.22LR HV v Sub Sonic accuracy

[Deker 3,478]

11 hours ago, Wolfdog91 said:

25-30 yd is honestly where most over here use a .22lr. I know many many people who think it's crazy to shoot past that....which I find odd because I routinely pest with mine out to 150-200yd. 

Each to their own, I use the .22lr at 200 on the range quite often, and in controlled environments I can get some half decent results, but if its a bit windy its a complete waste of time, groups can easily open up to 30cms or more.  In addition retained energy of any .22lr has dropped dramatically at 200 yards making accuracy vital for pest work.

I would never take the .22lr if I knew my quarry was 150-200 yards away, personally, that would be on/above the top limits of HMR of WMR for me.

[Wolfdog91 7,333]

4 hours ago, Deker said:

Each to their own, I use the .22lr at 200 on the range quite often, and in controlled environments I can get some half decent results, but if its a bit windy its a complete waste of time, groups can easily open up to 30cms or more.  In addition retained energy of any .22lr has dropped dramatically at 200 yards making accuracy vital for pest work.

I would never take the .22lr if I knew my quarry was 150-200 yards away, personally, that would be on/above the top limits of HMR of WMR for me.

Most of what I'm shooting at that distance are either crows or pigeons  your right about the wind. 9/10 times I'll only shoot on a dead wind , possibly a tail wind but mostly no wind  on anything past 100. That being said that little .22lr still has a good bit of energy out to 200 and the kill zone I found with with 50 odd ftlbs of energy is pretty good. But I only shoot birds at that distance if i shoot any game. Small game like rabbits and squirrel are just too friggin tough and too easy to stalk up with -75 yd of for me to really justify it. Maybe with something like a .17wsm but that thing is a Lazer comred to a .22lr

[Deker 3,478]

On 04/02/2023 at 12:23, Wolfdog91 said:

Most of what I'm shooting at that distance are either crows or pigeons  your right about the wind. 9/10 times I'll only shoot on a dead wind , possibly a tail wind but mostly no wind  on anything past 100. That being said that little .22lr still has a good bit of energy out to 200 and the kill zone I found with with 50 odd ftlbs of energy is pretty good. But I only shoot birds at that distance if i shoot any game. Small game like rabbits and squirrel are just too friggin tough and too easy to stalk up with -75 yd of for me to really justify it. Maybe with something like a .17wsm but that thing is a Lazer comred to a .22lr

As a matter of interest which brand/type of ammo is that?   The chart clearly shows the drop at 200 is like falling off a cliff, this can be dealt with on the range, but in the field, a difference of even a few feet in range can mean missing the quarry altogether, and then there is wind drift as well.

Anyway, we all know that, but the .22lr remains the most popular civil calibre in the world for good reason! 

[Alsone 789]

200yds is more .17 hornet territory if you want to stick with a small calibre. Not really anything in RF with the energy or manageable bullet drop at that range unless you want to start dialling in huge compensation as if on the range.

The one possible exception is I'm unsure of .17WSM at those ranges, but does that even exist now? Never really seemed to take off and google has no ballistics data suggesting maybe it's obsolete now.

Edited February 7, 2023 by Alsone