Optimal sight-in for a Ruger 10/22 using CCI Stingers

[NoAlibi]

I hunt and I 've shot in small bore competitions, but I've never hunted using a .22lr cartridge.

I plan to use my heavy barreled (Butler Creek .910" diameter) Ruger 10/22 shooting CCI Stinger ammo to primarily hunt squirrels. My question is what would be the optimal distance to sight-in this rifle for the intended use?

I'd like some input from hunters who have used this or a similar rifle/ammo combination. The rifle is pretty much a given, but I'm open to suggestions using different ammo. Thanks for any help.....Doc

 

[desidog]

How far away will these squirrels be?

Ground or tree squirrels? The stinger has a lot of zip to be firing into the air at a tree rat. You'll definitely get pass-through...and who knows where that round is going after that. I'd try HP subsonics instead of stingers.

 

[rcmodel]

A 50 yard zero will put you about 1/2" high at 25 yards.
That's minute of squirrel head as far as you are likely to be able to see them up in a tree.

You will very likely get better accuracy with any number of standard velocity LR rounds.
Stinger is not noted for match grade accuracy.

rc

 

[Naybor]

Yep, 50 yards.
With a scope, my experience is 1/2" low at 25 yards, dead on at 50 yds.

My iron sighted Model 60 is also about 1/2" high at 25 ~ dead on at 50 yds. Depends on your setup.

The little .22 does have it's limitations as to distance.

My .22 Mag. is now sighted in for 75 yards ~ used to be 100.

Standard velocity.......... High Velocity breaks the sound barrier more and affects the little bullet more.
Solid point won't tear up the meat as bad.
Make sure you have part of the tree as backstop when shooting those fuzzytails with ANY .22.

Standard velocity.......Up to One mile range.
High Velocity .............Up to One and one half mile!
Sub-Sonic..................Usually the most accurate.

Try different loads to find what your 10/22 likes. Some do say CCI is best shooting in most .22's, but it depends on the gun and usually a lower velocity load.

I usually use Remington or Federal Bulk Packs cause I'm a CHEAPIE, and have got a lotta squirrels with that.

 

[hardluk1]

Set it at about 35 yards. 50 yards is a long shot with out some go support to shoot from when the target is the head of a tree rat. If you also have wolf M/T ammo try it too. Just never know what your rifle likes best. With any 22 ammo shoot about 30 rounds before you try to see how good it will shoot. Do that with each different ammo. They take a while to settle down when you change ammo. Solids do less damage and kill just as well with head shoots. I shoot standard vel ammo and the difference in impact points is just not that great between 25 and 50 yards even with the slower stuff.

 

[NoAlibi]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

After a forum search I was surprised to find that the CCI Stingers had garnered such mixed reviews. They worked well in my 10/22 before I put the heavy barrel on it. I assumed that they would work even better in the new match barrel. I tried them this morning and they performed poorly and they also caused some feeding problems that I never had with standard velocity ammo.

I'l start with the 50yd sight-in and the standard velocity ammo that had been working so well - there is no advantage in bullets passing through animals except for a better blood trail which doesn't apply to this situation.

Naybor made a good point about having the tree as a backstop for those elevated shots. I never saw that as a problem when I was using a shotgun for squirrel hunting.

 

[jmr40]

I could be wrong, but most target barrels have tighter tolerances in the chamber and will not chamber the Stingers. Check on that barrel first to make sure it is OK.

I wouldn't use them even if they will chamber. Velocity is good, accuracy, not so good.

I zero at 50 yards. Some of the match ammo I've tried will group under 1/2" at that range and just over 1" at 100 yards in my rifles. But the CCI Mini-Mags are almost as accurate, with more velocity and they cost much less. They may not work as well for you, but I'd try several types to see what works best in your rifle.

 

[JEB]

i guess im the odd ball, i usually zero my squirrel gun in at ~40 yards. i zero at 40 because where i hunt, my shots are usually not a whole lot further than that and sometimes they are a fair bit shorter. a 40 yard zero is about the best compromise for me because it is basicly in the middle range of what i shoot.

 

[Delmar]

The likely reason Stingers were giving you issues in your match barrel is because the Stinger case is just a bit longer than an standard 22LR, and a lot of those match barrels use what it called a "Bentz chamber". They specifically tell you not to use Stingers because of the longer case.

 

[bpl]

CZ 453 American and 452 Scout, 50 yard zero, Federal Bulk Pack 22lr, most 50 yard groups can be covered with dime or nickel. Standard velocity ammo will go through a squirrel as well, so be careful.

 

[squarepants33889]

I came across this older post while searching for some insight to the same zero question. I felt compelled to post because of my personal experience with the Stinger ammo. My Ruger 10/22 loves the Stingers. I shoot about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 moa with it. With a 50 yard zero, my 25 yard poi is less than a short and curly over dead on. 75 yards is about the same but on the low side. 100 yards averages around 3 inches low. The groups open up about 1/2 to 1/3 the size at the hundred yard mark. I suspect the supersonic/subsonic transition is to blame, but the impact points are still gopher worthy.

The stuff that my Ruger doesn't like is the 40 grain solid stuff. It just can't hold it together at the 50-75 yard ranges. The best I can get together is about 3 moa.

Anyone else had this experience with Stingers?
Considering my rifles accuracy with them, I will continue to use them on the gopher fields while my HMR is cooling off.

 

[MCgunner]

Stinger is pretty meat destructive if you're hunting squirrel to eat. I prefer solids, CCI or whatever, but solids. Head shots no problem, but there are times you don't get a head shot.

I shoot standard issue irons on my 10/22 and a fine bead gets me on at 25 yards, course bead at 50. Pretty convenient. I have scoped rifles, the 10/22 I bought specifically to be an iron sighted plinker and knock about gun. It's a bone stock stainless model with the only addition being a Hogue overmolded stock which I like as it's pretty resilient in the woods. My old Remington .22 shoots pretty well on at 50 and .25 with a Bushnell sportview scope. The apogee is somewhere in between 25 and 50, I reckon, but is still minute of squirrel. That gun shoots a lot better than my 1.5" at 50 yard 10/22, about halves the group size with most non-target ammo. I've been killin' squirrel with that thing since I was 9 years old.

If I wanna shoot more'n 50 yards, I'll take my Remington 597 magnum with maximag solids. It's shoots dead on at 50 and a hundred, a tick low at 25, and 1.5 MOA at 100 yards.

Just my input, may or may not be relevant to the question. I do hope the OP has figured it all out by now, though. My gosh, dead thread files, really?