deer/BOAR load. For javelina you MIGHT could get away with an excellently placed shot and a 22 caliber. For feral hog you would be risking a bad wounding shot for nothing. Go with a larger caliber. PERIOD. don't count on a well placed shot when you don't know how the weather, the creature, the primer, the powder, or the bullet might react. What happens if you bumped you scope off a bit and didn't know it? for an "in the ear" shot at 100+ yards a half an inch makes a heck of a difference.

GoodOlBoy

[auton]

Eskio Indians shoot Polar Bears with 22-250 which is very popular during seal hunting. The excellent Barnes TSX 62gr would be excellent in the 223 or 22-250 if you place your shot pefect......neck or below the ear.

[Evan03]

good ol boy, he changed it to wanting a good deer only load,

also i dont shoot for the ear or eye i like the vitals and will contue to shoot deer with my 220, i now have two scopes sited and in ruger number one rings, one a leo 6-18 the other a 3-9 leo. if im worried about my shot placement or my rifles condition i will not use it to take or attempt to take a deer. i will punch some paper to make sure or grab a difrent rifle.

ive gone agasnt the grain all my life and sometimes it seems to show.


thanks
Evan

[shooterjon]

My recommendation for your 22-250 is GET A 243 with a 85 to 120 gr,bullet ,This subject is getting old sorry for the sarcastic post but REALLY the 22-250 us under-guned for Deer!

[auton]

one Thing the rifles rate of Twist with the 22-250 most shoot better with the 52gr to 55gr loads due to their rate of twist.......the Barnes 52gr TSX would be the bullet choice for larger game.......with High Neck or below ear shots only. Don't expect a blood trail with such a small bullet hole.

[GoodOlBoy]

Some Alabama Cashata (sp?) Indians I know have been known to take deer with a 22 short, it don't make it right, and it don't make it smart. Just because you can do it, doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Evan I don't know how you ever take anything. If I punched paper on a rifle every time I got to my deerstand, or every time I stalk hunt I would never see a thing, and around here all it takes to bump a scope out of line is to walk 10 or 20 feet. If you KNEW it was going to be out or line, or that that round was going to be low on powder, or have a funky primer then you would be psychic. I am talking about a shot that happens when sometimes you just DON"T know it is about to go bad. When you firmly believe everything is in line. At THAT time it is better to have a caliber and gun that will do the job in that condition, then to rely on a borderline caliber and a puffed up swagger.

I have seen that kind of shot WAY too many times from city hunters on everything from rifles to bows.

GoodOlBoy