.22 caliber whitetail bullet

[troupe]

Sierra #1395 or maybe the new 69 tipped gameking. Best I ever used. Killed my biggest buck ever with the #1395 Acted like he was hit with a 7mm Mag, Dropped instantly at 125 yds.

 

[Richard Jones]

.224 cal bullets for deer........maybe one day in Virginia.............

I used to load for a guy that did damage control stuff. 700 VS in 223, everything factory, reworked trigger, cheap Tasco. His load was 26.0 of BL-C(2), a CCI 450 and a Hornady 55 SP, #2265, any brass. Nothing hot. Sitting in the same spot, he shot 18 deer in a six week period, all at about the same area in the same field, a now-lasered 325-ish. All one shot. All DRT. The guy can shoot. Legal? I'm not sure if there were rules then about damage stamp deer and appropriate firearms. But the science works.

Get with the times, Virginia........

 

[Gman]

Last year:
77 TMK 223 bolt gun
Deer at 240 yards did not take a step
Entrance = top picture
Base of bullet recovered lodged on the skin
View attachment 1715895View attachment 1715896View attachment 1715897

Wow!

 

[K22]

55 grain VMAX to the ribs. Dead within seconds. Mush inside. Rib parts sticking under the hide on the far side. I've shot a bunch with this bullet from Swifts and 22-250. Have to put it into a broadside rib.

This is interesting and I would like to relate my journey to find an effective white tail bullet that I never thought would work in the 243 Win.

Long story short, many years ago my smith recommended that I try the Sierra 85 BTHP in my 243 Win's for eastern white tail. Like many 243 users from the 60's, I thought the 100 grain bullets were the only way to go for deer. But often the deer would run, sometimes quite a distance, when hit with this bullet, even with proper placement. The bullet simply did not expand.

At first, I was skeptical. So, I would only use it on doe. Soon I discovered, if shot placement was proper as you described, the deer would drop or run less than 50 yards or so. Therefore, I expanded the use to bucks and the results were much the same. So I became a believer of this bullet for eastern white tail.

With that said, the two largest bucks I ever shot, (175 and 155 lbs. field dressed) were taken with a 308 and 150 grain Sierra Pro Hunter bullets. Would the 85 BTHP done the job. Probably.

 

[ohlongarmisle]

*Veins popping out*

"You can't
Rabble Rabble
kill deer
Rabble
with a blankin' 223
RAbBLe!"

Correct you are, that's why I use a 22 long rifle and take head shots, suppressed, it's an amazing whitetail slayer, DRT in tracks entry wound in line with ear side of head, never fails .Deer control permits, antlerless only, have shot hundreds literally. Shots are from a stationary position all shots at 50 yards or less, but I've stretched it out a few times to just 100 with no deviation, as far as results.

 

[Gary in MD]

Don't know if my 1 in 9" twist would stabilize that pill.

Ah, you are correct. My error. The 65 grain Sierra would be my next choice, but as other people’s experience shows, almost anything through the lungs is going to get the job done.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

60 grain Nosler Partition.
Absolutely amazing performance.
We have some really big bodied deer up here, and I have seen it give diagonal penetration on a huge buck. Smashed the shoulder and ended up under the skin by the diaphragm on the off side.
My kids have killed loads of deer with it, and I've used it on a nuisance black bear and a cull cow elk.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

55 grain VMAX to the ribs. Dead within seconds. Mush inside. Rib parts sticking under the hide on the far side. I've shot a bunch with this bullet from Swifts and 22-250. Have to put it into a broadside rib.

And what do you do with a quartering on shot?
Just curious.

 

[Gman]

60 grain Nosler Partition.
Absolutely amazing performance.
We have some really big bodied deer up here, and I have seen it give diagonal penetration on a huge buck. Smashed the shoulder and ended up under the skin by the diaphragm on the off side.
My kids have killed loads of deer with it, and I've used it on a nuisance black bear and a cull cow elk.

I see you are from Saskat, yes your deer are much bigger than ours. I'm gonna try that 60 gr Nosler Partition.

 

[Edd]

60 grain Nosler Partition.
Absolutely amazing performance.
We have some really big bodied deer up here, and I have seen it give diagonal penetration on a huge buck. Smashed the shoulder and ended up under the skin by the diaphragm on the off side.
My kids have killed loads of deer with it, and I've used it on a nuisance black bear and a cull cow elk.

Is this with a 223 or is it with a larger 22 cartridge?

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

Is this with a 223 or is it with a larger 22 cartridge?

.223.
This is the buck I referred to in post #27.
200 yards, quartering on hard.

 

[snert]

And what do you do with a quartering on shot?
Just curious.

Don't.

Match the bullet potential to the animal taken and limit your trigger finger within those pre-determined choices.

Honestly, if you are hunting large heavy coated deer, and want to shoot quartering, use enough gun.

When the OP limited the choice to 224, my answer assumed certain obviously imposed limitations. A 55 NBT or Vmax is absolutley devestating to a broadside deer when hit in the ribs (or head for that matter) but CERTAINLY is inadequate for any other application. I have taken a pile (over 25) with that combo, but passed on dozens more that did not present the specific shot I needed which was limited by the claiber selection.

If a person is hunting like, say, Elmer Keith...well then, we all know what he advocated. If a hunter figures on actually pulling the trigger on a big heavy deer facing away at 200 yards, he should anticipate that with his bullet/caliber/energy choice. Do that and we would not be having this discussion (which BTW, I am not chastizing). I am simply saying that the choice limits the application, obviously.

You gotta be willing to let that monster walk away unmolested if he presents only a quartering shot. Ethics demands it. It also demands that if you should anticipate not being able to restrain yourself, then use a bullet and caliber designed to make an ethical quartering (or Texas Heartshot) shot on game. In this scenario, a VAMX isn't the choice. Honestly, I wouldnt consider anything under 6mm except if you can let that deer walk away unless standing broadside.

 

[stacy]

Don't.

Match the bullet potential to the animal taken and limit your trigger finger within those pre-determined choices.

Honestly, if you are hunting large heavy coated deer, and want to shoot quartering, use enough gun.

When the OP limited the choice to 224, my answer assumed certain obviously imposed limitations. A 55 NBT or Vmax is absolutley devestating to a broadside deer when hit in the ribs (or head for that matter) but CERTAINLY is inadequate for any other application. I have taken a pile (over 25) with that combo, but passed on dozens more that did not present the specific shot I needed which was limited by the claiber selection.

If a person is hunting like, say, Elmer Keith...well then, we all know what he advocated. If a hunter figures on actually pulling the trigger on a big heavy deer facing away at 200 yards, he should anticipate that with his bullet/caliber/energy choice. Do that and we would not be having this discussion (which BTW, I am not chastizing). I am simply saying that the choice limits the application, obviously.

You gotta be willing to let that monster walk away unmolested if he presents only a quartering shot. Ethics demands it. It also demands that if you should anticipate not being able to restrain yourself, then use a bullet and caliber designed to make an ethical quartering (or Texas Heartshot) shot on game. In this scenario, a VAMX isn't the choice. Honestly, I wouldnt consider anything under 6mm except if you can let that deer walk away unless standing broadside.

True but there’s my oh saying it not what you drive it where you park it

 

[1lessdog]

I killed many Deer with a Hornady 55gr SP. They hold together good and just plan kill deer.

 

[mike mccormick]

Don't know if my 1 in 9" twist would stabilize that pill.

It won't

 

[Gman]

.223.
This is the buck I referred to in post #27.
200 yards, quartering on hard.
View attachment 1716021

Wow, that has got to be at least a 220-275 lb field dressed monster!

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

Don't.

Match the bullet potential to the animal taken and limit your trigger finger within those pre-determined choices.

Honestly, if you are hunting large heavy coated deer, and want to shoot quartering, use enough gun.

When the OP limited the choice to 224, my answer assumed certain obviously imposed limitations. A 55 NBT or Vmax is absolutley devestating to a broadside deer when hit in the ribs (or head for that matter) but CERTAINLY is inadequate for any other application. I have taken a pile (over 25) with that combo, but passed on dozens more that did not present the specific shot I needed which was limited by the claiber selection.

If a person is hunting like, say, Elmer Keith...well then, we all know what he advocated. If a hunter figures on actually pulling the trigger on a big heavy deer facing away at 200 yards, he should anticipate that with his bullet/caliber/energy choice. Do that and we would not be having this discussion (which BTW, I am not chastizing). I am simply saying that the choice limits the application, obviously.

You gotta be willing to let that monster walk away unmolested if he presents only a quartering shot. Ethics demands it. It also demands that if you should anticipate not being able to restrain yourself, then use a bullet and caliber designed to make an ethical quartering (or Texas Heartshot) shot on game. In this scenario, a VAMX isn't the choice. Honestly, I wouldnt consider anything under 6mm except if you can let that deer walk away unless standing broadside.

Truth be told, that deer was shot from a 5 gallon bucket, resting on a shovel handle, in a "blind" shoveled up out of 2 foot deep snow in a hayfield, by a buddy who'd never fired anything bigger than a .223, and had never killed a deer before. We were hoping for a doe.
Oh, yeah, and he only had about 1.5 hours to hunt.
There was very little about the hunt that wasn't a gong show, but the performance of the Partition was strictly professional.

 

[Jonnyofalltrades]

Wow, that has got to be at least a 220-275 lb field dressed monster!

I think he dressed out at around 220, if I remember right.
Great rack, but totally normal body size for this area.

 

[JEFFPPC]

55 Sierra Game King, all shot. Double figures and most fell in their tracks. A question by a poster above, a diagonally lengthwise shot I would pass. I ask him, are you ethical or not?

 

[wvlongshot]

That 60 nosler partition in a 223 kills like a big gun. Pure poison in a hot 22-250 8 twist. I've got a large picture album full of kids picture's with their first deer with those bullets.