# .22 Long Rifle at long range.



## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

.22 Long Rifle @ LONG-LONG-LONG-LONG Range. 



OK, I got the hots to do some long range .22 rimfire shooting. I have put the 4X to 12X Illuminated reticle scope on the CZ-452 Ultra-Lux with the 29" barrel. I figure to start at 300 Yards.


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## Coloneldad5 (Dec 6, 2011)

Better keep it down to 100 yards. Much beyond that is beyond the capabilities of the .22 round. 150 yards would be pushing it for a .22 LR.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I have a Model 75 Winchester 28" target barrel with an old Wide Field scope. Weaver or Redfield, I forget. It's been on it for years. I used it on picket pin gophers out to around 250 yards but the holdover was getting too high so I turned the scope 90 degrees and the wide part was up and down. That gave me another 150 yards range. 

Shooting 22 LR at very long range is a great way to learn how to maintain holdover and read the wind. They really blow in a breeze. Sounds like you have a good rig for it.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Coloneldad5 said:


> Better keep it down to 100 yards. Much beyond that is beyond the capabilities of the .22 round. 150 yards would be pushing it for a .22 LR.



I found this interesting: http://ghostprepper.blogspot.com/2012/05/22-long-rifle-is-deadly-round-video.html


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## Coloneldad5 (Dec 6, 2011)

Yes a .22 will travel up to about a mile or so but effectiveness is greatly reduced. The ballistics is so far reduced that for many purposes (unless you are an extremely good shot or very lucky) that it becomes not much more than a pea shooter. Yes it's possible to kill out to a mile or more if hit right. As a good ethical hunting round for most small game it is limited to closer ranges. Now if you are mostly into just plinking and range practice, yes it would be an awesome experience to play around with and try hitting something further out, but as for me I like to know that I'm going to be able to take my target out cleanly and effectively and not have any doubts, thus I prefer when possible to have the right round for the job. In an emergency situation you make due with what you have and practicing that way is not a bad idea.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Coloneldad5 said:


> Yes a .22 will travel up to about a mile or so but effectiveness is greatly reduced. The ballistics is so far reduced that for many purposes (unless you are an extremely good shot or very lucky) that it becomes not much more than a pea shooter. Yes it's possible to kill out to a mile or more if hit right. As a good ethical hunting round for most small game it is limited to closer ranges. Now if you are mostly into just plinking and range practice, yes it would be an awesome experience to play around with and try hitting something further out, but as for me I like to know that I'm going to be able to take my target out cleanly and effectively and not have any doubts, thus I prefer when possible to have the right round for the job. In an emergency situation you make due with what you have and practicing that way is not a bad idea.



Well Sir, I am just trying to learn about what different firearms are capable of doing, this CZ 452 Ultra-Lux with its 29" barrel I expect to produce sub 5" groups at 300 yards. I just rebuilt the trigger to 2 pounds and "Zero" creep. I only have 57 years of shooting experience, and 34 years as a professional hunter, so I am still learning. http://www.cz-usa.com/products/view/cz-452-ultra-lux/ (See comments at bottom).


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## farmerDale (Jan 8, 2011)

I have shot a coyote at 210 yards with open sites once. Deader than a doornail. Lucky? Sure was. But it worked. I was actually trying to scare it away, I raise the sites over its head several feet, squeezed, and like a sack of beans, he bit the snow. My point is it can be effective at extreme range. Boom. five four three two one, thwack! When I saw him drop, then hear the thwack, I was shocked.


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## InvalidID (Feb 18, 2011)

Hey Sourdough, you tried using subsonic rounds for those long shots? As I understand it they'll pull a tighter group. Idea is suppose to be .22 rounds slow down to sub sonic at about 100-150 yards, which throws the trajectory a bit. Sub Sonic rounds don't have that issue.

Just something to play with.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

InvalidID said:


> Hey Sourdough, you tried using subsonic rounds for those long shots? As I understand it they'll pull a tighter group. Idea is suppose to be .22 rounds slow down to sub sonic at about 100-150 yards, which throws the trajectory a bit. Sub Sonic rounds don't have that issue.
> 
> Just something to play with.


Yes, that is valid.


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## Bandit (Oct 5, 2008)

My Daughter uses Her 22 at 100 yd. targets all the time with a peep site .
It was Her "Practice Rifle " when She was on a Jr. Shooting Team .
Marlin .22LR 2000L Summer Biathlon/Target Rifle 
http://biathlete.org/images/equipment/sights.jpg


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

Sure. Why not play? The trajectory has got to get like a rainbow, you'd have to judge range accurately, and you'd want high-quality target ammo with minimum velocity variation. Maybe chronograph some when you get a new lot in. 
They had all that with the 45-70 when it was winning long-range shooting competitions out to 1,000 yards or so, with documented target hits at nearly two miles. The .22LR is built along the same lines, in the micro-miniaturised version.


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

From what I have read, a sharp drop after 100-150 yards has to be adjusted for with the .22.


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

That looks like a great little rifle, and a 29 inch barrel on a .22 is quite a barrel
I wonder how long a barrel can be before it starts to shave off speed?
Anyway, keep us posted and put up some pictures


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## Tobster (Feb 24, 2009)

RimfireCentral.com - Rimfire Community!

Sourdough, this is a good site you might find helpful. Plenty of info on everything from bench techniques and equipment, ammo, makes and models. Anything you want to read about or chat up concerning rimfire.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Great idea-have fun and see how far away you can hit something...We set up a spotting scope and shoot at gong at 500yds with my 45/70.....you can actually watch bullet in flight....and it makes a big bang when it hits


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

Hereâs my .22LR Silhouette setup, which I had built to mirror my .40-70 Silhouette rifle: Ballard Made Low-Wall with DSTs, 30â Douglass air-gauged barrel, presentation grade walnut, hand checkering etc. Itâs got a Soule rear tang site and I shoot Eley match through it.


















The distance we shoot Ram silhouettes is 300 meters. The .22LR about mimics the BPCR cartridges for trajectory and wind deflection, so it really makes for good practice, especially for learning to read wind. 

Chuck


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

i can attest to the drop , we shoot 22 silhouette chickens at 40 meters pigs at 60 meters , turkeys at 80 meters , and rams at 100 meters 

keep in mind we use 40 gr ammo usually akin to CCI standard velocity at 1070fps for 2 reasons 

the first is that faster ammo is hard on our metal targets , and silhouette targets are not cheap we allow lead only bullets 

the second , 1070 is just below the speed of sound or sub-sonic there is a trans sonic disruption the same thing that used to tear test aircraft apart until Chuck Yeager did it in the bell X-1 , by the way there was a reason Yeager flew that flight Bells own test pilot had demanded 150,000 dollars to break the sound barrier that is 1947 dollars and figures to 1.5 million in today's dollars to give you an idea of how dangerous it was in early tests.

when your doing accurate target shooting you either stay super sonic thru the target or you go sub sonic thru the target the same sonic barrier that tore apart aircraft causes bullets to be unpredictable as they pass thru the barrier , high speed photography can show this sonic and sub sonic air disruption and also the trans sonic effect

drop if your right on at 40 meters there is very little change to 60 meters a 1/2 inch or so but between 60 and 80 meters an adjustment must be made and again between 80 and 100 there are between 6 and 8 inches of drop between 40 and 100 meters depending on several factors

shooting high velocity 22lr will result in a flatter trajectory between 40 and 80 but can be unpredictable at 100 or very much further 

i am not saying that they are not moving and deadly at that distance , just that they are unpredictable and not what I would call accurate 

but you should put some on paper that will tell you better how and were it falls apart for high velocity start by sighting in at 50 yards get a good zero then start moving the target back to 75 yards then 10 yards at a time shooting a 5 shot string at each target don't touch your scope leave it , use larger and large card board or targets so that you can see the drop

if you start with sub sonic ammo and are willing to compensate for the drop sure it will shoot like chuck attested to , you just have to get very good at ranging and reading the wind

but there is a difference between shooting game at these distances and shooting targets , game shouldn't be shot at long distances with a 22


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Chuck, That is a awesome firearm.


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

Sounds like fun Sourdough. Nice rifle to do it with too. 

This is the CZ .22lr I'd like to have someday.
CZ-USA -> CZ 455 FS


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

Cornhusker said:


> I wonder how long a barrel can be before it starts to shave off speed?


I think I remember reading somewhere that 16-17 inches was the best barrel length for best velocity in a .22lr. It's been a while since reading that so I may be off a bit but I do remember it being a fairly short barrel.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Murray in ME said:


> Sounds like fun Sourdough. Nice rifle to do it with too.
> 
> This is the CZ .22lr I'd like to have someday.
> CZ-USA -> CZ 455 FS



I have the CZ-452 FS in .22 Magnum, I love the rifle but loath the magazine. So I cut the magazine in half, so it fits flush.


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

Sourdough said:


> I have the CZ-452 FS in .22 Magnum, I love the rifle but loath the magazine. So I cut the magazine in half, so it fits flush.


Sounds like a good fix. I really like the full length Mannlicher style stocks.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

Murray in ME said:


> Sounds like a good fix. I really like the full length Mannlicher style stocks.


I like the Mannlicher forearm, but never cared for that Roman nosed comb line on the butt stock. Put the forearm on a classic butt and I'm happy. Or even a good dog knot schnabel forearm. Eh, give me one of each.


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## Malamute (Sep 15, 2011)

Shooting 22's at 300 yards is good fun. I plink at the 300 yard plate (18") with a scoped bolt 22. Years ago, we had a 36"h x 18"w plate at 300. I made 6 for 6 with a Smith K-22 on a good day. It wasn't exactly the first time I shot at it. Many thousands of various caliber rounds at that plate over several years.

Shooting distance, with anything, and especially a sixgun, makes closer stuff look pretty simple.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

I like 25-35 yards. It works for me.:thumb:


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Delete


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## KrisD (May 26, 2011)

Sorry I meant to post my own new post not hijack this one. My apologies!


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## Cornhusker (Mar 20, 2003)

KrisD said:


> I am not a normal gun user. I'm a very petite woman who is normal alone with young son ( my husband I'd deployed). We are having a coyote problem that I need to take care of. Please do not give me tons of confusing information just what would you recommend or a first gun for me that will take care of this problem and isn't super expensive. The last time I fired a gun I was a teenager, I do have a place for target practice though.
> 
> My mom has a 25 caliber Berretta that I can borrow but I would like something of my own.
> 
> Thank you!


Go ahead and start a new thread on it, you'll get tons of recommendations.
Personally I wouldn't use a .25 for coyotes, especially if you aren't used to shooting.
For coyotes I'd look at some kind of long gun
Get some training, learn to be safe and practice as much as possible.


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

You can hit stuff at long range, you just need to compensate. It might take a couple of shots. I knocked a crow off a telephone wire at over 200 years with a .22. I just had to put him in the bottom of he acope and have the verticle crosshair cut his image in half. 

Ohio Rusty ><>


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