Could A .22LR Hollow Point Kill A Deer Head Shot?

Question

In the head just curious how good a .22LR Rifle is and how good the accuracy is on it is i have a Autoloader Rimfire model 62/64 with High Velocity Hollow Point Bullets. Iam just curious how good a .22LR bullet is.

Answer 1

Yes, that is what my grandfather used and it was legal at the time.

Answer 2

You'd probably do better with a 'solid' to try to penetrate that skull.

Hitting at at any large angle, it would likely be deflected.

Answer 3

A .22 has always been a favorite of poachers due to the relatively low report. Also, "back in the day", my grandpa used to feed his family with a .22, so yes it can kill a deer.  But frankly there are much better ways to kill a deer.

A larger bullet will be more humane, and more accurate.  Also, it is illegal in most places that I know of to take a deer with a rimfire cartridge or with a caliber as small as a .22

Also, in a true legal sense, it would also be illegal to use a rifle with a magazine that large for deer hunting.  

The 22. bullet is very accurate/deadly against small thin skinned game up to 100 yards, but that is the max range you'd ever want to try and kill something.  I can hit in the general area of my target with a .22 at almost 180 yards, but I have to severely adjust for windage and drop.

Answer 4

yes it could but you might just wound it

Answer 5

With HP, it may expand instead of penetrating the skull.  You might give the critter a nasty headache.  But, yes, a .22 has the mass and velocity to penetrate, given a straight-on shot at relatively close range.

Answer 6

YES, but you would wound more than you would ever kill. Very bad Idea.* Never ever shoot for the head or neck of a Deer, always the heart & lung area.* It is also illegal, and against the game laws to attempt to do so.* Forget about it.*~ Accuracy comes from the rifleman primarily not the rifle itself, no matter what gauge or caliber your using.* Rifles don't make accurate shots, the shooter does.*

Answer 7

Many deer have been poached using a .22lr.  The poachers will shoot the deer in the head and the .22 will kill it.  That doesn't make a .22lr a deer cartridge.  In almost every place that I know of, it is illegal to hunt deer with a .22 caliber of any kind.

Answer 8

Q: Could A .22LR Hollow Point Kill A Deer Head Shot?

A:  Sure it can, but it is illegal to use a rimfire to hunt deer in any State of the Union.  Any .22, including the larger center-fire .22s, are merely varmint calibers.  They are not suitable nor legal in many places to hunt big game like deer.  It is also unethical for a true hunter to use a sub-caliber on any game he is hunting.  Match your rifle/caliber to the game you are hunting.  This is why we have deer rifles, buffalos guns, elephant guns and dangerous game guns.  

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Answer 9

I used to talk to a hillbillie that used a 22 magnum to poach deer many years ago.  So, I have to believe a 22 LR with the right bullet could also do some damage.

Answer 10

The bullet placed in the following areas will kill a deer. In the ear, tip of the nose or the eye. The bullet will travel to the brain and kill it! But the chances of hitting it in those places aren't very good and a missed would result in a wounded animal so this wouldn't be a very humane thing to do. I heard a story about how Eskimos would kill a moose by waiting for is to cross a river paddle up along side it. Next they would toss ropes around it's neck and shoot it in the ear and kill it. I was watching a program on tv many years ago I think it was American Sportsman? This man walked up with a 9 mm luger pointed it at the ear of what was claimed to be a rouge elephant and with 3 fast shots killed it. I really didn't see the sporting aspect of it? :o( But never the less he managed to drop the animal with something that normally would have been taken with a large caliber, high powered rifle.