2 weeks ago, I tried out my gussied up Marlin-Ballard with a Lyman 20X Super Target Spot scope at 300 yards. I found that, once I had learned about bullet drop (LOTS!!) that I could readily hit a 1/2-gallon juice carton (refilled with water). I used S-K Jagd while sighting in. After that, I fired 20 shots from the bench at the American Single Shot Rifle Association 200-yard target. I hit the paper 19 times and had a score of 300.

Has anyone else tried .22 rimfires at 300 yards (or meters)?

Most .22LR ammunition, if zeroed at 100 yards, will hit about 9 feet low at 300 yards. And very few supersonic loads will get to 70 yards before they become subsonic. A wobbling bullet can get by for 30 more yards without going too far off its original intended 100 yard path, but once you start to get to 200 yards accuracy becomes a real issue and 300 yards is pointless with supersonic .22LR ammo. Hitting the paper of the ASSRA 200 yard target 19 times out of 20 shots and scoring 300 means that at least 5 of those 19 shots were still outside the outermost ring, i.e. misses. So, at least 6 out of 20 shots were misses, maybe 7, right?

To get the best accuracy at 300 yards one should choose a load that starts subsonic. That's what the match shooters use. That way the bullet is not subjected to any transonic turbulence downrange. Federal's 711B load fires a 40gr solid bullet with a decent BC of 0.138 at 1080 fps and would probably give good downrange accuracy. However, the long time of flight means it will hit more than 10 feet low at 300 yards with a 100 yard zero. Alternatively, a 300 yard zero would have an apogee more than 4 feet above the line of sight and about 160 yards out. But the biggest downside of using a subsonic load is the issue of wind deflection. With that same Federal load, for example, a 3 mph crosswind will move the bullet 10 inches in 300 yards, a 7 mph crosswind will move it 2 feet, and a 10 mph crosswind will move it 3 feet. Imagine a range session on a day when the wind is blowing 3-7 mph with occasional gusts to 10 mph and periods of calm. Without careful and accurate shot to shot adjustments for the wind direction and speed the bullets will be spread all over the place.

Olympic events call for shooting the .22LR to 50 meters. NRA smallbore events are conducted at 50 and 100 yards. Going from 100 yards to 200 yards with a .22LR is a big move, as you found out. But going all the way to 300 yards with a .22LR is really asking too much of the cartridge.

Yep,

I shoot at a regulation-size pig silhouette or a 14 in. gong set at 250 meters or 300 yards. With decent standard velocity ammo like Wolf Match or SK Std. +, it's no big deal to keep all the shots on those targets until there's a slight wind change; then they become difficult to hit unless you read the wind correctly.

My 11 year-old granddaughter was hitting the target almost every time on a calm day; my 10 year-old grandson had a lot of shots just left and just right on a day with light variable wind. It does't take much of a change to move 3 MOA at that range.

It's said that shooting the .22 at 250-300 yd. is as challenging as shooting a .308 or similar at 1000 yds., so don't get discouraged if you have some problems staying on target.

Oh, it is better to shoot at a gong, because you can't see bullet holes through most spotting scopes at that range.

Clarence

Approximate sight changes for standard velocity ammo, at 1800 MSL and 90 F, from a 50 yd. zero:

100 yd.-6.6 MOA
150 yd.-15.3 MOA
200 yd.-25.0 MOA
250 yd.-35.5 MOA
300 yd.-45.7 MOA

You can see that you need a 20 MOA base or a target scope with the right bases to get you out that far.

Clarence

Food for thought, Clarence. Thank you. I have a high front base for the scope mount, easily installed. That will come soon.

In the 1930s, back when they had the Sea Girt matches, there was serious competition with .22 rimfire from the prone position at 300 yards. I have a 1922 Springfield with a Lyman 48 sight with a long slide. I shall try it.

Wasterman,

You need to put that high mount base on the rear...

I've shot a number of 200 yd. prone matches with the .22. It's not hard to get near perfect scores on the 200 yd. offhand target; the reduced 600 yd. target ups the challenge considerably.

Clarence

I am putting a S&B scope, with 56 MOA or 22Mils of drop, and 14MOA of wind on my 22lr.

I should be able to hit 300M with that.

Posted earlier today that have customized 40X on it's way and few of us in the area belong to private range that has 200yd. range and will use Unertl 16x for optics and then long slide Lyman 48 or Zelenak rear for iron sight set up.
Do shoot from bench/bag sometimes, but prefer the prone/sling/mat to help hone skills in wind reading for High Power. Shot High Power for lots of years, but most enjoyment for me is shooting that 22 at 200yds. Some folks ask at times if it is true we shoot 22's at 200yds. and when we say yes, answer is that they did not think a 22 would go that far???

We shoot 22s at 200 yards quite regularly, except from mid-December through Feb. Our range faces SSW and the sun is in our eyes during the afternoon. We shoot 22 at 200 both from the bench & offhand. Have been doing it since 2006. Have even done it with Shorts, but they are out of gas at 200.

I joined a second gun club with a 300 yard north-facing range, with very bad fishtail wind. The long slide on my 1922M2 Springfield will probably allow direct aiming.

My customized 40X showed up last evening, friend brought it over to me(original owner) and I mtd. the Unertl scope bases and scope. Barrel has been cut to I think 22" and that scope lacks about 3-4" from being at the muzzle. Not sure just way to go regarding "iron sights," can install the side base as used on previous center fire 40x's and use the Zelenak or Warner rear, but I have a Lyman 48 long slide that will work as well. Both Zelenak and Warner are large and bulky whereas the Lyman is not so much and looks more suited to the rifle.
When the barrel was turned down the muzzle is right at .800 and neither of my front sight barrel bands work as is. One too small and other larger than need be. Figure a single wrap of duct tape in that area will let me use the larger one. Certainly don't have to worry about recoil moving it once tightened and centered. Appreciate posting giving "come ups" for the various ranges, know them by heart on the center fires, and will paste them on range box until memorized. Some 50yrs.ago given a formula for wind adjustments at ranges out to 1000yds. and also given formula for the 22 out to I believe 300yds. Will say the center fire('06,308 family of calibers)works but have never applied to the 22. Will give it a try next time I am out to range. Soon as weather breaks good AND recover from kidney stone surgery(did it today, ouch!)will post results.
I am going back to bed, pop a pill, and drift off to sleep gazing at my 40X.