.222 Remington for Whitetail Deer Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Whitetail Deer Hunt
- Hunting Calibers
- 04 Apr, 2020
Is the .222 Remington a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for whitetail deer hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .222 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer.
As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the whitetail deer, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the whitetail deer in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on.
What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a whitetail deer in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically.
Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .222 Remington within the ideal range of suitable calibers for whitetail deer hunting?” our answer is:
No, the .222 Remington is UNDERKILL for whitetail deer hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.
Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table.
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .222 Remington |
| Animal Species | Whitetail Deer |
| Muzzle Energy | 1090 foot-pounds |
| Animal Weight | 210 lbs |
| Shot Distance | 150 yards |
What is the average muzzle energy for a .222 Remington? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .222 Remington round is approximately 1090 foot-pounds.
What is the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male whitetail deer is approximately 210 lbs.
What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in whitetail deer hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for whitetail deer to be approximately 150 yards.
What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .222 Remington. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the whitetail deer being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.
Various calibers
A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions.
Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .222 Remington is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest whitetail deer - and to this question, the response again is no, the .222 Remington is UNDERKILL for whitetail deer hunting.
This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting whitetail deer to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.
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2 Comments
I am 84 and killed a buck in Michigan last month with the .222 Rem, It was a bit linger than my average deer kill at nearly 100 yds. The hit was forward of my usual hit zone but the deer ran less than 30 yds, and died. Since 1960 when I bought the Sako in 222, i and my boys, my wife and a few friends have shot perhaps 45-50 whitetails with it in Texas, Wis., Mich, and SC and to my knowledge never lost an animal.
The caliber is not too small IF the shot placement is good and the range does not exceed 150 yds maximum. Period.
First deer hunting rifle given me by my father was a 222 only because his only other rifle was a 30-30 for him to use deer hunting. Not knowing any better and it being my only gun in 1967 I went out and have over 50 bucks from Louisana, ala, and Michigan where it all started. I now shoot a 308 because I know of the short comings but this past deer season I went looking for coyotes with my 222 and a big 10 point showed up. I didn’t give the gun a thought and as always with an accurate shot at 100 yards he ran a about 50 yards but just as I assumed he was dead when I arrived. What makes this gun deadly is the accuracy. Always a heart or lung shot and the deer will not be far away dead. Bigger calipers are better I think because accuracy and distance are never the problem. The 222 will kill any deer with correct shot placement . I think today we forgotten about the accuracy and concentrated more on power and size. I to now at 75 am not as accurate as I once was and now use my new favorite 308 and it has brought at least 1 buck a yr and countless does. Most state’s limit the 222 as the smallest caliber allowed for deer but please if you cannot use that gun to its potential chose a larger caliber to hunt deer with. I on the other hand have never missed a deer with 222 and brought it to supper table with one shot. So shoot straight hunt when ever you can.