What distance is your .22 LR zeroed at?

[PapaG]

Is that an Anschutz?

Just wonderin’...

Darn autocorrect. Savage-Anschutz 141 from the sixties.

 

[PapaG]

I had a Walther "Sport Modelle V with a tangent rear sight calibrated to 200 meters.

 

[Jessesky]

Auschwitz 141 with 6-18 BDC scope, 100. .

LOL! I think you may want to edit that to Anschutz

 

[d2wing]

25 yards, It is very close at 50 yards. I don't think it's very practical to shoot 100 yards with 22 LR when a Magnum or .17 is much better at that range. Of course many people think a 35 or 40 foot tree is 75 feet tall. Most 22 Lr. Rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough to zero for 50 yards. Target rifles and a good shot are another story.

 

[Random 8]

25 yards, It is very close at 50 yards. I don't think it's very practical to shoot 100 yards with 22 LR when a Magnum or .17 is much better at that range. Of course many people think a 35 or 40 foot tree is 75 feet tall. Most 22 Lr. Rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough to zero for 50 yards. Target rifles and a good shot are another story.

I have to partially disagree. I think most modern .22s with a load they like and a half decent scope are quite capable of hitting varmint sized targets to 50 yards. When you figure in the shooter, the percentage drops, but it is still significant. Lets use the head of a cottontail as a yardstick here. I'd say the majority of "good" shooters are capable of connecting on this shot at 50 yards with a decent sporting .22 and a good load proven accurate in the rifle with an improvised rest or solid field position. Yes, a 25 yard zero is "close" at 50, the amount of deviation depends on a few factors, but I prefer to add the fudge factor on closer ranges where the margin for error is greater, and be zeroed at the longer.

As for longer ranges, absolutely a .17 or .22 mag is the right tool. A .223 would be even better, but many, like me, only keep one rifle in the barn for pests. A coyote, opossum, raccoon or other chicken thief likely won't hang around for me to retrieve heavier artillery. I want my good old .22 to hit close to the sights out there. As for specific holdovers, doing some longer shooting at smallish targets will quickly give one a feel for it. Holdover on a RF ram silhouette at 100 yards with a 50 zero and s.v. target ammo can be quickly dialed in with a little practice. Likewise for Hyper velocity and 100+ targets with a 100 yard zero. It does become more akin to long range HP rifle shooting in terms of wind once you get out there though.

 

[d2wing]

I have to partially disagree. I think most modern .22s with a load they like and a half decent scope are quite capable of hitting varmint sized targets to 50 yards. When you figure in the shooter, the percentage drops, but it is still significant. Lets use the head of a cottontail as a yardstick here. I'd say the majority of "good" shooters are capable of connecting on this shot at 50 yards with a decent sporting .22 and a good load proven accurate in the rifle with an improvised rest or solid field position. Yes, a 25 yard zero is "close" at 50, the amount of deviation depends on a few factors, but I prefer to add the fudge factor on closer ranges where the margin for error is greater, and be zeroed at the longer.

As for longer ranges, absolutely a .17 or .22 mag is the right tool. A .223 would be even better, but many, like me, only keep one rifle in the barn for pests. A coyote, opossum, raccoon or other chicken thief likely won't hang around for me to retrieve heavier artillery. I want my good old .22 to hit close to the sights out there. As for specific holdovers, doing some longer shooting at smallish targets will quickly give one a feel for it. Holdover on a RF ram silhouette at 100 yards with a 50 zero and s.v. target ammo can be quickly dialed in with a little practice. Likewise for Hyper velocity and 100+ targets with a 100 yard zero. It does become more akin to long range HP rifle shooting in terms of wind once you get out there though.

My guess is that you are an experienced shooter with decent rifles and know how to use them. Where we disagree is with the percent of average shooters and rifles that are that capable. My experience as an instructor, helping at the range and actual competition as well as groups posted on here tells me a lot of rifles are not real accurate and the average shooter is not very good. I was thinking a consistent 1 inch group from a field position. My opinion is that is realistic for you maybe. For sure with my 540XR. I think so maybe with my competition winning CZ 452. And I beat most people and rifles I shoot against usually by a good margin .Experienced shooters. I am not impressed by most shooters or their rifles. My guess is less than 25% of the typical guy out there that shoots and hunts can consistently shoot and inch or even two inches every shot supported or not with rifles like Marlins, Savages and Rugers. People can tell all the stories they want but I have seen too much to believe them. And most people are very poor at estimating distance as well. I try to educate people but it's not much use.

 

[Waterboy3313]

I'm not professionally trained, or have any real training. I wouldn't consider my ccw classes much of anything other than legal jargon to basically say you know the laws. My equipment is nowhere near high end competition level. But I try to shoot 2-3 times a month and I am not the guy at the range spraying lead. I go to try to get better. In my personal opinion I'm a decent shot at least with my pistols not a pro by any means. I take my son and he loves it. We go for fun.

 

[d2wing]

I'm not professionally trained, or have any real training. I wouldn't consider my ccw classes much of anything other than legal jargon to basically say you know the laws. My equipment is nowhere near high end competition level. But I try to shoot 2-3 times a month and I am not the guy at the range spraying lead. I go to try to get better. In my personal opinion I'm a decent shot at least with my pistols not a pro by any means. I take my son and he loves it. We go for fun.

You are like most of us. I didn't even own a gun for ten years after I came back from Vietnam. I had training but I was too poor and busy working and raising kids for awhile until I got back into it.

 

[Skeptic13]

I think for general use 50 yards.

 

[LiveLife]

16" barrel AR with a CMMG 22 LR conversion

I realize my son's 22 is not a match grade rifle by any means and he shoots close distance.

My 29 year old son and I went shooting yesterday, about 5 hours. Fun day of AR plinking and point shooting training with pistols.

Son was using PSA 18" .223 Wylde upper and Magpul BUIS zeroed at 25 yards with CMMG 22LR conversion and Federal 36 gr CPHP/Winchester 40 gr M22 CPRN. I was shooting Ruger 10/22 #3 Collector with Bushnell Trophy 3-9x40mm zeroed at 25 yards and Armscor 36 gr CPHP.

Son shot all the targets we set at 25/50 yards that were smaller than half the size of soda cans and clay pigeons at 75 yards. I was hitting soda cans and 2 liter bottles set at 75 yards.

At 25 yards, 18" AR with CMMG was producing around quarter size groups and 10/22 dime size groups.

 

[joneb]

Mostly 50 yrds for 22 lr and 75-100 for 22 mag. and 125-150 yrds for the 22 Hornet.

 

[fpgt72]

25 yards, It is very close at 50 yards. I don't think it's very practical to shoot 100 yards with 22 LR when a Magnum or .17 is much better at that range. Of course many people think a 35 or 40 foot tree is 75 feet tall. Most 22 Lr. Rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough to zero for 50 yards. Target rifles and a good shot are another story.

I played my first small bore game with a Marlin 25n and a tasco 3x9....and off hand I hit 2 ram....that is roughly a hand sized target at 100 yards....our club sets up at yards....cause we 'merican.....some use that screwed up base 10 measuring system....go figure. Smoked every chicken at 25, Only 1 turkey, and 2 pig. Dat aint bad with a gun with a horrid....and I do mean HORRID trigger. I usually use a CZ452 I would not call that a "target rifle" and take the loose nut behind the trigger out of it and I can run the course on a day when I can read the wind.

I think you underestimate how accurate the lowly 22 is. Now if you are talking does it have enough "oomph" to dispatch this or that critter.....another matter. I would call myself a pretty good shot off a bench with a 22, and a 4 out of 10 off hand, but to take a shot at 100 on an animal with a 22....IMHO that is just stupid....even with "good" ammo I don't have the faith in it for a clean kill.

 

[Picher]

The big thing with a scope on a .22 is parallax. Most .22 scopes have the parallax set for 50 yards, but big game scopes are set at 100 yards. Unless you have an adjustable objective lens on the scope so you can set it for the distance you are shooting, you have to be very conscious of your cheek weld and head position on the gun. If you don't get your head in the same position on the gun you will see the cross hairs move on the target.

I set my scopes on .22LRs and other rifles so the image fills the tube perfectly, so if it's not centered, I notice it quickly, preventing parallax-related misses. Sighted-in for 50 yards for the outdoor season, then 50 feet for indoor offhand practice.

 

[Offfhand]

The I had this Remington .22 fitted with dangerous game style express sights for 25 and 50 yards because you never know when you might be charged by a rampaging squirrel...

 

[d2wing]

Many years ago I needed to cut down an adult Elm tree roughly 12 yards from the street. I had the cops block the street because I though surely It would block a lane or two when it fell. The top of the tree barely made it into the street, a few feet is all. Those squirrels are much closer you may think.

 

[Varminterror]

Most 22 Lr. Rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough to zero for 50 yards.

I think the “Prove It” thread last year would discredit this sentiment.

 

[xphunter]

25 yards, It is very close at 50 yards. I don't think it's very practical to shoot 100 yards with 22 LR when a Magnum or .17 is much better at that range. Of course many people think a 35 or 40 foot tree is 75 feet tall. Most 22 Lr. Rifles and shooters aren't accurate enough to zero for 50 yards. Target rifles and a good shot are another story.

It is just drop and drift.
No sense in limiting what others have done and continue to do.
100 yards is not a big deal, and neither is 200 yards, or even further, when the conditions are good.
This is even from a clone Charger..No buttstock to get in your way

 

[Legionnaire]

50 yards for the .22LRs. 100 yards for the .22WMR.

 

[Varminterror]

This is even from a clone Charger..No buttstock to get in your way

Yessir! That’s one of the best parts about 22LR’s, very, very little penalty in performance or range capability by dropping to a specialty pistol. I wish I would take the time to change optics, but I have a Nikon 6-18x riflescope on top of a Charger, and my backyard range is 325yrds, so we make use of every inch of it. Might stick one of the new Bushnell Match Pro 6-24’s on top this spring.

 

[d2wing]

I think the “Prove It” thread last year would discredit this sentiment.

I don't. I don't think that is a representative sample. I am certain that many shooters are capable of far greater range that that as many have posted. And that thread proves many common rifles can't shoot accurately at a range at a measured distance from a bench or rest.

 

[d2wing]

It is just drop and drift.
No sense in limiting what others have done and continue to do.
100 yards is not a big deal, and neither is 200 yards, or even further, when the conditions are good.
This is even from a clone Charger..No buttstock to get in your way

I said good shots are an exception. I probably should not have said Target rifles.

 

[Varminterror]

I don't think that is a representative sample.

I suppose that’s a fair observation, although I didn’t really consider the Prove It thread as a test of shooters as much of a test of rifles. Firing supported, after all. But it’s probably fair to say the voluntary participants in this forum, and further the subset of voluntary participants in that contest (if that’s what it was?) may not represent a valid representative distribution of “the average shooter”.

But...

There were plenty of 50 yard groups in that thread which demonstrated sufficiently small groups to satisfactorily define center for zeroing the rifle though, even by low cost rifles. The Savage I shot in the thread, for example, was only a $500 rifle, and there were a couple $450 CZ’s which shot exceptionally well. I think it was @someguy2800 who shot even a scoped pistol which was clearly accurate enough to warrant a 50 yard zero.

I suppose, technically, my Charger pictured here is “zeroed” at 325 yards, since I dialed to hold on target. Walking my shots into the 8” plate, I could tell when most shots were on the plate, but some falling below the plate, then the next click, all shots were on the plate, as were the next click, but the 3rd click up meant shots started slipping off of the top. In other words, the pistol shoots about 7” at 325 yards with Remington Golden Bullet crap ammo, but I could still sufficiently zero to be within +/-1/2 click at that range. So I KNOW all of my personal 22LR rifles can easily be zeroed at 50 yards, and I also know with a large enough volume of fire, I can zero that Charger at 325 yards too.

 

[someguy2800]

I suppose that’s a fair observation, although I didn’t really consider the Prove It thread as a test of shooters as much of a test of rifles. Firing supported, after all. But it’s probably fair to say the voluntary participants in this forum, and further the subset of voluntary participants in that contest (if that’s what it was?) may not represent a valid representative distribution of “the average shooter”.

But...

There were plenty of 50 yard groups in that thread which demonstrated sufficiently small groups to satisfactorily define center for zeroing the rifle though, even by low cost rifles. The Savage I shot in the thread, for example, was only a $500 rifle, and there were a couple $450 CZ’s which shot exceptionally well. I think it was @someguy2800 who shot even a scoped pistol which was clearly accurate enough to warrant a 50 yard zero.

I suppose, technically, my Charger pictured here is “zeroed” at 325 yards, since I dialed to hold on target. Walking my shots into the 8” plate, I could tell when most shots were on the plate, but some falling below the plate, then the next click, all shots were on the plate, as were the next click, but the 3rd click up meant shots started slipping off of the top. In other words, the pistol shoots about 7” at 325 yards with Remington Golden Bullet crap ammo, but I could still sufficiently zero to be within +/-1/2 click at that range. So I KNOW all of my personal 22LR rifles can easily be zeroed at 50 yards, and I also know with a large enough volume of fire, I can zero that Charger at 325 yards too.

This was my target from that contest at 100 yards. This pistol is easily accurate enough to squirrel hunt at 50 yards and that is where the scope is zero'd along with my other 22's. If I had a 22 that was so inaccurate as to not warrant a 50 yard zero I would get rid of it.

 

[someguy2800]

And here is my lowly marlin model 60 with aperture sights, also at 100. My eyesight is so bad I can hardly see the target at that range

 

[someguy2800]

In any case I think 50 is a pretty good zero for practical uses of a 22. Depending on your sight height a 22 zero'd at 50 will be very close to on at 25 yards, and require just a couple inches hold over at 75.