Ok guys, I have a 22-250 or a .270. Is the 22-250 to small to hunt wolf? And is my .270 to big? I'm going on a wolf hunt in the martan river area after Christmas just want to know if I need to buy a new gun? :)
Printable View
Ok guys, I have a 22-250 or a .270. Is the 22-250 to small to hunt wolf? And is my .270 to big? I'm going on a wolf hunt in the martan river area after Christmas just want to know if I need to buy a new gun? :)
I'd use what ever your more comfortable shooting. Both would down a wolf. I would probably use the .270 myself
Only reason I say that is wolves rarely stand still for long, You might have to take a less than perfect shot. I'd want a bit more knock-down power with the .270, But I wouldn't hesitate for one second at taking a shot at a wolf with my .22-250. Using 55g bullet.
Good luck and post pictures if you get any. I may head up to my camp for a wolf hunt next week, If we get a bit of snow I likely will.
EDIT: Does sound like a excellent excuse for a new gun. A .243 or .25.06 would fit the bill nicely. Even 6mm or .260 rem.
I would highly recommend your 270. Timber wolves can average 3 times the size of a coyote and are more in line with the body mass of a small deer. You will need knock down power for such an animal and the 270 is a perfect long range shooter as well. Choosing a bullet load in the 130 to 150 grain load will do the trick. Good luck with your hunt!
^^^^^👍👍^^^^^
We shot a female this year at deer camp. She weighed over 75 lbs and was clesrly the smallest in a pack of 4. The guy who did the shooting is a guy who specializes in trapping wolves and has had a registered trap line in Gogama for 25 yrs and has accounted for the demise of uncountable wolves and swears the biggest in the pack would have easily weighed over 100lbs. I would use the 270 and then you know your bullet will go end to end if needed. They can be big buggers.
If you look at Chris Lavoie post about wolf hunting, he recommends a .243 and has no problem taking them with a .22 mag
I always wanted a new 260 .but with a 22 250 in the safe can I justify a 260 .I think I can as it would make a great whitetail rig ,think I will be watching the EE to see if I can find a deal on a 260 .haha ,I would have no problem using the 22 250 on wolves Dutch
If you like the 22-250 just go with a better bullet for wolf. Perhaps a 60 gr Nosler partition. I'd stay away from ballistic tip varmint rounds that expand instantly.
The 270 will will likely work better than the 22 250 if you have a minimal bullet and/or a less than perfect shot.
I'd be happy with a .22-250 shooting heavy bullets. Totally agree with Skypilot, as always.
I hear ya about the .260 Remington as well. I have its close cousin, the .257 Roberts. And the 7mm-08 Remington. Either of those rifles is what I would take wolf hunting, and frankly, the 7mm-08 with a 130-grain bullet is not so different from your .270 in real-world performance. My Roberts shoots 110-grain Interbonds well and I would be quite confident to 300+ yards with it. Broadside, I'd trust your 22-250 with a decent 60-grainer about as far. Further, if I trusted my shooting more, but I don't shoot at game past about 200- yards.
7mm-08 great wolf caliber.Thats what I use.
I seen a real nice M700 mountain .260 on the EE not long ago. I always wanted one myself. I think Tikka even made a .260rem for awhile, Might be a few of them floating around.Quote:
Originally Posted by dutchhunter
Most 270 bullets of 150 grain weight are designed to hold together and penetrate a moose. 130 gr are normally for deer. I'd tend to go with 90-120gr bullets in a 270.... Just stay away from hollow point groundhog slugs...
https://www.huntwolves.com/the-best-...unting-wolves/
The Best Rifles for Hunting Wolves
Posted on January 17, 2012 by tango
https://www.huntwolves.com/site/wp-c...ng-wolves1.jpg
Choosing the right rifle, the right caliber, and the right bullet is critical to a successful wolf hunt, and ensures you can cleanly and ethically put down a wolf with a single shot. Selecting the best rifle for hunting wolves or the best rifle caliber for hunting wolves depends on several factors. Things to consider before you decide what rifle to bring on your wolf hunt include:
- The region you will be hunting
- The distance you are comfortable shooting
- The type of bullets available
- Whether or not you care about the hide
What rifle calibers work best for shooting wolves?
Keep in mind that the following list is not the end all be all for choosing a rifle for hunting wolves, but we believe it is a good guideline for someone who has never shot a wolf before. This list is by no means exhaustive. Don’t worry if you don’t see your favorite caliber; hopefully we’ve included something similar to what you plan on using.
Calibers & cartridges not recommended for wolf hunting
Under no circumstance do we recommend using these calibers for hunting wolves. These cartridges are simply not powerful enough to reliably kill wolves. In some regions where wolves are classified as big-game species it may even be illegal to use some of these cartridges.
- Any rimfire cartridge (.22 LR, 17HMR, .22 Mag)
- Any caliber less than .22” (17 Remington, .204 Ruger)
- Small capacity .22 center fire cartridges (.22 hornet, .218 Bee)
- Medium capacity .22 center fire cartridges with varmint bullets (.223, 22/250)
Calibers effective for shooting wolves at shorter ranges (<200 yards)
We tentatively recommend the following cartridges under the condition that quality hunting bullets are used. With light, varmint bullets these cartridges are not sufficient for hunting wolves.
- .223 Remington (200 yards is absolute maximum recommended range)
- .22/250
- 30/30
Ideal Calibers for wolves at medium range (200-400 yards)
These cartridges include many popular rounds for deer and antelope, and have enough power and velocity to shoot wolves at medium ranges, while doing minimal damage to the hide. If you already have a rifle chambered in one of these cartridges, or something similar, it will work great for hunting wolves in most conditions.
- .220 Swift (with heavy, solid core bullets)
- .243 and other short action 6mms
- 7mm/08
- .308
- .270 Winchester
Ideal calibers for shooting wolves at long range (>400 Yards)
If you plan on hunting wolves in Southern Idaho or the frozen tundra of Alaska where wide open spaces are prevalent and long shots are to be expected, you need a powerful cartridge that has good bullet selection and high velocity. Be aware that at shorter ranges these cartridges may leave large exit holes that can damage the hide of a wolf.
- 25/06 and other long action .25” cartridges
- 30/06
- 7mm Magnum
- Any of the big .300 Magnum rounds (.300 Win Ultra Mag, 300RUM, .338 )
- –Note these will definitely tear up a wolves hide at close range
Bullet Selection for Shooting Wolves
If you have elected to use your deer or elk rifle to go wolf hunting, bullet selection is not critical. Any round you have used successfully for deer or elk will be sufficient for hunting wolves. If anything, you may want to choose the lightest commercial available round for your rifle to obtain greater velocity, and therefore greater range.
However, if you have elected to uses a smaller caliber rifle such as a .223 or 22/250, it is absolutely critical that you select high quality hunting rounds to ensure clean, ethical kills when hunting wolves.
Recommended Bullets for Hunting Wolves
Bullets we recommend for hunting wolves with are quality hunting bullets that expand and mushroom, while retain most of their mass and creating a large wound channel. These bullets include:
- Nosler Partions
- Federal Fusions
- Any other bullet advertised as effective for deer or medium-sized game
Bullets Not Recommended for Hunting Wolves
Any bullet advertised as a “varmint” bullet it is not recommended for hunting wolves.
While these bullets work great for “varmints” like prairie dogs or rabbits, and will certainly kill foxes and coyotes with great success, they are simply not sufficient for killing wolves. These bullets are designed to fragment explosively on impact and have very poor penetration. If they happen to miss bones, and heavy muscle mass, they may kill a wolf but will blow enormous holes in the hide on exit that can ruin the fur.
These include:
- Hornady V-Max
- Nosler Ballistic Tips
- Barnes Varmint Grenades
- Any bullet with deep hollow points that advertises high fragmentation
Other bullets that should be avoided are bullets designed for military purposes, such as full metal jacket (FMJ) bullets that are commonly found for the .223/5.56mm cartridge.
FMJs maintain form on impact and pass completely through wolves. They punch a tiny hole and leave an extremely small wound channel. These will only wound a wolf unless you have a perfect shot to the heart or lungs, and are not recommended ever.
Other bullets that should be avoided are match bullets for target shooting. They may be very accurate, but generally have poor terminal performance when compared to good hunting bullets.
Final Things to Consider
A lot of people start hunting wolves with their coyote rifle. The problem is the average coyote only weighs 40-55lbs. Wolves are 2-3 times that size! The average weight of a gray wolf is between 80-100lbs, and it is not uncommon for a wolf to weigh 120-150lbs. The biggest of wolves can even tip the scales at175lbs. That’s closer to the size of a white tail deer than a coyote. If you wouldn’t feel comfortable shooting a deer with a rifle, you probably shouldn’t be using that rifle for wolves.
- In many regions you may be able to harvest more than one wolf. This makes semi-auto rifles like AR15s a good option because you can quickly get off another shot and take 2 or more wolves.
- If you have a choice between a coyote rifle and a deer rifle, go with the deer rifle
- If you only have a smaller caliber rifle like a .223, don’t rush out and buy a new gun, but be aware that you need quality bullets and your range will be limited
- Check with your local game management agency to make sure there are no caliber restrictions in the region you are hunting and confirm how many wolves you can harvest in a day or in a season.
Think they still do as there is a really nice laminated/stainless Sako .260 REM at EE right now ($1834). If Sako has them than I'm sure Tikka does too.Quote:
Originally Posted by SongDog
I recently asked a guide/hunter, who takes about 25 wolves a year....what is the best caliber for wolves ?.......his reply was a .270.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hollywood
In Ontario ? Tell us more about this fella , that's a pile of wolves in one year
You are lucky to have the opportunity to hunt wolves. I would go with 270WSM - my Tikka Hunter would love that hunt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by missy83
Not sure really what to expect. I'm going with my cousin and he has never put one down and neither have I lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Grasu200
so not sure how successful we are going to be:)
Going ice fishing on nippising in stead of wolf hunting. We have better chances of catching walleye then harvesting a timber wolf:)
If it's with Kap River retrievers, I would say they can give you a great recommendation on rifle to use. Have fun on your hunt, good luck!!
270 WITH A 150 GRAINER.......
I've personally seen the damage a 22-250 can do on a Yote at two hundred yards . It blew the dog crap out of him. I was using a 55 gr vmax by hornady. It made a mess out of it. I would certainly recommend a 22-250 for Wolfe. Very explosive and yes they do fragment on impact but the bullet is travelling 3500 feet per second. Those fragments can penetrate pretty far.
During the last 6 decades I dispatched ~ a dozen timber-wolves utelizing several different calibers . --- I never specifically hunted for them ; they just happened to be incidentals while prowling for deer , bear or moose . --- The heaviest-one weighed ~140 lbs. , the lightest ~80 lbs. --- Since I hadn't planned on hunting wolves my hand-loads were geared for big-game . --- The first 2 or 3 were taken with a Model 98 Mauser (7.92x57 , 196 grain bullets) . Next 3 or 4 fell to a 700 Remington (6 mm , 100 grain bullets) . Afterwards I used a 700 Remington (30-06 , 165 and 180 grain bullets) to down another 3 . --- Nowadays I'm relying on my 700 Remington (7 mm/mag , 160 grain bullets) which accounted for 3 more . --- In 1972 I bagged 2 within ~1 hr. while hunting for moose near Wawa (30-06) . --- As I recall : Only one of all of them required 2 shots because it had been hit a bit too far back . --- In order to kill them cleanly shot-placement is much more important than choice of caliber .Quote:
Originally Posted by Goosesniper
Ballistically, the 270 is very close to the 30-06. Just do a comparison of both cartridge with a 150 gr bullet. It will do the job nicely but I would be hard pressed to say if there is any benefit over a 22-250 Rem or 243 Win.
goosesniper is right, the 22-250 carries nicely out beyond 200 yds. I would opt for a 243 only cause I already have a 22-250 :)
Bullet construction is key, varmint bullets are bad news with something this big. I know a lot of people who dislike varmint bullets on anything they want the fur of, coyotes and fox shot with high velocity varmint rounds can be messy to clean up. I was told to get a .243 for coyote and wolf and that my 222 Rem was a little light at longer range, for wolves the round does not pack enough punch but the stresser was the wild in the winter is harsh, a heavier bullet with a better BC does better in the wind. I picked up a 6.5x55mm because I like being different :).Quote:
Originally Posted by DGearyFTE
photo update?