22LR Range?
- Thread starter syonyc
- Start date
Pathfinder45
New member
It would be lethal at 500 yards and beyond if you could place the shot on target.
A search on energy needed to kill different critters yields estimates in the 3 to 4.5 ft-lbs range. My ballistics software refuses to go beyond 2000 yards, at which range the calculated energy is 7.5 ft-lbs for a B.C of .138 and muzzle velocity of 1200 fps. Energy is not your limiting factor.
Isaiah said:
Provided, of course, you can reliably hit a 1 inch vital zone with your rifle and ammo combination. My Ruger 77/22 and CCI MiniMags yield 2 inch groups at 100 yards from sandbags. I'll pass.
Armed_Chicagoan
New member
At 100 yards most .22LR has gone from supersonic to subsonic, and that shock wave passing the bullet causes it to veer slightly off course and diminishes accuracy. That's why match ammo is subsonic.
For years one of our favorite games over at our cabin is rim fires with iron/or peep sites at a 9" gong or 1lb empty propane cans at 300 yards.
Squirrels are smaller but non-existent over there.
Yes… hits are consistent once you're dialed in [although the godson's are more consistent…damned young eyes]. Chipmunks are abundant but you'd never see them at that range…. and too cute anyway.
My old 1890 .22WRF actually leaves a fair dimple in the steel gong and the propane cans are pretty "swiss cheesed" after an afternoon of LR or WRF, so I imagine a squirrel would be pretty punctured if there were any there…. and they held still.
My hornet [scoped] leaves a significant dimple and a 1 1/2" to 2" group at that range but that is wider than "minute of chipmunk".
Mike
Squirrels are smaller but non-existent over there.
Yes… hits are consistent once you're dialed in [although the godson's are more consistent…damned young eyes]. Chipmunks are abundant but you'd never see them at that range…. and too cute anyway.
My old 1890 .22WRF actually leaves a fair dimple in the steel gong and the propane cans are pretty "swiss cheesed" after an afternoon of LR or WRF, so I imagine a squirrel would be pretty punctured if there were any there…. and they held still.
My hornet [scoped] leaves a significant dimple and a 1 1/2" to 2" group at that range but that is wider than "minute of chipmunk".
Mike
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22-rimfire
New member
With most 22 rifles, you're lucky to be able to shoot 2" groups at 100 yds. 1" groups are quite good. Obviously the rifle ammo combination makes a huge difference. My rule of thumb is 100 yds max, but preferrably 75 yds or less for something like a rabbit and they are pretty easy to kill unlike a squirrel.
If you can see them at 100 yds and you can hit a 1" circle with the 22, then you can kill a squirrel at that range. My thought is that you are just as likely to just wound them with bad hits as kill them cleanly.
If you can see them at 100 yds and you can hit a 1" circle with the 22, then you can kill a squirrel at that range. My thought is that you are just as likely to just wound them with bad hits as kill them cleanly.
22-rimfire
New member
That's pretty good shooting with a 22LR. My experience has been that you mostly wound them and they die slowly in their borrows unless you make a head shot with 22LR. That said, I suspect that a chest shot would be deadly; you just are less likely to recover the animal.
The Winchester 190 was a great little 22 auto. You don't see them much any more.
22-rimfire, that was 35 years ago when I had better eyes and a steadier hand.
My childhood home had a front porch that was right at 200yds away from a ground hog hole in one of our hay fields, I would sit there and wait for the critters to come out and get away from the hole. I would make a noise to get them to stand up and I would hit them between the eyes. I do not recall ever wounding one and it going back in. A 200yrd shot with CCI Stinger required me to aim about 4-6" high
I agree in not wounding animals, their death should be fast and painless. Of course as a 12 year old kid back then it was about killing groundhogs and collecting the $1 a hog bounty my dad put on them. I cant remember how many cattle and horses we had that were injured stepping into groundhog holes, not to mention when you hit a hole with the tractor it would almost throw you off and under the rear tires. They were a nuisance.
My childhood home had a front porch that was right at 200yds away from a ground hog hole in one of our hay fields, I would sit there and wait for the critters to come out and get away from the hole. I would make a noise to get them to stand up and I would hit them between the eyes. I do not recall ever wounding one and it going back in. A 200yrd shot with CCI Stinger required me to aim about 4-6" high
I agree in not wounding animals, their death should be fast and painless. Of course as a 12 year old kid back then it was about killing groundhogs and collecting the $1 a hog bounty my dad put on them. I cant remember how many cattle and horses we had that were injured stepping into groundhog holes, not to mention when you hit a hole with the tractor it would almost throw you off and under the rear tires. They were a nuisance.
"...would be lethal at 500 yards..." Out to roughly 1.5 MILES.
100 yards with head shots on a tree rat. A tree rat's head isn't very big to start with so your rifle better be up to it. If you haven't tried a box of as many brands of ammo as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best(and cycles the action for a semi) you need to do that.
Ballistics software was written by people who rarely know anything about firearms.
"...Winchester 190 was a great little 22 auto..." Yep. Made with nothing but adult size stocks too.
100 yards with head shots on a tree rat. A tree rat's head isn't very big to start with so your rifle better be up to it. If you haven't tried a box of as many brands of ammo as you can to find the ammo your rifle shoots best(and cycles the action for a semi) you need to do that.
Ballistics software was written by people who rarely know anything about firearms.
"...Winchester 190 was a great little 22 auto..." Yep. Made with nothing but adult size stocks too.