What do you consider long distance with .22cal airgun?

[GBGUNNER]

In addition to my above post I believe that when you sight in on something you will make the right decision based on you thoughts and feelings. And you will find the range you are comfortable with along with scope settings and projectile types, weights, and velocities. You and your rifle are capable, you just need the experience of making the shots. At 73 I have shortened my range based on all MY changing factors. My targets are raccoons at 15 ft to 30 yds at night in the dark. They have no fear of man and have often approached me because we have one person who has been feeding them regularly and even allowed them access to her basement via a dog door to nest and have kits. We tried fish and game and game wardens but they have to personally and physically see her feed them. She won't let them on the property let alone in the house. "People" We all set traps etc but with a steady source of food they turn their noses up at all the baits, and spend nights play in the trees ( kits ) sometime so many that branches have broken under their weight.

 

[peaceful_ruler]

I was wondering what others are considering long range target distance with a .22 airgun. What size groups are considered decent and acceptable. I have the cayden in .22 and so far have shot out to 100 yards, with a group size of under a quarter. I thought that was decent. I wanted to see what distances others are shooting, and what they consider decent groups.

I usually shoot field target distances, 10 to 60 yards. This year, I would like to extend my range distance from 10 to 80 & 100 yards. I realize that's not a acceptable range distance for official field target matches, but this year I wanted to make it more challenging.

TODD

My experience is similar to yours. I've only ever owned one .22 air rifle and PCP...my Taipan Veteran Long.

The only pellets I shot from it were 15.89 grain Hades and they were stupid accurate. I'm talking 1 hole groups at 50 meters. They also did really well on pests out to that distance and maybe a little further...on top of that, the shot count was great!

But...I started noticing that if it was even a little windy my accuracy would go south fast...especially anything past 40 meters. I remember trying to hit a starling at about 60 meters in a serious crosswind and watching my pellet curve seriously far away...I'm talking like feet not inches! If I never expect or need to shoot past 60 meters...pellets all day every day. Past that the low BC just kills the accuracy in any kind of wind. Back then anything past 50 meters I considered long distance and maintaining quarter sized groups past that in real world conditions(even moderate wind) was great accuracy to me.

Fast forward to now...I'm shooting 22 grain FX Hybrid slugs at 940 fps. The .080 BC is well over twice that of the Hades and even the 18.13 JSB Exact Heavy pellets! Wind drift is directly proportional to BC. I now have the same amount of wind drift at 100 meters that the Hades had at 50 meters! Or probably even less...

How did I get there? That's another story but check out my thread titled Taipan Long "Sniper" in the PCP Forum. If you are getting quarter sized groups consistently at 100 meters in my book that is excellent accuracy. My new definition of "long range" is anything over 100 meters and "accuracy" is sub-MOA. That's under an inch at 100 meters...good luck doing that with pellets unless it's dead calm!

 

[EdinGa]

If you want to try some slugs, I highly recommend NSA 17.5 gr in the .2175 size. Several other Cayden owners found that size best and my Cayden loves it too. This is a 50 yard group.

 

[Triggers and 4X4s]

I just read this complete thread and boy oh boy we have some real fisherman stales, some are fibbing with no shame.

Anything past 130yards and you are lobbing your projectiles in like a mortar.

 

[ToddGeddes63]

I shoot a lot on the range I have setup at 10-55 yards using the rat on a stick targets. This last year, I extended the distance from 55 yards to 100 yards. Shooting off of a primos trigger stick and walking the course. At these distances and heights, it's totally doable for targets.
I learned a lot about the psi sweet spot on my cayden. wind hold over, hold under. From 10 to 100 yards the wind is a huge factor, I also learned about shooting targets at different heights, the challenges involved there with the wind. It would be barely blowing down on the ground, but up at say 20 feet big differences! I learned using a heavier projectile in windy conditions helped me greatly. I also put my wind flags up with the higher targets. I used the nsa 17.5 gr and the 21 gr slugs 18 gr jsb 15.89 gr jsb 14.3 gr cphp pellets. they worked good in windy conditions, grouped well. The jsb 15.89 gr shot the most consistent with exception to the wind.
When I mention the wind, I'm meaning above 10 mph or gusty conditions, shooting outside there is going to be some type of wind going on. I plan on doing the same thing next year, and I might even try some hunting.

 

[JungleShooter]

I just read this complete thread and boy oh boy we have some real fisherman stales, some are fibbing with no shame.

Anything past 130 yards and you are lobbing your projectiles in like a mortar.

Heinrich,

I'm probably misunderstanding you, I apologize for that.
Please, correct my misunderstandings:

(1) The original post was asking us to define what we consider to be "long range."
I understand you say that "lobbing projectiles in like a mortar" makes these shots not qualify as "long range."
Or is this your definition of "long range" — as in: "Long range is any shot that requires "lobbing projectiles like a mortar"?


(2) I understand you say that when a PCP rifle shoots past 130 yards the trajectory of the projectile is so steep it must be considered "lobbing it in like a mortar."
Well, in .22cal with a 30FPE and a JSB 15.89 dome you have a total drop of about 48" at 130y [green curve]. And with the gun zeroed at 50y, the holdover is only 24 MOA. That's not extreme in my book....

Shooting the Monster Redesigned [blue curve] with a bit more power the holdover is only 18 MOA.

And shooting your home country's very own Javelin slugs they have a total drop of 30" at 130y [red curve]. The holdover is only 13 MOA. Does not feel like mortar to me, but that's just one shooter's experience....



(3) You say that several posters are exaggerating (so that their statements qualify as lies).
Are you referring to distances, or to group sizes, or to kill shots at certain ranges — or where exactly do you see such gross exaggerations?



Just wondering how to correctly understand your post, mate.

Matthias



[The green curve is for a UK .22gun at 12FPE.]

 

[Triggers and 4X4s]

1. I am saying that on average past 130y gets quite tricky if you consider the projectile trajectory and the average shooter.

2. Your hold over has nothing to do with the projectiles trajectory. You can zero at a 100 meters and have zero hold over. When you zero your gun you set the reticle to the crossover point of the projectiles trajectory relative to the reticle - The trajectory remains the same.

3. I really do not have to educate adults how to differentiate between fisherman's tales and reality but then in this day and age of misinformation I might have to. I will create a Youtube channel and start with lesson 101.

PS: I tried the Javelins and had disappointingly poor results. I guess they are the same as our fresh produce market, the best quality are exported and us locals must make do with the sub-standard stock.

 

[jps2486]

I shoot EBR 100 yd targets with my Crown .22. Some of you report quarter size groups at 100 yd?? Ha, ha,maybe you might do it occasionally under ideal conditions, but do that consistently?? I don't think so. More accomplished marksmen can keep them in the 8 ring or better, most of the time. I shoot against some of the best shooters, so I know from where I speak.

 

[qball]

1. I am saying that on average past 130y gets quite tricky if you consider the projectile trajectory and the average shooter.

2. Your hold over has nothing to do with the projectiles trajectory. You can zero at a 100 meters and have zero hold over. When you zero your gun you set the reticle to the crossover point of the projectiles trajectory relative to the reticle - The trajectory remains the same.

3. I really do not have to educate adults how to differentiate between fisherman's tales and reality but then in this day and age of misinformation I might have to. I will create a Youtube channel and start with lesson 101.

PS: I tried the Javelins and had disappointingly poor results. I guess they are the same as our fresh produce market, the best quality are exported and us locals must make do with the sub-standard stock.

Your point #1 is why it is called Extreme Long Range. If it wasn’t tricky anyone can do it. There are a lot of gifted long range shooters here.

Your point #2 indicates you only use hold over, hold over is ok for hunting at shorter ranges but for precision target work no one I know uses hold over…..because you can’t! We all invested heavily in long range scopes that can be dialed. Is it mortar like? Yes, that is part of the fun. For 300 yards I dial close to 20 mils or 65 MOA and some people go even farther and dial closer to 40 mils or 120 moa for 400-500 yards. 99% scopes out there don’t even have 120 moa of total adjustment.

I shouldn’t have to educate mature adults the concept of not judging everything with my limited perspective. Just because I can’t finish a marathon(at all) in 2 hours and 1 minute it doesn’t mean the current world record is a fish tale.

 

[Caliber 22]

PS: I tried the Javelins and had disappointingly poor results. I guess they are the same as our fresh produce market, the best quality are exported and us locals must make do with the sub-standard stock.

Dalk moet jy vir Matt Dubber kontak en by hom "die regte" slugs kry en toets. Julle is in dieselfde area lyk dit my. As dit dan steeds nie goed skiet nie dan skiet jou geweer dit net nie goed nie.
Alhoewel ek meestal pellets skiet omdat dit meer akkuraat is uit my geweer doen die Javelin 26gr nie sleg nie, maar H&N slugs doen beter.

 

[beerthief]

long range with a .177 or .22 pellet ,to me , is what you or i can shoot consistently ,dime or less size, Accurately Every Day . wind or no wind .

 

[beerthief]

just reread this thread ! WOW a lot of people totally missed the part "with a .22 "

 

[Scotchmo]

.22 caliber? What matters for long range is BC and velocity, regardless of caliber.