# How far is the range on a 22 rifle?



## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

I have an OLD 22 that was my grandfathers. I'm having a problems with the neighbor's dogs and my chickens. The acreage beside us was cleared and we are now wide open to the highway. its about 1/4 mile. I need to know just how far a 22 bullet will travel in case I miss the dogs. If there's a chance of it making it to the highway then I'll have to find another way to stop the blasted dogs.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

1 mile

big rockpile


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## Cabin Fever (May 10, 2002)

1.25 miles for a high velocity .22 (according to the manufacturer) If you are at a higher elevation than the dogs (due to your height or the terrrain) the bullet will hit the ground well before travelling a mile or so. If you are unsure of your shot, don't take it. Are you confident that the "old rifle" is sighted in?


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## HockeyFan (Jul 27, 2007)

You mean the bullets don't stop at the property line?


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## wilded (May 10, 2002)

Remember to go a mile or mile and a half the bullet would be fired at a very high angle into the air. The bullet will drop drastically as the veloicity falls off. The standard 22 long rifle would drop about 36 inches in 300 yards. I would just make sure my target is within 75 yards. Anything much father than that would not be in efficent kill range or power of a .22 long rifle. You can hit things farther but the bullet has little power left. Try to be in a position where you are firing at a downward angle to the target so a miss will go in the ground.


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

A .22 LR (normal .22 round) will travel 1 mile. Keep in mind that the "worst case" range is a straight line from the barrel... the bullet can't travel "up" (without hitting something), so if you shoot at a slight down angle and miss, it's likely your bullet travel past the dogs won't be "too far"

R


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## mtman (Sep 2, 2004)

our neibor that since moved away had dogs that ate out chickins i used the 12ga i damm shure wanted them to know it was me shooting


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

wilded said:


> Remember to go a mile or mile and a half the bullet would be fired at a very high angle into the air. The bullet will drop drastically as the veloicity falls off. The standard 22 long rifle would drop about 36 inches in 300 yards. I would just make sure my target is within 75 yards. Anything much father than that would not be in efficent kill range or power of a .22 long rifle. You can hit things farther but the bullet has little power left. Try to be in a position where you are firing at a downward angle to the target so a miss will go in the ground.


Not wanting to argue with you.But I know of a Guy years ago that killed a Deer at 250 yards with a head shot.Single Shot .22.

But I also have a Nephew that has a .22 Bullet in his Leg shot at short range.

On the norm you are right.

big rockpile


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## wilded (May 10, 2002)

big rockpile said:


> Not wanting to argue with you.But I know of a Guy years ago that killed a Deer at 250 yards with a head shot.Single Shot .22.
> 
> But I also have a Nephew that has a .22 Bullet in his Leg shot at short range.
> 
> ...


There are always exceptions, notice I said efficient kill and I am sure the shooter held way over the target. It is a fact of physics that the bullet will drop so much over a certain yardage. That does not mean I am going to hunt big game at a distance with a .22 long rifle. In most states it is illegal to shoot a deer with a .22lr. They passed that law for a reason.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

well dh solved the issue for me......he doesn't want me to kill the dogs so he went out and bought an air pistol on his way home today. From where I can stand at the front door and see them I can put a nice ding in the metal 55g drum he set up for me to practice on. It won't kill them but it will convince them to leave quickly.


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## ericjeeper (Feb 25, 2006)

Shoot an eye out.. Then see if the neighbor and the courts come making you pay the vet bills.. And Then they might make you pay for corrective lenses. LOL


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## beamernc (Jan 5, 2008)

Shotgun with buckshot works well. If the dog is problem enough to require shooting I would not shoot to wound it. If I have to shoot something, I shoot to kill it. Wounding the animal is cruel and could end up costing quite a bit for vet bills and animal cruelty charges.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Know your target and what's behind it. plain and simple...


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## houlesranch (Apr 20, 2008)

A 22 bullet will travel from a 1mile to 1.50 depending on altitude and if the gun is properly sited in.
I would check with your local game/hunting laws, because in a lot of states the vehicles on the highway have to stop for the hunter..

Here in CO if you catch a dog attacking your livestock you have the right to shoot to kill and then you have to immediately call the local sheriff department to file a report. You can also use a shotgun too.

I hope that this helps you out somewhat, please let us know what happens.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

If you've shot a 22 much, you know standard rounds drop a bit less than a foot at a hundred yards, with a 50 yard sight-in. Bullets drop has a lot to do with weight an velocity, so a standard 40g drops about 20 inches at 150 yards.

Since the bullet is really falling pretty well by then, I suspect a shot from a horizontal muzzle will be on the ground in 400 yards, or less.


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## Quint (Nov 12, 2004)

I killed a cat at 338 yards with a .22 - checked the distance with a laser range finder. An absolute miracle. I know what drop I had set for 150 in my scope and more or less doubled it. I didn't even think I'd come close but hoped the sound of the bullet hitting somewhere near him would scare him. I was using a heavy barreled Remington Model 513T Matchmaster topped with a Leupold target scope. Extremely accurate rifle but if I had a brick of ammo I probably couldn't replicate the shot. It was more luck than anything else. I wouldn't feel comfortable shooting a dog at much over 75 yards with a .22. Dogs are surprisingly tough. A bad shot with a .223 and they'll manage to scamper off if you don't follow up the shot immediately.


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## CIW (Oct 2, 2007)

Theres a small slugged 22 shell called a sub-sonic. It has less than half the range of a 22lr. And only makes a "psssst" sound when shot out of a rifle. Runs about 200 fps slower than a 22 lr but is still faster than a dog.
I don't shoot anything with them at more than about 50 or 60 yds. They don't have enough striking power to hardly enter the body.
I have a similar situation to yours. They are working well for me.


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