.22 LR Hornet Ammo and a Deer...?!?

B

Blinkme7182

New member
Would .22 LR hornet ammo have enough power to take out a deer HUMANELY (through the head...) from about 40/50 yards?? Just wondering...
Marc
 
Do you mean .22 LR, or .22 Hornet?

I have a brother who probably thinks the .22 Hornet would be ideal for deer, but many of his have been taken under extra legal circumstances. (The Hornet would, however, be legal in Alabama!)

You will probably have a hard time finding many here who would encourage using the Hornet on deer, myself included. While also not the first choice, you would do infinitely better with:

.222
.223
.22-250
.30 Carbine.

even better:
.243
250 Savage
7.62x39mm

Every one of these rounds mentioned would be a MUCH better choice with extremely little recoil. I have the rather odd idea that the best deer hunters rarely take head shots. Ask others here if you find this hard to believe. You can also find many of these cartridges at good prices.
 
Yes the .22 Hornet has plenty of power to take a deer with a head shot at 50 yards. I prefer the neck shot. I do a lot of culling and shoot on the average 25 deer a year. Other than bucks I shoot all deer in the neck. I usually use a .223 or 22-250 as a lot of shots are in the 100 to 200 yard range.
 
Ooops!!!!!!!

I mean .22LR Thunderbolts, not hornets---btw, what is the difference between hornets and thunderbolts?
Thanks
 
Remington 'Thunderbolt' brand ammo:

Low-end .22 Long Rifle ammunition, listed at 40 grains, 1255 fps at the muzzle, 140 ft/lbs. at the muzzle.


.22 Hornet ammunition:

Not a particular brand, but a whole new cartridge. Centerfire rifle (I believe pistols have been made for this cartridge at some point, I don't think they are today. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). Remington's two offerings are listed as 45 grains, 2690 fps at the muzzle, 723 ft/lbs. at the muzzle.

Two entirely different things altogether. All they really share is the .22 part of the name.

The information I give is straight from the Remington webpage (ballistics section).... so the velocities and energy figures may be a bit 'generous', if you will.

I don't think I could recommend either for deer, if you're halfway interested in a humane kill....YMMV.

-tubeshooter
 
Personally I would feel uneasy about using either a .22LR or a .22 Hornet on game. If I HAD to do it to survive or something I would but if I were going to go hunting there is no way I would use either. The minimum I would use is some 6mm cartridge like the .243. But like I said...if I HAD to use something smaller I would. BTW tubeshooter, there's .22 Hornet revolver made by Taurus called the Raging Hornet, and I think T/C chambers their Contender in it as well.

Dan
 
Tubeshooter,
Only pistol I can think of that's chambered for 22 Hornet is Taurus' Raging Hornet, based on the Raging Bull.
 
Ronin308, brouhaha, thanks for the correction. I appreciate it; it's good to keep the bad information out there to a minimum.... :)

I had a thought... maybe Blinkme7182 is talking about "Yellow Jacket" .22LR ammo? I forget who makes it right off, I think it's Remington, but it's a brand name like the Viper and maybe that's causing some confusion.

-tubeshooter
 
In my parts using a rimfire to hunt deer is not legal. Using a low-powered centerfire like the Hornet is ill-advised. It can be done humanely if you shoot the animal directly in the head or spine. Are you a good enough shot to do that? Honestly? How many deer have you taken with larger calibers so you know how you will react when you see the animal? Buck fever causes a lot of missed or poorly placed shots.

If you go deer hunting with a .22 and try for head shots, understand that you greatly increase the possibility you might just shoot the jaw off, or blind the animal leaving it to die a horrific death from starvation or predation. You will also become the kind of hunter most of us truly despise.

My philosophy on such matters is to go big or stay home.
 
I have never shot a deer with any caliber rifle, and I will never shoot one with a .22 either. I was just wondering if it had the takedown power....I heard about people taking down bobcats and coyotes with.22's though...
MARC
 
The .22 LR has been used for over a century by poachers to kill deer. You really need to know what you are doing.

I doubt that there is anyplace where this would be legal.
 
By the way the .22 hornet was/is made in the Thompson Contender as well as the Taurus. I just answered the question that was asked. As for shooting deer in the head or neck I do it when culling to lessen the meat that is destroyed. I don't suggest that everyone should do this. I do it because I can pass up shots that I don't like because there will be another deer around the corner. In the thick brush country of South Texas where I hunt you need to drop the deer in the open if possible. If you are not an excellent shot don't try it. I despise people who carry larger caliber guns that they can't shoot. As a guide I see a lot of people who are scared of the gun that they are shooting. In my experience more deer are wounded and lost by people using large caliber weapons that they don't shoot well.
 
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