[Irish Bird Dog]

What do you guys figure would be the best site in distance ie dead on distance, for a scoped .22LR ie CZ452/LHB to use for small varmints etc? Distances from real close to 100yds +/-.

I know it's ammo dependent to some degree so assume we use Hi-Velocity 40gr solid bullets and then substitute H-Velocity 36gr HP bullets for the . Scope is a Sightron 3-9x40 w/o AO.

thanks IBD

 

[ribbonstone]

Use to sight in at 50 and just try my best to estimate range and hold over....but drop gets so drastic past 65 yards that estimating the range within 5 yards makes a difference.

Started sighting in at 75yards. Will be about 1 to 1.2" high at 50yards, and about 2 3/4" to 3" low at 100, but at least for the first 80 80 yards, aren't too bothered by hold over/range estimation (but the drop still requires real good range estimation past 80yards).

To tell the 100% truth, I'd rather not use a .22LR past 75yards... just not real impressed with the bullet performance past that distance. Can hit them way-way out there if you know the drop and know the exact yardage, but the results aren't real impressive.

 

[MikeG]

50 yards. It's hard to make yourself hold under at close range. Check holdover at other ranges. With a "duplex" reticle, there will be at least one range where it's "on" again, maybe more if it's a variable. As an example, my CZ 452 is dead on again at 100 yards, with the scope set on 5x, and using the thick/thin junction of the bottom crosshair as the aiming point.

 

[Spence]

I have had good luck sighting my .22LRs at 20 yards. With a bore-scope height of 1.5" and a 40 grain bullet traveling at 1260-1280 fps that will put you on at 59 yards. That means that your MRT, mid range trajectory will be only 0.5" at 40 yards, and your PBR, point blank range will be 66 yards. For me, having the bullet never diverge from the line of sight by more than 0.5" from 20 to 66 yards puts me in clover. I'm after squirrels and rabbits, not varmints, because I don't shoot it if I can't eat it, and that 1" kill zone is just right for head shots.

That sighting will put the bullet low by only about 4.5" at 100 yards, but I resist the temptation to take those shots, because the energy of the little LR bullet falls off pretty quickly. If it's big enough for me to hit it at 100 yards it may well need more energy than that to kill it cleanly. I think of the .22LR as a 75 yard bullet and don't usually push it much.

Spence

 

[broom_jm]

Spence,

That was perfect. The bonus of sighting in a .22LR the way you described is that kids can shoot at 50 feet (17 yards) and hit exactly where they are aiming, helping to create a very high confidence in their shooting ability.

You can also take it out in the woods and be almost laser-flat out to 60 yards or so, which as far as those little bullets are capable of making a clean kill on squirrels or rabbits. I think a lot of folks grow up shooting a .22 and have no idea of trajectory because of guns sighted in this way.

 

[slim 60]

i sight my cz452 special in at about 50 yrds..my choice of ammo is fed target in 325 box bought at wal mart..cheap an plenty accurate ..
id not hesitate a second,, on a head shot on anything coyote size an under with it out to 65 yrds or so....knowing you can do that will build your sons confidence..good luck.. slim

 

[Spence]

I think a lot of folks grow up shooting a .22 and have no idea of trajectory because of guns sighted in this way.

I suspect you are right. I was an avid reader of the outdoor magazines when I was a teen, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, mostly, and I suppose it was from them that I got my first understanding of trajectories. The rule of thumb I learned was that if you sight a .22 for 25 yards it will cross line of sight again at 75 yards. That's pretty close to what we understand, today.

Those magazines were the closest thing we had to the internet and a shooter's forum in those days, and you could get a pretty good education about hunting and fishing if you paid attention.

Spence

 

[Spence]

You can also take it out in the woods and be almost laser-flat out to 60 yards or so

The concept of point blank range is one of the most helpful things a hunter can make use of. Once you understand that it's possible to simply point and shoot without giving a thought to whether the bullet will be high or low at a particular distance, it allows quick, confident shooting in the hunting field, which is a good thing.

There's no better way to teach it to a new shooter, young or old, than with a .22. Cheap ammo, short ranges, low recoil and plainly visible results make for good lessons. In listening to a thousand discussions of trajectories over many years, though, I've come to suspect that many shooters have never worked their way through these ideas. Target shooters tend to be the most technically minded shooters, and would be the ones to figure it out, but they don't need it. Their targets aren't normally at varying and unknown distances. That is more usually the situation for hunters, but, as a group, we are less interested in the technical stuff, and I think not enough of us make good use of an understanding of point blank range.

Spence

 

[fcfirearms]

50 yards. That's about average. It works for me on squirrels at normal distances and groundhogs out to 100 yards.

 

[Irish Bird Dog]

Been reading along here fella and I appreciate your tips. I will see how I make out now that we finally have some warm weather to be out in. This is my first scoped .22LR 'cept for the ancient Weaver B4 3/4" tube of my very young youth that was on a Win M69A that now resides in my sons gun locker sans that ancient Weaver B4 scope that is on my shelf for posterity. All my other .22LR's are either open sights or receiver sights.

 

[Spence]

I will see how I make out now that we finally have some warm weather to be out in. This is my first scoped .22LR 'cept for the ancient Weaver B4 3/4" tube of my very young youth.....

I hear you. I've been waiting on the weather and it looks like tomorrow is going to be OK. I need to check the sighting of a Ruger 77/22LR which hasn't been shot for a long time.

When I was much younger I had a receiver sight on my first rifle, a Mossberg 151, and it was a very good sight for squirrel hunting. I'm not sure we are really improving things when we put scopes on all our guns. Maybe the old way would still be OK.

Spence

 

[Spence]

I only speak for myself when I say that what really improves is my shooting when I put scopes on my rifles.

I'm the same, and I suspect many of us are. We don't put them on for the looks, but for looking through. I promise you, though, the squirrels are sorry to see us put them on, too.

Spence

 

[au2183]

I suspect you are right. I was an avid reader of the outdoor magazines when I was a teen, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, mostly, and I suppose it was from them that I got my first understanding of trajectories. The rule of thumb I learned was that if you sight a .22 for 25 yards it will cross line of sight again at 75 yards. That's pretty close to what we understand, today.

Those magazines were the closest thing we had to the internet and a shooter's forum in those days, and you could get a pretty good education about hunting and fishing if you paid attention.

Spence

This is what I've always done too. Sight in at 25 yards, then check POI at 50 and 75 yards. I find I can usually hold dead on at any yardage out to 75, which is far as I go with a 22 anyway. Beyond that I use a 17HM2 or 17HMR, and occasionally a 22mag. I think the 17HM2 is just about the perfect squirrel round. You can hold it dead on out to 100 yards easily.

 

[MikeG]

This is what I've always done too. Sight in at 25 yards, then check POI at 50 and 75 yards. I find I can usually hold dead on at any yardage out to 75, which is far as I go with a 22 anyway. Beyond that I use a 17HM2 or 17HMR, and occasionally a 22mag. I think the 17HM2 is just about the perfect squirrel round. You can hold it dead on out to 100 yards easily.

That's what I always did, till I realized that the 25 yard zero nearly always was a 50 yard zero, also. So I went backwards and sighted in for 50 and checked 25. Might be off a quarter inch at 25.... width of a squirrel eyeball, no big deal!

 

[mike sicowitz]

Hi guys,
So is that correct? Is sighting in at fifty the same as twenty-five? And what kind of ammo in 22lr can kill at 100 yrds? I'm not being a jerk-I'd like to know because I just put a 2x7 scope on a 39a and am new to this. I am 55yrs and love the woods and sitting on a stump and calling in those little buggers. What would be the range of the first center if you sighted at 75-then maybe if you held high you could hit at 100yrds -if you called in a coyote. With my lohman's I have sat and called in just about everything that lives in the woods. I have called in so many deer that I stopped counting. Plus a call covers the noise you make walking in or moving to a new spot. But I never hunted .22 with a scope before. I am really looking forward to it and I hope my questions made sense.
Mike

 

[broom_jm]

Mike,

There are two ways you can determine the two points where the trajectory of your little .22LR bullets are crossing the line of sight: You can get the muzzle velocity and use a ballistics program, specifying a 75-yard zero, then check your results in the field. Or, you can skip the first step.

Sight in for an accurate zero at 75 and then start again around 20 yards, moving back 5 yards at a time until your groups are no longer hitting below your line of sight (where you're aiming). My guess would be somewhere close to 20 yards. You'll want to be aware that your mid-range trajectory will be a little higher above line of sight that if you used a 50 or 60 yard zero.

 

[RaySendero]

Hi guys,
So is that correct? Is sighting in at fifty the same as twenty-five? ......
Mike

Mike,

I don't know if that will hold true for all cases, But this is the case with My rifle using CCI Blazer 40 gr lead!

If I sight in at 25 yards, I'll be 1/2" high at 40 yds and back on at 50 yds. Further out, I find I'm:

• Down 1.5" at 75 yds
• Down 5.5" at 100
• Down 20" at 150
• Down 44" at 200

I chronographed the CCI Blazers at 1,217 fps average 10' from muzzle. Used JBM balistic calculations w/ 1,225 MV & BC=0.123 figures and shot the distances too - both agreeded within an 1/2 inch at 100 and 2" at 200. When JBM calculations were adjusted to correct temp, humidity and altitude I was shooting.

 

[Perferator]

I'm another one that sights in for 50yds. I have a 3x9 with target turrets and will know how many clicks for certain yardages...particularly 100yds. Some years ago I watched a crow land in a tree some 110-115yds distant. Hah, he thought he was safe. I grabbed the 10-22, clicked in the yardage like a well-trained sniper, rested the rifle and squeezed the trigger. Old crow never knew what hit him.

The challenge is to stick with a certain brand and type of ammo that your rifle likes and know how many clicks at the furthest yardage you will be shooting......especially helpful if your back deck borders a field or tree line.

 

[mike sicowitz]

crow

Sir,
If it's not offical, I think it should be--you truly are a crow sniper. Sorry to blow your cover. That's very good to know your scope that well. I've noticed that I ask a lot fewer questions at the range lately so there may even be hope for me. It sure takes time. In fact I wish that I would have gotten my most recent scope with those side clickers using just your fingers. That should help those quick corrections when you must move fast. Good shooting.
Mike

 

[Cheezywan]

What do you guys figure would be the best site in distance ie dead on distance, for a scoped .22LR ie CZ452/LHB to use for small varmints etc? Distances from real close to 100yds +/-.

I know it's ammo dependent to some degree so assume we use Hi-Velocity 40gr solid bullets and then substitute H-Velocity 36gr HP bullets for the . Scope is a Sightron 3-9x40 w/o AO.

thanks IBD

Good that you know that it is ammo/firearm dependent Irish Bird Dog. Take this information with a grain of salt.

I found some "notes" that I wrote to myself back when I was working with my Ruger 77/22.
"Best" that I can decipher what I wrote is that I was "on" at 60 yards and 20 yards with HV ammo. 1/2" low at 70?

Sub-sonic ammo I "remember" a little better. I was "on" at 52 yards and also at 19 yards. 1/2" low at 60.

I built my backstop based on that. Is 55 yards from the pic-nic table.

I'm still using "pre-shortage" ammunition at this time. I have no idea what current production is like?

Cheezywan