What range to ZERO a .22LR

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Werewolf

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I've got a Marlin 25N (bolt action .22LR) that's scoped with a 4X BSA Classic.

I've tried zeroing it at 15 yards, 25 yards 50 yards and just for grins 75 yards.

Believe it or not the way I shoot I actually prefer the 75 yard zero. Dead on at that range equals about 3" high at 25 yards with the cartridges I shoot (35 gr Federal at 1080 fps). I prefer to aim low at close targets to having to aim high at far targets (I know, I know that's backasswards but then that's me).

I'm mostly a handgun guy but lately have taken a real liking to the 22. BUT I really don't know squat about shooting one other than doing it for fun. (my eldest daughter on the other is deadly accurate with the thing no matter what range I fiddle with the zero at. give her a couple of shots to see where the bullet's going and after that she can put her shots into a nickel at 75 yards all day long - steady hands - ahhhhh to be young again).

I may not do it right but I'm always trying to learn so in general what is the common wisdom on the proper range to zero a 22 at?

Inquiring minds want to know...
 
I usually sight in a .22 at 25 yds. This makes a "spot on" sight picture a good hit out as far as I'm comfortable shooting a .22, say about 100 yds or so. I'm talking rabbit sized targets.
 
.22 zero

I used to zero my .22 Marlin at 25 yards zero, which was
(center of group) about half inch high at 36 yards then
dropped back to zero at 50 yards and about 3/4 inch
low at seventy yards, high velocity 36 grain ammunition.
I intended to do (and did do) head shots on squirrels at
normal woods hunting ranges.

Best zero depends on gun, scope, height of scope over line
of bore, bullet weight, velocity and the size of target you
are shooting. Guns also tend to be individuals and all
advice should be taken as a rough rule-of-thumb.

Whats right for you is what works for you.

My son zeroed his .22 at 100 yards but mostly shot
bullseye targets at that range.
 
Actually, now that you say it, it seems like it'd make more sense to "hold low" at short range than to "hold high" at longer ranges. Wouldn't it be simpler to hold the front sight low (so you can see your target overtop of it) than to hold it high (where it and/or the barrel would block your view of your already distance-obscured target)? Of course, I guess I'm assuming that y'all are using iron sights, so I dunno what the heck I'm talkin' about.

~Slam_Fire
 
I usually zero at 75 yards -- in fact, if you zero at 50 feet, you will be dead on at about 73 yards. I too find that a little hold-under is better that hold-over.
 
I prefer to aim low at close targets to having to aim high at far targets (I know, I know that's backasswards but then that's me).
Click to expand...

Makes perfect sense to me with iron sights - you see more of a target at close range and do not cover the target with a barrel at longer range.

With the scope the visibility is not an issue but there is a benefit in using the same method as you use with iron sights.

miko
 
Dose anybody use the full to fine bead technique? I just shoot a fine bead at close in targets and as the distance increases I use a progressively fuller bead.
 
I've always sighted in at 50 yards, figuring that if I needed to shoot at something beyond 50 yards, I needed more gun. The .22 LR has a trajectory like a rainbow.
 
Zero it at the range you are going to shoo it at. For hunting, I zero my .22 rifles at 25 yards, it will be point blank on a squirrel's head at the normal hunting distances I see. Mine are currently zeroed at 100 yards as that's the distance I shoot them at the range at.
 
enfield:
I've always sighted in at 50 yards, figuring that if I needed to shoot at something beyond 50 yards, I needed more gun. The .22 LR has a trajectory like a rainbow.
Click to expand...

cracked butt:
Zero it at the range you are going to shoo it at. For hunting, I zero my .22 rifles at 25 yards, it will be point blank on a squirrel's head at the normal hunting distances I see. Mine are currently zeroed at 100 yards as that's the distance I shoot them at the range at.
Click to expand...

Mine have been zeroed at 25yds and 100yds and in between. They've been zeroed at 44m for chickens with settings for pigs, turkeys, and rams. That one was a stock 10/22 w/4x Simmons.

I have to disagree about the rainbow trajectory, but then I was shooting Federal in the WalMart bulkpack. Your mileage may vary.

Need more gun past 50yds? I don't know; sometimes you dance with the one you brung.
 
Dose anybody use the full to fine bead technique? I just shoot a fine bead at close in targets and as the distance increases I use a progressively fuller bead.
Click to expand...

:confused:

I used to have my scoped marlin mod 60 sighted in at 100 yards. But, I've scaled it back to 50 yards zero now. No particular reason, just thought I'd try it that way for awhile.
 
They've been zeroed at 44m for chickens with settings for pigs, turkeys, and rams.
Click to expand...

Lol. I remember shooting the chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams when I was a kid. My dad had made up a set of steel targets on counterweighted swivelling stands (he's a machinest) for a rimfire course. I remember having to aim at the very bottom edge of the chicken's leg, the bottom 1/4 of the pig, the top of the turkey and about an inch over the top of the ram to hit them. I was about 7 or 8 at the time and didn't understand trajectories so it took me a while to figure out that I couldn't just aim straight at them against the advice of my dad. :)
 
remember shooting the chickens, pigs, turkeys and rams when I was a kid. My dad had made up a set of steel targets on counterweighted swivelling stands (he's a machinest) for a rimfire course.
Click to expand...

I shot that course in a formal sillouette match at my local club, and with some coaching and advice on equipement from the club prez, got a little better at rifle-shooting in general. One rifle I was going to try to shoot that day was an open-sighted Sears Roebuck deal from 1950something, but I got talked out of that in favor of the scoped 10/22. One of these days, I want to see what kind of single shot crank bolt I can mount an aperture on and go for it with that. :D I've found holdovers tricky and real interesting at times.
 
I don't know about you guys, but I notice a lot of drop in .22's. My 10/22 (weaver 2-7) is sighted at 40 yards and at 100 yds I need to aim at the very top of a bowling pin to hit the very bottom. I'm guessing at least 8 inches of drop. I usually use the top of the thicker part of the duplex crosshair as my aiming point at 100 yards.

I played around at 240 yds a few weeks ago and walked my rounds onto target by spotting bullet hits in the dirt. I ended up with several feet of hold-over to get on target.
 
Like I said, I'm shooting that Wallyworld bulkpack of Federals. On the label it tells you the drop at 100yds is, IIRC, 3.2" or 3.5". My sights just don't tend to take that much adjustment. Like I also said, mileage may vary. That applies one load to the next and one rifle to the next. I hope nobody's argueing; I'm not.
 
Werewolf;

Depends on what your doing with it. Most of my .22 rimfire shooting is at Montana 'gophers'. For that, I use a 100 yard zero on several of my .22's. Some of my other .22's don't prefer the Winchester PowerPoint ammo, or aren't as accurate, & therefore get zero'd to a distance appropriate to the tool.

As Slam_fire stated, I also find it easier to hold under than over. Coupled with the idea that the .22lr is rapidly losing steam beyond 100 yards, I prefer to be a humane dispatcher of gophers & try to limit the range to 100 yards.

I'd suggest to anyone who hasn't tried it, to give the PowerPoints a test. The chrono is showing me over 1200 fps muzzle velocity with a 40 gr HP bullet, and I'm getting extremely close to dedicated target ammo accuracy with an excellent hunting bullet. Not every gun will like it, but I'll predict that those that do will shine with it.

900F
 
For eastern squirrel hunting

with a scoped rifle and hi-speed hollowpoints, which is how it should be done, the standard drill is to sight so a 50-yd group goes 1/4 to 1/2 inch high.

For very close shots, under 15 yd or so, you will have to aim high by about an inch to allow for the height of the scope above the bore, since the bullet will be that far below your line of sight until it has climbed, some distance out, to meet your line of sight. Then it will rise above, falling back to 1/2" high at 50 and maybe 1" low at 75. That covers the vital area on a squirrel pretty well and has always worked for me.

With iron sights you still have to aim high in close, but only about 1/2".

See if you can find a copy of "Hunting With The .22" by C.S. Landis. I think Stackpole Books still publishes it.
 
Kamicosmos, Its not as heard to do as it is to describe, the size of the target in comparison to the size of the front sight, will give you the yardage (I may not be able to tell you that a target is exactly twenty seven yards away, but I can shoot it) and the fullness of the bead picture you use is based upon the distance.




I have the pin and dovetail sight on my .22 and the rear sights are set on the third from the rear. If I were shooting at something close, within ten feet, I would aim with a sight profile where I could barley see the top of the front sight. If I were shooting at, say, one hundred yards, I would be using a full bead, nestled in the “seat” (for lack of a better word) and for longer shots, the front sight would be oriented between the top edges of the rear sight.
 
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