Trajectory of a 22 rimfire at 230 yards

[Topstrap]

I've had these pictures for awhile and thought it was cool we were able to get consistent hits on it at that distance and changing holds based on the wind flags.

I never paid any attention to it but it shows the angle the bullet is coming in at. We've all heard that shooting a 22 at farther distances is like lobbing rounds out of a mortar which those that have been doing it know isn't true.

Pretty cool to see it, never paid attention to the angle before but might surprise the non believers.

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[biggun2869]

I really want to talk to you, I

 

[ms6852]

I always shoot my 22lr rifles at 230 yards too. I shoot at clay targets and than am able to hit the fragments too. But I cheat I have a berm where I can see the impacts and can walk it in. It is very interesting to see the impacts in your target, almost looks like they were keyholing. Thanks for posting.

 

[RallyFan]

I always shoot my 22lr rifles at 230 yards too. I shoot at clay targets and than am able to hit the fragments too. But I cheat I have a berm where I can see the impacts and can walk it in. It is very interesting to see the impacts in your target, almost looks like they were keyholing. Thanks for posting.

I think the plate was shot edge on, so the projectile shows it’s edge profile (and the angle it hits at).

 

[Topstrap]

Guess I should have said we started just shooting a bunch of small plates on the 230 yard line. This one is heavy and instead of knocking it off it turned it sideways. We just shooting at it being turned sideways so those are hits as it skims down the side.

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[Rtheurer]

Does not surprise me much. Rifleman of America have been shooting at 200 yards with the Rimfire for decades. This is alot of fun as you guys have found out. Just think for a moment about the guys at Camp Perry shooting an old Model 37 with iron sights on the NRA A21 target ( still in production) from the prone position with just a sling for support Circa 1950's. The X ring is 2" and the Ten Ring is 4"

 

[Topstrap]

Yup, not sure why it faded away but long-range rimfire used to be popular.

I remember shooting at muskrats swimming across the pond around 300 yards away off our back porch when I was in grade school in the early 60's with a Remington 510 and open sights. I didn't know it wouldn't go that far. Didn't hit one but I scared the begibbers out of a lot of them.

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[ms6852]

I still don't understand why so many shooters claim that 22's are not accurate beyond 50 yards. Shooting 22's for me is a must for me to practice and maintain my skills as it is a skill that diminishes quickly. Whether I'm shooting handguns and rifles. One of the best ways to learn to read the wind is by shooting 22's at 100 yards or further. It also allows me to spend a lot of time at the range as it will not make a huge dent in my wallet.

 

[Dryfly24]

Yup, not sure why it faded away but long-range rimfire used to be popular.

I remember shooting at muskrats swimming across the pond around 300 yards away off our back porch when I was in grade school in the early 60's with a Remington 510 and open sights. I didn't know it wouldn't go that far. Didn't hit one but I scared the begibbers out of a lot of them.

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My friends and I used to do the same with coots in Brackish water marshes when I was a kid. Good times...

 

[Dryfly24]

I still don't understand why so many shooters claim that 22's are not accurate beyond 50 yards. Shooting 22's for me is a must for me to practice and maintain my skills as it is a skill that diminishes quickly. Whether I'm shooting handguns and rifles. One of the best ways to learn to read the wind is by shooting 22's at 100 yards or further. It also allows me to spend a lot of time at the range as it will not make a huge dent in my wallet.

Because they’ve never done it and are just parroting something they’ve heard from others who are equally clueless...

And I don't shoot my .22’s as practice for my other guns. I shoot them for the sake of shooting them because they are the most fun. The 22LR is my favorite cartridge by far, over and above any other. No centerfire even comes close.

 

[Knotwild]

This makes me curious. Strelock says if I am sighted in with a .22lr at 100 yards, I will have to come up 47". This is pretty close to right with my rifle and ammo and I can picture that arc. I regularly shoot at a 200 yd target and it is in front of a ditch. I can sometimes see water splash in the ditch when the wind blows me off the steel. And the ditch ends less than 50' from the target. That tells me the bullet is descending pretty fast. So, (I already searched the web a little, with no answer) does the bullet descend like a plane losing lift as power is decreased, or does it nose over?

 

[Mikey_P]

Does not surprise me much. Rifleman of America have been shooting at 200 yards with the Rimfire for decades. This is alot of fun as you guys have found out. Just think for a moment about the guys at Camp Perry shooting an old Model 37 with iron sights on the NRA A21 target ( still in production) from the prone position with just a sling for support Circa 1950's. The X ring is 2" and the Ten Ring is 4"

I'm fortunate to have a monthly 200 yd smallbore match held about a half hour from my house here in eastern PA. Shooting prone with a sling onto the A21 target mentioned above. Some pics below. Challenging!!!

Mike

47 shots (including sighters) @ 200 yds. Match is 40 shots for record in 30 mins. Scored as 385-12X


Backside of same target above

 

[chkunz]

This makes me curious. Strelock says if I am sighted in with a .22lr at 100 yards, I will have to come up 47". This is pretty close to right with my rifle and ammo and I can picture that arc. I regularly shoot at a 200 yd target and it is in front of a ditch. I can sometimes see water splash in the ditch when the wind blows me off the steel. And the ditch ends less than 50' from the target. That tells me the bullet is descending pretty fast. So, (I already searched the web a little, with no answer) does the bullet descend like a plane losing lift as power is decreased, or does it nose over?

Since it is spinning it will act like a gyro and not nose over.

 

[Topstrap]

What do you think the drop is at this distance?

Had two before we started camera, then these shots then Chris hit the next two. That made 8 for 10 then the wind changed and that was the end of the hits. Really no different than the new CF ELR rage out to 2 miles except we can't control the ammo.

Stretching the limits is fun but there has to be a certain expectation of accuracy at whatever distance you shoot. Target size based on expected group size if everything is done correctly and repeatable hits is fun to watch and try but sticking a target way out there and sending rounds at it till one finally hits is more luck but does give bragging rights.

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[Dryfly24]

 

[ms6852]

This makes me curious. Strelock says if I am sighted in with a .22lr at 100 yards, I will have to come up 47". This is pretty close to right with my rifle and ammo and I can picture that arc. I regularly shoot at a 200 yd target and it is in front of a ditch. I can sometimes see water splash in the ditch when the wind blows me off the steel. And the ditch ends less than 50' from the target. That tells me the bullet is descending pretty fast. So, (I already searched the web a little, with no answer) does the bullet descend like a plane losing lift as power is decreased, or does it nose over?

When I shoot my Remington 513T with the Redfield iron sights depending on the ammo I shoot I normally have to come up to 12 moa marker from 50 to 100 yards, and from 100 yards I need to adjust the sights to at least 40 to 42 moa to be on target. According to the chart some bullets will drop as much as 50" at 200.
https://www.mcarbo.com/22LR-Ballistics-Chart

 

[Topstrap]

On nearly all our rimfires with peep sights with a 50 yard zero adjustment for 100 yards is 6 moa or 24 clicks on a 1/4 moa sight. From 100 yards to 200 yards will be a setting of 18 more moa for a total of 24 moa or 72 additional clicks or 96 clicks total. On all our peep guns we count clicks up from zero and if a minor adjustment is needed for daily conditions we just carry on the difference to the next target.

Now the drop at those distances would be 12 inches at 100 yards and 48 inches at 200. I'm sure whatever adjustment you are using but it's working for you but it seems like it would be a lot of adjustment for those distances. Do you have markings on your sight correlating to needed drop?

Thank for sharing.

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[Thauglor]

In silhouette, I'm zeroed on chickens at 40 meters. 4.5 moa up are turkeys at 77m and then another 4 or 4.5 moa to rams at 100.

If I'm assuming that plate that holds the target is level, then the impact marks are not making that great of an angle, at least to me, but I guess it's relative what you are used to shooting.

 

[Treerat-sniper]

I was popping away at 200 & 225 yd steel plates on my backyard range with an old Marlin 880 with a 4x Bushnell this past weekend. It had been many years since I "went long" with the .22. It was fun and challenging, my biggest issue was hearing the strikes...barley audible.

 

[searcher]

Every time I used go to the range, I shot around 350 to 600 rounds out of my .22 pistols - mostly Ruger Mark 1 and 2 models, as well some true .22 target pistols. Used to do that three days a week for years. It got kind of boring so, as we all do, I started to stretch out just to see how far I could consistently hit something. I got hooked on it. After much practice, I found that with my old Ruger Mark 1 would easily hit an 18" diameter gong at 200 yards by raising the front target post exactly 1/2 the height of the post above the top of the rear sight blade, using inexpensive Federal "Auto Match" ammo. Not just once in a while - but like 9 out of ten no sweat. Then, I moved to the 300 yard gong. That required the front post a full post length above the rear sight blade - plus about 1/3 more. The hit ratio drops a lot but it still gets hit in a 5-shot string. I'd chide someone missing the gong with a rifle and I'd say "c'mon - I could probably do better than that with my .22 pistol". You know that brought many bets. After winning my "25c bets", the first thing people usually say is "I had no idea a .22 can do that". Those .22's really are amazing. I have a March 80X scope on my .22 bench rest rifle and it is cool to watch the bullet going downrange and the curves and rises and dips on the way to target. It is amazing.