How far Can a 22 Hit a Target? 300 yd? 500 yd More?!!

Ganderite

Ganderite

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We all think that others see things much the same way we do.

I can recall coaching élite rifle shooters (George Chase and Alain Marion as two examples) who had different eyes than the rest of us. First thing I noticed was that they could see things with the naked eye that I needed a 20X spotting scope to see. At first I thought they were pulling my leg, put as I looked through the scope I realized that they could actually see things.

The other thing was that the front aperture sight to them looked different. At 1000 yards I thought that the 2.8mm size as about right to sight the bull. They said that with something that big they could not only see their target, but the targets on either side, too. They just saw thing different.

In the video, a guy emailed that as a kid he could see and hit pop cans at 700 yards. Everyone knows you can't see a pop can at 700 yards, so the bet was on.

 
So what is the OP question? How far can a 22lr make hits? With irons or optics? Or how far is an exceptional human eye capable of seeing detail?

Not sure what is going on there.
 
Bfranklin said:
So what is the OP question? How far can a 22lr make hits? With irons or optics? Or how far is an exceptional human eye capable of seeing detail?

Not sure what is going on there.
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What caught my attention was the assumption that the 700 yard shot was impossible with iron sights because you can't see a pop can at 700 yards. For most of us that is true, but I knew from experience that a few guys have different eyes.
 
My eyes were freakish as a young man, too bad the CF didn't recognize that, and have someone put just a tiny bit more effort into coaching me. If I could have shot Irons at 20 as well as I do now I would have been a force.

I never actually tested it, but if memory serves I could easily spot a person at 2-3 km assuming the atmospheric conditions were right. You'd have to move, but once you did I had you...sigh, they're garbage now.
 
redshooter said:
My eyes were freakish as a young man, too bad the CF didn't recognize that, and have someone put just a tiny bit more effort into coaching me. If I could have shot Irons at 20 as well as I do now I would have been a force.

I never actually tested it, but if memory serves I could easily spot a person at 2-3 km assuming the atmospheric conditions were right. You'd have to move, but once you did I had you...sigh, they're garbage now.
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Same as me......I am 30/30 now will a distance scrip and bi focals lol

My friendly advice is enjoy your youth to the younger shooters

I use scopes and red dots now

I too used to be quite the machine back in the day.....but now I plink away and albeit have to take my time, I still don't do too bad��
 
I had a marlin 39a in 22lr that I put a tang peep sight on. I killed a gopher at 400 yes with that combo and shot a 12" gong at 650 often... wind was always the largest factor. Sadly that rifle has found a new home...man I miss that rifle..
 
When I was in high school, the Marlin 39a was the rifle I wanted to buy. Had no money then.

Later, when I did have some money, the rifle seemed to be priced too high. It was too high at $200. Then too high at $300. Then too high at $400. It is till too high...

Wish I had a "Do over."

I had a similar experience with the Luger. Dad said "No luger is worth $25." Then same thing all the way to over $1,000.

Fortunately, thanks to CGN, I did find some Lugers at prices that seemed more reasonable.
 
Jahnj0584 said:
Depends on your glass and patience.


I hope sometime soon i can leave NS and/or be invited to shoot at something over 300y away.


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I am pretty sure you can shoot further than 300 yards on the Ralph Dunn Range on the left hand of the Range It is near the Halifax Airport.

As to the ops question how far well that depends a lot on how much elevation on your sight you have. 22 lr has a low ballistic coefficient and low velocity.

i used to shoot at 300 yards with a bushnell 10 x elite but running the numbers throught a ballistic calulator you would need 120 minutes of elevation to get to 500 yards
 
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Ganderite said:
What caught my attention was the assumption that the 700 yard shot was impossible with iron sights because you can't see a pop can at 700 yards. For most of us that is true, but I knew from experience that a few guys have different eyes.
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Only someone who doesn't understand how you would aim with irons, would make such a statement. When you see shooters pound the center out of a 10" circle at 1000yds using iron sights, the possibility of hitting a can at 700yds is just a function of knowing where the impacts are landing.

For reference, TR shooters at 700yds would want to hammer a 7" X ring under any and all wind conditions. Hang a can in that circle and they will hit it

WRT to a 22LR, the question is HOW MANY rds before you hit it? Indirect fire can drop a shot on a can sooner or later... but do it as a called shot at 700yds? That is one lucky person. Also, you aren't aiming AT the can but some item in the landscape well above the object ... like say the top of some distant pine tree or mountain top.

For LR rimfire PRS competitions, at 300yds, a small target would be a 10" circle going to a full size IPSC. At 500yds, likely a 36" square.

Allowing for a few shots to get a hit, I would not be concerned about hitting a pop can at 300yds with a 22LR. Hell, they are now doing this with air rifles.

Jerry
 
Mystic Precision said:
Only someone who doesn't understand how you would aim with irons, would make such a statement. When you see shooters pound the center out of a 10" circle at 1000yds using iron sights, the possibility of hitting a can at 700yds is just a function of knowing where the impacts are landing.

For reference, TR shooters at 700yds would want to hammer a 7" X ring under any and all wind conditions. Hang a can in that circle and they will hit it

WRT to a 22LR, the question is HOW MANY rds before you hit it? Indirect fire can drop a shot on a can sooner or later... but do it as a called shot at 700yds? That is one lucky person. Also, you aren't aiming AT the can but some item in the landscape well above the object ... like say the top of some distant pine tree or mountain top.

For LR rimfire PRS competitions, at 300yds, a small target would be a 10" circle going to a full size IPSC. At 500yds, likely a 36" square.

Allowing for a few shots to get a hit, I would not be concerned about hitting a pop can at 300yds with a 22LR. Hell, they are now doing this with air rifles.

Jerry
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Ganderite's point was some people have better eye sight then others, aiming at a large aiming point with good contrast above or behind a smaller target is what the rest of us need at some point..... :)

I would prefer to have great vision and shoot with peeps with an " if I can see it I can hit it approach" but clearly, or not so clearly that reality is not eternal.

Good news is optics have never been better or more affordable they they are today!
 
Can-down said:
Ganderite's point was some people have better eye sight then others, aiming at a large aiming point with good contrast above or behind a smaller target is what the rest of us need at some point..... :)

I would prefer to have great vision and shoot with peeps with an " if I can see it I can hit it approach" but clearly, or not so clearly that reality is not eternal.

Good news is optics have never been better or more affordable they they are today!
Click to expand...

No doubt there are those who can excell at anything beyond us mere mortals... but time marches on.

Jerry
 
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