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In praise of the .22

28 Jan 2015
@ 03:17 pm (GMT)

Joshua Mayfield

Good Day to All,
As one who does not have everyday access to a 500+ yard range I have begun shooting my .22 at 100 yards and beyond on the theory that some elements of shooting a .30 cal from 500 to 1000 yards may be reflected in shooting a .22 from 100 to 200.

So far, I've found 1) It's a lot of fun, 2) It is challenging and enjoyable to play a good crosswind this way and 3) even the .22 is teaching me some things about bullet performance. I was surprised to find that the same steel target that just rocks 60 degrees or so when hit at 30 yards with a .22 is completely rotated by a hit at 100. Lower speed, bullet holds together on impact, transmitted energy is greater.

Do any of you guys practice this way or in a similar fashion? If so I'd be interested in hearing some suggestions on practice methods and ranges. I don't believe there's any subsitute for shooting a long range rifle at long range. But on those afternoons when I don't have time to get to a range I'm finding some benefit in shooting the old rimfire in the field behind the house.

Replies

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28 Jan 2015 @ 04:02 pm (GMT)	Quote this Ben Grady Re: In praise of the .22 Hi Josh Don't quote me on it but I am sure I read that shooting .22 @ 300m targets is similar to shooting a .308 @ 1000m. Should be a lot of fun and that's a bloody long way for a .22
29 Jan 2015 @ 01:48 am (GMT)	Quote this Martin Taylor Re: In praise of the .22 Not shore about comparing the 22 other cal's but l often sit with my sons and shoot subsonics. This was how l learnt, plinking rabbits. It has taught them hold over & under and the effects of wind etc, great cheap fun. I was going to buy a nicer rifle with a trigger that l could set up better but they cost more than a bloody good CF so haven’t bothered. Bit sad I guess but a good 22 rimfire is way overpriced.
29 Jan 2015 @ 02:21 am (GMT)	Quote this Thomas Kitchen Re: In praise of the .22 there guy that set up an annual long range 22 event here http://www.junglelane.co.nz/ i havent done it yet but look interesting. im in auckland which has bugger all access to decent centrefire ranges, i ended up joining an indoor 22 sporting rifle club, only a 25m range but cheap and any shooting is good shooting.
29 Jan 2015 @ 05:04 am (GMT)	Quote this Ben Law Re: In praise of the .22 its fun shooting the .22 long range! nice n cheap too.
29 Jan 2015 @ 05:06 am (GMT)	Quote this Ben Law Re: In praise of the .22 325yds, 12" square plate was my target.
29 Jan 2015 @ 12:09 pm (GMT)	Quote this Joshua Mayfield Re: In praise of the .22 Wow - 300+ yards! I am not there yet but as long as I can find the ammo I will keep pushing out further. Martin, you're right. Every time the notion of a rimfire upgrade crosses my mind I do some pricing and then just can't justify it. I handled an Anschutz model last year. Gorgeous little rifle, but $2,000??? I doubt I'll ever talk myself into that. In the US we have .22s available from virtually every gunmaker. Are they readily available in places like NZ and Australia? Are there some non-American brands of rimfires that are particularly popular in your parts of the world?
29 Jan 2015 @ 04:34 pm (GMT)	Quote this Martin Taylor Re: In praise of the .22 Yeah Joshua we have most brands available here in OZ & NZ (“all with the southern hemisphere mark-up”) something ok is up near $1000 and above that for a nice unit! I can set up a Good sub moa CF for less than that, Howa or Tikka amongst many others. I think something along the lines of a down loaded 223/204 would be a good choice for the kids then loaded up when needed. But for now they just keep plinking away with my first 22 , a 20 odd year old Chinese knock off of a Brno/CZ that we have bedded and modified the stock to suit little hands. They used my 243w with reduced loads to great effect but l traded it on my 9.3 build.
30 Jan 2015 @ 10:12 pm (GMT)	Quote this Shawn Bevins Re: In praise of the .22 We set up 6" water balloons at 250 yards and plink away with both my 22 bolt actions. I taught a newbie (11 years old) in less than a box of shells to hit the balloons fairly consistently. I switched over to a 17hmr and once he got dialed in, he went 10 for 10.
31 Jan 2015 @ 06:17 pm (GMT)	Quote this Rob Hughes-Games Re: In praise of the .22 If peopl want an accurate cheep .22 look for a norinco ns522. I have 2 an they both are one hole type guns at 50. I've been practicing a lot with mine and hunting small game. The gf for several confirmed kills at 120y on wallabies and I managed to head shoot one at over 200y. I've shot gongs out to 400 but I run out of dial up in the scope at 360
07 Feb 2015 @ 03:52 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: In praise of the .22 Hi Josh, sorry I have been behind and missed this thread. I totally agree, a great way to practice. One of the more typical accurate rifles in NZ has been the Anschutz (typical example being the 1451. But in NZ, high magazine capacity is utilized for possum work (fur trade) so the 10/22 and tricked up versions thereof are very popular. But we have a lot of brands here. The CZ / Brno rifles are loved for their accuracy and also having a similar feel to a centerfire which can be ideal for offhand practice. JW 15 knock offs are also very common. We get quite a few guys try their first bedding jobs on the cheaper 22's. Steph and I shoot a tricked up 10/22 (see rifle accuracy section of KB) while Riley is shooting a Toz 17 I tricked up for her a while back- cheap enough that it was no loss cutting down the stock. This will be passed on when she is too big for it. Riley is already shooting long (a bit past 100 yards with subs) and was wanting a dial capable scope for xmas but I don't want her to get right into the long range stuff just yet. I don't think that's the best way to start. Still, longer range shooting is great for encouraging enthusiasm towards math (even the basic trajectory stuff is great for math and physics). So I have a boot in each camp at the moment. Riley gets to learn imperial math by shooting long- they don't teach imperial at NZ schools anymore- well not as far as I know anyway. So we may end up with a cheap dial scope yet. Good thread Josh.
09 Feb 2015 @ 10:30 pm (GMT)	Quote this Bob Mavin Re: In praise of the .22 Hi Josh Goog topic mate. I use an old Brno with Winchester Sub-Sonics but since my old supply run out I can't get any hollow point to shoot as good. I find they need to be hollow point to deliver the good when head shooting. Cheers Bob
10 Feb 2015 @ 05:22 am (GMT)	Quote this Dale Wilhelm Re: In praise of the .22 I remember years ago shooting in a friendly competition that was a series of silhouette targets set at 25, 50, 75 and 100m (I think there were two at each for each shooter). The idea was you had ten shots and got points for each target knocked over in a set time. I had my trusty Mauser 201 bolt action and was up against guys with semi-autos. In theory on the speed shoot I should have been thrashed but it was the accuracy that kept me in the game. With a bit of practice and a reasonable .22 it is possible to consistently hit the target at 100m although now I use a 17HMR which has pushed my effective hunting range out to 200m which is much more suited to local conditions. It is amazing how many people underrate all the lighter calibres for longer (relative) range shooting. For me it is all about shot placement rather than bullet size. But perhaps this is more that I am a lightweight and get very knocked around by recoil on the bigger calibres. Cheers Dale
10 Feb 2015 @ 08:02 am (GMT)	Quote this Thomas Kitchen Re: In praise of the .22 just on the topic of 22lr i read an article in the australian guns mag saying that a high velocity round is effective by wind more the a sub sonic/ target round. something to do with if you shot both in a vacuum the high velocity would displace more air there for the air would have a greater effect on it, or something like that, but as centre fire rifle are supersonic its better to be faster so wind has less time to effect a bullet. bit over my head but sounds interesting
10 Feb 2015 @ 04:17 pm (GMT)	Quote this Joshua Mayfield Re: In praise of the .22 Nathan, am I correct in assuming you would advocate cutting a stock down to size for a child over having the child learn to shoot in a position they'll grow out of? Noah is 5 and very eager. He's shooting a few BBs at this point but it will be a bit before he graduates to a rimfire, I think. I've been wondering if one of the really small frame .22s would be a good investment. I appreciate all the input on this thread - you fellows have given me some good thoughts I had not come to yet on my own. Very interesting to hear about the prevalence and popularity of the Brno/CZ .22s. I've not handled one but am curious now. Growing up in the midwestern U.S. I saw more Marlin .22s than all others combined with the 10/22 coming in second. The bolt and semi-auto Marlins seemed to be tack drivers 90% of the time, but if they were bad they were really bad. My dad taught me to shoot with his 39A that was very accurate. I have a Henry right now that I enjoy very much. It may become Noah's one day. I also recently acquired a very old Winchester 67A that seems to be more accurate than I am in spite of its age. Dale, I take it you're a fan of the 17HMR? I've no experience with it myself. A couple interesting things about .22s that I've run across - in a couple of his books Hemingway talks about the .22 pistol he carried with him in Africa and how he would kill hyenas with it. The description might not have fallen within bounds of our current standards of ethical killing, but I bring it up because it is an instance of the .22 being used on a sizable animal with effect. I have no intent of deer hunting with a rimfire but I'd echo what Dale said, that it seems that perhaps we underestimate the light rounds and rimfires in a lot of ways. One more - in the last few days I ran across an account that some are no doubt already familiar with about a .22 being John Nosler's preferred method of off-season practice. Rather affirming of this little theory.
10 Feb 2015 @ 09:08 pm (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: In praise of the .22 Hi Joshua, yes, I suggest cutting the stock down- and making the trigger lighter. A 2lb trigger is quite heavy enough for a youngster. If you go with a standard trigger at 4 to 7lb, they may have to use two fingers- not ideal. If you do not cut down the stock and make the trigger light, you will basically set up bad habits from the get go (which is actually the norm). Yes, the Marlin is popular here too. My dad trained me on a Marlin, then I bought a Marlin Lever .22 magnum. Another one we have had here is the Stirling rifle- a cheap Phillipino rifle that is as you suggested regarding your Marlin accuracy experiences. Many of us in NZ have used the .22 to take a full range of game up to the size of cattle. This occurs because often, we are packing a .22 for fur trade (possums) and this is what we have on hand when we find a larger animal at the same time as having an empty freezer. There are many of us from all back grounds that use the .22 for obtaining possum fur- whether that be pocket money (usually assembling funds for more hunting kit) or fully commercially as Steph and I have done in the past to keep us afloat. But as for shooting medium game with a .22- we don't talk about it. We don't talk about it because we have all seen how things can go wrong. I have probably shot more big game with the .22 and subs or power point ammo than many hunters have shot big game using centerfire- and it can go wrong. So its a point not worth pursuing. I could mention though, one night I saw a ponga (tree) with a bunch of possums having a pow wow. Sol I thought I would creep in close with the light off (head torch) so they wouldn't spook and split. I crawled along the dead ground- oooh this is going to be easy money. Flicked my light on- and a boar was staring at me, hackles up, range 1 yard. Took 8 hurried head shots to drop him and keep him down. I am running out of time but there is something I really want to relay. Many years ago, a US gun writer wrote an article in praise of the .22 Magnum. But he had a gripe. He said that the .22 Magnum cartridge was quite a capable performer- but that the rifles were just not up to the task. But it stands to reason- the rifles suffer more harmonic vibrations than say a .22LR shooting subs, so are more prone to being innaccurate when housed on a silly single screw action design. This really fired me up and as soon as I could, I accurized a .22 Magnum. My goodness was this guy right- accurate and with quite a bit of reach. I am talking thumbnail groups at 100 yards without too much effort (and with the wind playing ball). I have done a couple more since then. The .22 Magnums can make for very rewarding (and cheap) projects. Does the .22 Magnum have more oomph for chance encounters on medium game? not really. In theory yes, in practice sometimes, in summary and with hind sight no.
10 Feb 2015 @ 09:10 pm (GMT)	Quote this Martin Taylor Re: In praise of the .22 My old Norinco 22lr has a very modified stock to suit little hands and arms, shortened by around 4-5cm, modified pistol grip, grip paint and a cheek riser fitted. My young sons heads align with the scope perfectly. I would rather teach them the correct hold and technique than to hold their head off the stock to align the scope like most of us would have done with our scoped 22’s! My oldest has already outgrown this rifle setup (but still shoots it well) and moved onto CF’s. Currently using a slightly shortened Tikka 308w. It was an easy transition for him because of his solid technique that he has developed on the little gun. This was why l was looking into another rimfire, full size and of good quality to train with as everyone has said.
28 Feb 2015 @ 03:16 am (GMT)	Quote this Joshua Mayfield Re: In praise of the .22 Alright, the question must be asked: What do you fellows in NZ get for a 'possum pelt?
28 Feb 2015 @ 09:06 am (GMT)	Quote this Mike Davis Re: In praise of the .22 my norinco Loves 42grn power points. years back I took 11 possums with 11 shots out of a haybarn with single shot with open sights. fur runs about $105NZ per kilo plucked(like a duck)
01 Mar 2015 @ 12:11 am (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: In praise of the .22
01 Mar 2015 @ 03:44 am (GMT)	Quote this Joshua Mayfield Re: In praise of the .22 God bless you for posting a pic. I was embarrassingly slow putting together the fact that you boys are not talking about the North American opossum, whose fur does not fetch enough to merit the bullet and the knife work. The world makes sense again.
01 Mar 2015 @ 07:57 am (GMT)	Quote this Thomas Kitchen Re: In praise of the .22 easy done Joshua we are on other side of the world after all we talking bout the australian brush tail that was introduced to nz years ago and is a major pest, but its where most kiwi's start the journey into hunting. they can be skinned or plucked as most people are plucking the fur the skin prices have gone up, last time i talked a buyer he was saying for a black colour skin off the larger breed of possum top price can be $25 a skin
02 Mar 2015 @ 06:18 am (GMT)	Quote this Dale Wilhelm Re: In praise of the .22 Skinning is hard work compared to plucking. Back when I was doing it we were only getting $50 a kilo. But if you get a good area with reasonable size possums it is possible to get that kilo off about 5 possums in winter. Just a tip most buyers don't want to shorter belly fur so if you include this your price will sometimes drop. On the .22 note it is amazing how much lead a possum can absorb an keep on climbing. I remember seeing some mates open up on a possum in a tree at about 25m. One was using Power point and the other I think was using Winchester super x. After six hits (plus a few shocking misses) they annoyed me so much I got out and finished it off with the only rifle I had with me. Needless to say 105gr of .243 more than did the job.
03 Mar 2015 @ 04:28 am (GMT)	Quote this Thomas Kitchen Re: In praise of the .22 a 243 should do it haha. i remember the amounts of pallets we used to pump into some with air rifles when i was young bit cringe worthy now. i did once try those aguila super 22lr rounds on possums. managed to head shoot a possum at bout 10m to say nasty is bit of an understatement there was two ears and a massive hole between them where a head use to be. i have some of those cci segment rounds to try.
04 Mar 2015 @ 03:19 am (GMT)	Quote this sllindsay Re: In praise of the .22 What is the plucked fur used for? It must be stuffed into something? sl
04 Mar 2015 @ 03:40 am (GMT)	Quote this Thomas Kitchen Re: In praise of the .22 its blended with wool normally merino to make very warm clothes its a hollow fibre so its tend to have a very high warmth to weight ratio. http://www.nznature.co.nz/category/possum-possum-wool stuff like this. it did for a while get up to $140nz a kg