55 grain vmax my 22-250 for deer

[s lantz]

I don.t want to start any problems with this forum about using 55 grain vmax bullets on deer. I have used a 222 rem. with 50 grain vmax to 10 deer. All deer didn't go 10 feet after shot. 7 spun arround a couple of times and drop. The other 3 finched and walk about 10 feet and dropped. All deer were from 50 yards to 2oo yards and I hit anywere from right hind the shoulder to middle of the rib cage. I know a 22-250 does go faster but I thinking at 250-400 yards that it should perform about the same. I read that you shouldn.t be using vmax on deer but I saw what I saw in performance and 10 deer is a good sample. Does anybody use this combo to that deer and hitting them in the ribs. When I skinned the deer I could see metal fragment just under the skin on the opposite side. Thanks

[JASmith]

Take a look at this one if you want fast and good for deer: http://www.lehighdefense.com/shop/bullets/controlled-chaos/131/.-detail

At 26.99/100 + $5.00 shipping, the price seems reasonable.

They also make a 45 gr version if your twist is too slow for the 55gr lead-free bullet.

[Luke45]

22-250 will be firing 600 fps faster than 222. Much more explosive than 222, would only do head/shots. Bullet fragments will barely make it 6" most don't even exit on a coyote in my 22-250

[bootsmcguire]

I'm with Luke45. Now a 55gr Seirra spritzer will make it a bit further. A nosler partition would be a much better choice, IMHO. The 55gr V-Max is a great bullet, but for deer its really outside of the bullets design limits.

I loaded some 87gr V-Max's for a 243 for a buddy for coyote hunting. He used factory 100gr Power Point ammo for deer. One season he ran out of 100's and grabbed up the 87's. Shot a deer at 150yds in a corn field. Deer was 20yds off of the tree line and when it was hit it ran right in the trees. He went down to check it out. Saw where deer was standing and there was one drop of blood about dime sized and that was it. No trail. Luckily there was snow and he followed the prints into the trees to find the deer dead about 30yds in. He sent me pics of the deer's insides while dressing it, and identifying organs was a lost cause. Bullet went in and exploded, too out everything in the chest cavity.

Point is, will the bullet kill deer?
Yes.

Will you get a blood trail?
Probably not much of one if at all.

What will happen if you hit a more major bone?
No idea, but I'll bet it wouldn't be good.

You want to shoot a V-Max that is your choice and if properly placed should work, but IMHO there are much better readily available choices out there.

[foxx]

I'm with Luke and Boots.

What's the point in using marginal bullets and cartridges? I am glad you recovered all of your deer and had such remarkable results, but, seriously, why do it? Why not go with a .308 or .260 or even .243? It can't be about money. For the price of a movie and popcorn with your girl (and maybe the McDonald's drive-thru afterward) you can switch barrels to a larger, more potent cartridge. Is it because you are maybe recoil sensitive? I believe the .243 is quite mild, and the .260 certainly isn't a bruiser, by any standard. I suppose some might object to .308, but not when taking on shot at a deer.

It sounds like these were all well-placed shots. Do you doubt that the same shot from a larger rifle would have proven less fatal? What if you had hit the shoulder? Are you not capable of missing a bit? Ever?

So, no, I guess I will never be in a situation, I hope, where I NEED to shoot a deer with a light bullet in 22-250, let alone 222 and be able to report on it.

That's just my humble opinion, along with a sincere quandary. :)

[bootsmcguire]

Well foxx, I think we are on the same page, but we don't know where in the states the OP is from. Some places in our great land have deer that are only large dog sized and the 22-250 is plenty for them (with a decent bullet).

I went to NC some years ago to pick up a buddy from his stained USAF base and drive him home for the holidays. I went right during deer season here in IA. I had pics of some deer we had harvested. His room mate came home after I had arrived and proceeded to show me a pic of a 8pt'er he'd gotten there locally. Looked like a large coyote with antlers to me. He was so proud, and then I showed him pics of the deer we had gotten. That year I had personally gotten a 11pt that measured about 170" and when he saw the pic he couldn't believe it. He swore it had been photoshopped as there was no way deer got that big. He said it looked like a cow. I asked him what his deer weighed. He said about 85lb before dressing it, and I then told him mine was about 195lb after field dress.

Point is, if your shooting 75-100lb deer, the 22-250 has the guts to do it, but with a bullet designed for such things. Again JMHO.

[s lantz]

Well foxx, I think we are on the same page, but we don't know where in the states the OP is from. Some places in our great land have deer that are only large dog sized and the 22-250 is plenty for them (with a decent bullet).

I went to NC some years ago to pick up a buddy from his stained USAF base and drive him home for the holidays. I went right during deer season here in IA. I had pics of some deer we had harvested. His room mate came home after I had arrived and proceeded to show me a pic of a 8pt'er he'd gotten there locally. Looked like a large coyote with antlers to me. He was so proud, and then I showed him pics of the deer we had gotten. That year I had personally gotten a 11pt that measured about 170" and when he saw the pic he couldn't believe it. He swore it had been photoshopped as there was no way deer got that big. He said it looked like a cow. I asked him what his deer weighed. He said about 85lb before dressing it, and I then told him mine was about 195lb after field dress.

Point is, if your shooting 75-100lb deer, the 22-250 has the guts to do it, but with a bullet designed for such things. Again JMHO.


I.m in WV and I'm shooting does. The biggest will be 100# dressed. I prefer the yearling does which will go about 70-80#. My regular deer guns is either my styre tactical 308, rem. 760 270. Rem. 721 30-06 and for long range which is fun, hart custom 300 wm. on a win. mod. 70 action or my savage 12 bvss in a 300 wm. I do shoot my 243 win. with 85g. vmax also. thanks for your imput.

[foxx]

I.m in WV and I'm shooting does. The biggest will be 100# dressed. I prefer the yearling does which will go about 70-80#. My regular deer guns is either my styre tactical 308, rem. 760 270. Rem. 721 30-06 and for long range which is fun, hart custom 300 wm. on a win. mod. 70 action or my savage 12 bvss in a 300 wm. I do shoot my 243 win. with 85g. vmax also. thanks for your imput.

I am SO confused.

It sounds like you normally hunt with larger calibers, but have taken 10 different deer with a .222. Just how many deer do you get to shoot in a year? :)
What has your experience been with the larger calibers?

[JASmith]

Well foxx, I think we are on the same page, but we don't know where in the states the OP is from. Some places in our great land have deer that are only large dog sized and the 22-250 is plenty for them (with a decent bullet)...

...Point is, if your shooting 75-100lb deer, the 22-250 has the guts to do it, but with a bullet designed for such things. Again JMHO.
Excellent points!

Most bullets have just a 1,000 fps velocity window where they expand appropriately on medium game. Hit with velocities above the window tend to show massively shattered bullets and poor penetration. Hits below the window tend to see little or no expansion with the bullet behaving more like a FMJ. The design of expanding bullets makes the depth of penetration nearly constant within data scatter when the impacts are in the impact velocity window.

There is a relationship between the bullet design, weight, and animal weight that can help decide what gives the most reliable harvesting when aiming for the vital zone. Many folks view this as an 8 - 12 inch diameter circle centered at the top of the heart. Go here for suggested bullet weights and more details: Ideal Bullet Weight (http://shootersnotes.com/ideal-bullet-weight/)

In rough order of increasing expense, Lehigh Defense, Hornady, Barnes, and GS Custom all produce lead-free bullets that have excellent performance when the animal is at or below the recommended weight class for the bullet.

[s lantz]

I am SO confused.

It sounds like you normally hunt with larger calibers, but have taken 10 different deer with a .222. Just how many deer do you get to shoot in a year? :)
What has your experience been with the larger calibers?

I go through a bunch of deer per year. Were I hunt in the mts. I use my regular deer guns, noise is not a factor. Crop damage permits is different. I like not to make a lot of noise if possible. It's legal but I don't won't to get the people in subdivision worried. When the subdivision is 600 yards away and behind me I try to use that little 222 or now maybe 22-250.
We now have fields that are over 400 yards long. I know my tactical 308 will easily do that but tying to cut on down the noise. Longest shot I made with the 308 was 854 yards, right behind the shoulder.

[s lantz]

I am SO confused.

It sounds like you normally hunt with larger calibers, but have taken 10 different deer with a .222. Just how many deer do you get to shoot in a year? :)
What has your experience been with the larger calibers?

I shoot a ton of deer per year. When I hunt in deer season I use my larger cal. gun. 270 with 130 gr.-308 and 30-06 in 165gr. 300 wm. 180-190 gr. 257 Roberts- 117 gr. 7mm-08 140gr.- 243 85 gr. I have a lot of experience with large cal. guns. I enjoy shooting and just how accurate I can get with reloads. I like to mix my guns up otherwise I wouldn't shoot half of them. I like the smaller cal. when I do crop damage. It's legal but I don't like to worry the neighbors. I can shoot over 400 yards in these fields. I know my large cal. will do this. My longest has been 854 yards with my 308, right behind the shoulder, flop and roll. Thanks

[foxx]

Well, that's a horse of a different color! :)

I would say the 22-250, with the right bullet, would make for an excellent cartridge for addressing crop damage issues.

In my experience, that is most often done under ideal shooting conditions. It's more or less a clean "slaughter." Different tools for different needs, for sure. :)

[Luke45]

for meat hunting does why not just shoot them in the head/neck? vmax are amazing at that

[justinp61]

I wonder how the 1365 55gr Sierra Game King would compare to the Vmax on deer? My FVSS shoots them great.

[s lantz]

I wonder how the 1365 55gr Sierra Game King would compare to the Vmax on deer? My FVSS shoots them great.

I don't know about Gamekings. I think there even more pone to fragmentation.

[Luke45]

I don't know about Gamekings. I think there even more pone to fragmentation.

opposite