.22-250 Remington and .30-06 Spring. question?

Question

What is the biggest animal you have killed with these rounds? I am just curious because today I was reading about a man who hunted elk with a .22-250 and a man who killed many elephants with the '06. Thanks for the input.

Answer 1

Two types of hunters use weapons like these on unlikely animals. Extremely trained, talented, and lucky hunters and damned fools whom didn't get killed by a pain enraged animal. There are good sound reason why most states set limits on the weapons used in hunting.

The first rule of hunting is "use enough gun". As a hunter we have a responsibility to harvest the animal via a quick death. Not a lingering, pain filled episode because your too light bullet only wounded and crippled the animal; who now must lie there in agony while you try to find it and finish it off with another shot.

For every story about some hunter who bags an animal with an inadequate gun there are dozens more about animals that got away only to die in pain from the wounds.

My input: Irresponsible hunters who do this are a disgrace and should be caught, fined heavily, and banned from hunting.

Answer 2

I too have read of such accounts. The .30-06 Springfield is very versatile. It is close to a 'dangerous' game round, still, it is stretching it a bit for elephant. I suppose with solid bullets it would drop an elephant but why court disaster? I've also heard of a great white hunter who used a .22-250 on African game. He lost it when he shot a hippo out of a canoe in a river and that forced him to change rifles. The general consensus was that he was ignorant and didn't realize just how 'undergunned' he was.

The .22-250 is a big varmint gun but that doesn't make it a deer rifle. We have a responsibility to take game as humanely as possible. Anything .22 caliber (and that includes the .233/5.56) is too light and slim to reliably plow through tissue, muscle n bone of a heavier animal like a deer. It condemns the deer to a slow, lingering death and no venison for the hunter. Still, hundreds of hunters take to the field every fall armed with their .223s and .22-250s because, by golly, if the .223 'll kill a man, it'll kill a deer! Tsk, tsk! But I digress...

Back to the original question... The .30-06 is a big game rifle suitable for ANY game in North America, but it is NOT a dangerous game African rifle. Many nations there have the .375 H & H Magnum as the minimum dangerous game rifle. The .22-250 is a varmint gun, period. I personally have not taken any game with either and do not even own a .22-250 as I can't figure out what I would shoot at with it. I've taken White tail deer with both my .25-06 and .270 which are .30-06s necked down to .25 and .27 caliber respectively, if THAT COUNTS.

Best.

H

Answer 3

Listen to OldFuzz, he's shooting you the straight dope.

A .22-250 is a varmint cartridge and only idiots and absolute top-notch riflemen and hunters would use it on anything bigger than coyotes or turkey.

An '06 is as good a deer cartridge as you could ask for, and will work on elk or big bears, but I don't consider it a great elk or grizzly cartridge.

FWIW, W.D.M. 'Karamojo" Bell killed hundreds of elephant with a .256 Rigby. If you can shoot like he could, and have the nerve to stand flat-footed against a charging elephant and put a little bitty bullet in precisely the right place, then you can do the same thing. Until then, USE ENOUGH GUN. Otherwise, something might stomp you into a muddy patch.

Doc

Answer 4

I only use my .22-250 on varmints. Woodchucks are the biggest animals I have killed with it. I take bigger calibers for bigger game. It is foolish to hunt elk with such a small caliber. It is even more foolish to hunt elephants with a .30-06. "Kilmanjaro" Bell used a 7mm Mauser on elephants in Africa. Another hunter said he shortened his life by running after them when most were not brought down by such a small caliber. An elephant may weigh 4.4 to 7.7 tons. If someone shoots him with a .30-06, he may think he is justified in stomping the hunter into the ground. I use a .460 Weatherby for elephants. I have no .30-06, but if I did, I would use it for nothing bigger than elk.

Answer 5

i have killed nothing with either of these calibers simply because i don't have one and don't know anyone who has a .22/250. as for the .30/06, i want to shoot one, but just haven't yet.
the largest a .22/250 should be used on is a coyote, and nothing bigger. it was designed to hunt varmints, and its a good varmint caliber.
as for the .30/06, i wouldn't use it for anything bigger than elk, not moose or brown bear like some people say it would work for. definitely not elephant, unless you have a death wish.
they are two of the most popular and best calibers for what they are designed for, end of discussion.

Answer 6

I shot an elk with my 30/06, I'm sure with right bullet selection, placement, and mix in good helping of stupidity you could problly kill an elephant with the 30/06

I shot a 40 lb yote in mt with my 22/250 But no deer size game.

I don't like the 22 cal for deer it is too small.

Answer 7

Any idiot can hunt an elephant with a BB gun; however most normal people like to be able to survive encounters of various kinds. A 30-06 will drop anything on the north american continent so use one and be safe. We are surrounded by idiots and computers so don't be surprised at some the things people do; they are living proof that God loves stupid people, look at how many he created.

Answer 8

African Elephant or Asian Elephant?

I'd take a .30-06 for Asian elephants, that's not a huge stretch. British soldiers used to take them all the time with their .303s.

I would only go into a field with an African elephant with a larger powerful rifle and at least two trusted hunters over each shoulder.

Answer 9

Some People drink and drive, while others people leave their kids locked in a car on days when the temperature gets 100.

Stupid acts are committed every day, any one that would use to light of caliber on a game animal is not an ethical hunter.



D58


Hunting with Rifle, Pistol, Muzzle loader and Bow for over 3 decades.
Reloading Rifle, Pistol and shotgun for over 3 decades.

Answer 10

a person could take down an elk with a .17 hmr or a .22 with a well placed shot. both rounds are capable of bringing down big game but i perfer the .30-06