stagpanther
New member
22lr is a bit of a cult--used to be more shooters here on this forum that discussed it but that group has seemingly dwindled (partially due to stiff resistance to creating a separate rimfire subforum IMO ). I guess most serious rimfire addicts eventually end up on rimfire central.
So, I'm going to venture out and propose some personal observations that are based on nothing more than personal shooting experience and info gleaned from on-line forums. I don't claim anything is a commandment handed down from Moses.
1. Barrel length--I have 3 different barrel lengths from 16" to 28". Top velocity is attained at 16" +/-; so most commercial accuracy barrels and rifles are sold in 20" and less length. I personally have never had any shorter barrels equal the consistency and accuracy at any distance equal that of my 28" tube. I've read about the physics of this on some forums--including thoughts by professional ballistics experts--and there seems to be two schools of thought; the first being that increased length does nothing but slow the bullet down, and a second thought that the increased travel down the barrel "smooths out" the stability of the projectile prior to muzzle exit. My personal experience coincides with the latter, though I can't say for sure why. I've also read anecdotal evidence on the 22lr forums that participants and winners at 22lr comps are rarely, if ever, observed to have used short barrel rifles.
2. Supersonic vs subsonic ammo--I've experimented quite a bit with this, using both factory ammo and my handloads. I've also used projectiles that have better center of gravity and BCs than traditional 22lr round-nose/hollow-points. There are two camps on this subject as well--those that maintain that supersonics are superior--especially at longer distances--than subsonics, and those that say subsonics are the most accurate. I personally have never been able to match the accuracy/consistency of the best factor match grade ammo with any supersonics, including handloads of high BC bullets. There's a caveat--supersonics are a bit more "environmentally resistant" when it comes to the presence of any kind of wind and also ease of trajectory adjustment when going long. Still, in absolute calm conditions, I've never been able to match accuracy with supersonics with subsonics consistently. I suspect the sole exception to this might be where the distance is far enough that the subsonics simply would be falling out of the sky before the supers.
So, I'm going to venture out and propose some personal observations that are based on nothing more than personal shooting experience and info gleaned from on-line forums. I don't claim anything is a commandment handed down from Moses.
1. Barrel length--I have 3 different barrel lengths from 16" to 28". Top velocity is attained at 16" +/-; so most commercial accuracy barrels and rifles are sold in 20" and less length. I personally have never had any shorter barrels equal the consistency and accuracy at any distance equal that of my 28" tube. I've read about the physics of this on some forums--including thoughts by professional ballistics experts--and there seems to be two schools of thought; the first being that increased length does nothing but slow the bullet down, and a second thought that the increased travel down the barrel "smooths out" the stability of the projectile prior to muzzle exit. My personal experience coincides with the latter, though I can't say for sure why. I've also read anecdotal evidence on the 22lr forums that participants and winners at 22lr comps are rarely, if ever, observed to have used short barrel rifles.
2. Supersonic vs subsonic ammo--I've experimented quite a bit with this, using both factory ammo and my handloads. I've also used projectiles that have better center of gravity and BCs than traditional 22lr round-nose/hollow-points. There are two camps on this subject as well--those that maintain that supersonics are superior--especially at longer distances--than subsonics, and those that say subsonics are the most accurate. I personally have never been able to match the accuracy/consistency of the best factor match grade ammo with any supersonics, including handloads of high BC bullets. There's a caveat--supersonics are a bit more "environmentally resistant" when it comes to the presence of any kind of wind and also ease of trajectory adjustment when going long. Still, in absolute calm conditions, I've never been able to match accuracy with supersonics with subsonics consistently. I suspect the sole exception to this might be where the distance is far enough that the subsonics simply would be falling out of the sky before the supers.