Taking a deer with a 22-250

[ants]

If you want a "challenge" then challenge yourself to make a clean kill. If you only have a small caliber to use then use the right bullet and  go for the lungs. Don't try to impress yourself or your friends, with head or neck shots. You can impress on paper at the range. If you have a 308 cal. use that.

[DirtTime]

I don't agree with a neck shot either. Or a spine shot! I was taught and live by the simple rule of "the right shot at the right angle, to the vitals ( heart/lung )". I just stated what was said on other sites.

I also would never use a 22 caliber for deer. In any of its forms!

But, what we do, believe, and say are different from one to another. The best we can do is offer advice and hope the person listens and uses that advice.

 

 

As for that aught6 comment......I think the point was made on how I feel about that. I guess using a 50# sledge to drive roofing nails in is now on my bucket list LOL

[Five Seasons]

Right on there Belo/Doc. The OP was pretty reasonable until he made the: ".30/06 inadequate for bear" claim. That kind of came from left field, like maybe he had been drinking a little too much prior to posting. I also agree that he is getting a some bad advise by those pushing the head and neck shots. In fact, ethically, I would call passing on broadside heart/lung shots in favor of a head or neck shot with any caliber, a poorer choice than using a 22/250 for deer when you have access to a .308. Some folks have to see stuff such as the ugly wounds you described for themselves however. It don't take many until they see the error of their ways.

Maybe 1/2 dozen times, I have finished wounded deer with neck shots, but out of a hundred or so killed, my first shot struck the neck only twice. Once was from 10 yards away with a 16 ga, scoped shotgun, because that was all I had to shoot at, with the rest of the body covered by a bush. The buck was big, my largest symmetric typical to that point, and the target would have been hard to miss. The slug severed his spine and he dropped dead in his tracks. The damage to the cape saved me some cash by doing a "European" rather than a shoulder mount. The second was a buck that "jumped the string" on a compound bow shot, catching the arrow thru the jugular vane and expiring quickly after a 40 yard dash. Fortunately I am 2/2 neck shots, one intentional the other not. As far as the "meat-saving" argument, a center lung shot ruins less useable meat than a neck shot anyhow.

 

I too had a neck shot with MZ last year. It wasn't intentional. The doe ran up on me out of nowhere. She then b-lined behind the tree I had my climber in. I had to turn 180 and used the tree as a rest. She was quartering away and at only 40 yards and worried about her bolting again I made a quick shot. It was much higher than the vitals I was aiming for, and I was lucky. She tipped over like a tree in the forest. I would never have aimed for where I hit. a few inches to the right or left and she probably dies miles from where I shot her and ends up being yote food.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Belo

[ncountry]

I have taken neck shots and killed at least a dozen deer . Never missed, deer never moved another step. Perfect results. I would not recommend it to begginers or so so shots, but for some it is an excellent choice , with the right set-up..

[Lawdwaz]

I have taken neck shots and killed at least a dozen deer . Never missed, deer never moved another step. Perfect results.

 

Why are you shooting them in the neck?

[ncountry]

Why are you shooting them in the neck?

Most ,if not all,were between 5-50 yds. I shot constantly, and felt a miss was highly unlikely.. Why bother tracking .

I

I think I've stated in other threads that I don't have the confidence to take this shot often any more..in the past I burned through 100s of rounds(through my deer rifle) during practice. Nowadays a box of bullets a year is my average..

[ants]

Most ,if not all,were between 5-50 yds. I shot constantly, and felt a miss was highly unlikely.. Why bother tracking .

I

I think I've stated in other threads that I don't have the confidence to take this shot often any more..in the past I burned through 100s of rounds(through my deer rifle) during practice. Nowadays a box of bullets a year is my average..

What caliber do you shoot??  .22??

[ncountry]

What caliber do you shoot?? .22??

Old gun was a .308 I reloaded

New weapon is 300 win mag

Gf uses a 22-250

[ants]

Why not just smack them through the shoulder or ribs with a 30 cal??  Even if you're zoned in to the neck/head..why not play it safe and hit the bigger target??? Not trying to start a pissing match.. Im really curious…...

[ncountry]

Why not just smack them through the shoulder or ribs with a 30 cal?? Even if you're zoned in to the neck/head..why not play it safe and hit the bigger target??? Not trying to start a pissing match.. Im really curious…...

I guess it probably started when I shot my 1st buck in the neck at 10-15 feet away. It was the only target available, and I liked the results.. I did a lot of shooting and most of the deer I shot were really close . It was how I hunted. Even then I never shot one in the neck further than 50 yds away.. We used to practice shooting at 16 ounce soda bottles full of water 180 yds away.( maximum distance acrost our field) and I had no problem hitting them free hand. Heck, now I might miss one shooting from a bench.. lol..I no longer put the time in to be that confident anymore, and have switched to the heart lungs for the added safety of a poorly placed shot.

[Five Seasons]

There's some good meat in the neck and if he's a mounter, I'm not about to risk the cape

[ncountry]

There's some good meat in the neck and if he's a mounter, I'm not about to risk the cape

There is that too..lol.. I try to hold out for something worth mounting also, now that I have a lot more experience.