22 caliber for hunting?

Question

am told that you cant take down nothing bigger then a rabbit with this .22 calber some people even argue that a 22 wont travel more then a block ...

Me and my family have been hunting with a 22 for years i my self killed a 90 pound pig shot to the timple .

I know two family members that died from a 22 round one was shot in the head the onther one in the chest both were over 160 pounds

am i wrong? i thing a well placed round in the right place will take down a larger animal

Answer 1

You are right, a .22 will kill larger game than rabbit but... With a .22 rimfire (Long Rifle or Magnum) you are restricted by hunting regulations to small game. Pigs are not usually considered game, as they are usually not native but domesticated pigs gone wild so they can be hunted by whatever weapon of opportunity you may have. A friend of mine killed a record hog with a .22 Magnum in the Seventies but strictly speaking, a .22 Long Rifle is suitable for up to Peccary size game (also known as javalina & actually considered the smallest of the big North American game so check your local requirements) and coyote as far as varmint go. This includes squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, armadillo and jack rabbits, etc. So continue using your .22 on small game and move up to something like a .243 for deer size game.

Best.

H

Answer 2

a well placed shot with a BB gun can kill someone, a slingshot can kill someone. so a 22 definitely has killing power. the average city block is 200 yards, that is nearing the accurate range for a 22 but with practice it can be effective for a few hundred more yards. a 22 is not an ethical caliber for hunting big game animals. if you are hunting a big game animal use a caliber that will get the job done. sure a 22 could kill a deer. but if you wanted to make a head shot, the most sure way, most shooters would have to get within 100-200 yards to be able to make a hit on a target that small. you also have to remember that a lot of a deers head isn't a vital organ. also, the 22 loses a lot of energy traveling that far and passing through the skull. a 22 is perfect for rabbits, but if your going for big game, use big game calibers, if you are an ethical hunter that is.

Answer 3

A well placed .22 caliber shot from the perfect distance could kill a elephant if you shot him through the eye balls. I used a .22 caliber to kill 1500lb cows when we butchered them, one shot into the center of the forehead. So technically, a .22 could kill a lot more than a rabbit but its not practical. I suggest to buy a larger rifle if you are hunting larger game. I really like the 243 Winchester for deer and hogs. I use a 30-378 Weatherby mag for Elk and Bears. I carry a .40 caliber side arm for self defense. Its all personal preference. If you live in the South, upgrade to a .223 cal because you can hunt almost any game around here with that rifle. I suggest an AR-15.

Answer 4

The thing about 22's is, they're such a small bullet that no one thinks they have any real killing power. I believe you about killing pigs with one, I've shot pigs too with a 22, give ole porky one right behind the ear and he's not getting back up. Especially a Federal Premium hollow point. I've heard of people killing deer with a 22, I won't do it, but if i was starving and all I had was a 22, it's nice to know I can kill a deer to survive with one.

Answer 5

I have seen for myself a 140 pound whitetail deer harvested with one shot from a .22 but that doesn't mean it's right. Most states don't allow it because it can be to inhumane because unless a perfect shot a .22 don't have the stopping power to down this size animal. Try a larger caliber and you'll be happy with the results.

Answer 6

If your wanting quiet ammo, you're gona have to use a revolver since the cartridge doesn't have enough power to cycle a semi-auto. You can't go wrong with the Ruger. For the ammo, I use ammo by Aguila called Super Colibri. Its super quiet and only uses a primer to propel the 20 grain bullet. About all its good for is shooting tin cans where noise is an issue, they really don't have the power to do much more. But there still loads of fun to shoot. They say not to shoot the stuff through a rifle cause the bullet may not make it all the way out the barrel since it only uses the primer, so be careful even with the pistol. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Yes, a 22lr will kill larger game. The reason most states won't let you hunt larger game with one is that it takes skill to use and most hunters just aren't as good as those of us brought up with guns. The maximum range on a 22lr is 1mile. But the maximum accurate range is about 300 yards.

Answer 8

Although the 22 does not have much stopping power, it will "rattle" around inside and destroy internal organs. I wouldn't try it on an elephant, but a head shot to a deer will work.

Answer 9

The thing is that it is not ethically right to say shoot a deer like 10 times with a .22 to kill it... it should be a fast clean kill..... thats why they say with a .22 stay with small game, like a coyote or smaller..... even though you might be able to kill a larger animal with a .22 but it would suffer and take a long time to die and you would have to shoot it multiple times..... understand?

Answer 10

well i don't know from doing it personally but i do have a freind that killed a deer with a 22 shot him in the eye and killed him 1 shot i on the other hand have killed pigs with a 22