22LR “long range” with iron sights
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sparkyv
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Never tried beyond 100yds. Hard to master the wind!
Chuck R.
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I've shot out to 300 meters and hit "pigs" (Steel silhouettes) prone off of cross sticks with this:
Ballard Rifle WIN 1885 Low Wall .22LR repro with 30" Douglass air-gauged barrel using Eley ammo. Withe the Soule tang sight it's very doable, but as sparkyv says the wind is very tricky.
It's identical to it's bigger brother in .40-70:
Ballard Rifle WIN 1885 Low Wall .22LR repro with 30" Douglass air-gauged barrel using Eley ammo. Withe the Soule tang sight it's very doable, but as sparkyv says the wind is very tricky.
It's identical to it's bigger brother in .40-70:
Jerseykris
Member
Before my eyes started going to pot, I was getting pretty good at guesstimating the bullet drops out to about 150-175yrds on the metal plates - so long as there was zero, and I mean zero, crosswind or headwinds. Just the slightest breeze would throw it off, and I never got the hang of windage at those distances with just the irons.
With breezeless days few and far between, it started to seem like I was just wasting ammo.
These days, it seems like anything 75-100+ gets the scope, and the irons have become a 50yrd or less proposition.
With breezeless days few and far between, it started to seem like I was just wasting ammo.
These days, it seems like anything 75-100+ gets the scope, and the irons have become a 50yrd or less proposition.
HB
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If you are trying to win a bet and you know the venue ahead of time... memorize a rock, tree branch, etc above the target and aim for that.
We had a long shoot at my archery club. Shoot a round of 3D then the long shoot was for a small pot. They changed the target distance to unknown each month but within a few shots we could find a landmark in the trees and aim for it. Guys with target sights could dope dead on but hunters had it a little harder.
We had a long shoot at my archery club. Shoot a round of 3D then the long shoot was for a small pot. They changed the target distance to unknown each month but within a few shots we could find a landmark in the trees and aim for it. Guys with target sights could dope dead on but hunters had it a little harder.
I am pretty lucky my home range is in a "hollow" with trees all around....this is good and bad, in the summer the heat will just hang, in the winter you don't get blasted by wind.....so I can do this and I find it quite fun. First time I played small bore the rifle I had taken with me (i did not even know there was a game that day but it looked like fun) had a horrid trigger and a fixed 4x scope...and OLD one. so on the last two targets there was massive hold over....I actually got one ram but that ram was not even in view on the scope....I just had my wife next to me and she could see the bullet impact and would say a little to the left, a little higher....that kind of thing....I really felt like I did something.
Back in the late 60's I owned a Model 52 Winchester (pre war I think). That summer I could only fire on the High Power Range and If there was a HP shooter practicing for a Match I either waited (not) or fired on a similar target at his ranges. Using Standard Velocity Chanuk Ammo I was able to match is groups (about 80% in the black bull) at 200 yards - no hold over. Used his recomendations for hold over - fired for group and then adjusted.
Again it's not hard
Again it's not hard
desidog
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At long range for a .22lr, the biggest problem is powder charge consistency. Assuming that the casings' and bullets' weights are quite consistent, if you weigh the individual bullets you'll find that the powder charge tends to vary by a few tenths of a grain... at 200 yards, that could be a foot in elevation different.
You learn to shoot that way by shooting that way a lot, thus giving you familiarity with the round and the rifle. I shoot that way with a scope and I estimate range rather than using a range finder and a graduated cross hair. I have these things, but prefer to keep my skills as sharp as possible by relying on my senses rather than technology. I get lots of practice by shooting prairie dogs with lots of different rifles and calibers in many different conditions with scopes and without.
redneck2
Member
If you can find a plowed field, that’s optimum. You can easily see your hits and adjust accordingly. I have a .45 Colt. I’ll shoot at dirt clods anywhere from 25 yards to maybe 100+ yards. Humbling experience but you get better quick
I think the worst things for Accurate shooting are Mag dumps or big targets at short range. Little bitty targets way off expose bad shooting habits quickly
I think the worst things for Accurate shooting are Mag dumps or big targets at short range. Little bitty targets way off expose bad shooting habits quickly
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I've shot coffee cans at 400 yards with a Ruger standard model. Far more misses than hits but missing close is still fun. The wind wreaks havoc on the .22 at long range and inconsistent ammo will drop some rounds short even with identical holding but long range with iron sights isn't impossible-- just challenging.
243winxb
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An adjustable aperture sight will allow you to hit a 8" steel plate at 200 yards.
Varminterror
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It’s daunting, but really not so difficult. It REALLY helps to be able to shoot both eyes open so you don’t lose your target, but it’s really just a matter of knowing your trajectory, then being able to estimate an accurate hold over. It does take a lot of practice, and reliable ammo.
Mechanical options exist, like the adjustable sights pictured above, or a telescopic sight.
Mechanical options exist, like the adjustable sights pictured above, or a telescopic sight.
I don't think I could do it out to 400 yards (or even close to it), but it sounds like it would be a LOT of fun trying!
caribou
Member
Hmmmmmm......
One 4th of July, the wife won the Deering shoot off, as most all villages up this way have a rifle competition. Agnes got a perfect 30 on a bullseye target with 3 shots (3- ''10's'' ) using a SAKO straight stocked M-39, and the prized was 2 airtaxi tickets for a 'round trip'.
When we landed, the lady at the counter commented on seeing one of the wifes older sisters Rose, and that she too had flown in on a prize ticket from a rifle shoot......
Here at Noorvik, we shoot open sights, 5 shots across the river (about 300-350 yards) at balloons on the bank across the river.
According to Rose, she had taken a Ruger 10/22 and her first shot was almost there , so she raised her sights to the willow line above the balloons, missed once more, adjusted, and popped 3 of the 5.
One 4th of July, the wife won the Deering shoot off, as most all villages up this way have a rifle competition. Agnes got a perfect 30 on a bullseye target with 3 shots (3- ''10's'' ) using a SAKO straight stocked M-39, and the prized was 2 airtaxi tickets for a 'round trip'.
When we landed, the lady at the counter commented on seeing one of the wifes older sisters Rose, and that she too had flown in on a prize ticket from a rifle shoot......
Here at Noorvik, we shoot open sights, 5 shots across the river (about 300-350 yards) at balloons on the bank across the river.
According to Rose, she had taken a Ruger 10/22 and her first shot was almost there , so she raised her sights to the willow line above the balloons, missed once more, adjusted, and popped 3 of the 5.
adcoch1
Member
Now that's good shooting!
You have to shoot alot and learn what your firearm is going to do, and stick with the same ammo. Put some clay targets on a berm at long range and have someone spot for you and tell you where your shots are hitting plus that's just a lot of fun.
adcoch1
Member
This is true, back when me and my brother would take out grandpa's Remington 41p targetmaster as kids, clays at 200 yards were the big game. Amazing how many we hit back then, a 4" target at 200 with target peep sights isnt easy, but tons of fun.
IndianaBoy
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CZ 452 Lux with iron sights will get you to 200 yards pretty reliably if you use good ammo and it isn't too windy. Tangent sights work, and work well. I'm not talking about shooting squirrels in the head at that distance but you can hit a paper target or milk jug 4/5 if you have good ammo and break a clean shot.
doubleh
Member
At my age it better be a big target for me to just see, much less hit it, at that distance.
Deltaboy1984
Member
Sure I can hit the bottom of soup can out to 125 yards with my 1950s era Remmy 512 Bolt Action rifle! Using CCI Mini Mag ammo.
The range I use the most has steel plates at 300 yards. I use a 4x scope. If I'm really lucky and no one else is there I can hear the tink a few seconds later often.
It's all about practice, practice, practice. And quality ammo is essential since in such a small case, little discrepancies make a HUGE difference.
It really magnifies any mistakes you make.
It's all about practice, practice, practice. And quality ammo is essential since in such a small case, little discrepancies make a HUGE difference.
It really magnifies any mistakes you make.
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