Thread: 22 magnum on reds

Originally Posted by R93

I am sure he is meaning in regards to a clean shot with a .22 at a sensible range. I agree. A clean shot from a .22 will immediately immobilise/kill a deer or the like. An arrow in most cases allows it to run off and bleed out.

If the only way to cleanly kill an animal with a certain weapon is to head shoot it then I think the question has been answered as to whether it is an ethical choice or not.

who says you cant shoot a deer in the head with a bow?

whitetail Head shot with bow - YouTube

All you ALL talking to me??
you have to read my posts in context of what they were replying to.

I said, at 75 metres you cant kill a deer reliably with a bow because you cant hit the damn thing. I am well aware however that an arrow from a longbow will go through four inches of oak at 100 metres. My point is that I can still head and neck shoot a deer at 75metres with a .22 and he will expire with alacrity, whereas you cant hit it. So my money goes on the .22 shooter.

Originally Posted by Carlsen Highway

All you ALL talking to me??
you have to read all of my posts in context of what they were replying to.

I said, at 75 metres you cant kill a deer reliably with a bow because you cant hit the damn thing. I am well aware however that an arrow from a longbow will go through four inches of oak at 100 metres. My point is that I can still head and neck shoot a deer at 75 metres with a .22 and he will expire with alacrity.

I doubt he'll go down so happily! I consider myself handy with a .22 but I wouldn't be confident of shooting deer in head from 75 m shot after shot. A slow, light projectile like that can be blown a mile by the wind over that distance and only needs to move a couple of inches if you are perfectly still to cause an agonizing death and not an instantaneous kill.

If you think people can't shoot with a bow out to that far you've never heard of Tm Wells my friend. This guy is my hunting idol.

New Zealand Tahr, Relentless Pursuit - YouTube

Classic Grizzly Hunt, Relentless Pursuit - YouTube

Kill of the Week 5 - Mid-Air Head Shots! (Argentina Hunt) - YouTube

Tim Wells -- Long Shot -- Hunting Alberta Mule Deer with Trophy Hunters Alberta - YouTube

Some go for a while so skip through if you want but there is good stuff in there, I have 6 of his DVD's at home

Originally Posted by Bavarian_Hunter

If the only way to cleanly kill an animal with a certain weapon is to head shoot it then I think the question has been answered as to whether it is an ethical choice or not.

who says you cant shoot a deer in the head with a bow?

whitetail Head shot with bow - YouTube

My Bavarian Australian mate rings up an salient point here - if the only shot is a head shot then is it an ethical choice?
I think the answer is that within the range you can reliably do that then the answer is yes, but the question limits the full answer - a high neck shot will kill them just as dead. I know a couple of guys who have killed deer with chest shots with .22LR (not magnum) one was through the side behind the leg and it slipped through the ribs, the other fired from diagonally from the rear and it went behind the ribs and forward through the lungs. The .22 bullet will penetrate quite a long waysince its going so slow, especially solids. People would be suprised I think.
But I think we can agree that a .22 magnum on deer is best left to experienced chaps.