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Forum Index > Precision long range hunting and shooting > 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game

22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game

30 Nov 2015
@ 04:43 pm (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Hi all;

I´m using my 22-250 to hunt roe deer. They are very light build (weight up to 23-25 kg at a push -46 to 50 lb more or less-). I have had no problem using Vmax 60gr at 3500+ fps. Bullets didn´t exit, but drop them in his tracks with a "degree" of meat damage. Putting shots in the ribs makes meat loss not a problem.

I will be able to shoot some rabbits in a friend´s land. Try some shots the other day and get three of them, one at 150m (160yd) and two more at 240m (265yd).

Results:

150m


240m





So as far as killing power: can´t complain. But if you try to eat the bunnies you just can get burguer meat (with powdered lead spicy flavour)...

I´m thinking in use another bullet for bunnie shooting.

First option, develop a new load with a FMJ bullet. I hope that the high spedd of the 22-250 will be able to clean-kill a rabbit... but this is just a thought. And I prefer to use the same bullet for all shooting, so I have no worries with different POI, ballistic charts,...

So, second -and desirable- option, use another bullet. I´m looking for something that expand just a little on rabbits and has enough expansion to use on roes. Maybe a MK or a Berguer target hollow point will do the trick.

Rifle has 26" and 1:12 twist. I know that head shooting the bunnies will be the better option, but I´m not so confident in my skills LOL.

Any idea? Thanks!

Replies

1
30 Nov 2015
@ 06:49 pm (GMT)

Barry Shone

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
I used 69 gr match kings on a recent Prarie dog shoot to help buck the wind. Out to 450 yards they performed well with respect to the wind but lacked the explosive effect of the v-maxs being used by others. For meat harvesting they might work well if they will stabilize in your rifle.
30 Nov 2015
@ 08:00 pm (GMT)

Bryan Webster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
You might try this Sierra bullet, depending on your rifle twist. I think they also sell a FMJ bullet.

.22 CALIBER (.224) 69 GR. TIPPED MATCHKING (TMK)
Sierra has enhanced a segment of the MatchKing line by adding the acetal resin tip, thus crowning the Tipped MatchKing (TMK) bullet line. The major advantage of adding a tip to the bullet is the reduction of drag, producing a more favorable ballistic coefficient. Another benefit is reliable feeding in magazine fed firearms.

While they are recognized around the world for record-setting accuracy, MatchKing® and Tipped MatchKing® bullets are not recommended for most hunting applications. Although MatchKing® and Tipped MatchKing® bullets are commonly used for varmint hunting, their design will not provide the same reliable explosive expansion at equivalent velocities in varmints compared to their lightly jacketed Hornet, Blitz or Varminter counterparts.

The #7169 was introduced in January 2015.

This bullet requires a barrel twist rate of 1x10” or faster.


Dia. (inches) Weight (grains) Sectional Density Ballistic Coefficients and Velocity Ranges
0.224 69 .196 .375 @ 2700 fps and above
.365 between 2700 & 1950 fps
.335 between 1950 & 1700 fps
.305 @ 1700 fps and below

Price: $30.54 Stock Code: 7169
30 Nov 2015
@ 08:07 pm (GMT)

Bryan Webster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Here is the Sierra Info on their FMKBT bullet:

.22 CALIBER (.224) HIGH VELOCITY 55 GR. FMJBT
For rifles, this 55 grain #1355 Full Metal Jacket Boat Tail bullet was designed specifically to duplicate the military M193 bullet, and it is intended for use in semi-automatic rifles, such as the AR-15, M16 and Ruger Mini 14. It features an exceptionally heavy full metal jacket with a cannelure properly located for crimping and positive feeding. This is an excellent bullet for hunting varmints and small game where pelts are to be preserved. It should be loaded to medium velocities for this purpose.

In handguns of 22 caliber, this is a non-expanding bullet that will minimize damage to pelts as well as meat in small game. It is best used at medium handgun velocities to prevent tumbling upon impact. It is an ideal choice for the trapper or pelt hunter with a handgun in a 22 centerfire caliber.

The #1355 was introduced in 1985.

Dia. (inches) Weight (grains) Sectional Density Ballistic Coefficients and Velocity Ranges
0.224 55 .157 .272 @ 3000 fps and above
.245 between 3000 and 2400 fps
.235 @ 2400 fps and below

Price: $20.59 Stock Code: 1355
100 bullets
30 Nov 2015
@ 08:43 pm (GMT)

Bryan Webster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
For your roe deer hunting you could try the more pricey Barnes 53 grain bullets.

Most rifles that shoot well seem to like these bullets and they certainly are effective on game without such a mess as with bullets with less controlled energy release. The wounds these bullets make are derived from rapid expansion at impact with petals formed that cut a reasonably wide wound right thru most animals while spinning, creating lots of fast blood loss.

Those that I have shot with a .243 and 7x57 impressed me greatly.

I have however noted in at least one rifle (a 300 WSM Tikka T3 Lite, that we had to clear all the copper before starting work on a load for the Barnes bullets. Once that was completed the results were great accuracy for at least about 70 tp 80 rounds. Reliability on kills was great, with the limitation that they may not perform well out past 300 meters.
30 Nov 2015
@ 09:31 pm (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Thanks for your help.

The 69 tipped MK should be exactly the bullet I´m looking for, but will not stabilize in my 1:12 twist barrel. And they are not available in Spain yet.

The other Sierra options that I consider were the 55gr BT HP GameKing (#1390), that will create enough shok for rabbits with his -relatibly- wide meplat and perform OK on roe deer. The problem is the low BC. The other option will be the 60gr HP (#1375), but this is a varmint bullet, so will be hard on bunnies.

Hornady offers a 68gr HPBT, that may stabilize in my barrel...

I have considered the barnes, but are expensive and they need plenty of speed to expand well. I prefer to err on the side of caution with roes. I mean, I prefer a good bullet for roes and maybe missing some bunnies rather than miss a roe due a long dead run.

As I stated, will try to get the best out of one bullet, better than a dual load (easy to use, no problems with different POIs, and will get more skilled to shoot if all my shots where with the same load).

Keep posting... nice feedback!
30 Nov 2015
@ 10:18 pm (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
There is also another bullet to consider: 55gr berguer target. Maybe to stout for the roes?

I think the Sierra 55gr HP BT GameKing will worth a try (have some of them at home).
30 Nov 2015
@ 10:41 pm (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Sorry for the multiple posts... but I´m researching now.

I have discarded the 65 sierra SBT GameKing (#1395) because Sierra claim a 1:10 twist needed.

Some reviews show that they could do quite well in a 1:12. Maybe the speeds of the 22-250 helps a lot there.

Could be a great option... and a high BC .

Important thing to consider, the Sierra bullets ready to ship here are:
- 52 gr MK
- 53 gr MK
- 55 SBT GK
- 65 SBT GK[b]
01 Dec 2015
@ 04:37 am (GMT)

Eloy Vilavella

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Hola Alvaro,
I have never shot small game that I wanted to eat with a high power
Rifle. It you think about it most game like this drops easily with a 22lr
So when you hit such small game with a hyper velocity round there
Is so much energy released so quickly that most rounds will destroy
Your meat
However, the other day I was in Texas and another fellow hunter was
Explaining how they dispatch wild turkey with the rifle where allowed.
They rely on the explisive nature of the varmint rounds (varmint gremade
In this case) to shoot the birds on the head. Now for this one has to be confident
Of extreme match grade accuracy and to keep range on check.
Here we are only allowed shotgun but I was thinking if you can make
Those varmints grenades well below moa consistently thenone could apply the same method and blow up the heads.
Also with any violent frangmentation might want to stay away from
Lead and look into powder tin composits.
22/250 like the 223 are fast and extremely accurate so think about it.
Can also use reduce acxuracy loads. Accuracy and practice is more important than
Power.
Again, I have not shot a rabbit lkke this but given a good angle and steady
Rest I would think this is the best way to save the meat. According to these ranch
Hunters they get more efficiency than the full choke hpnload from a shotgun.
Thoughts?
01 Dec 2015
@ 04:47 am (GMT)

Mike Davis

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
speer 50 grn hp flat base or 52 grn hp flat base...problem sorted.
both work well in my .223 if you shoot bunny in front half you should still be able to recover saddle and back wheels.
Ive shot a heck of alot of animals with those two projectiles traveling 3000-3200fps shot 120 lb boar in head at 25yards...terminal headache and have even taken a red stag with them
roe deer sound to be similar in size to our wallabies 17-40kg/30-100lb I havent had trouble dropping them with any .223 load but found softer projectiles better for stopping but messier for meat retrieval.
barnes TTSX 50 grn work VERY well for me in .223 as well but I wouldnt dream of using them on bunnies..too much $$$$$ and result would probably be same as FMJ.
01 Dec 2015
@ 04:52 am (GMT)

Thomas Kitchen

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
hi Alvaro
i think you might be onto something with the game kings being an option.
there is hornady 55gr sp with cannelure but i think these will be explosive aswell.
possible the hornady gmx if it will stabilize

we got to bare in mind that to get one bullet that does it all we might be asking way to much of any design. if we put the weight into a percentage increase between a rabbit and even a roe deer you'll see what a big ask it is.

if you got a target turret style scope then setting up two drop charts for two separate loads should not be to much of an issue following Nathans instructions in his new book.
zero scope for most used load then have on drop charts your zero's.
for rabbits something simple like the ppu 55gr fmj might save some meat.
be very interesting to see what you decide
01 Dec 2015
@ 11:03 am (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Thank you all for your comments.

To be honest (I have allways been, at least in this forum LOL). I think I could have tried headshots at that ranges... but forgot mi RF in the car, and ranged after, when we take photos of the rabbits. We estimated the ranges for shooting, so I feel no confident to try a head shot (dialed 220m for the 241m, for example)

The rifle shoots well under a half MOA, under 1/4 if I´m inspired. The "problem" was a high ES. I´m using a double base powder that I will not get anymore, so the idea behind this post was to dvelop a new load with new lapua brass and VihtaVuori powder. So I think, "why not try a new bullet too?" (no complains with the VMAX, they do exactly what they are supposed to do).

Barnes, Noslers and that kind of stuff are discarded due to high prices and availability. This could have been a good option (apart from his low BC): http://www.nosler.com/bonded-solid-base-bullet/

I will try the sierras 65 GK... will see how they perform out a 1:12". If they don´t do as well as the vmax, will try to get low ES with vmax (new brass, new powder) and try headshoting at "close" ranges.

After all, Mike did a good point... I can still getting half bunnies LOL!
01 Dec 2015
@ 02:13 pm (GMT)

Richard Hurst

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Hi Alvaro
Just a comment that is probably not relevant!! 30 yrs. ago I was hunting here in the mountains of south eastern Utah USA with a good friend who grew up on a farm nearby. anyway I was using a 30-06 for muleys. We spotted what he called a "government chicken". I think it was a sage grouse. He told me to shoot it and he would take it home for dinner. I said my deer gun would destroy it. He says something like, "don't actually hit it just aim near its head. So I do and the bird starts flopping around on the ground, he runs up and grabs it and rings its neck. No meat damaged at all!! Apparently the shock wave from the bullet knocked it silly temporarily. I don't know if this would work on bunnies, you would need to be closer so you could grab them before they recovered from the effect.
02 Dec 2015
@ 03:39 am (GMT)

jason

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
I don't think it matters what projectile you use on rabbits there going so fast there going to blow the rabbit up no matter what.
I went through the same thing with .223. started using fmj projectiles. They helped but not enough to worry about using them all the time. It mostly comes down to placement. In the shoulder and you might get half a rabbit. But not if quartering on. The neck or head is best.
But still they need to be broadside.

02 Dec 2015
@ 04:55 am (GMT)

Bryan Webster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
Quote:
I don't think it matters what projectile you use on rabbits there going so fast there going to blow the rabbit up no matter what.
I went through the same thing with .223. started using fmj projectiles. They helped but not enough to worry about using them all the time. It mostly comes down to placement. In the shoulder and you might get half a rabbit. But not if quartering on. The neck or head is best.
But still they need to be broadside.



I quite agree, never having shot rabbits with other than a .22LR or a pistol of one sort or another. I was still interested in his roe deer hunting, and in spite of the cost of the Barnes, I would think unless he does all head shots with whatever bullets used, they would be best for that caliber thinking too of meat consumption.
02 Dec 2015
@ 08:18 am (GMT)

Mike Davis

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
thought about this some more today...Ive eaten plenty of hares that Ive shot with the .270 using full power 130 grn loads..... best shot by far is when they are standing up on hind legs for looksee.... but shoulder-neck is good.
look at what your cartridge was designed for
look at what your projectile was designed for
BOTH to deliberately cause exactly the damage you are getting on rabbits
fast clean kill with flat trajectory and minimal chance of ricochet.

I would use a projectile that suits the deer and rabbits are a bonus, if you dont want two loads you can stay with explosive/soft or try harder and risk pinhole wounding instead.
speer 52grn hp are short so SHOULD stabilize in 22-250...they work well on goats, and anything Ive tried them on, I got the 50s by mistake and again happy with preformance on all game encountered.
the "type" of projectile you have used on deer is used a lot for head neck shooting....with theory being a close to bone hit will still tip animal over where a harder pill would not.its in the KB
02 Dec 2015
@ 11:03 am (GMT)

Alvaro Piqueras Alonso-Lamberti

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
You have meda very good points in the lasts posts...

It´s great to know that FMJ don´t fix the problem, so bullet stye discarded. I agree with you, Jason, too much bullet for a bunnie.

As roes are the priority, will try some 65gr GK with new load developement. I think they should shoot as well as vmax, if not, back to the red tippeds.

The barnes can be too stouts for roes. Will be better for meat saving, but the vmax shut them down instantly. No one move any step. They are very light buid (many hunters have problems hunting them with large calibers -3006, 7x64, 8x57, etc- because they used stout bullets designed for close shots on driven hunts over boars, deers, etc wich pass through them with nearly no expansion nor energy transfer, resulting in long dead runs).

Mike, a 1:12 twist stabilizes OK anything up to 55gr (you can have some issues with 52 amax and 55 TTSX). From 55 to 65 you can shot wel if they are flat based. You now that projectile lenght is of great effect on stability. The 65 GK, due to the long boat tail are in the "marginal stability" zone. http://www.bergerbullets.com/twist-rate-calculator/

Richard, that worth a try! Will keep an eye looking for partridges next time...

Thaks all
02 Dec 2015
@ 03:13 pm (GMT)

Bryan Webster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
I shot some 22 wolves and more coyotes with the Barnes bullets and they performed flawlessly on those animals in .243 Winchester. Hardly any pelt damage and all dropped on the spot or their momentum made it a few more meters. The Speers as also mentioned above were great in my .22-250, but on coyotes the exit holes were 4 to 5 inches wide so pelt damage not acceptable.

This was the reason I mentioned the Barnes to you. Pricey but heck if this is for meat, then consider if you were to but the meat these days.
03 Dec 2015
@ 02:54 am (GMT)

Nathan Foster

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
If myself (or Riley) are using the .22lr, we discard the front half of a rabbit from a chest shot because the damage is too severe. The rules at home are- go for a head shot. If the body is accidentally hit, we will only end up with rear legs and some of the saddle.

Keep in mind, that this is just using a .22. With your .22-250, an FMJ will punch a neat hole but you still end up with blood shot meat that won't set nicely, plus the risk of a ricochet on small farms. If you were running a .223 and the shots were out at 250 yards, you may have a better chance of eating up to the bullet hole but this might be considered moot. It is also worth mentioning that hares can run a long way when hit with mid velocity FMJ ammo. To this end, you may as well stick with your Roe load. I could not think of anything better than your current 60gr V-Max loading.

Hope that helps.
03 Dec 2015
@ 05:25 am (GMT)

Warwick Marflitt

Re: 22-250: bullet for rabbits and small game
My mate Stu Catches rabbits with out any meat damage! Here's how. (Not quite as slick as the Government Chicken method? That sounded pretty Grouse eh! Bro....!)

Get a flat rock and place next to Wabbit Rhole get some white pepper and sprinkle over said rock! Hide behind a bush near Wabbits Rhole...... He....he.....Im ginna git me sum wabbit faa tee! Now Make some convincing Carrot noises...........!!!!!............!!!!!! Keep on at it as It will take a bit for "Ole Silk Ears" ta show some interest!
When he/she does hear your fine Carrot imitations....... Be ready and alert for Wabbits are quick and before you know it the Carrot thief will appear and sniff around it's Rhole looking for the sound......AND!!!! in its excitement and snuffling it'll suck up all the pepper and SNEEZE! so hard as to knock itself out on the rock!!!!!! Calmly walk out Paw Bear like and pick up your undamaged, internally seasoned Wabbit..........Haw...haw...haw pesky wabbit immmm gunna tastey fry thum legs makin crispy critta fritta.......

And that's how me old mate Stu gets a Wabbit for dinner.....I shyt ewe not.......
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