I have taken 5 deer with .22 calibers, all before the invention of bonded or partitioned bullets for .22 calibers.
1. The first was a buck. I used a .220 Swift and a Sierra 55 grain bullet at 3600fps. Shot in the neck at 90 yeards, it died on its feet.
2. The second was a doe standing next to the above buck. Shot in the neck, it fell, but tried to rise (the bullet missed the spine). A second neck shot killed it cleanly.
3. The third, using the above rifle and bullet, was on a previously wounded doe (by another hunter who asked for my assistance). The deer was hiding in a heavy willow patch. I finally located it at about 40 yeards looking at me. I shot it in the eye. When it hit the ground, it had no brains.
4. The forth was on a day when the deer in the field I had permission to hunt in were chased into posted property by a pair of coyotes. I traded my .270 for a 22-250, loaded with 52 grain Sierra HP's, and went coyote hunting. Ten minuted later, I spotted a buck deer that was trying to sneak out the "back door". When he turned directly toward me, I fired at the point of his neck-chest junction. He just stood still, as if nothing had happened. I fired the second round into his scull, which was instantly fatal. Upon skinning, I found the first bullet had hit slightly low and struck the chest plate, disintegrating into small fragments, none of which penetrated into the chest cavity.
5. The fifth was a doe who wandered into range during the deer season. I was hunting squirrels and trying to find a suitable place to set up a ground blind for the following morning's deer hunt. The brush was extremely thick. I heard something moving toward me, so I sat down against a tree and waited. When a doe stuck her head out into a small opening in the brush, I shot at her forehead with a TC .22 LR pistol. She instantly fell. I was unable to find an entrance hole nor any blood.
Based on 100+ deer harvested, I personally believe that .22's for deer are a bad idea, regardless of bullet used. Shot place must be exact with the entrance located where deep penetration is not required.
WYLD