22-250 question

[bowhunter1]

hey all dont post here much but have a question.
just got myself on of them there 22-250 for predator calling , my question is what factory loaded round could i use to shoot bobcat that wouldnt leave a large exit wound?
been shooting .223 with fmjs and just wondering bout the 22-250's thank everyone might start posting more here will be starting to reload my own soon and may need some help....steve:Banghead:

[Daryl (deceased)]

Truthfully, and not meaning to sound smart, but I'm not sure there is a bullet from a '250 that won't leave a large exit on a bobcat. I had more than enough damage from .223's (military FMJ's aren't legal here, and don't always give optimal results for quick kills).
 
I'd probably use something with a well constructed bullet, and try not to hit heavy bone (shoulder blades and such).
 
The 22-250 can be pretty rough on fur.
 
FWIW-I nearly ruined a bobcat several years back, which is why I mostly call with a .17 Rem now.  IMO, the .17 centerfires and the .204 are hard to beat for a calling cartridge.
 
Daryl

[NUMBERFARMER]

I am with Daryl. If I am seeking to keep pelts I use a 17 Rem. Even my 222 can tear up an animal pretty badly if I am not careful.  I would guess your best bet with a 22-250 would be some kind of FMJ as you indicated. A sierra blitz king or a Hornady SX bullet might help but might not get the job done if you hit the animal in the wrong place. They could leave a terrible surface wound and let your cat run away.

[Gmoney]

We have yet to find a good bullet/speed combo for saving hides with the -250...If fur saving was your intention, you made a bad purchase...
 
That said, it is a great killer and hard to beat for anchoring....
 
It is just not a fur friendly round.  Your goal is to try to find a bullet/speed combo that leaves the smallest hole...
 
I think Daryl's advice is very sound regarding this.  You may want to try a 40Vmax , the 40 BK, the 36 Varmint Grenades or some other very frangible, lighter bullet.  Slow these bullets down to maybe 3500 or so and you may get some to stay inside but probably not very reliably...
 
Oh, don't use FMJ's while hunting...
 
Good luck in your quest...

[gitano]

While I do agree with the .22-250 not being a fur-friendly cartridge, I don't particularly agree with the proposed "solutions".
 
First, FMJs, driven very fast are devastating. They do NOT leave "pencil holes".
 
Second, really light bullets, like 35 grainers, going very fast are the most likely to stay inside. The .17 HP (my prefered fur cartridge as well), is only 10 grains lighter, but limits out speed-wise at about 4100 f/s or so. The 35-grain .22 can be driven over 4500 f/s. If not hit "wrong", it will stay in a bobcat. Trouble is, there's a lot of "wrong" shot options.
 
Finally, there is ALWAYS down loading. Might not be an emotionally satisfying choice for a hot-rod like the .22-250, but loaded down and weighted down with a heavy bullet - 70 grains or better - and it can become a "fur-friendly" cartridge.
 
Of course, NONE of the above are "factory loads".
 
Paul

[shotatme]

I have used a 22-250 for 30+yrs. on cats,beaver, foxand coyotes. It's about placeing your shot, and loading your own, in my opinion.  Jim

[shotatme]

I have used a 22-250 for 30+yrs. on cats,beaver, foxand coyotes. It's about placeing your shot, and loading your own, in my opinion. Jim

[Daryl (deceased)]

Something to remember...
 
Bobcats really aren't very big.  a 25 lb bobcat is pretty decent, with 35 lbs pretty large.  Larger than that are pretty rare.  In my area, around 20 lbs is average.
 
They're also soft skinned.  From what I've personally seen, lightweight, frangible .22 cal bullets leave a big exit wound with a broadside shot on a bobcat.  Head-on shots are more forgiving.
 
Coyote hide is tougher, and you can get away with more.  They're also more plentiful, and are more commonly taken, so a ruined hide won't necessarily ruin your week.  Bobcat hides are worth some cash, so experimenting can cost you.
 
There are pretty much two trains of thought on hide preservation.  
 
1. Use a well constructed bullet and plan on it exiting without fragmentation, and avoid hitting shoulders if possible.  
 
2. Use a lightweight, frangible bullet and hope that it doesn't exit.  This is effective to some extent on coyotes, but bobcats are lighter weight and thinner skinned.  If it exits, the hide is going to be hard to put back together.
 
Neither way is perfect, and either way can fail.  You just have to make your choice and do the best you can.
 
BTW-I have a very lightweight .22 mag that is just about perfect for bobcats and foxes.  Loaded with the Remington 35 grain Premium ammo, it's pretty easy on hides.  In open coutry, the .17 Rem has more range, and is more appropriate for use on coyotes.
 
Do what you feel is best for yourself, and the best of luck to you with it!
 

 
Daryl

[Daryl (deceased)]

First, FMJs, driven very fast are devastating. They do NOT leave "pencil holes".

Only if they tumble, and they're pretty unpredictable on that.  FMJ bullets intended for hunting are made to penetrate, and do.  Military ammo isn't really made to penetrate, and can tumble, but is unpredictable.  It's also illegal for hunting in most states.
 

 
Daryl

[gitano]

Excepting the FMJ topic, we're pretty much in lock-step Daryl.
 
I've shot an FMJ or two, and I assure you that tumbling isn't required for explosive exits - only speed is. The explantion is simple. Just as a streamlined and "non-deforming" boat plowing through water creates a bow-wave, so does a streamlined and non-deforming bullet (FMJ) as it ploughs through animal flesh (which is at least 85% water). The faster the boat/bullet goes, the bigger the bow wave.
 
In the case of animal flesh, if the bow-wave cannot be contained/absorbed by the flesh and skin, it blows out the far side. (I had this happen once with a black bear. I was seriously annoyed. Fortunately, a black bear's skin is far more easily put back together than a bobcat's.) As you correctly state, the bobcat's skin is not nearly as strong as a dog's (coyote), and the bobcat's width from one side of the ribcage to the other is, again as you say, quite small. All of which adds up to increasing the odds of ruining a pelt even with a "non-tumbling" FMJ.
 
Since, as you say, FMJs are illegal for hunting in many/most states (not Alaska), AND none of what we speak to pertains to factory loads, the FMJ matter is mostly moot. I would add though that there are states in which it is illegal to use FMJs on big game, but legal for small game or varmints.
 
Paul

[Daryl (deceased)]

Paul,
 
I think (not sure) that at least some of the FMJ regulation for small game is due to the dangers of richochets. Arizona specifically forbids FMJ's designed for military use, and I've heard the same of many other states, although I surely haven't read them all.
 
On the damage done by fmj's, I've never used them, but I've hunted with some who were a, um, bit ignorant of the law, perhaps, and used them. Their use has been pretty limited around me for that reason, but...
 
I've seen some that simply penciled through coyotes, and left very little damage done. Most of the time, that animal is lost. Not always though.
 
Other times, I've seen some pretty interesting damage done. I always attributed it to tumbling, and in at least one case there was no doubt, but there could certainly be other factors. It's hard sometimes to tell just what's happened inside of an animal after the fact. Bullets sometimes do strange things, bones sometimes become shrapnel, and the ever present affect of a high speed projectile hitting a mostly watery solid can cause all kinds of strange things to happen.
 
The best we can do is use the best bullets we can (and which bullet is best will depend heavily on the desired result, as well as personal opinion and bias), and place them as accurately as possible under the circumstances.
 
Having the knowledge of experience can help make the decision process more accurate, but there are no guarantees!
 

 
Daryl