Question For Hunting Small Game I have a Kimber 22 250 Rifle w/a Leupold VXIII 6.5 20 – 50mm LR scope Would?
by admin on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 | 10 Comments
this also be good to hunt Big game such as antelope & Deer or should I use a larger Caliber rifle ?
That is a Great gun for Varmint hunting You could use it on a small Deer or Antelope but I would recommend a higher grain of bullet I would also recommend another Rifle for hunting Big Game either a
25 06, 30 06, 270, 7mm, 7mm 08,or many other s check your local gun store they will help you.
Of the last three calibers mentioned, 270,7mm and 7mm-08 any would be better for deer. These are known for milder recoil and easy to shoot. They are all good for deer-sized game. The usual rule of thumb is that anything under a 243 caliber isn’t for deer. However, your Kimber sounds awesome. It would be fantastic for prairie dogs and rabbits!
Many states have a minimum requirement for caliber and energy for bullets that matches up with a 6mm / 243 cartridge. Some states do allow smaller center fire rifles like a 22-250 and 223 for some game, but you have to read the regulations carefully for that. A 22-250 with a 65 grain Bonded core or Barnes bullet would be a lot better choice than a 223. Nosler is producing Partitions and Accu-Bonds in 22 centerfire now and those would be good.
Now, ballistically and maybe legally,it can be done, but I heartily recommend NOT doing it. Deer can be 200 pounds or more,depending on where you live, and antelope are usually 120 to 175 pounds so a 22 bullet even going as fast as a 22-250 pushes it just isn’t the thing to do.
A 270,25-06,or other larger caliber is what you want. Again, many states have a 243 minimum threshold and even that is pushing it, unless you use a 90 grain or heavier Bonded core bullet. So, larger rifle for deer and antelope please. The Kimber is a wonderful rifle, and the 22-250 is perfect for ground squirrels, coyotes and similar varmint shooting.
* No it is a Varmint Rifle Caliber.* Your Best Calibers for Deer, and used most often are the 30-06, 308, 270, 30-30, 243…
i have taken deer with the 22-250 with 70gr bullets,but you would be better off with something a little bigger. walter bell once killed a cape buffalo with a 22 savage hi power,but i wouldn’t recommend it as a buffalo gun.
Great for what you are using it for. But I would go with something larger to shoot big game with. Unless you wish to put your game through a slow agonizing death then it would be fine.
That’s a great combo for varmint, sounds like you’re diffently dialed in. As far as Antelope, yeah they’re not really that large an animal but a mature mule deer buck can be 250 lbs on the hoof. You want a bullet with some weight, 140 grain or more. 270 is a great deer round, flat shooting, almost like a 7mm(.284 cal) mag without the recoil. Both antelope & mule deer may require long shots, so good optics is important but too much magnification can be a hindrance. Leupold makes an excellent 4×12 50mm. though I prefer the 3 x 9.
A 22-250 is just barely adequate for small antelope and deer,
but only with the heaviest premium bullets. (Barnes XXX etc.),
and carefully chosen and placed shots.
You really want more bullet weight than a .22 bore will throw.
my uncle uses a .223 with 50 grainers to bowl deer. personally i think that’s underpowered but the deer seem just as dead.
I would say if you either re-loaded or got some heavy/ballistic tipped factory ammo (60 grains plus) then it would be suitable for dropping the big animals.
the only problem you are likely to have is the high velocity of the .22-250, if you miss your mark you’re going to end up drilling a hole through the animal and chasing a blood trail for days. a good chest shot with heavy bullets at mild velocities should work well.
That is neither a small game nor a big game rifle. That is a varmint rifle suitable for shooting prairie dogs, woodchucks, fox and anything up to the size of a coyote.
A 22-250 could kill a deer and I have heard of it being done, but the bullets are a bit on the light side to adequately kill a deer or larger game, if the bullets hit bone and so forth.
Small game rifles are 22 LR and 22 WMR.
Big game rifles start at about 25 caliber and go up from there.