No .22 Hornet factory load we have sourced carries 1,000 ft·lb for mule deer past the muzzle. Here is why, load by load.
| Load | gr | Max ethical yd | MV fps | 500 yd ft·lb | Shoulder shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remington High Performance Rifle 45 gr Pointed Soft Point | 45 | not enough | 2,690 | 69 | behind the shoulder only |
| Winchester Super-X 45 gr Jacketed Soft Point | 45 | not enough | 2,690 | 69 | behind the shoulder only |
| Winchester Super-X 46 gr Jacketed Hollow Point | 46 | not enough | 2,690 | 71 | behind the shoulder only |
| Browning 35 gr BXV Polymer Tip | 35 | wrong bullet | 3,100 | 49 | behind the shoulder only |
| Federal Varmint & Predator 35 gr Tipped Varmint | 35 | wrong bullet | 3,000 | 48 | behind the shoulder only |
| Hornady Varmint Express 35 gr V-MAX | 35 | wrong bullet | 3,070 | 49 | behind the shoulder only |
| Nosler 35 gr Varmageddon FB Tipped | 35 | wrong bullet | 3,000 | 54 | behind the shoulder only |
| Remington Premier AccuTip-V 35 gr | 35 | wrong bullet | 3,100 | 49 | behind the shoulder only |
Deer-class rules of thumb; a slightly bigger animal than a whitetail. Legal: CO: 1,000 ft·lb at 100 yd. Floor used: 1,000 ft·lb at impact plus the bullet's published expansion velocity. Orange = a target or varmint bullet (construction, not energy); red = never carries the energy. Sources: chuckhawks.com, www.petersenshunting.com.