Longest range you've taken game with a .22?!?

B

Blinkme7182

New member
First of all I want to start off by saying thanks to all that have helped me with my decision to get a .22. I ended up getting a Marlin 81TS bolt action repeater with a Bushnell 3-9X32 scope all for around $270 at a local store. Anyway, I was wondering whats the furthest distance any of you have taken any type of game out with a .22, and with what type of ammo? And while I'm at it---how loud would .22 long rifle *subsonic* ammo be when compared to .22 CB shorts? Thanks....
Marc
 
I haven't done this but a friend of mine who lives in Boise goes down to Owyhee County, and has killed ground squirrels at 800 yards, with his Ruger 10/22. It's been accurzied and has a heavy barrel. Also has a 20x scope on it. He does a great deal of shooting in practice.

Yeah, yeah, I know it sound's like bull-oney, but it's true. J.B.
 
Well... Up until I decided that I actually *wanted* to see the little buggers explode into a red mist, (After I ran the figures of just *what* they were costing me from damaged crops, damaged land, loss of pasture rental because of possible injury, and a few other `goodies'! [And the *average* figures over a 4 year period were *only?* $17,000!]), I was shooting Prairie Dogs AKA `Pasture Poodles' at a *measured* 185yds using a scoped, 4-12 X 32, beat up old Winchester bolt action .22. That was doing it *reliably*! I was doing it a bit less than that further on out. {FROWN!} 'Course I *did* always `take advantage' of `available support' whenever I could, too. Once it gets past about 55 - 65 yards I'm just too danged shaky for something that small with *that* small of a `boiler room'.


As for 800yds using a 40gr .22lr!? Yikes! Those things must be moving slow enough to run alongside and make mid-course corrections!? {GRIN!} And as for the energy??? I *do* know that .22s aren't anything to be `trifled with' but... I just can't see anything but a *PERFECTLY* placed shot doing much more than just `getting their attention' the way a pea sized spitwad would after going across a football field. I know that my `reliable' shots at 185yds usually required a follow up for the `coup-de-gras' quite often. That's why my `other' .22s are either .222 or .223 these days. (The .222 w/ 40gr Nosler B-Tips gives the little buggers `reversible fur coats'! {CHORTLE!} And the eagles, hawks, and coyottes don't have to hassle with the hide{s} for a quick snack.)
 
Hmmmm, 800 yards? I have made hits on prarie dogs up to 350 yards. There sure wasn't much daylight left in the bottom of the scope though. I can't do it on a regular basis especially if there is hardly any wind. What type of set-up does your friend have that he does not run out of elevation on his scope to make hits at 800 yards? As Halfpint says hits in the 150 to 200 yard range can be made on a fairly regular basis with the .22 long rifle.
 
Congratulations on your new piece- that's a nice set up! I've shotten a ground squirrel with my Single-6 at about 150 yards with a Federal LR HP before using The Force... heheh, more like pure luck! It didn't kill it right away, got it to the gut I think. I havn't killed anything further than that with a .22 before with one shot. Don't do much killing anyway, lots of hunting, but not much killing. Anyway, for your other question- the CB Shorts should be more quiet. I shoot them out of my Single-6 and it isn't loud enough to make your ears ring, so hearing protection is not neccessary. And out of a rifle, a pellet gun would be louder! Outro-
 
Understand that some in my family -or "almost family", like my half-brothers' half-brothers- are rednecks.

Taking deer out to 100 yards has been done numerous times, but not by me. One of these days, I'm going to "upgun" one of my brothers to something REALLY powerful- like a .22 Hornet! ;)
 
Well, not a rimfire, and not standard, but...

My brother the varminter called last week to tell me that one of his buddies was out shooting "woodchucks" at between 400 (shortest) and 750 yards (longest).

His axe of choice? A stock-barreled Savage with SharpShooter Trigger. The barrel was re-cut to shoot a .22-243 Ackley-Improved. One-hundred yard three-shot groups are just 0.1 inch all day long.

Rick
 
Personally, about 85 yards (Woodchuck). I would think 200-250 yards (accurate rifle, known distances) for smaller game on a consistent basis. The mid-range trajectory for an 800 yard zero is 44 feet, the projectile still has about 23 ft. lbs. of energy at that range.
 
Several factors in my comment: Trajectory, breezes/winds, energy. IMO, a .22 rimfire is best kept within 75 yards or so for clean kills on a reliable basis.

Shooting pests at longer distances, clean kills are a lower priority. I'm thinking more in terms of squirrels and rabbits for supper, when you know you could go to the Safeway. And survival is a whole 'nother deal.

For those with the knowledge of how a particular rifle shoots, and with an above-average skill level, you can add some yards...

FWIW, Art
 
Timing is Everything

Interesting you should ask this.

Yesterday I took a bull frog @ 75 years or so with my Suppressed AR-15 using the .22LR conversion kit and subsonic ammo. Of course it was topped off with a 12x scope and it took me 5 shots (scope is zeroed for .223s :D ). Frogs ain't too bright and just sit there when rounds impact areund them!

But that would have to classify as my longed game shot with a .22.
 
Marlin Model 39a and a 4 power scope 140 yards with a federal 38 gr hollowpoint bullet on a prarie dog.

Marlin Model 995 semi auto 105 yards (old wearver 1.5-4 variable) 2 prarie dogs with 2 shots in about 2 seconds, have never bested that one.

Them varmints is hard to hit. ;P
 
Yep, and you wonder why the frog didn't jump. If I were a 75 year old frog I wouldn't jump either. Hard to jump with a walking cane. Kind of sad sitting there on your lily pad for 75 years and whack!!!! lights out. I bet those legs were tough eating.
 
Actually, I was thinking that was a REALLY sub-sonic load .... 75 years to go X distance? That's like fps = a yard a year ....

All in fun. I dount spel two gud sumtimes neethr. ;)
 
HEY

Wa da ya espect from a Retarded Marine Gunnery Sergeant (not to mention the Guinness)? Gud speling or gud shooting? Of course y'all new I ment yerds.

:D

[Edited by Schmit on 06-03-2001 at 11:31 PM]
 
On the 800 yard .22LR shots at ground squirrels, I mentioned, I'll get the particulars from my friend. Ammo, brand of scope, etc etc. He uses a portable bench rest, adjustable Hoppe's tripod and sand bags, etc.

He does not hit every time he shoots, but he hits quite a bit. Don't forget, everyone, the warning on the .22 box, "Dangerous up to 1 1/2 miles" isn't there for cheets and grins.

J.B.
 
Quoth JB in SC;


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Personally, about 85 yards (Woodchuck). I would think 200-250 yards (accurate rifle, known distances) for smaller game on a consistent basis. The mid-range trajectory for an 800 yard zero is 44 feet, the projectile still has about 23 ft. lbs. of energy at that range.


=======================================================


Unquote;


Hmmmmmmmmm... Mid-range of 44'? I got a mid-range of 47.5'? And 23 ft.lbs.? My calcs gave me 17 ft. lbs.? Oh, well... I guess what we are *both* basically saying is that any way one looks at it, it's a `Hail Mary' situation and something that really `begs?' the question of *why anyone would even consider trying it in the first place*? *That* would have to be one heck of a wierd scope mount setup just to get it `within the ballpark' and I *don't* even want to begin to think about `windage'! {YIKES!}


I *know* I've taken some `questionable?' shots over the years but *none* *that* `questionable'! When I was going after those `pasture poodles', before I came to my senses and decided to go with something a bit more `potent', I had the scope cranked up *tight* against the `stops' and had it `shimmed' with a layer or so of pop can. Don't remember just how many clicks it took to bring it back down to a 50yd zero but, I think it was almost as bad the other way to get there. {WAN GRIN!} I suppose if I ever became `desperate' again I *might* `consider' doing it again. But... I'd have to be *very* `desperate'!!
 
I seriously doubt the 800 yards story.

I have a hard time hitting ground squirrels with my Rem 700 VS in .308 using 110 gr. V-Max and 125 gr TNT-HP traveling up towards 2900-3100 FPS at around 400-500 yards(my longest shot yet was 325 yards). Now a .22 out of a customized 10/22 at 800 yards? I am going to say false. A .22-250 might be believable, with luck. The wind would screw with a 40 grain bullet starting out of the barrel at 1200 FPS or less like crazy. Not to mention the elevation over would be astonishing. An 50 MOA angled base would be a must!

I think I have taken squirrels around 100-125 yards with my 10/22. Usually I shoot everything 100 or less (more like 50-75 yards or less) with the 10/22 and everything beyong with the Remington 700 VS in .308.
 
Heheh, up late I see.


El Rojo, hit me with an email when you've got time.

I need to do some serious reloading so we can get back out to the fields.



As for long range 22lr. shots, about the furthest I would push it was 100 yards. I used to go out to a spot where I had a perfect zero set up and I'd just sit down and pop the squirrels that were along a small bank of the hillside. Honestly though I felt kinda bad for the things cause the 22lr. rarely would stop them in their tracks unless you were able to score a head shot, they almost always crawled into their holes if you'd nailed them anywhere below the shoulders.


Now I use a 223Rem for most all distances because I like to put those things down fast and quick, plus the "pop" is more gratifying. I just miss the days where I could shoot the 22lr. for long periods of time without hearing protection, all the places I'd goto though had those special edumacated squirrels where they knew to stay the hell away from you and a 22lr. was stretching it.



RickD, we've got a couple folks around using hotrod cartridges like that for ground squirrel and little puffs of blue smoke come from the barrel cause the bullets are moving so fast. 22Cheetas using necked down 308/243Win brass with the same neck taper will allow for quite a lot of case capacity, I'm fairly certain these things are hotter than both a 22-250Ackley Imp as well as the 220Swift. 22-243 Ackley Imp sounds like it's very possibly one of the most wicked chamberings out there for varmint, I absolutely shudder to think what the barrel life must be like.


But I personally can't wait to get a 243Win upper for my AR10 so I can squirt 55-58grn varming bullets out of it's 24 inch barrel at 3800 or so feet per second. Should make for a nasty rifle out to 500 yards with those bullets and using 70grn bullets I'm hoping it can get out to 700.
 
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