Thread: 22 magnum on reds

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

And it doesnt matter how big a hole the arrow makes - a .22LR normal velocity will go right through a deer skull at that range; it will shatter the bone stir the brain and exit.

Out of interest, how much margin for error is there in hitting a deer brain with a 22LR? I ask as once I had a young goat just stand there bleating at me after 3x 22mag rounds to the head at maybe 70m. It was incapacitated enough for me to walk up and cut its throat without it running away, but not a nice feeling making an animal suffer.

Checked my zero afterwards and it was shooting an inch to the right as I'd grabbed the wrong box of ammo, it didn't take much for me to have hit a bit far forward on the skull and missed the critical part of the brain.

Originally Posted by GravelBen

Out of interest, how much margin for error is there in hitting a deer brain with a 22LR? I ask as once I had a young goat just stand there bleating at me after 3x 22mag rounds to the head at maybe 70m. It was incapacitated enough for me to walk up and cut its throat without it running away, but not a nice feeling making an animal suffer.

Checked my zero afterwards and it was shooting an inch to the right as I'd grabbed the wrong box of ammo, it didn't take much for me to have hit a bit far forward on the skull and missed the critical part of the brain.

Not much if front or side on but looking away there is a larger margin for error height wise.