Trying to get things goin...

[Quail_Runner]

This forum goes goes through more dry spells than a man married for over 10 years...

I want to get everyone's take on the article in the recent Trophy Hunter. An 11-year old boy downed a good looking coues in SE AZ on a 467 yard shot with a 22-250! I own a 22-250, he must have been aiming 128ft above the deer, but the article said that his dad told him to put the crosshairs right on him. Am I missing something here? Can a 50gr bullet from a 22-250 have that much power at nearly 500 yard to have a one shot kill? I have never shot at anything at that distance, so I honestly wouldn't know.

Thoughts?

 

[RandyWeaver]

I read that article too and a 467 yd. shot for an 11-year old, with a .22-250 seems like one hell of a poke. I have no experience whatsoever with the .22-250, but it would have to be a dead calm day for a 50 gr. bullet not to end up in Mexico. By the way, I lived down there for a long time and I can't remember any dead calm days - especially in the Fall.

Venado muy grande!

 

[Chef]

I agree.

I didn't think that caliber held enough downrange energy at that distance. The bullet drop would have to be substantial but obtainable since many a prarie dog have fallen to these rifles at this distance no problem. Of course, a bullets performance has to be different with a deer.

Chef

Thanks for getting this thread going again!

 

[pnm]

I read the article also and have to call B.S. on it. At that distance a 50gr bullet has less than 800 ft-lbs. of energy left. I'm sure it can be done and quite possibly did. However, how many more of these shots have these guys taken at this distance, or greater, and not nailed the deer down, and what is this teaching the 11yr old kid? I Shoot a 22-250 for coyotes and have hit many out past 450 yrds and have seen quite a few of them get back up and take off. Although it is a great round, and very capable for small deer at reasonable distances (under 200yrds), I would not use it for coues. Its one thing to wound a coyote and quite another to injure a buck!

 

[Lv2hnt]

We're all in agreement, the numbers don't add up! If I'm not missing something, energy at that range is in the 400 ft. lb. neighborhood; bullet drop would be close to 2 ft. (figuring a 250-yd. zero; they may have sighted in for longer). And I agree with Randy about wind drift --- lotsa luck!!!

BTW, Randy > good to hear from you! I've been thinking about you every day for the last week and a half. Hang in there! We all appreciate your hard work back there ...

Lv2hnt

 

[Bura Nut]

I would call that article questionable as well. I know you cant hold right on at that yardage and expect to hit the vitals unless they are sighted in dead on at 350. I am shooting a .257 weatherby mag that pushes the bullet out close to the velocity the 22-250 does and at 467 I would have to hold above the deer by about 6 inches. Thanks, Allen Taylor......

 

[TAM]

I call "BS" as well! According to a ballistic program on my computer a 50 grain bullet with a ballistic coefficient of .235 traveling at 4000 FPS with a 300 yard zero will shoot -12.8 inches low at 450 yards and will only have 646 foot pounds of Kenetic energy. Either someone is fibbin or that is one lucky kid! Maybe there's a relation to Cass?

 

[Bugler]

I think the bullet is very capable of killing the deer at that range. The foot pounds of energy is enough to kill it even at 600 ft lbs or so. It is the holding right on that gets me. Not many paople I know zero for 450 to 500 yards ven on a coues or antelope hunt. I dont even think the 30-378 owners zero at those ranges. The 22-250 shoots fast but the bullet weight is light slowing the bullet down at that range obviously lowering the ft lbs of energy but again i think it is capable. I mean in the military we shoot oout to 800 meters with a 5.56 (.223) and it is supposed to be capable of killing a man that far, and i know it will so the bullet capable of killing is not really whats in question.
IS it luck? Is it ethical? Im not the Judge im sure it depends on the hunter. I personally have never shot at a deer above three hundred or so and that was a coues in open land. But that's me. Good luck on your hunts.
Bugler