Realistic accuracy of 22WMR at 100 yards?

wasa

wasa

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SSW Ontario
I'm getting, to me, disappointing results from my 22 WMR rifle that I'm not 100% sure if it is me, the gun, or maybe my expectations.

I own an H&R Model 700 in 22 WMR. It's a semi automatic with 5 shot magazine. From Google, it would appear to have been manufactured between 1977 and 1985. I attached a Tasco 6-24x-40mm scope (new).

I have tried 5 different types of 22 WMR ammunition: 1. 30gr Hornady VMAX, 2. 40gr CCI Maxi-Mag, 3. 40gr Winchester Super-X, 4. 40gr Armscore, 5. 50gr Federal. (it feels like I spent more money on ammo than the gun!)

All 5 types of ammo produce groups ranging from 6" to 10" at 100 yards while sitting at a bench. Wind was minimal.

I note that the trigger on this firearm is not that good. It's a hard pull. I have taken the gun apart and used super-fine sandpaper (not sure the name something cloth...) to polish the piece that causes the hammer to fall (sorry - don't know the name).

I previously had a no name 3-9X scope on it that also shot horrible groups, hence I replaced the scope with the 6-24x-40mm. My shots on the weekend were all at 24X, and I adjusted the parallax so my target was in focus.

With each ammo I shot 5 shot groups. None even had a good 4 shot group plus 1 flyer - all reminded me of a shotgun pattern with no two impacts very close.

Looking down the barrel, the firearm appears to have minimal rifling. It's definitely there, but not well defined. Nothing like my other rifles. However, none of the impacts showed any sign of key-holing - all were nice and round.

I want to use this firearm for hunting coyotes and groundhogs in SW Ontario but if i can't consistently hit a (say) 4" target at 100 yards maybe I should stick to my bolt-action 22 LR.

Other than (i) ditch the gun and get a bolt action, (ii) have a friend shoot it also to see if that makes a difference (yes, I should do this!), (iii) ditch the gun and get a CF 22 calibre, any ideas,suggestions, comments?

Thanks
 
One of the frustrations of getting good accuracy with .22WMR is that, unlike .22LR, there is no such thing as match .22WMR ammo. Because of that a .22 magnum is very hard pressed to shoot like a .22LR can. At the same time, a .22WMR is capable of better results than the 6" - 10" groups you describe. A heavy trigger is no help when it comes to shooting for accuracy. Generally speaking bolt actions are more accurate than semi autos, but that in itself doesn't seem to account for the large groups. It's impossible to evaluate the condition of the rifling by looking through the bore; a borescope is required to get a better idea of the condition of the bore.
 
If it was a h&k 22mag .. then id say youd get much better accuracy.. h&r ... Nope

Id pick up a cz bolt for better accuracy and dont look back
 
so its 35-42 year old gun - probably had a truck load of ammo through it - throat erosion is a likelihood in this case - it you can hit a pie plate with it at 100 yards then it's good for coyotes as match grade rifle it isn't

if you like a better option look at the 17hmr - shoots like a laser beam (good chance of getting under 1 inch groups at 100 yards
 
clean your gun......then clean it again. I have a Savage that can do 1" groups all day, and then it leaded up a bit on me and started to do 2-3" groups. It took two good cleanings to clean out the barrel where it came back. Also if your trigger is not the best, that in it self may toss you out to a 4" group.

For general plinking, I like the CCI 40gr solid tip. They have always did well on paper.
 
Thought I was just expecting too much from mine when I had similar results. I was shooting at 100-120 yards and through the scope I could see the bullet actually go wonky and tumble off at around the 75yd mark. I was shooting a Squires Bingham bolt in new condition. It really deflated my love of the caliber. Guess I'll keep down in the 50 yard range.
 
You said you adjusted the parrallax to get target in focus. You are confusing "focus" and "parrallax". "Parallax" is the optical difference between your cross hair and your target. You check for parallax error by slightly moving your head - left/right or up/down - if parallax error is present, the cross hair will appear to move on the target, even though the rifle did not move. "Focus" is getting the image correct for your eye. In your scope manual, you will note a different procedure to eliminate parallax error, for a specific distance to target, versus establishing correct "focus". They are related, but not the same. Some people claim to "fix" a parrallax error by adjusting eyepiece to slightly out of focus; others claim to "focus" the image by setting the parrallax. You can have an out of focus image, with no parallax error; you can have perfectly focused image with a great deal of parallax error. Two different things.
 
Thanks for the comments. Yes, I have cleaned the rifle many times, including taking it all apart (I found the manual online). The barrel was cleaned with a Hoppes wire gun brush (bronze? copper?) and Hoppes #9, and then wet and dry patches until clean.

Sorry about parallax vs focus. I adjusted the far end of the scope (Tasco calls it the parallax setting) until my target visually looked the clearest. Scope is here http://www.tasco.com/products/index.aspx?ClassID=13&FamilyID=162&ProductID=664

I have shot this indoor at 25 yards previously. The group size was better, but not as good as my 22LR rifles (I don't have a 22LR in semi, only lever & bolt).
 
Regarding parallax vs focus, when the scope has a fixed parallax, that's when the confusion comes in. With an adjustable objective (or a side focus), when you adjust it so that the target is in focus, that's all you have to worry about.
 
grauhanen said:
Regarding parallax vs focus, when the scope has a fixed parallax, that's when the confusion comes in. With an adjustable objective (or a side focus), when you adjust it so that the target is in focus, that's all you have to worry about.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I might be a generation or two behind!!! Eyepiece focus is for focusing the cross hairs - even as per the Tasco manual. However, it appears that the Adjustable Objective is used to both eliminate parrallax error and to focus the target...
 
22WMR accuracy issues....Southern Ontario groundhog hunting=right up my alley. :)

Hey wasa-it "SOUNDS" like your barrel might be shot-out, and I don't know enough about the model to comment on whether or not it's worth getting re-barreled. If that's even possible. Re: 22WMR accuracy-I've owned 1 Savage 93FV in that caliber, and have now shot 2 other 22WMR bolt guns. (Marlin and a CZ) I remember having 11 ammo types on hand, a 3-9X AO scope, a steady rest, no wind and a 100 yard range-the day I tried to determine whether or not my Savage was a lemon. Most expensive ammo was the Remington Accutip, but it was #2 in terms of accuracy. What I learned that day (and since) is that a 1" group with 22WMR is an accomplishment, and probably part luck. I shot maybe 20 groups that day, and maybe 2 were SUB MOA. I quickly realized that if it was even touching the outer edge of the 1" ring, that was good. Groups averaged between 1-1/4"-2" the most underwhelming around 4", confirming what I already felt about Winchester rimfire ammo. Anyhow, I decided that the 30gr. Hornady shot the best/most consistently but as decent as that ammo was, you'd get unexplained fliers that turned an otherwise promising group into a 2" affair.

The goal was a heavier-hitting rimfire for groundhogs, after a summer shooting them with 17HMR. My experience with that caliber was that it's lacklustre on a varmint of this size, and even problematic if any wind or distance is involved. I love 17HMR out west on gophers, but a big one of those is a fraction of the size of an adult/mature groundhog. I decided to give the 22WMR a try, but being mindful of it's accuracy...I kept the shots 125 yards or under, and always aimed centre mass. 22WMR always hit hard, and every groundhog I shot with it dropped. My advice-buy a bolt gun with a decent trigger, keep shots in/around 100 yards...and the 22WMR should never disappoint.

You mentioned a 22 centerfires-that's a superb idea. My experience in S. Ontario is that anywhere you can make 22WMR-amounts of noise, a .223 (for example) ought to be fine. I spent several years using a .223, then yo-yoed between that caliber, and .204 Ruger. The last 3 I shot this year were with the 204, but in previous hunts this year and last, I ran my 17 Hornet. I wouldn't recommend 17 Hornet simply because of ammo availability compared to something like .223, but for groundhogs...I've come to really believe that it's the perfect combination of power/reach/low report. Especially for the size of farms we have here.

Anyhow, as my interests changed...I sold off the 22WMR and .223, I'm down to the 17 and 204. If you were going to buy one caliber, I'd suggest .223. Ammo availability is great, but it's also a forgiving caliber to reload for if you're new to it like I was. I believe it's an inherently accurate caliber, and one most people shoot well.

From my second-last hunt, the .17 Hornet

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Quality ammunition is definitely the limiting factor in 22 WMR accuracy. AS a previous poster noted, there is no match ammo available for the WMR
That being said, certain lots of ammo seem to work considerably better than others.

I have a Anschutz 1522 in 22 WMR, double set triggers, etc, etc. Good optics on top with adequate power [20x] This is a very capable unit.
I have a couple of types [and lot numbers] of ammo that will shoot moa most often, but not every group is moa or better, probably closer to 4 out of 5.

Believe it or not, one lot of Silver box Winchester 40 grain HP is the most accurate ammo I have shot so far.
Remington Accutip is also very good, but will have an occasional shot well out of the group. S&B 45 grain stuff is terrible
Federal 50 grain is excellent, but shoots 3½" lower in my rifle. Some CCI Maxi-Mag ammo is quite consistent.

every once in a while [maybe 1 group in 6 or 7] I will see an exceptional group, making a ragged hole at 100M. Wish they were all like that!!
Dave.
 
I appreciate all comments. Thanks!

As mentioned by 22LRGUY, I could believe the barrel is "shot out" but the cheapskate in me wonders how many rounds of 22WMR would you need to shoot through a barrel to shoot it out, and how much would that much ammo cost?

I have put some rounds through it at 25 yards and the grouping, while not horrible, was not awesome. My 22LR shoots better at 25 yards.

I have never shot it at 50 or 75 yards (my local outdoor range is realistically 100 yards only) but plan on doing so when the opportunity arises. I'd guess that it will be "acceptable" at 50 yards, and so will probably keep it for hunting. I will also get a buddy to shoot it to see if there is a big difference between him and me shooting it.

Will keep my eye out for a bolt-action 22 WMR - I still have a few hundred rounds of ammo I eventually need to shoot :)
 
I had an old mossberg chuckster 640k 22mag my entire life. Loved that rifle but at 100 yards 1.5 to 2" groups were the average. Shot alot of jacks with it. I traded it this year thinking i have a pair of 223s. Now i may buy another 22mag because it just works for under 100 yard shooting. Its light on coyotes but still works. The last 13 coyotes ive shot have been with #6 shot so it is what it is.
Try some lead out cleaner and let it really soak in then reaplly and patch until the patches are clean coming out. Check the torque on the action screws and on the scope mount and rings as well. Also see if theres a pressure point on the barrel or if its free floating.
When bench shooting are you resting the forearm on the rest or the barrel?
 
I'll second brybenn on trying lead out cleaner. Ive seen patches coming out clean with hoppes and using lead out after and multiple patches coming out filthy in a buddy of mines old lakefield 22 mag. He also mentioned checking the tourque on the action screws. A little too tight or loose can make a huge difference in accuracy.
My marlin 60 will go from 2" groups at 50 yds, to 3/8" groups just by turning the screw less than 1/8 of a turn.
 
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