.22LR trajectory / sighting in question

[Aguila Blanca]

I have a Henry lever action in .22LR that I haven't fired in a number of years. I have a 4x scope on it, the gun has seen a couple of moves since last used, and I want to re-zero it.

The problem is, regardless of whether I want it zeroed for 50 yards or 100 yards, where I now live I don't have access to an outdoor range offering either distance. I shoot at an indoor range that has 25 yards, and allows .22LR rifles. So ...

First, for .22LR what's more often considered the optimum/customary distance? 50 yards or 100 yards?

For each, if I have to shoot at 25 yards should I be zeroing to group higher than the point of aim, or lower? I'm assuming higher. How much higher or lower?

Does anyone know how much a standard .22LR drops going from 25 yards to 50 yards, and from 50 yards to 100 yards?

TIA

 

[esldude]

It is a fraction of an inch between 25 and 50 yards. If zero is 50 yards, it will be .32 inches high at 25 yards. So zero at 25 or zero a bit high at 25 yards. You won't be off by much.

For answering such questions, get the excellent Pointblank free ballistics software.

 

[Chuck Dye]

.22LR bullets have ballistic coefficients mostly from 0.125 to 0.150 with the bulk seeming to be in the low to mid 0.130’s (this from the Oehler Ballistic Explorer Ammo library.) Go to http://www.norma.cc/htm_files/javapagee.htm and using the "Define your own bullet" feature, fiddle with the sliders.

I like the maximum point blank range idea in which you decide an acceptable maximum midrange height. For my scoped .22, with the line of sight 1.5" above the bore, I have sighted in for a 2" vital zone: for most ammo the 25 yard POI is near enough to +0.5, and the MPBR is 85-86 yards. Peak height of 1" occurs at about 45 yards. The rabbits have yet to notice my lack of precision.

 

[Gohon]

Go to this site http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php and download the free software "Point Blank". It's free and works just as well as most you have to pay for. Just plug in the information required which can be found on the ammunition manufactures web site and you can calculate any caliber and bullet out to any distance you wish. Great program that will assist you a lot.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

I have a Ruger 10/22 with a bull barrel, laminate stock, and a Nikon Buckmaster 4.5-14 on it that I use for ground squirrels. I sighted the 40 gr Velocitors in for 25 yards. But I was pleasently surprised to see that I could aim dead-on a Pepsi can and tip it. I am considering sighting in for 50 yards simply because I know the system is accurate enough for 100+ yards.

If you can't find a range past 25 yards, why try to sight it in for any farther?

 

[Bwana John]

I like a .22 RF to zero at ~25, and 75 yards, and be .5 inch high at 50 yards if possible. Mounting the scope too high because of a large objective lense might make this zero harder to do.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

If you can't find a range past 25 yards, why try to sight it in for any farther?

Good question.

A: For when I visit free states.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Go to this site http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php and download the free software "Point Blank". It's free and works just as well as most you have to pay for. Just plug in the information required which can be found on the ammunition manufactures web site and you can calculate any caliber and bullet out to any distance you wish. Great program that will assist you a lot.

I just downloaded it. Looks like a nice program -- thanks for the link.

 

[Jim Watson]

If you shoot at a constant known distance of 25 yards, zero for 25 yards. All that stuff about trajectory and point blank range applies only to unknown ranges for hunting and plinking. When you get the chance to shoot at longer ranges, adjust as required and write down the sight settings.

 

[Mr. Chitlin]

I have an older Marlin bolt gun that I squirrel hunt with at times. I sighted it in dead on at 25 yards wearing a 4x32 cheap Tasco scope and it is still dead on at 50 yards using Win Super X 36 grain HP ammo.