Long distance .22 - 300 yards

[Tempest455]

My son and I have been doing long distance .22 for a few years and today he took it to a new level and raised the bar on me. Some facts and background info.

* He shoots A LOT and has shot a few 1,000 yard F class matches w/ .308 at 14 years old. He is pretty comfortable w/ windage, holdover etc. for a 14 year old and generally is a pretty (very) good shooter.

* He has 20/10 vision is his right eye. I can't practice enough to overcome his advantage with this.

* He was using a Savage TRR-SR which is an extremely accurate .22 rifle, by far the most accurate .22 we own. I installed a 20 MOA base and the rifle zeroed at 300 yards. Who zero's a .22 at 300? :)

* A 6-24X power scope was used and set at 18X.

* A Huntertown Arms suppressor was used (it tightens the groups).

* For comparison, best 5 round group to date was .680" at 100 yards w/ Lapua Center X ammo.

* Since we were shooting 300 yards, subsonic had too much drop. I used CCI Blazer w/ approx 1235 FPS muzzle. 

* Since I can't handload .22, every round is weighed to within .1g on my scale and then the bullet waxed. I did a test on that once and it cut groups in half.

We shot at some paper targets 1st to get the windage dialed in. Once he figured out where the POI was, he made some corrections and was doing pretty darn good on paper at 300. Before we left, we were discussing the rifle w/ some others and got it out to shoot some steel again.

He promptly put 4 rounds in approx a 4" group at 300 yards, with a .22! 

I attached pics of two different targets (I shot the larger one after him, reason for the extra splatter). Would be glad to answer answer any questions.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGg2K0EQrkU

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wG6te8-REA

 

 

[Dolomite_supafly]

I LOVE shooting a suppressed 22 long distance, especially at steel. I have shot 300 yards with subsonic ammo. It takes a noticeable amount of time to get to the target. So much so I have a cup of coffee and check TGO.

 

Rather than say "I don't know where that one went" I would replace it with "That went in the same hole as the last one!". Or at least that is what I have been telling myself for years. If I can't see the impact it is because it found the only other hole on the target.

 

In about 4 months I will be shooting my 300 Blackout suppressed at long distance. I cannot wait because the ring it will give will be a lot louder.

 

I really like your idea with the camera with the spotting scope. I think I am going to do somethign similar. I did have a camera setup to view through the scope at one point but it was reallly finicky.

[Alleycat72]

I need to try that with my 452.

[Dolomite_supafly]

I have also noticed that my groups shrink with certain guns when suppressed. I too used to weigh my bullets but quit doing that. With Winchester Subsonic HP they seem really, really accurate for the cost. Winchester Dynapoint is another that is extremely accurate but it is about $25 a brick now in stores. The Subsonic HP is about $40 a brick in stores.

 

And they are lethal at that distance. Maybe not knock down DRT lethal but bleed out in 3-5 minutes dead. I can remember ground hog hunting as a kid aseeing an older friend shooting them at 200 yards. At that distance some would not even realize they had been hit. They would stand around then a few minutes later just fall over.

[Tempest455]

I LOVE shooting a suppressed 22 long distance, especially at steel. I have shot 300 yards with subsonic ammo. It takes a noticeable amount of time to get to the target. So much so I have a cup of coffee and check TGO.

 

Rather than say "I don't know where that one went" I would replace it with "That went in the same hole as the last one!". Or at least that is what I have been telling myself for years. If I can't see the impact it is because it found the only other hole on the target.

 

In about 4 months I will be shooting my 300 Blackout suppressed at long distance. I cannot wait because the ring it will give will be a lot louder.

 

I really like your idea with the camera with the spotting scope. I think I am going to do somethign similar. I did have a camera setup to view through the scope at one point but it was reallly finicky.

 

 

Round 2 was in the white. Did not see it until we went down range.

 

When I tell people we shoot .22 this far (we tried 500 today but too windy) they say stuff like it must be falling etc. Any time spent on JBM or similar program will show you it's plenty lethal out to 400 yards if hit in a vital area.

[leroy]

Interestin stuff...  Any theories on why a "suppressed" rifle may be more accurate than an "unsuppressed" one?

 

leroy

[Wiljo05]

Interestin stuff...  Any theories on why a "suppressed" rifle may be more accurate than an "unsuppressed" one?
 
leroy

I was wondering the same?

[Tempest455]

Interestin stuff...  Any theories on why a "suppressed" rifle may be more accurate than an "unsuppressed" one?

 

leroy

 

Good question and I have no idea. A suppressor slows the time frame of the gasses escaping. Perhaps it makes it more uniform with relation to the velocity? No idea just guessing. Will have to read up on that.

 

It will change the POI, however. At least mine does. So you have to re-set zero after you install it. Not much but enough you will notice it and will want to correct if shooting longer distance.

[Will Carry]

When I was 14 I hit the red flag on our mailbox from 325 yards free standing, with a Higgins single shot 22 with open sights. From that day on I was considered the best shot in the area. Some people say it was a lucky shot but I used to spend hours down at the river shooting long shots with that rifle. 

[Tempest455]

Interestin stuff...  Any theories on why a "suppressed" rifle may be more accurate than an "unsuppressed" one?

 

leroy

 

Found a good article on this. Section-Blast Baffle:

 

http://www.silencerresearch.com/sound_suppressors_on_high_powered_rifles.htm