Effective range of a .22

[kisamore]

I have a Savage arms mark II with a REALLY cheap scope. I'm using wolf target ammo and i'm shooting 1/2 inch groups at 110 yards. I was wondering what the max i can take it out to. Everything on the gun is factory parts.

[jimbob86]

While the equipment is a limiting factor, for practical purposes, the largest limiting facor is YOU.

How tight a group can you get without a bench to shoot off? Standing, sitting, prone?

[Marquezj16]

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.

[chadstrickland]

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.

[ScotchMan]

Wind starts to be a big factor. I've taken my MkII with cheap ammo to 150 yards; all the shots were on the target but was a pretty big group, 6-8" or so. I think 200 yards is probably the practical limit, bullet drop at that range is pretty significant.

[aarondhgraham]

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

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[wingman]

I have a Savage arms mark II with a REALLY cheap scope. I'm using wolf target ammo and i'm shooting 1/2 inch groups at 110 yards. I was wondering what the max i can take it out to. Everything on the gun is factory parts.

Wow a miracle rifle, I have problems getting that accuracy at 110 feet.

[Big Shrek]

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...

[pgdion]

200 Yards is about the maximum effective range for a .22 LR cartridge.

Then it's time to move up to the .22 magnum!

[WV_gunner]

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.

[SamNavy]

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.

[bpeezer]

I've seen videos on youtube of a guy hitting steel at 400 yards consistently with a Mark II. Of course you have to take that with a grain of salt, but it for sure looks pretty dang far away.

[Jim Watson]

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.

[kilimanjaro]

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.

[Hansam]

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.

[Colokeb]

I have posted about a 346 yard prarie dog shot with my Marlin 60, and two witnesss. My ammo is Walmart Federal.

Last week I did one at 290. A local FFL dealer was with me.

That said, after 200 the vagaries of ammo quality and wind add 8-10 inches of randomness.

[Scorch]

I can ring (well, more like ping) the 200 yds gong at my range every shot with my 77/22. If you know the range and the trajectory, you can hit 4" targets pretty consistently out to 300 yds, beyond that it really takes some skill.

[Picher]

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.

[L_Killkenny]

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

[timelinex]

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.

[aarondhgraham]

In recent weeks I've been shooting the heck out of my 24" CZ-452,,,
I've been making groups at 150 and 200 yards that really are actual groups.

Last session out I put 21 out of 25 rounds in a 10" paper plate at 200 yards,,,
This is off a bench with a plastic front rest.

If I tried this with any of my 18" or 20" rifles,,,
The hits would have been less than half of those fired.

Aarond

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[tahunua001]

I would be willing to say that maximum effective range is probably going to be about 250 yards which would have you hitting about 2-3 inches high at 100 yards. beyond 250 your hold over is going to be quite significant and you will barely retain the needed energy to kill a squirrel.

[velocette]

Jim Watson hit it right!
If the OP can shoot 1/2" groups at 100 yds with Wolf / SK ammo, he should enter some NRA smallbore matches & clean house. He'll be a high master after no more than 500 rds downrange.
Perhaps he should offer that magic Savage up for auction and make a LOT of money. The folks I shoot against in NRA smallbore competition are using Anschutz rifles that START at $3600.00, add their scopes / sights, the cost runs WAY over $5000.00 and they are shooting Eley Tenex @ $19.00 per box of 50. They are (VERY) happy to keep to the X ring of 1.2" diameter at 100 yds!
Of course, they are holding their rifles up without bags, stands, holders, bipods etc. Just a rifle, a sling, jacket and glove.
He can enter bench rest competition where the costs (in my club) are at least equal to the smallbore competition rifles and clean house there too.

Roger

[coWSMasher]

i am running a 10/22 with a shilen barrel and i can pretty consistently put them on a clay pigeon at 200 yards

[johnwilliamson062]

I imagine with a 22lr it really depends on wind. With some stingers and no wind you could probably stretch out to 300. The bullets are so light that any variance in wind is going to cause huge problems though.

I am trying to remember if I have ever shot a 22 at 100 yards even and i think not. I am sure my Marlin 891TS would shoot that range quite well, but I use it to practice fundamentals and to let kids shoot, so I don't know. Maybe I will give it a try now.

As far as shooting Coyotes at long ranges, I am sure it can. I am one who looks at shooting varmints like coyotes a whole lot different than shooting game animals, but I still would probably bump up to a 223 if shooting coyotes.

"Effective range" has nothing to do with shooter. I believe the military uses the point at which a hypersonic load goes to subsonic. I am under the impression the abnormal turbulence/drag involved at this point greatly reduces accuracy. Assuming I am correct in this belief, it may not really work here as some 22lr loads used are subsonic in the first place.