Small caliber deer and antelope hunting...

[rickiesrevenge]

The first two were taken in August. About a year apart. The last picture was in December if I remember correctly. I think they taste pretty good. Id rather have deer or moose. But still pretty good. Caribou are not very tough critters. Doesnt take much to kill one.

 

[GoWyo!]

I bought my Sako AII .22-250 in hopes of using it on Antelope. I really wanted it to like 60 gr NPT. It doesnt. 2.5” at 100 yds. 60 gr hornadys are passable. 14” twist doesnt cut it. I bought my XP-100 .250 savage around the same time, It got the nod. I haven’t drawn a tag since. As for .243/6mm, they have been my primary Whitetail/ antelope rifles for decades.

 

[Ingwe]

I bought my Sako AII .22-250 in hopes of using it on Antelope. I really wanted it to like 60 gr NPT. It doesnt. 2.5” at 100 yds. 60 gr hornadys are passable. 14” twist doesnt cut it. I bought my XP-100 .250 savage around the same time, It got the nod. I haven’t drawn a tag since. As for .243/6mm, they have been my primary Whitetail/ antelope rifles for decades.

I have had trouble getting that Nosler 60 gr NPT to shoot real well in anything. The 14 twist in the .22-250 is somewhat lim icing but the bullet for game we have had excellent luck with is the Sierra 63 gr SMP. Its labeled a varmint bullet but it performs way past varmint expectations.
It is " short, fat" specifically for use in 14 twists.

 

[Old Hickory]

I've shot a handful of Wyoming and Montana Antelope years ago with small caliber AR15 rifles:
- .22 Nosler - 60 grain VMax (321 yards)
- .224 Valkyrie - 90 grain HP (90 yards)
- 6mm ARC - 105 grain BTHP (90 yards - Poor Bullet Performance)
- .224 Valkyrie - 69 grain Blitzking (468 yards)

As Kenbro said, it is all about shot placement. During the Montana hunt, I had to take a 200ish yard shot to finish off one that my buddy had shot with his 6.5 Creedmoor/143 grain ELD-X.


View attachment 117

Well done, Eric!

 

[Billinthedesert]

Good thread. I'm in on similar threads on three other forums, all three showing the ".22 is a stunt hysteria" by the old-school crowd.
The thread on Rokslide is 650 pages long, with multiple successful moose elk and even brown bear kills.
When I get my mitts on my 22 ARC, I am going to experiment with the legendary 77 TMK, the Hornady 80 and 88-grain ELDs and the Barnes TTSS in 62 grains and their new 77-grain LRX. I have absolutely no doubt these can do all the necessary work on antelope and deer.
One thing puzzles me. Why doesn't one of the rifle makers offer a .22-250 with 1:7 twist? It would be the nuts for hunting medium game.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

I tried the 77 tmk in my 22gt barrel. It wasn't all that impressive for accuracy. The 80eldm was much better. Some day I'd like to try the 77 lrx along with some bergers

 

[Old Hickory]

Wildcatting was big when I was young but I think it is even stronger now days.

 

[Ingwe]

.
One thing puzzles me. Why doesn't one of the rifle makers offer a .22-250 with 1:7 twist? It would be the nuts for hunting medium game.

Good point. I know a couple rifle makers have produced limited run of .22-250 in an 8 twist. Most notably Tikka. Haven't seen any 7 twists, but they may be out there...

 

[KevinG]

Good point. I know a couple rifle makers have produced limited run of .22-250 in an 8 twist. Most notably Tikka. Haven't seen any 7 twists, but they may be out there...

Probably because the bullets would have a hard time staying together........due to the excessively high RPM.

 

[rickiesrevenge]

Guys are doing it with 22 creeds. I have three or four buddies with 22 creeds. They only shoot heavy bullets.

 

[Ingwe]

Probably because the bullets would have a hard time staying together........due to the excessively high RPM.

Agreed...about the only thing at least in lighter weights that would stay together are monos.

 

[kiwishooter]

Guys are doing it with 22 creeds. I have three or four buddies with 22 creeds. They only shoot heavy bullets.

But there are a number of factory loads for 22-250 with lighter bullets and very few (if any) with heavy bullets.
I think this is why new cartridges were created instead of just loading heavy bullets into existing cartridges

 

[BronkoRob]

I’ve come across a few guys running fast twist 22-250s and shooting heavier bullets. There is a guy on YouTube shooting heavies in a 22-250AI.

I came really close to a fast twist 22-250AI, but there’s not many options for explosive varmint bullets, so I stuck with a 12 twist.

Looking at those heavy bullets though, like others mentioned, I’d just go 22 creedmoor, all the factory guns and ammo is geared for heavy, high BC bullets and faster twists.

 

[Old Hickory]

A number of naysayers pertaining to our choices of using are not giving a fair account of using small calibers for hunting. Also note most have no experience and I consider them armchair experts.

I have humped it in the field while armed with issued M16 and M4 rifles for more than 30 years. One of my main hunting rifles is a 5.56 rifle.

 

[M_Strohmeyer]

A number of naysayers pertaining to our choices of using are not giving a fair account of using small calibers for hunting. Also note most have no experience and I consider them armchair experts.

I have humped it in the field while armed with issued M16 and M4 rifles for more than 30 years. One of my main hunting rifles is a 5.56 rifle.

Hell I use my 17hmr and 22lr more than any rifle I have. Now that I bought the 17 Hornet my 223 and 22-250 barely gets used. For bigger game my 308 takes the brunt of use just because it's so light to carry.

 

[BronkoRob]

Welp, want to keep this one going. My son just scored a limited entry pronghorn tag in northern Utah.

He shoots the AR/556 and 22-250AI really well and I might have to see how these shoot with some hunting bullets. Only ever shot match or varmint bullets out of either.

 

[M_Strohmeyer]

Welp, want to keep this one going. My son just scored a limited entry pronghorn tag in northern Utah.

He shoots the AR/556 and 22-250AI really well and I might have to see how these shoot with some hunting bullets. Only ever shot match or varmint bullets out of either.

The standard 55gr. will not be enough for a pronghorn. 60 would be the lightest weight I would hunt with. Check the regulations because there might be a minimum caliber. Eric Mayer took a pronghorn in Wyoming with a 224 Valkyrie and a 80gr pill.