22 Hornet for Deer

[ElPollo]

Kinetic energy doesn’t matter? It’s part of a long formula. So many variables. I’m not saying it won’t kill. It decreases your range. It decreases your kill zone.

If you want to shoot deer with a tiny bullet going relatively slow it is your choice. Compare the stats of it to just the 22-250 and see for yourself.

The OP specified a velocity range which means he is considering distance. There has been a lot of discussion on Rokslide about kinetic energy and bullet diameter with respect to killing efficiency. I get that there is a mathematical formula, but neither is a direct correlation to wound channel volume. The pictures above are evidence of that. There are plenty of 30-35 cal bullet and cartridge combos that would have resulted in smaller wound channels. What matters is bullet construction and whether or not that bullet is within the velocity range needed for the bullet to upset or fragment on impact. Would a 22 hornet be my first choice for deer hunting in the west? No, but the photos show what it can do with the right bullet at reasonable distances.

Edit: Reading comprehension moment… The photos cited above were not from a 22 hornet and I have no personal experience with the hornet.

 

[ElPollo]

If it were me, I'd probably load some cast bullets to try and use it like I was bow hunting.

Also, I would like to get ahold of some 40gr gold dot bullets they load for the 5.7x28

Why cast bullets? Would you expect a cast 22 bullet to give you the kind of wound channel you see in the post above?

 

[ARK_Ginger]

Why cast bullets? Would you expect a cast 22 bullet to give you the kind of wound channel you see in the post above?

Preface; I don't have any experience with 22 hornet. I'm a big 223 for big game advocate.

No, I would expect a mushroom from the soft lead and maybe an exit. It would be narrow wounding compared to the 87gr VMAX. Cast bullets are mainly a nostalgic thing for rimmed cartridges from my perspective so I'd try it, but like I said at bow ranges.

My concerns would be that a lightweight Vmax wouldn't penetrate as much as I would want it to. I fully expect for it to make it though the shoulder but maybe the penetration of the fragmentation doesn't quite make it to the other side of the chest cavity. This is just speculation. Maybe the 52gr ELD does better, but your velocities are low meaning you likely don't have a permanent stretch cavity and the frag might be limited. I would like to see that in gel.

I mentioned the 40gr Gold dot because it was obviously built for this velocity window from the 5.7x28. I know the 40gr Vmax is commonly used in that cartridge as well, but there is common reporting of underpenetrating perps. Whether that is true or not I don't have enough evidence to determine.

 

[ElPollo]

Preface; I don't have any experience with 22 hornet. I'm a big 223 for big game advocate.

No, I would expect a mushroom from the soft lead and maybe an exit. It would be narrow wounding compared to the 87gr VMAX. Cast bullets are mainly a nostalgic thing for rimmed cartridges from my perspective so I'd try it, but like I said at bow ranges.

My concerns would be that a lightweight Vmax wouldn't penetrate as much as I would want it to. I fully expect for it to make it though the shoulder but maybe the penetration of the fragmentation doesn't quite make it to the other side of the chest cavity. This is just speculation. Maybe the 52gr ELD does better, but your velocities are low meaning you likely don't have a permanent stretch cavity and the frag might be limited. I would like to see that in gel.

I mentioned the 40gr Gold dot because it was obviously built for this velocity window from the 5.7x28. I know the 40gr Vmax is commonly used in that cartridge as well, but there is common reporting of underpenetrating perps. Whether that is true or not I don't have enough evidence to determine.

I don’t have any experience with 22 hornet either. Just asking. Cast bullet are not a direction I would generally go for centerfire rifles on deer. Skinny wound channels are why I quit using monos like Barnes.

 

[ElPollo]

Preface; I don't have any experience with 22 hornet. I'm a big 223 for big game advocate.

No, I would expect a mushroom from the soft lead and maybe an exit. It would be narrow wounding compared to the 87gr VMAX. Cast bullets are mainly a nostalgic thing for rimmed cartridges from my perspective so I'd try it, but like I said at bow ranges.

My concerns would be that a lightweight Vmax wouldn't penetrate as much as I would want it to. I fully expect for it to make it though the shoulder but maybe the penetration of the fragmentation doesn't quite make it to the other side of the chest cavity. This is just speculation. Maybe the 52gr ELD does better, but your velocities are low meaning you likely don't have a permanent stretch cavity and the frag might be limited. I would like to see that in gel.

I mentioned the 40gr Gold dot because it was obviously built for this velocity window from the 5.7x28. I know the 40gr Vmax is commonly used in that cartridge as well, but there is common reporting of underpenetrating perps. Whether that is true or not I don't have enough evidence to determine.

One more thing to speculate about. The Gold Dot bullets are unobtainium and were actually designed to work at 5.7 mm handgun velocities. So I question whether they would perform as well as the V-max out of a rifle. But if I were going to use a hornet on big game, I would want to test it on real ballistic gel first.

 

[TMKSHOOTER]

1 45 gr Winchester soft point in the arm pit. Doe ran 30 yards bedded in a thicket and died. I waited a few minutes before looking for her. Didn’t find bullet or exit. Gutless method so I didn’t see the damage.

1 45 gr Winchester soft point high neck shot , bullet found under off side hide about a dime size and nearly flat. Both shots under 75 yards.

I’ve killed maybe 8 hogs with the hornet all head or neck shots all went straight down as you’d expect. Mixture of 45 gr soft points,35 gr v-max or 35 gr varmagedon.


Id expect the v-max or similar bullets to cause more damage than what I saw from the soft points.

 

[IDVortex]

Considering most people probably won't shoot anything past 300 yards, let alone be accurate to hit it past that. I'd say the 22 hornet with a good bullet in the correct velocity range would be perfectly fine. Besides, someone shooting a hornet will most likely be even more accurate with that then a 270, 30-06, 6.5.

 

[eLightfoot]

Besides the extinct cz 527, who has even made a 22 hornet rifle in the last 15 years?

 

[Timberline001]

Besides the extinct cz 527, who has even made a 22 hornet rifle in the last 15 years?

Savage makes one. $600 from midway…

 

[eLightfoot]

Savage makes one. $600 from midway…

Ugliest gun known to man, it’s doesn’t count lol.

 

[Timberline001]

Ugliest gun known to man, it’s doesn’t count lol.

This thread makes me want one lol

 

[Jim1187]

Whatever 45 or 50 grain soft point was loaded by imperial, dominion or Remington or whatever the local store stocked has been killing whitetails and the occasional black bear since the late 1940s on the inlaws farm.
The trick is they have a very solid rest and about a 70 yard shot to stand of apple trees surrounded by cleared field so game has a long way to get to cover. Great grandma made the switch because ammo for her 25-20 became hard to find and the .30-30 was too loud from out the kitchen window.

As another poster said the gold dot for the 5.7 would my first choice. However the hornet is far down on my list and the distances I'd have the warm and fuzzies using it for deer I'd rather use a lever action carbine just cause that makes me happier.

 

[Steve O]

Besides the extinct cz 527, who has even made a 22 hornet rifle in the last 15 years?

My summer project is to find a .22 Hornet barrel for my Blaser K95. Maybe my fall project should be shooting a deer with it.

 

[Hammsolo]

How much range do you actually need? Always amused me when guys act like its a big handicap to be limited to a couple hundred yards or less

Would you shoot a 300 pound whitetail with a 22 hornet at 200 yards? It’s marginal at best. Wind? Setting?

 

[Timberline001]

Would you shoot a 300 pound whitetail with a 22 hornet at 200 yards? It’s marginal at best. Wind? Setting?

View attachment 693735View attachment 693735

Where are you killing a 300lb whitetail on the regular is the better question.

 

[Timberline001]

Would you shoot a 300 pound whitetail with a 22 hornet at 200 yards? It’s marginal at best. Wind? Setting?

View attachment 693735View attachment 693735

And no, not with those loads. With an eldm that’s still going above the necessary 1800 feet perfect d I would for sure.

 

[Timberline001]

Would you shoot a 300 pound whitetail with a 22 hornet at 200 yards? It’s marginal at best. Wind? Setting?

View attachment 693735View attachment 693735

I’d have no hesitation deer hunting to 200 with this load.

 

[Hammsolo]

What Timberline is saying is that you need to read the 223 thread, and prepare to have your eyes opened. KE is basically irrelevant; wound channel is everything. A 338 with a FMJ has all the numerical measurements that you cite are lacking in the Hornet, yet you realize that would be unethical to use on a deer. However, if the Hornet can penetrate ~10", doing 2" diameter in damage, then it would be more than enough for a deer.

My question is, can the Hornet do that (I think it can), and if so, which bullet will do that the best?

I need to read up on this. I have so many questions. At what range? In what situation? What size deer?

A 338 with a fmj has all the numerical measurements? When? My favorite reload in 338 is a 210 grain Barnes at over 3100 fps. I love the 22 hornet. When can it do that? Tell me more.

I never said it was unethical. The question is, when is it unethical? All cartridges have theirs limits.

 

[Hammsolo]

View attachment 693998
I’d have no hesitation deer hunting to 200 with this load.

Nice. I would feel that it’s limiting me. Quartering shots? Quartering uphill? I just see so little room for less than perfection.

 

[Hammsolo]

Definitely not enough kinetic energy or bullet diameter there.

Can I see that front quarter? No offense, but as you know shooting a tiny doe with an explosive round is different than a quartering away or toward uphill shot on a mature buck at 200 yards.