Comfortable range for a .22lr

[Stover954rr]

Hello,
I see a lot of discussions on here about .22's and I have noticed most people shooting them at 25 and 50 yards. I was curious if this is because of limited space or because people just don't like using a .22 at any greater distance?

I know my Marlin Model 25n b/a does great thing at 100 yards and it even does decent at 150 yards.

So my second question to you is at up to what distance in ideal conditions do you think or know (and please specify) your .22lr in whatever configuration (and please specify this as well) you can consistently hit a soda can.

Please keep in mind this is what YOU CAN DO, not what your rifle could do if shot by a professional.

~Russ

 

[jdc1244]

Wind is a problem where I shoot, particularly in the winter. The weather is great in the winter here: no heat or rain but lots of wind. As such anything beyond 50 yards is problematic with a .22. Also, with my fellow shooters, 50 yards has become an accepted standard.

I use my .17HMR for 100-yard targets, so the .22 pretty much stays at 50 yards.

 

[doc2rn]

Ruger 77/22

I can shoot this one consistantly at 200 yds at the range or a windless day. It is a .22 mag and it is capable of better than me, I forget to adjust for windage alot. My Sav Mk II on top is a good one too, just need to scope it.

 

[Hypnogator]

Don't know about pop cans, but I used to shoot pigeons in the barnyard at 100 yds with my Nylon 66 with a 4X Weaver scope.

 

[Dgindlesperger]

50 yards is the norm range for a 22lr, depending on the ammo you can see up to a 3" drop at 100 yards

 

[rangerruck]

the problem with a 22 is, with a 100 yds zero, and standard 1.5 inches scope line above the bore line, the round is 5 to 6 inches high at 50 yards, so you need to be very familiar with the ammo you use, so you know where it shoots between 25 and 75 yards.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

100 yard shots at paper plates and cans are not too bad. Remington speedmaster with open sights. I just have to remember to aim more or less a half foot above the target.

 

[woof]

I think the ability to hit a soda can offhand consistently is a good measure. If consistently means 8 out of 10, anyone who says they can do that at much over 50 yds, I gotta see it. Remember - 8 out of 10 offhand. I consider the .22lr to be a 50 yd rifle. If it's over 50 yds, it just isn't the right tool IMO.

 

[DMK]

I'm a big fan of zeroing a rifle to a "mean point blank range" (+/- 2", 3", or whatever to some max distance before it drops beyond that spec). As rangerruck mentioned, 100 yards requires that you zero your sights or scope where you'd be way high at closer ranges. I've shot some 22LR at 100 yards, but I hate re-zeroing or playing with scope adjustments. I use centerfires at 75+yards.

 

[Clipper]

I used CCI Stingers in my BL-22 with a 4X scope. the trajectory worked out to dead on at 25 and again at 80 yards. I think it was about 2" high at 50 yards. The longest killing shot I took with it was 132 yards on a woodchuck from my dining room window to my neighbors budding blackberry patch. Used to shoot sparrows at 100 yards with that thing...

 

[Stover954rr]

Woof, I am on it! I will try the 100 yards standing off hand soda can this weekend (and video tape it). Well that is unless I can't do it, then there will be no video tape of course lol. I know I can go 10 for 10 off a bench, but off hand will be interesting.

I think everyone should try this coming weekend and we will compare on monday

Is the bullet arc that much on a 22? That is why I missed that starling at 50 yards i was sighted in for 100.

 

[DMK]

Is the bullet arc that much on a 22? That is why I missed that starling at 50 yards i was sighted in for 100.

I don't know what ammo you shoot, but here's Federal 510 (Champion):

With a 50 Yard Zero, it has a drop of about 6" at 100 yards. Between 20 yards and 60 yards it's within an inch +/-.

Here's the parabolic 100 yard zero. It's about 2" high at 25 yards, 3" high at 60 yards, and still drops off almost 4" at 120 yards.

 

[aspade]

I think the ability to hit a soda can offhand consistently is a good measure. If consistently means 8 out of 10, anyone who says they can do that at much over 50 yds, I gotta see it. Remember - 8 out of 10 offhand. I consider the .22lr to be a 50 yd rifle. If it's over 50 yds, it just isn't the right tool IMO.

If you can't hit offhand at a given distance with the .22, you can't do it with a centerfire either. Is a 30-06 a 50 yard rifle too?

I shoot beer cans at 100 yards offhand and after a couple warmups can hit 75% or so. From a rest it'll do 99%, so I can't blame anyone but me for the misses. CZ 452.

 

[foghornl]

I used to regularly slaughter soda cans @75Yds with my Nylon 66...but that has been at leat 35 years back.

Now I don't shoot at anything beyond 50 with my current .22's and my 50+ year-old tri-focused eyes.

 

[351 WINCHESTER]

I usually sight my .22's in for about 50 yards. At 100 it shoots a little low. Much after 50 yds. it's really not powerful enough for humane kills on coons and other critters. Yes, it will kill out to 200 yds., but it's not fair to the critters. Past 50 yds. or so I'll use a .22 mag. The .22 mag. is a serious hunting round for coons/possums.

I like the .22lr the most as it's much cheaper to shoot and is a tad more accurate, especially from my cz Scout.

 

[.45Guy]

I regularly shoot my daughter's Stevens Favorite at the 100 yard range. It's a great way to relax, almost akin to meditation.

 

[pdowg881]

I only shoot up too 100 yards. I mostly consider it for 50 yards and under.

 

[Blackfork]

200 yard at NRA bullseye.

I know of at least two clubs who have shot 200 yard .22 matches at NRA Bullseye Highpower targets. These guys are shooting target rifles like H&R M12s, Win 52s or Rem 40Xs.

 

[Bartkowski]

I have a Marlin 25n, I shoot at 50 most of the time, just because I want to, but 150 is the most I would shoot with probably. And for hunting I would do 100yards on smaller things like squirrels.

 

[woof]

aspade wrote:

"If you can't hit offhand at a given distance with the .22, you can't do it with a centerfire either. Is a 30-06 a 50 yard rifle too?"

Hitting 8 of 10 soda cans offhand at 100yds would be a challenge with a .223 and I'm not saying I could do that either. But I'm certain there are many more shooters who could do it with a .223 or whatever than with a .22. If that were not true you could get the same size bench groups with a .22lr at 100 yds as you can with a .223, and I don't think anyone can.

 

[aspade]

A 12 ounce can as your target measures about 2.5 x 5 inches. A shooter hitting 8 for 10 is shooting just under a 4" group.

You don't need an 0.2" bench gun to hold a 4" group. A gun that will keep them in 2" or so is already four times as precise as the shooter.

 

[Browning]

Most of the time I shoot .22 LR's at between 25 and 100 yards with most of it done at 50 yards (iron sights) just because I'm limited to a hundred yard range and they don't have anything set up for 75 yards. The past ten to twelve times that I've gone to the range though almost all of it has been at 100 yards as I've got better optics on my Ruger 10/22 now and most of the time I'm able to turn in 5 round silver dollar sized groups now. That's just a recent thing as I just recently got a scope on it a little while back.

When I do have the opportunity to shoot on someones land or at someones deer lease I've usually managed to hit pop cans 7 or 8 times out of ten (sometimes less hits on a bad day and a little bit better on other days), but even then those are generally at 125 yards at most. That was just with iron sights though as I didn't have a scope on it then, so I might be able to hit out a little farther with that scope. I haven't had a chance yet to see what I could do with my scoped Ruger 10/22 past a hundred yards, so I guess I'll have to see.

To me a .22 LR is at home at 100 yards or less if you've got iron sights and maybe 150 yards if it's really tuned with good optics. 100 yards is about where I feel comfortable at with it. A .22 Mag would extend the range maybe 25 to 50 yards for me as it doesn't drop as much.

 

[Medusa]

I have no probs killing soda cans out to 200 yards, prone unsupported, with

It doesn't matter to me what the weather is, I've shot with gusty crosswinds; in light blizzard; when there's +30C or -20C outside. What matters is how to compensate for different conditions.

The bipod is not always on, and on this pic it's on backwards, look at the spades (came as that, from the factory, so I've turned the legs over, but haven't got newer pic).

 

[IndianaBoy]

Milk jugs are no problem at 200 meters shooting prone.


Rezeroing a scope isn't a problem with the excellent tangent sights on my CZ!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I used to win a dollar or two shooting silhouette with my M82 Kimber. For those who aren't familiar with this game, you shoot metallic silhouettes of grouse ("chickens") javalinas ("pigs"), turkeys and desert rams at ranges of 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards respectively. The ram is about the size of a squirrel. Two banks of 5 targets each are shot at each range. All shots are offhand (standing unsupported.)

I zero at 50 feet, which puts me dead on again at 75 yards. I hold at the bottom of the chicken and pig, dead on the turkey, and put the tip of the thick bottom crosshair on the ram's belly.

I have killed many a squirrel at 100 yards with this setup, and have taken crows to 150 yards -- although admittedly in a pasture where I knew the holdover for every rock and stump.