Hunting & Fishing Largest animal killed with a 22lr

[ROCKer]

I know this might stir up the ethical shooter group but I've got guys telling all kinds of 22 stories. What's the largest animal you've killed with and how far?

 

[cav has been]

When I was a young lad I shot a record book bull field mouse with a 22lr. It was many years ago and I have forgotten how it scored but it was surely a trophy. The range as I remember was 12-14 inches. Of course all hunting stories grow with age and this one is no exception.

 

[Mike]

Yes, why would anyone try to kill an animal outside of a small rodent or in a complete survival situation? It is unethical and ridiculous.

 

[40xs]

A lady in Alaska saved her life from a grizzly attack with a .22. She and her husband were walking down a trail when a grzzly came out of the brush. Very courageoulsy, she shot her husband in the knee and was able to walk away while the bear entertained her husband.

 

[1911fan]

Elephant

I read about this somewhere, might have been one of Capstick's books. A PH on a cull was trying to get elephants to move out of heavy cover, so he smacked one with a .22. It ran off and died fairly rapidly. Sharing the story over beer, it was agreed that this was highly unlikely. So they went out and did it again, on purpose, same results. I think there's an artery close to the skin in the crease of the front leg?
Searching the webz, there are a lot of references to this event, and to another where a poacher was convicted of killing several elephants with a .22 short. Probably possible, not my choice of caliber.
I've seen .22 Stingers bounce of a deer skull (road kill) so don't think I'd take on anything other than small varmints/birds. I don't think they're humane for coyotes.



1911fan

 

[Guest]

800-1000# Cows at 1-3 foot,
Domestic Hogs from 1 to 25 yds,
Deer (for the table only) at up to 50yds when I was growing up.

The 22lr is far more capable than most want to believe, but it makes you work closer than HP stuff. The average shooter anymore is lazy and thinks they can overcome field-craft with a cannon. To a point they can, but the cost and loss of ability to be past down, reflects that as well.

 

[iShoot17]

Christopher McCandless killed a moose with a .22LR.

Watch the movie called, "Into the Wild." It is a documentary about his story and is actually a really good movie. The book is also a really good read and is called, "Into the Wild," as well.

 

[tiNdvenTFHwMdqKW]

I've dispatched some monster Raccoons and once finished off a big muscovy drake that was pissing me off (but he tasted great).

 

[RADcustom]

There was a 50# Chow that no longer comes around the farm anymore because he ran into a CCI minimag, DRT.

 

[MitchK]

I've heard of Eskimos killing polar bears with a 22. I can't swear to how truthful the stories are, though.

 

[dawson08]

UNETHICAL and illegal YES! BUT I have seen with my own eyes a deer shot in the ear and dropped where it stood with a single shot .22 short at 25 yards. Over a $20 bet. ALCOHOL was involved but not enought to blur what was saw.

 

[tansinator]

Whitetail 40 yards, subsonic to the noggin. DRT.................lol D, you something else

 

[fw707]

I've seen .22 Stingers bounce of a deer skull (road kill)

1911fan

I gotta call bullshit on that one.

 

[1911fan]

Thanks for deleting the rant. Nonetheless, I was there, I saw it. I know probably hundreds of thousands of deer have been killed with .22s though.


1911fan

 

[hornet shooter]

I shot a 250lb boar at point blank range in the head and the round exited out of the bottom of his jaw drt. He was in a trap BTW CCI Velociter was the round used fired out of a Walther P22. A .22lr will NOT bounce of a deers skull trust me. Hell just watch swamp people they have no problem dispatching gators with .22lr. I have never shot a gator but I would imagine their skull is thicker than a deers.

 

[1911fan]

Dunno why people with me reporting a .22 bouncing off a deer's skull. I was there, it happened, I saw it. Did I say they all do that? Did I call BS on people who say they've killed deer with a .22? All I said was, I saw it happen once. Geez......


1911fan

 

[RUMrunner]

I've known of several deer, hogs, and cows intentionally and ethically taken with a .22 lr. not saying i recommend it, but if you have confidence in your shooting and the anatomy of the animal it can be done rather easily.

 

[Phil1]

I've heard of Eskimos killing polar bears with a 22. I can't swear to how truthful the stories are, though.

True. But they would also have a bunch of sled dogs helping them out and they would usually lose a dog or two in the process.

Using a .22 to shoot big game except in an emergency is a dangerous stunt.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

It is all about shot placement. Almost every animal has an "Achilles's heel" which if hit correctly will kill them with surprising ease. I have not shot any animals with a 22, but I was present when many an animal was killed for slaughter on our farm growing up. We used a 22 for years on cows, pigs, sheep and goats. Many hundreds died this way. We raised about 200 lambs a year, probably 75-100 hogs, 50-100 goats, and 5 or 6 Cows each year, and for four years I helped on the slaughtering crew.

 

[ROCKer]

It's about what I expected and I thanks for all the input. I knew this thread would cause a stir!

 

[RSA-Raven]

Many a cow on the farm of 650kg to about 800kg. Point blank & always felt a bit disgusted afterward, even tho I know it's part of life on the farm.
I prefer going out and hunt something rather than shooting something that was hurded to it's death.

I've seen .22 bounce off the skulls of things, boils down to angle of incidance with scull...

Rgds

RSA-Raven

 

[ggmanning]

800-1000# cows and 150-300# hogs. All at 1-3' and with copper plated standard velocity.

 

[40xs]

I agree with RSA-Raven! It's all about the angle of contact. A Ram set gun will sink studs into steel if it's point blank and at 90*. However, if you could get one to fire off from less than, or more than a 90*, WHOA BABY, LOOK OUT!! TALK ABOUT RIOCHET! A lot of us have probably heard of bullets striking human skull at an off angle and half way circling the skull just under the skin. Every situation can be a little different depending on circumstances.

 

[T J]

I read about this somewhere, might have been one of Capstick's books. A PH on a cull was trying to get elephants to move out of heavy cover, so he smacked one with a .22. It ran off and died fairly rapidly. Sharing the story over beer, it was agreed that this was highly unlikely. So they went out and did it again, on purpose, same results. I think there's an artery close to the skin in the crease of the front leg?

1911fan

Yeah, it was one of Capstick's books, I don't remember which one it was but I have it. But I though it took like 24 hrs to die or... something like that. Pretty entertaining read none-the-less.


t

 

[Joe Kidd]

A whitetall 85lb doe @80yds with a Velociter out of a scoped rifle. Heart shot. Deer lurched 15yds and fell dead. No chit. I was AMAZED. These rounds are awesome. I've taken many rabbits @100yds+ with that round.

 

[bigngreen]

We use 22lr's to cull whitetail does in one area because it's what can be used and it's low key, one shot behind the shoulder all that's needed, they all die nice and quite and don't run, a lot of them go back to feeding for a few seconds till their oil pressure drops below critical and they take a nap.

 

[264win]

Deer [cull shoot] to 60+ yds, Elk [ road kill ] 10' lots of cows and hogs at close range.
And yes stingers will bounce and or splatter on a skull without penetrating. I have seen this on both deer and Raccoon. It has to do with the the angle that the bullet hits the skull, and also that the stinger is a very soft, light, high speed bullet. Not the best for penetration.

 

[coWSMasher]

1500lb steers. From a foot.
But a .22 lr has a lot more to it than most people think. It would punch through your chest at 500yds as long as it didn't hit bone.

 

[Bunnypunter]

I'm no cow butcher but I did unintentionally capped a nasty ole badger at close to 100 yards in the headlights of my buddies truck. I thought it was a rabbit poking its head around a bush so I popped it in the head. Then the rest of his body fell out from behind the bush. We almost crapped our pants. When we examined it the round went in one ear and out the other. Dead before it hit the ground. Funniest thing I've ever seen. It was no deer but that was one big badger.

 

[Grumulkin]

Several things:

1. I've read the Capstick story about the 2 elephants. It didn't take hours for them to die though the went 100 to 200 yards before expiring.

2. I'm aware of 2 instances where shooters were trying to scare off deer with pellet rifles and ended up killing them.

3. I saw the x-rays of a person shot at close range with a handgun larger than a 22 LR. The bullet didn't penetrate the skull but went under the scalp and ended up on the other side of the head.

 

[khall540]

Dunno why people with me reporting a .22 bouncing off a deer's skull. I was there, it happened, I saw it. Did I say they all do that? Did I call BS on people who say they've killed deer with a .22? All I said was, I saw it happen once. Geez......


1911fan

Co-worker of mine had to dispatch a deer on the side of the road that was struck by a car. A 9mm duty round from a S&W 5906 didnt penetrate the skull from a few feet. Had to use the 870.

 

[ROCKer]

bigngreen, how far do they normally run and if they go in the thick stuff is there a blood trail?

 

[clayne_b]

My Dad grew up in a small poor town. and the young men/adults would go harvest deer for the people of the town. he said he has seen many deer end up on the dinner table with a .22lr.

That was many years ago.

 

[blksno]

I can't attest to shooting anything but small game with the 22lr...but my grandpa and his brother were travelers/ramblers back in the late 1940s and had an old octagon breaking barrel 22 that they claim to have taken Elk with while they were working for a logging company in Oregon. They were both young men from northern Minnesota, 9 other brothers and sisters and were just looking to survive.
They were both in their early teens and it was one of those things where, if you couldn't stand up for yourself, you were probably going to get fucked over by whoever was paying you...and they did.
My grandpa said they were shooting anything they could find, just to keep from starving to death.
Ended up jumping ship and working for an orchard in Northern Cali, before heading down to AZ where the brother chose to stay, and at 16 my grandpa signed up for the Marines and went to Korea.

We still have the rifle and it was sent out to Sturgis to get re-built. It was full of all kinds of home made repairs so my dad and I are trying to bring it back to something that will actually function.

 

[Hasgun Willtravel]

To the op, if you doubt your .22 will kill it, just use the paracord.

a lady in alaska saved her life from a grizzly attack with a .22. She and her husband were walking down a trail when a grzzly came out of the brush. Very courageoulsy, she shot her husband in the knee and was able to walk away while the bear entertained her husband.

for the win

 

[Hasgun Willtravel]

Christopher McCandless killed a moose with a .22LR.

Watch the movie called, "Into the Wild." It is a documentary about his story and is actually a really good movie. The book is also a really good read and is called, "Into the Wild," as well.

Unfortunately for him, he was a better hitch hiker than survivalist.

 

[MTyotehunter]

I believe one of the record coastal grizzlies was killed by a lady with a 22SHORT!!

A friend of mine was running around behind camp looking for a grouse to shoot and ran into a elk. He dumpped a whole clip behind his shoulder at 30 yards. The bull made it 40 or 50 yards and tipped over... (I wouldn't suggest this) but it worked!

 

[ROCKer]

Does anyone have any 22LR videos of long range kills?

 

[jcfd2201]

Plenty of cows and pigs are put down every year in my sleepy little town with a .22 granted it is point blank to the noggin. We used to use .22's to shoot deer on damage permits at the farm. Head shots at under 100 and every one of them dropped in their tracks.

 

[airjmc87]

Couple years ago I saw a young doe get its legs broken via Honda Civic, I shot it in the head at about 80yds with a single shot to brain box with CCI Stingers. Dropped like a sac of potatoes. I dont care to hear the ethics about this, I was in an area where shooting centerfire is not aloud and I knew I and the rifle was more than capable.

 

[sixgunner455]

Couple years ago I saw a young doe get its legs broken via Honda Civic, I shot it in the head at about 80yds with a single shot to brain box with CCI Stingers. Dropped like a sac of potatoes. I dont care to hear the ethics about this, I was in an area where shooting centerfire is not aloud and I knew I and the rifle was more than capable.

What do you mean, you don't care about the ethics of it? That is the only ethical thing you can do at that point - put it down as humanely and quickly as you can. I've done the same thing with a 9mm (15ft), and my dad has done it with a knife.

Ya just do what ya gotta do!

 

[piglatinhater]

When my buddy was doing his internship in Mongolia, he went hunting with a group of reigndeer herders for a week. After hiking all day on the first day He decided to stay at camp with the cook. At around noon by the camp fire, they spotted a moose about a hundred yards away. To my friends surprise the cook starts popping off rounds....with his .22! After the third round wizzed by, the moose turned and charged meanwhile the cook peppered the moose with .22s. At 20 yards away, the moose makes a hard right and bolts into the woods. They tried to search and recover with no luck. Third world people play by third world rules.

 

[tobedell]

The old man was out hunting blue grouse (head shooting with his 22lr) when this cow elk would not stop barking at him, so he lunged her at 50yds and guess who had to drag her out. The goverment boys tree a bear and instead of knocking it out and tearing up some dogs they lung em with a 22lr, the bear will hold on till he bleeds out inside and fall out dead.

 

[airjmc87]

lol I agree with you but 99% of the armchair police dont

 

[JMGlasgow]

Badger @50 yards. Jackrabbit @100 yards.

 

[Ledzep]

Ground hogs and raccoons.

 

[gunman_7]

My great-grandfather was well known for crawling in a bears den in the winter time with a .22 pistol to dispatch them.

 

[matt2143]

1911fan I too have shot deer skulls in the summer and point blank from my 10/22 and 77/22 the remington 22 subsonic HP round wound just make a gray smear. Then again I was hitting the forehead area at a slight angle from 5 feet.

Then again I have shot a few in the side of the head with 22 and 9mm and never had one not go down.

I figured the bone was a tad harder given it had aged and dried out over time.

 

[tobedell]

I have heard countless stories of people trying to kill badgers with a large handgun to running them over with pickup trucks. Dispatched a couple looking up at me from inside thier hole 22lr to the adams apple does the trick!

 

[dk17hmr]

Living on my uncles farm we killed all sorts of stuff with 22lrs. cows, pigs, roosters, raccoons, possoms, skunks, squirrels, birds, wood chucks, anything that need to be killed. Most of the shots were close range inside 20 yards, when it was time to slaughter one of the critters they usually had powder burns. Saw a deer on that farm get shot twice with a 22lr at about 220 yards, once in the gut once in the ribs, she walked 20 yards further into the soy beans and laid down. When I skinned it the gut shot had exited the one in the ribs was still in there, hit a rib on the off side. Young cousin didn't understate what scare away the deer eating the soy beans with the 22 meant.....she was tasty doe we ate well for a couple weeks.