Not bad at 50 yards, how do I move up to 100?

[Voland]

Ive been trying to learn the basics of rifle shooting on a nice, semi auto .22. This weekend @50 yards I think I finally started figuring it out.

I also tried to take a few shots at the 100 yard target and I was all over the place! I could not keep a group to save my life. I would call it a 12" MOA if there is such a thing! So my question is how can I take what I learned at 50 and apply it to the 100 yard target?

Thanks in advance!

V.

 

[Okiecruffler]

One thing I've learned with long range rimfire shooting is that one round that will shoot great at 50yrds might shoot lousy at 100. Grab a few different brands of subsonic ammo and see which one shoots best at 100.

 

[Sunray]

"...could not keep a group..." What ammo? What rifle? What sights? What kind of rest? Like Okie says, not all .22 ammo is created equal. You need to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best and will cycle the action.
Which rifle is mostly the trigger and barrel. However, even the best rifle with the best trigger won't shoot well with all ammo.
Sights can be iron or a scope. Good iron sights will let you shoot well at 100. A scope will only let you see the target better. A scope will not make a rifle that doesn't shoot well to start with, shoot better. Shot placement is, of course, easier but only because you can see the target better.
The rest must be solid and not move when you shoot. A sand(rice, cat litter or anything similar will do as well) bag is best and least expensive, but any of the commercial rests will do nicely. If your range has wooden rests, put a towel on it and rest the stock, only on it. The idea is to remove as much of the human part as possible.
"...if there is such a thing..." Yep. 12" at 100 is 12 MOA. So is 10" at 1200. 1 MOA is roughly 1" at 100.

 

[Geno]

One of my most exciting .22LR set-ups I ever owned was a Ruger 10/22 HB, scoped with a Simmons 4X w/ AO and target turrets. Off the bench, using Remington Thunderbolts, I was able to maintain under 2" at 225 yards all day long! I used that rig for groundhogs.

The three other .22LR that we have that are extraordinarily accruate include the following:

Kimber Gov't Model 82
Savage Mark II
T/C Arms Contender pistol w/ MATCH chamber

Each of these has maintained single-hole groups at 30 yards. We haven't had time to test them at 100 to 200 yards yet...not yet. Find the ammo that your .22LR likes and you're set!

Doc2005

 

[GunTech]

Agreed - try different brands. Also try sorting by rim thickness.

Are you using subsonic ammo? One of the issues that can contribute to loss of accuracy is the transition from supersonic to subsonic. Some rifles will shoot better at 100 yards if you start with subsonic ammo.

 

[Geno]

Great input! Sub-sonic ammo is really accurate in my firearms. I finally bought several thousand rounds of Aguila Colibri 550 FPS ammo. They are 20 Gn projectiles. Out to 30 yards is as far as I have tests them.

The Remington Sub-sonic Target worked great too.

Doc2005

 

[jmorris]

+1 on trying different ammo. If you have much wind at all bets are off for the .22lr. Under ideal conditions with good equipment you can get results that will amaze you. 300 yds for a .22 lr has the same bullet drop a 308 at 1000yds (156”). At 200 yds a 22 will drop like the 308 does at 500yds (47”). With the poor trajectory you really have to know the distances exact as the bullet drops 12” between 290 yds and 300.

 

[david0810]

yea I agree... try changing ammo

 

[nitesite]

Shooting a .22LR at 225-yards is a challenge I have not undertaken.

Assuming I can dope the wind and get the trajectory right, would I be able to humanely get clean kills on groundhogs at that distance? I recall that they were hard enough to cleanly dispatch at 75-yards back when I was shooting them in Ohio.

Some suffered being gravely wounded and they made it back to their holes to die.

I have a 10/22 that other than the receiver is all Volquartsen, including a carbon fiber THM barrel. With Wolf Match Extra subsonic ammo I can shoot one hole groups with it (most of the time) at 50-yards.

The few times I tried it at 100-yards the results were both startling and disappointing.

 

[627PCFan]

75 yards is stretching it. If you want more distance for ghogs get a centerfire, or a 17hmr

 

[harmonic]

22LR set-ups I ever owned was a Ruger 10/22 HB, scoped with a Simmons 4X w/ AO and target turrets. Off the bench, using Remington Thunderbolts, I was able to maintain under 2" at 225 yards all day long!

Just so I understand what you're saying. You took a Ruger 10/22, with only a Simmons 4 power scope, and your bullets groups were under 2 inches at two-hundred twenty five yards?

Am I understanding you correctly, or is there a decimal missing in that range?

 

[OMCHamlin]

"One of my most exciting .22LR set-ups I ever owned was a Ruger 10/22 HB, scoped with a Simmons 4X w/ AO and target turrets. Off the bench, using Remington Thunderbolts, I was able to maintain under 2" at 225 yards all day long!"

I find that incredible.............

 

[nitesite]

C'mon guys. He's using Thunderbolts for Chrisake.

Not that horrible Lapua or similar ammunition.

 

[Tarvis]

I would call it a 12" MOA if there is such a thing!

Yep. 12" at 100 is 12 MOA. So is 10" at 1200. 1 MOA is roughly 1" at 100.

Um, actually inches and minutes of angle are two different things. 12" at 100 yards is 12 MOA, but 10" at 1200 yards is .8333 MOA. 12 MOA at 1200 yards would be 144" spread.

 

[SonoftheRepublic]

Would just like to add that you will learn more than most rifle owners have learned in a lifetime by attending one weekend at an Appleseed Shoot, (which are being held in almost every state nationwide now).
Also, .22lr's work great at an Appleseed, as the first day of instruction is all performed at 25 yds.

In another post it was written: 'An Appleseed will introduce you to a whole new level of shooting. You will find that you can shoot with proficiency at a level that most shooters would think unobtainable. This is evidenced by a letter from a soldier stationed in Iraq. Part of this letter is printed in Fred's column found in a past issue of Shotgun News. The letter is to the young soldier's father, in it he states, (paraphrased) "tell Fred that his Appleseed training really works. Here most of the guys think that a 200 yd shot is a long shot but I am consistently getting hits at twice that distance. A big thanks to Fred!" There it is in real world terms. It really works!'