Informal target distance?

[ontarget]

What distance would be considered optimal for back yard target shooting?
I have a few air rifles that I have never really wrung out yet to see what pellets they prefer.
I was shooting a Benjamin Trail NP .177
This evening and was getting great groups at 10 yards, but it went all to H###
At 20 yards.
So what distance would you fine folks recommend to tune it and the others in at?
Thanks.

 

[PistoleroWadcutterGANG]

5-15 yards for BB/ low power target shooters (older Crosman and Sheridan pistols) / 10-35 yards for springers / 10-50 yards for pre-charged but ultimately whatever you can fit into your home/ yard.

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I tend to stick to 10m for most of mine.

 

[Jim Watson]

Ten metres is good enough for the Olympics.

Field courses are lots longer but generally get specialty pellet rifles.

 

[.308 Norma]

So what distance would you fine folks recommend to tune it and the others in at?

Funny you should ask. Do you see the new tin can on top of the fence post to the left of the dead quaking aspen tree? I just replaced that tin can this afternoon because the old one had been perforated too many times with my Sheridan Blue Streak pellet rifle. The fence post is 20 long paces from our rear deck, and with 6 pumps in my Sheridan Blue Streak, I can hit that tin can with boring regularity.

 

[ontarget]

View attachment 1156879
Funny you should ask. Do you see the new tin can on top of the fence post to the left of the dead quaking aspen tree? I just replaced that tin can this afternoon because the old one had been perforated too many times with my Sheridan Blue Streak pellet rifle. The fence post is 20 long paces from our rear deck, and with 6 pumps in my Sheridan Blue Streak, I can hit that tin can with boring regularity.

Ok, but are you sure it's safe beyond your tin can???
Wow, what a view! I'm totally jealous right now.
All I can see is trees except for my range that I cut through the woods with years of shooting.
Living in the woods has some great perks, but the view isn't one of them.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I'm shooting 20yds with my Crossman 2240 CO2 pistol because mainly, that's where the bird feeder is. Constant battle keeping the squirrels and blackbirds at bay.
I couldn't hit anything with it at first but now I'm hitting what I shot at most of the time at that distance.
I got a blackbird and a chipmonk with it yesterday. So it can be done.
It's a challange, these inexpensive air guns do not have quality triggers or sights. They also have to get the barrel coated and you have to find the pellet that the gun likes the most. Big difference between the brands in accuracy.

 

[MutinousDoug]

I shoot my .177" pellet pistols at 10yds on paper and my Sheridan .20" Blue streak at 10-15-20 and 25 yds. (steel animal silhouettes).

 

[jmorris]

It depends on the air rifle but if it shoots small, I don’t stay close for very long.