Effective range of a .22
- Thread starter kisamore
- Start date
Marquezj16
New member
Welcome to TFL!
Only way to find out it's max range is to shoot the longer distance.
And if you are shooting 1/2" groups at 110 yards, you're doing some real nice shooting.
Only way to find out it's max range is to shoot the longer distance.
And if you are shooting 1/2" groups at 110 yards, you're doing some real nice shooting.
chadstrickland
New member
A cheap form of target practice is to go get a bag of cheap styrofoam cups and go to the river..fill them full of water and set the up along one bank then ride to the other side and shoot them.
Make sure its a good open stretch so you can watch for traffic. We got 270 yards. Lol its like shooting a mile with a 308. Really hard but extremely fun. Some of my friends managed to squeeze 430 but said his scope ran out of adjustment. And wind made it nearly impossible to hit the cups. Unless you just got lucky.
We had 32power scopes, the cups where pretty easy to see. Just not to hit lol.
Make sure its a good open stretch so you can watch for traffic. We got 270 yards. Lol its like shooting a mile with a 308. Really hard but extremely fun. Some of my friends managed to squeeze 430 but said his scope ran out of adjustment. And wind made it nearly impossible to hit the cups. Unless you just got lucky.
We had 32power scopes, the cups where pretty easy to see. Just not to hit lol.
aarondhgraham
New member
I'm with scotchman,,,
200 Yards is about the maximum effective range for a .22 LR cartridge.
I've seen people make hits at longer distances than 200,,,
But they are rare and almost accidental.
Here is a ballistics chart for an average .22 LR cartridge,,,
Cartridge (Wb@MV) = (40 HP at 1,255 fps)
100 yds. = -3"
200 yds. = -40.9"
As you can see the drop at 200 yards is getting fairly severe,,,
It's fun to try and lob a hit in at longer distances,,,
But very difficult to get and consistency.
Aarond
.
200 Yards is about the maximum effective range for a .22 LR cartridge.
I've seen people make hits at longer distances than 200,,,
But they are rare and almost accidental.
Here is a ballistics chart for an average .22 LR cartridge,,,
Cartridge (Wb@MV) = (40 HP at 1,255 fps)
100 yds. = -3"
200 yds. = -40.9"
As you can see the drop at 200 yards is getting fairly severe,,,
It's fun to try and lob a hit in at longer distances,,,
But very difficult to get and consistency.
Aarond
.
Technically, quite a ways 
I've used a Calico M-100 to pop rotten pumpkins at 700-800 yards...
but that was by walking the shots in...and about a 45-degree hold
With the 100-rds per mag, its doable...and fun...just an exercise in hi capacity goodness!
But that kinda thing is only feasable if you've got a farm and an afternoon to waste...LOL
I wouldn't even bother trying to do that with a bolt-action...
I've used a Calico M-100 to pop rotten pumpkins at 700-800 yards...
but that was by walking the shots in...and about a 45-degree hold
With the 100-rds per mag, its doable...and fun...just an exercise in hi capacity goodness!
But that kinda thing is only feasable if you've got a farm and an afternoon to waste...LOL
I wouldn't even bother trying to do that with a bolt-action...
I'm sure anything over 200 yards would be pretty hard. I've got a Remington 597 with the $33 red dot from walmart, and it shoots around an inch or so at 100 yards. When I was a kid I remember my dad was trying to shoot a clay at 100 yards with a Norinco and couldn't do it. By nothing but luck, I hit it.
I'm really trying to get into .22lr target shooting with revolvers and rifles. My next outing, I'm sighting my rifle in for 100 yards. Once I'm comfortable with that I'm going to the 200 yard range. With the revolver, the gun is tack driver but hits 2 feet high or so at 25 yards. I'm trying 40 yards next time.
I'm really trying to get into .22lr target shooting with revolvers and rifles. My next outing, I'm sighting my rifle in for 100 yards. Once I'm comfortable with that I'm going to the 200 yard range. With the revolver, the gun is tack driver but hits 2 feet high or so at 25 yards. I'm trying 40 yards next time.
I've got a Savage MKII FV-SR with a Simmons 22mag scope that I've only had to the range once. Using Federal bulk HP's I had no problem making 1" groups at 100yds off a front-rest. With a full rest and match ammo, I don't think I'd have any issue with 1/2" groups or tighter at that distance.
It really sucked having to reload every 5 rds though. I just bought a couple 10rd mags from CDNN on sale, so my next trip should be a bit more productive.
It really sucked having to reload every 5 rds though. I just bought a couple 10rd mags from CDNN on sale, so my next trip should be a bit more productive.
Jim Watson
New member
A hundred yard NRA Smallbore target has a one inch X ring, a two inch ten ring.
Half an inch at 110 yards? That is Anschutz + Tenex country.
Go win some matches.
Half an inch at 110 yards? That is Anschutz + Tenex country.
Go win some matches.
kilimanjaro
New member
The definition of effective range is that range at which a trained shooter has a 50% probability of a hit, in the military that's on a torso-sized target.
For a .22 LR, it isn't far, maybe 150 yards. I once hit a beer can at 204 yards with a Ruger Single Six, one round, but for me, perhaps 100 yards is a fair statement for effective range with a .22 LR in a rifle.
For a .22 LR, it isn't far, maybe 150 yards. I once hit a beer can at 204 yards with a Ruger Single Six, one round, but for me, perhaps 100 yards is a fair statement for effective range with a .22 LR in a rifle.
I've shot out the larger clay pigeons at 200 yds with my 10/22 AND my AR-22 using subsonic ammo.
Personally I wouldn't take shots out further than 200yds with a .22lr. You start talking about some serious adjustments on the scope and wind becomes a MAJOR factor. Effective range for me then is maxed out at 200yds.
Of course the warning on the boxes says that the .22lr can travel up to 1.5 miles and STILL have enough energy to kill.
Personally I wouldn't take shots out further than 200yds with a .22lr. You start talking about some serious adjustments on the scope and wind becomes a MAJOR factor. Effective range for me then is maxed out at 200yds.
Of course the warning on the boxes says that the .22lr can travel up to 1.5 miles and STILL have enough energy to kill.
Effective range depends on the object or critter to be hit, killed, or destroyed.
As a hunting weapon, anything beyond 80 yards is difficult due to range determination/trajectory and wind.
As a plinking rifle, it depends on the target size and number of shots you want to use to hit it. I've hit objects beyond 230 yards, but had to aim about 3-4 feet high, depending on the round. I never tried adjusting my scope for that distance because it wasn't serious shooting, just trying to hit milk jugs or cans laying out there. Wind can be more difficult to compensate for than elevation at extreme ranges.
Being a rimfire benchrester, I haven't even shot my bench guns beyond 50 yards because we don't compete at longer ranges and don't want to waste $15/box ammo. At 50 yards, my rifles will shoot under 1/4" groups and one has shot two perfect 250x250s and a 249 at one three-target IR 50-50 Unlimited match last summer.
BTW: If that Savage is shooting 1/2" groups at 100 yards, you should try some benchrest matches with it. I've seen a lot of claimed 1/2 minute groups, but never with an inexpensive sporter like that one. It's either a 1 in a million rifle, or somebody isn't counting flyers.
As a hunting weapon, anything beyond 80 yards is difficult due to range determination/trajectory and wind.
As a plinking rifle, it depends on the target size and number of shots you want to use to hit it. I've hit objects beyond 230 yards, but had to aim about 3-4 feet high, depending on the round. I never tried adjusting my scope for that distance because it wasn't serious shooting, just trying to hit milk jugs or cans laying out there. Wind can be more difficult to compensate for than elevation at extreme ranges.
Being a rimfire benchrester, I haven't even shot my bench guns beyond 50 yards because we don't compete at longer ranges and don't want to waste $15/box ammo. At 50 yards, my rifles will shoot under 1/4" groups and one has shot two perfect 250x250s and a 249 at one three-target IR 50-50 Unlimited match last summer.
BTW: If that Savage is shooting 1/2" groups at 100 yards, you should try some benchrest matches with it. I've seen a lot of claimed 1/2 minute groups, but never with an inexpensive sporter like that one. It's either a 1 in a million rifle, or somebody isn't counting flyers.
L_Killkenny
New member
For target work the .22lr will stretch well beyond 200 yards and is the best way to learn long range shooting. 200 yards with a .22lr is akin to 600 with many centerfires. You'll need a good adjustable mildot scope (around 10x), a dope book, range finder and wind gauge just like the centerfire long range shooters use but it's worth it and much more affordable.
Hunting is a whole nother ball game and comletely dependant on the game you are hunting, you, your gun and your ammo.
LK
Hunting is a whole nother ball game and comletely dependant on the game you are hunting, you, your gun and your ammo.
LK
It's always the new guys that somehow claim to be shooting .5 inch groups with a 22. I think that after you start to really train yourself and also buy better equipment, accuracy goes down. (sarcasm)
I love seeing how new guys at the range find group size. They look at their 2" group, blame the 2 fliers on (fill in the blank), and then count the rest of the shots as their group. Then at the end of the day they find their smallest "group" and that's the moa their rifle shoots.
We have all been doing it wrong guys.
I love seeing how new guys at the range find group size. They look at their 2" group, blame the 2 fliers on (fill in the blank), and then count the rest of the shots as their group. Then at the end of the day they find their smallest "group" and that's the moa their rifle shoots.
We have all been doing it wrong guys.