I'm using a 22-250 for longer shots on turkey hunting. Looking for a bullet that might be recommended which is accurate and won't blow up on contact. I have some Speer full metal jacket bullets, but they're not that accurate in my gun. I have plenty of Varget and 4350 that might work. Any thoughts are appreciated...
22 Cal Bullet for Turkey Hunting.
- Thread starter Triple BB
- Start date
If your rifle has a fast enough twist to stabilize them I would try some 70gr or heavier soft point bullets. As far as accuracy is concerned, that will depend somewhat on what your rifle likes, and there are no short cuts to that answer.
30 gr federal jacketed hp out of a 22 mag
Coyotefurharvester
Silver $$ Contributor
Shoot center of breast so bullet exits the back, could load down to 223 ish velocity and use a lead free bullet.
Bullet placement is the key. Walking away or facing you head on aim for the base of the neck. Broad side aim for the wing butt.
Shot them with .270 Winchester in those spots with no real damage to breast.
I used a 22-250 for hunting turkey, and never did find a suitable bullet/velocity combination. Load too light with a heavy construction bullet, and you don't get good stopping. Load up, and you get lots of meat damage. FMJ's didn't seem to help, because they fragmented, and I worried about pass-throughs with little damage if they didn't.
As RICHP said above, deer hunting calibers seem to be a better choice than a 22-250, because you have plenty of power, but bullets don't open up in the turkey as badly as I experienced with light bullet construction and high velocity.
I blame the turkey feather vanes for why this is problematic. They are TOUGH, and have layers overlapped over more layers. Try using a sharp knife to cut though one!
You have to have enough energy to punch through the turkey's feather vane "armor", and ANY 22 caliber bullet at high speed will damage more than you wanted to.
I gave up on my 22-250 and went to a 308 Win.
Edited to add: I wasn't really all that happy with the 308 terminal ballistic performance in turkeys either, and I thought about trying a 22 Mag. Before that happened, I lost access to the place where I could use a rifle on turkeys, and ended up just using a shotgun. THAT makes calling them into range difficult!
I really enjoyed it all though! Including eating what was left! LOL!
As RICHP said above, deer hunting calibers seem to be a better choice than a 22-250, because you have plenty of power, but bullets don't open up in the turkey as badly as I experienced with light bullet construction and high velocity.
I blame the turkey feather vanes for why this is problematic. They are TOUGH, and have layers overlapped over more layers. Try using a sharp knife to cut though one!
You have to have enough energy to punch through the turkey's feather vane "armor", and ANY 22 caliber bullet at high speed will damage more than you wanted to.
I gave up on my 22-250 and went to a 308 Win.
Edited to add: I wasn't really all that happy with the 308 terminal ballistic performance in turkeys either, and I thought about trying a 22 Mag. Before that happened, I lost access to the place where I could use a rifle on turkeys, and ended up just using a shotgun. THAT makes calling them into range difficult!
I really enjoyed it all though! Including eating what was left! LOL!
Last edited:
Gary in MD
Gold $$ Contributor
With an accurate 22-250, why not just shoot them in the head? Then It doesn’t matter what bullet you choose as long as it’s accurate. If you’re stretching things out past 200 yards then it may get tricky.
YMMV
YMMV
The 52/53's will work all the way down to a 8 twist for accuracy,but the high rotational speed will cause excess damage. There is also the hydrostatic damage from the high velocity. Think grenade going off inside the bird. I would consider this a headshot only gun.
Frank
Frank
JEFFPPC
Gold $$ Contributor
I have shot quite a few turkeys with either .222 or .223. I have found destruction is more a function of velocity in turkeys. If you can get them broadside and shoot them 2 to 3 inches above where the legs go into the body the will run 20 yds and drop dead, no damage to the breast meat. Shoot for accuracy in my opinion.
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
I rank turkeys right with prairie dogs, varmints. If it were legal to shoot them here with a rifle I still would not hunt them.
Don’t get me wrong I have been successful in years past and have got some dandys according to some folks. I just never saw it as hard as the TV shows let on to kill the stupid things. Did my home work, set up decoys, called them in and was done. Several with a shotgun and the last one with a bow. Gave all of my gear to some young fellas to go have fun with.
End up with enough edible meat for a snack for 2-3 people.
As mentioned shoot so shot goes out the back. Buddy in OK used a 22 Hornet and just put bullets in base forward. Surprised myself, but they would stay around 2”@100.
Lol, using a 22-250 for long range turkey, I myself would not walk 200 to retrieve one of the damn things.
Don’t get me wrong I have been successful in years past and have got some dandys according to some folks. I just never saw it as hard as the TV shows let on to kill the stupid things. Did my home work, set up decoys, called them in and was done. Several with a shotgun and the last one with a bow. Gave all of my gear to some young fellas to go have fun with.
End up with enough edible meat for a snack for 2-3 people.
As mentioned shoot so shot goes out the back. Buddy in OK used a 22 Hornet and just put bullets in base forward. Surprised myself, but they would stay around 2”@100.
Lol, using a 22-250 for long range turkey, I myself would not walk 200 to retrieve one of the damn things.
Clancy
Silver $$ Contributor
It’s wild to me that some people don’t eat turkey. I put them only behind grain country pronghorn in the eating category, although they’re hard to prepare. They’re far better than any native deer I know of, and a little better than elk to me.
To the original poster, turkeys are in a hell of a lot of trouble. Call him and and kill him with a shotgun (or 22 in my opinion) or don’t go at all.
Texas is number one in turkey population, with a population roughly 34 times the size of yours. We supplement a lot of other states in exchange for other captured wildlife like Bighorn Sheep. But, we are still trying to eliminate Centerfire as a legal method and reduce or close the hen harvest. My farm averages 250 live birds on the winter roost, but I know how quickly they can be diminished. I’ve seen that number drop below 30 in a bad year.
Two years in a row, I have driven from Lubbock, TX to Lake Okeechobee to hunt Osceola. Last year, I did not see a bird after the first hour of the trip until I got south of Orlando. This year, I did not see a bird at all until I reached the farm I hunt in Saint Lucie County. Understandably, there are areas where turkeys can be an absolute nuisance, but even those areas aren’t out of reach. I watched a wildfire eliminate a 2,000 bird roost site in Stonewall County, TX and it never recovered.
Short version, turkeys will be the next wildlife population crisis. Take it easy on them.
To the original poster, turkeys are in a hell of a lot of trouble. Call him and and kill him with a shotgun (or 22 in my opinion) or don’t go at all.
Texas is number one in turkey population, with a population roughly 34 times the size of yours. We supplement a lot of other states in exchange for other captured wildlife like Bighorn Sheep. But, we are still trying to eliminate Centerfire as a legal method and reduce or close the hen harvest. My farm averages 250 live birds on the winter roost, but I know how quickly they can be diminished. I’ve seen that number drop below 30 in a bad year.
Two years in a row, I have driven from Lubbock, TX to Lake Okeechobee to hunt Osceola. Last year, I did not see a bird after the first hour of the trip until I got south of Orlando. This year, I did not see a bird at all until I reached the farm I hunt in Saint Lucie County. Understandably, there are areas where turkeys can be an absolute nuisance, but even those areas aren’t out of reach. I watched a wildfire eliminate a 2,000 bird roost site in Stonewall County, TX and it never recovered.
Short version, turkeys will be the next wildlife population crisis. Take it easy on them.
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
I guess I have had more good venison than turkey.
Come to my house and if I like you, you will probably get T Bone or a porter house steak. If I REALLY like you, prime cuts of venison are on the menu.
Folks should be glad I wasn’t one of the pilgrims that came up with meat for the table on thanksgiving we would all be eating venison or elk.
The only Turkey I care much for comes in a bottle, won’t turn it down but if I am buying it wouldn’t e a first choice.
;-)
Come to my house and if I like you, you will probably get T Bone or a porter house steak. If I REALLY like you, prime cuts of venison are on the menu.
Folks should be glad I wasn’t one of the pilgrims that came up with meat for the table on thanksgiving we would all be eating venison or elk.
The only Turkey I care much for comes in a bottle, won’t turn it down but if I am buying it wouldn’t e a first choice.
;-)
I'll stick with a 20 gauge loaded with TSS and call them to at least 50 yds. But if I were to rifle a turkey with a 22 250, 55 gr soft points would be my choice. Full metal jackets will result in dead turkeys several hours and many yards later.
Not much calling to be done in Nov/ Dec around here. And the ones I'm after, tend be real skittish and are difficult to get close to.
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