There was an earlier thread where some members were questioning whether a .22lr can be accurate and consistent at 200 yards... And from what I recall there was kind of a friendly challenge to see what kind of groups people were achieving at these longer distances. So instead of burying my post in that thread, I'll start a new one here on the topic. Here's some photos and a video of me shooting my CZ 452 Lux at about 220 yards at an 8" steel plate. Enjoy!
Earlier today I made the following post in this thread:
That's not bad. Near 4 MOA with open sights.
I stand by that, as it is good shooting with iron sights at 200 plus yards. But let's be careful not make this out to be more than it is. Reading some of the enthusiastic comments above and some further reflection since this morning has me sounding some caution.
Hitting an 8" X 8" steel plate at 200 yards most of the time should not be confused by anyone as the same as showing
what kind of groups anyone is getting at that distance. First, no groups are shown. Second, it's not possible to tell where the POI of those few that miss the gong would be. If it were on paper we could actually see "groups" (such as they would be at 200 plus yards), but with a gong we just don't know. Third, I erred when I suggested it was "near 4 MOA". An 8x8 inch square gong can sound strikes for more than 5 MOA. (The diagonal measurement of an 8x8 inch square is over 11" and so that would be the diameter of a circle -- over 5 MOA). As there is no record of where the few gong misses actually struck, we have no way of knowing what size the "groups" might be. Every shot counts.
Despite suggestions to the contrary, the .22LR round was not designed for long distance shooting. It simply doesn't have the legs for it. Sure the bullet will travel the distance and much beyond, but its accuracy has long since left the picture. The effects of wind and gravity militate against the good accuracy that can be achieved at more realistic distances, not to mention the challenges posed by the relatively wide ES that accompanies even the best match ammos. No one here is showing "groups" at 200 plus yards. At 200 yards, every one fps difference between one round and the next means a difference in POI of one tenth of an inch. That in itself doesn't sound like much, but ten fps difference means one inch in POI. And quite significantly, the best match ammo has an ES of at least 20-30 fps.
I share hoytcanon's views and he puts it very, very well:
.22 LR was not designed for 200-300+ yard shooting, that does not mean that it can't be done... if you enjoy shooting at distance that is great. Steel gong shooting is efficient in that it is reactive and does not require resetting, but it is not the best way to gauge accuracy, at least in a finely tuned and measured sense... but if you normally hit an 8" gong twice out of ten shots, but improve to 8 out of ten shots, it is a clear indicator of improved accuracy... once you are at 10 out of 10 shots, you have to shoot further out or go to a smaller gong.
Personally, I don't enjoy Rimfire "group" shooting beyond 100 yards, but we do a fair bit of "fun" shooting at much longer distances on silhouettes, clays and eggs etc...
Clearly you are having fun on that gong, and with iron sights, that is good shooting. Keep ringing the bell!
Since the OP was shooting for gong strikes rather than "groups" it should be kept in mind that there is a difference between the two. They are not substitutes for one another.
Hitting a gong with open sights at 200 plus yards is very commendable. It reflects a steady hand and a good eye. Still it's not the same as shooting groups. And it doesn't "prove" that .22LR rounds are capable of significant accuracy at long distances. If the standard is 5 MOA accuracy, however, then raise your glasses and celebrate.