What is your minimum acceptable accuracy for a .22

[BCRider]

This idea of a dime size group at 50 says a lot about how many shoot only if scoped and rested or from a bipod. It also suggests that you're shooting in dead calm conditions. It also suggests that you've had some practice in shooting this way and learned how to do it very consistently.

I'm getting there but I still can't guarantee a 1/2" group at 50. At least not with consistency. But in those cases where the gun is good I know it's me. It's not as easy a skill as one might think to produce groups this tight at 50 yards. Not when the slightest variation in your hold of the gun and difference in how you pull the trigger all come into play.

I'm not saying you don't get such groups. Simply that some might use this thread as a standard to go by and when THEY, not the rifle, fail to match your results that they'll sell or trade off a perfectly good rifle.

It's also not valid to use a standard of this sort for rifles that don't have scopes. The reality of the old Mk I eyeball when used with iron sights or even good peep sights also come into the picture. We need to consider the type of sights used as well. Although once we admit that the style of the sights are part of it then the analysis shifts away from the barrel and ammo combinations and over more to which sights style works better for us.

 

[brybenn]

To me it depends on the gun. My bolt action heavy barreled 22 should shoot a lot better then my 9422 or Rossi 37 and it does. My 9422 is a tack driver to. My Rossi pump one of my favorite guns but hitting a pop can at 50 yards is the challenge. Better sights it would shoot better I'm sure
I use my rimfires for hunting and plinking. If i can't knock a squirrel out the top of a maple tree I sell it except my lil pump

 

[kolik1]

For me, if I can do 2MoA (1 inch) with my 597 or Lakefield 64 at 50M I'm happy, however both shoot slightly over 1MoA at 50M, so bonus. This has pretty much set my standard for semi auto's. The brother in law's 10/22 TD is a shotgun compared to either of my semi's.

While I bought my CZ455 Super-match as a .22LR I've never put a round through the .22 barrel. I bought a .17HMR barrel and haven't looked back, so far the .17 is shooting sub MoA at 100Yd and just over 1 MoA at 200Yd, but comparing the .22 to the .17 would be an injustice. This has me interested in swapping barrels just to see what the Super-match barrel does.

 

[bulletbox]

I've found with a ruger 10/22 with a kidd barrel and new trigger sear, a hogue stock and 40 grain Winchester wildcats .5 Moa will pop up pretty often. Not useless at all, and it worked fine for hunting and pigeon shooting, but I have replaced it with an anschutz that I like better.

 

[radmacks]

heavy barreled makes a big difference. I was going hole for hole on a bench in a rest with cheap Winchester. non heavy barreled were tight but not thread a needle.

 

[supernova]

For some, if the bullet hits the target nose first on paper she's doin her job. Tactical rifles turn into #####y drama queens when you try to turn them into snipper riffles. Now if precision is the game then I'd expect 3/4" @ 50 yds with decent ammo and a good driver. I'm not into the uber accurate/expensive end of rimfires however so my expectations are based on sub $500 heavy barrel factory rifles and cheap subsonics like Rem and CCI. Now if I were to drop $1000+ then I better be getting more than a popular brand name, 1/2" better be doable or I'm just holding a fancy stick not well tailored to hitting stuff.

 

[-raqh-]

For some, if the bullet hits the target nose first on paper she's doin her job. Tactical rifles turn into #####y drama queens when you try to turn them into snipper riffles. Now if precision is the game then I'd expect 3/4" @ 50 yds with decent ammo and a good driver. I'm not into the uber accurate/expensive end of rimfires however so my expectations are based on sub $500 heavy barrel factory rifles and cheap subsonics like Rem and CCI. Now if I were to drop $1000+ then I better be getting more than a popular brand name, 1/2" better be doable or I'm just holding a fancy stick not well tailored to hitting stuff.

Well said.

 

[Eagleye]

My HB Match rifles [Suhl 150, Remington 40X, Remington 37] better shoot under ¼" at 50M, or I will be wondering why.

I have 3 Sporters that are well under ½" at 50M [Remington 541S, 541T, Winchester 52C Sporter]
Also have a CZ 425 American that is pretty consistent right around ½" @ 50M.

My "plinking" rifles I like to stay under ¾" at 50, including my Mossberg 151Mb semi-auto.
Of course, in every case, ammo that suits the rifle is part of the picture.

Properly set up, a 22 LR rimfire match rifle is very impressive. On calm mornings, I have shot 5 shots under 1" at 200 M.

No one should underestimate the entertainment value of the lowly 22 rimfire.

Regards, Dave

 

[caperaway]

1/2" groups at fifty yards isn't a realistic standard for most .22's IMO. Just look at the number of people who have tried the 1/2" group challenge thread here in the rimfire section.The number of successful posters, with pictures, is pretty small.Most who have successfully done the challenge are using higher end ammo and expensive rifles. The average guy shooting inexpensive guns using bulk ammo is going to be closer to an inch than a half inch. Those who brag about 1/2" groups should take the rimfire challenge and show us what they can do.I've been trying to get my cz455 to consistently shoot under 1/2" using different brands of ammo and still haven't found one that will do it.I get a couple groups that are under and a couple that are over.

 

[Joe549]

1 inch or less at 50 yards with CCI Blazer in either a semi or bolt and scope. The two scoped .22s I have right now, SR22 and MKII FVSR, both do it and the 64FSS I had did it. The 597 wasn't even close.

 

[6MT]

This idea of a dime size group at 50 says a lot about how many shoot only if scoped and rested or from a bipod. It also suggests that you're shooting in dead calm conditions. It also suggests that you've had some practice in shooting this way and learned how to do it very consistently.

I'm getting there but I still can't guarantee a 1/2" group at 50. At least not with consistency. But in those cases where the gun is good I know it's me. It's not as easy a skill as one might think to produce groups this tight at 50 yards. Not when the slightest variation in your hold of the gun and difference in how you pull the trigger all come into play.

I'm not saying you don't get such groups. Simply that some might use this thread as a standard to go by and when THEY, not the rifle, fail to match your results that they'll sell or trade off a perfectly good rifle.

It's also not valid to use a standard of this sort for rifles that don't have scopes. The reality of the old Mk I eyeball when used with iron sights or even good peep sights also come into the picture. We need to consider the type of sights used as well. Although once we admit that the style of the sights are part of it then the analysis shifts away from the barrel and ammo combinations and over more to which sights style works better for us.

50 feet... or 50 yrads?

Edit: ah... now I see... 50 yards. sorry

 

[jimbo14]

Some days all I care about is 1 shot, 1 hole.

 

[bobdbldr]

From a practical point of view....accurate is a grouses head at 25 yards, not a group just 5 shots 5 grouse. Guys shooting competitively, completely different, winning and losing is by a fraction of a inch. Not hard to be shooting ammo as expensive as some centerfires and rifles worth many thousands.

IMO one can not expect the same level of accuracy out of a semi. Part of that is its really hard to avoid shooting watermelons or fridges in a mag dump......eventually no matter how self controlled. Heating the barrel in this way degrades accuracy. Sold the only 10/22 i owned because of this, always a really bad horizontal flyer in a group.

Acceptable practical accuracy is a 5 shot group in a quarter at 25, in a loonie at 50.

I sold the 10/22 because one round would be 1-2" right or left out of every group....fired single shot...from a rest....2 minutes between. It was the gun. Obviously if one was talking Anschutz target rifle unacceptable would be a lot smaller group. On the other extreme i might accept that from a $80 Cooey truck beater....all depends.

You beat me to it,, I was going to say minute of rabbit, or squirrel!!

 

[tuffbuff]

After buying a CZ 452 to see what all the fuss was about I would say touching at 25 and 1/2" at 50 for 5-10 shot groups makes me happy, haven't went to 100 yet.
I have a 77/22 that does a bit worse but I have a low power thick xhair shotgun scope on it, it's my hunting rig.
Dads marlin 39 will all touch at 30yds last time I shot it.

I would say the average 22 should do an inch at 50yrds to be useful.

 

[tuffbuff]

...

 

[Chem]

Quite simply, I want my rifle to hit whatever I aim it at. If it can do that I'm quite happy with its accuracy.

 

[barsik]

cold bore shot should be in the middle of the group, regardless of the number of rounds fired. some rifles I have owned would place the first shot just a little outside the rest of the group. although the deviation would only be a quarter of an inch or so, it was necessary to sight the rifle in to the imaginary center of the group, which may not even be tagged by a bullet. unfortunate, but not really a problem unless trying to engage a small target at long range.

 

[islandguy]

This idea of a dime size group at 50 says a lot about how many shoot only if scoped and rested or from a bipod. It also suggests that you're shooting in dead calm conditions. It also suggests that you've had some practice in shooting this way and learned how to do it very consistently.

My shooting is done from a cheap, Caldwell Jr. front rest only (no rear bag), with a PH7A rear aperture sight and a Lyman 17 front globe sight. I won't ruin my 90+ year-old BSA Martini 22's with scope-mount holes. No need to anyway, as I shoot better with aperture sights than with a scope. I do admit to having a fair bit of experience using aperture sights.

 

[FLHTCUI]

Anything the CZ eats and the groups it provides I am happy with.
Every Gun I have owned have the ability to shoot accurately...
I'm just not as good as the gun is.
Tight Groups,
Rob

 

[hotdog]

1/2" groups at fifty yards isn't a realistic standard for most .22's IMO. Just look at the number of people who have tried the 1/2" group challenge thread here in the rimfire section.The number of successful posters, with pictures, is pretty small.Most who have successfully done the challenge are using higher end ammo and expensive rifles. The average guy shooting inexpensive guns using bulk ammo is going to be closer to an inch than a half inch. Those who brag about 1/2" groups should take the rimfire challenge and show us what they can do.I've been trying to get my cz455 to consistently shoot under 1/2" using different brands of ammo and still haven't found one that will do it.I get a couple groups that are under and a couple that are over.

I agree Caper. Repeatable, Measured, Honest to God, 1/2" groups from the 50 yd line are not common.
That kind of shooting doesn't come as cheap or easy as people would have you believe.