Long range .22 lr ammunition

[dgeesaman]

I have been pounding on my CZ 457 22 since pandemic started--I have shot every 22 ammo made--What we have found is the SV stuff works best no matter what range--The Long Range types have shown no diff--that we can see--at anything past 50 yards Wind, breeze etc is the main thing that makes a great day of long range or just a plinking day--we don't even try with wind--it is just playing if there is any--One of the most interesting ammos we have tried in our bolt actions is the SK semi Auto--it shoots amazing and does really well at longer ranges--interesting that we have also observed that one hole ammo at 50 yards does not mean great at long range--does not make any sense but we have seen it time and time again that certain ammos shoot better at longer ranges even if they don't show out at 25 and 50
Generally the more you spend on 22 ammo the better it shoots and if you find a "magic" lot that amazes you BUY all you can get because the next case may not be that good

Yep. All of this.

I went to Lapua a couple summers ago and found a lot of Center-X that shot very well at 50y in my Anschutz 1907. But at 100y, a couple shots tracked off and fly to the right. I went with that lot because I had no reason to shoot that gun at 100y.

I have a Sako Quad that I plan to have tested and on that one the criteria will be 100y accuracy first, 50y accuracy second.

With Lapua, the match grades are made basically the same way but as they come off the line, each lot is tested in their factory standard test rifles. The best are labeled X-Act, very good are labeled Midas Plus, and good are Center-X. But some lots will just shoot poorly in your rifle no matter how expensive the ammo. Above all, certain lots shoot well in certain barrels. Everything else in terms of accuracy and quality control is secondary.

So if I’m choosing blindly, and it’s not my money, I’m grabbing X-Act. Likely a better gamble. But it’s an expensive gamble with poor payoff compared to lot testing in a tunnel. The chance of testing and finding a CenterX lot that shoots the same or better than the Midas Plus or XAct lots (if they even have XAct) is very good. In my situation, finding an excellent lot of CenterX allowed me to buy two cases instead of one case of Midas plus.

 

[dusterdave173]

Buy a CZ 457 spend $10 on trigger spring and you have it!
I have discovered the joys of 22 with my 457 AT One stocked 24 in barrel--with ammo it likes it shoots so good you can hardly believe it--12 oz trigger with a $10 spring replacement--smooth as silk bolt. I quit shooting paper once I proved it was capable --we shoot golf balls at 150 and beyond--have won more than a few bets $$ at the range with it.
On my first prairie dog hunt this year with my 223 I relied on skills developed and honed with my 22 at longer ranges--it was the" University of Shooting Skills"
I can honestly say that rifle is my all time favorite and I will NEVER sell it--it is the one that I can impress anybody with--it makes me look good. I can put a new rookie shooter on it and have them whacking golf balls at 150 in 5 minutes--like I did with my wife on her first range trip.
A great 22 is a hard unit to master--it all depends on the ammo--over 3 years I have learned --buy until you find ammo that shoots great--then buy ALL you can of that lot number--sell the lots that don't work out and keep moving forward--
You will find a case of cheaper Eley Target that will shoot as good as any--buy another lot and it just makes you sad--same with any of the ammos out there--but when you do find that magic Lot--and you lay back several cases of it --you will be one happy shooter.
Mine usually loves Center X, Eley Target, and always seems to do extra special with SK Semi Auto--Mine almost sucks with the flat nose $$$$$$ stuff and I have a case of Pistol Match that I would not take triple what I paid for it
A high quality 22 target rifle will teach you everything about marksmanship
Reloading for it? I would rather have a hospital visit than go down that hole--it just sounds stupid to me.

 

[boltman13]

I also have a CZ 457 Varmint with the 20" heavy barrel and a 40X Muller target scope. A Yo-Dave trigger spring got me to 14 oz. pull weight. With it's favorite ammunition, RWS R-50 it shoots one hole 50 yard groups, sub 1 MOA consistently at 100 yards, when I do my part, and once lightning struck and I shot the 5 shot group below.

 

[Zero333]

RWS-100
RWS-50
Eley Match
Eley Tenex
Lapua Center-x
Lapua X-act

In colder conditions, all the above don't preform as well as Eley Biathlon and Lapua Polar Biathlon.
I think I only once used 22 LR for 50 yards... rest of the time is always 100 to 300 meters.

RWS makes a Long range specific 22LR calle RWS R Long range. I've never tried it so can't comment on it's performance.

 

[JPB4BAMA]

RWS - base bleed design…?

Looks a little like a modified Minie?

 

[Conaso]

Found a photo of the new RWS Long Range. Look at the base - a cone inside the concave base. Maybe the cone allows 1165fps bullet to transit the transonic region better? Bet that is patented.

Now I understand the sectional drawing better.

 

[ronemus]

Higher BC is good, but supersonic is not the way to go - drag and wind drift are much lower when subsonic. It's particularly bad when the bullet is barely supersonic (<1500 fps) because the bullet will spend the vast majority of its flight in the trans-sonic regime. Far better to start subsonic; even though the flight time is longer, drift will be less and accuracy will be better without the trans-sonic upset.

 

[Conaso]

Being curious, I used JBM Ballistic Calculator to determine G1 BC. Hopefully I did it correctly.

Range	Velocity m/s	Velocity fps	G1 BC
0 m	355	1164.70
50 m	318	1043.31	0.143
100 m	294	964.57	0.146
150 m	279	915.35	0.121
200 m	266	872.70	0.162
250 m	253	830.05	0.162
300 m	239	784.12	0.156