Henry Rifle Forums

I have been staying home since last Thursday. Between the CWD problems and the high winds I haven't had the desire to drive the 40+ miles to go. The high winds almost every day has brought down some pretty big limbs and trees in the woods. The place I normally hunt has one road in and out and I don't want to go in and get a tree across the logging road and can't get back out or get a tree on me or my truck. On the verge of cleaning the barrels on the rifles I have left fouled since checking the zero on them and putting them away and possibly selling the lever guns and just keep the Remington Classic 250 Savage and my 223's that I have killed deer with for my deer hunting in the future or possibly hang it up on deer hunting altogether. I really don't think I would miss deer hunting at all. I am going to order an electronic predator call and spend some time in the woods after deer season is over hunting hungry winter time fox, porcupines and possibly get a coyote. The day time coon hunting looks like it would be a fun change from the other varmints/fur bearers normally hunted in day light hours.
I saw just recently our game commission is going to vote on banning 22 center fire hunting for deer. I honestly feel that below the power of a 223 Remington could be light on deer. Right now any center fire is legal even the 17 calibers. I don't hunt deer with my 222 although it will kill deer with good bullets and good shot placement. Taking the 22-250 and the 220 Swift away from deer hunting is not a great idea in my opinion. A farmer friend of mine has killed more than 50 deer with a 700 Varmint model Remington in 222 and never has lost a single deer with that rifle that I sold him back in 1974. He shoots across his field to the woods edge and that is a 225 yd. shot and still uses the 50 Gr. Sierra with the same load I used when I had that rifle. People at our game commission in Harrisburg I doubt very few even hunt. If they ever saw how effective a 223 with good bullets and shot placement puts down deer out at some pretty long distance they would be amazed. I can tell anyone for a fact that I have dropped more deer with a single shot from my 223 with a 60 gr. Hornady spire point than any 30-06 or 7 MM Mag. I ever owned. Never lost a deer with the bigger cal. rifles but more ran after hit and ran farther than any that was hit well with the 223. Taking away the light recoiling guns will make it harder for folks that have really bad shoulder problems and can't handle recoil be able to hunt deer with cartridges that definitely will do the job and be easy for them to shoot.
Got a little off track here so I apologize to my forum members. Take care every one.

Good insight, appreciate your sharing your experience. Washington State has had a minimum caliber of .24 since I started hunting in the late 70’s. Nice to know that .22 caliber center fires will do the job if the shooters do theirs.

changes in motivation to hunt deer .... I've never been one to hunt or fish alone ..... for most of 20 years I owned a deer hunting club and was in the woods most every weekend .... once our sons got to college and couldn't go, my interest started dropping .... so far as I know NC doesn't have any state caliber restrictions for rifles .... according to state regs you can legally harvest a deer with any caliber rifle including a .22 .... with 100 counties I'd be a bit surprised if one or more of them wouldn't have caliber restrictions but I can't say for sure ....

Good information. Thanks bandit!

I understand caliber restrictions, though I don't necessarily agree with them. For instance, with 22s, I think it's too complicated to legally list which 22s are suitable and legal and which aren't, so these laws get passed banning all 22 cals to keep it simple. As we all know, even within a legal cartridge, there are some loads that are suitable for big and some that are less so. It's never as simple and black and white as just going with bullet diameter.

I remember a conversation I once heard over a gun counter. Some guy came in during deer season and wanted to trade in his 243 because he claimed it wouldn't kill deer. The sales guy behind the counter asked him why he thought that. The hunter told him he shot at a deer 4 times in the deer's hind end as it was running away from him and the deer wouldn't go down. Of course, you have to wonder if the guy even hit the deer at all, but, let's face it, no law will make up for this kind of hunter being out in the woods. They're out there.

Not saying I agree or disagree but the main problem is not every hunter takes the time or effort for the right shot. Colorado has the same minimum 24 caliber.

Legal calibers can vary by counties in the same state as well.

I understand staying inside. I stopped going to the range during this covid mess. I only go to the doctor. I'm not joking when I say I'm still using the gas in my car that I put in last June. I just don't go anywhere. The wife orders the groceries and they get delivered.
Jake

BigAl52 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 09, 2020 11:14 am

Not saying I agree or disagree but the main problem is not every hunter takes the time or effort for the right shot. Colorado has the same minimum 24 caliber.

I used to own small light Sako Vixens that I had changed barrels on them. One to 6X45 which is 223 Rem necked up to 6 MM. Killed quite a few deer with that one and dropped them the same as the 223 but could shoot heavier bullets if you wanted to. I never had to use more than 80 gr bullets and most of the time Hornady 70 gr spire points to kill some on crop damage permits. Another small action L461 Sako was barreled in 25/223 Ackley Improved. This one was as deadly on deer as my 700 Classic 250 Savage. Killed a few deer in West Virginia and Pa. with that rifle that never knew what hit them. The 6x45 was a good rifle for shooters who needed light recoil. The 25/223 Ack. Imp. was more like shooting the 250 Savage even with the smaller case being that the rifle was much lighter than the Remington 700 250 Sav. You can't imagine how much I would like to have those two rifles back. I may put together another one in one of those two calibers on a Rem. Model 7 action. I still have the reamer to chamber the 6X45 but loaned out the 25/223 A.I. and never got it back.

bandit1250 wrote: ↑

Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:28 pm

This one was as deadly on deer as my 700 Classic 250 Savage.

right out of the box, the old Remington 700's were fine shooters .... they were my favorite bolt actions with the older Ruger M77's coming in a distant second .... I did prefer the safety system on the M77's