[gunsmoker]

I just shot a .22 rifle, offhand (unsupported), at 25 yards and got a 5" group.

That's bigger than I expected. Well, one flyer made it a 5" group.
The other 9 shots were more like the size of a tennis ball.
Still, an 8 minute-of-angle group would be only 2" at 25 yds, and I wanted to do something closer to that size.

So I moved back to 100 yards, cranked up the sights (simple open sights on an old .22 plinker), got into the modified sitting position (fat man can only put one elbow on one knee), and shot a 14" group. Yeah, fourteen inches. The size of a large pizza. That was my 100 yard group, sitting.

Now, I only traded-into this rifle a couple of years ago and only shot it once, about 30 rounds worth, the week I got it back in 2014. Today was the second time shooting it, ever. But... I don't recall the gun having any accuracy problems the first time I shot it. Today things just went terribly wrong at 100 yards.

Should I blame the outdoor target being covered with shadows, giving it a camoflauge pattern of gray on the white paper?

Could I blame the bright sunlight reflecting in my eyes of the shiny oiled blued-steel sights? I should have had a candle with me and smoked 'em with some soot. The glint of the sun made precise aiming very difficult.

BOTTOM LINE: I NEED MORE PRACTICE WITH .22 RIFLES, OPEN SIGHTS, AT 50 feet to 100 yards.

25 yards is a good distance. Most indoor ranges are that long.

Who wants to form a little "GPDO league" and do monthly shoots with .22 rifles and improve our scores through this regular practice, and comparing notes as to what works and what does not?

 

[zetor]

Should I blame the outdoor target being covered with shadows, giving it a camoflauge pattern of gray on the white paper?

Could I blame the bright sunlight reflecting in my eyes of the shiny oiled blued-steel sights? I should have had a candle with me and smoked 'em with some soot.

I would go with wind if it was blowing like it was here. It was very windy today. Windy enough to really move your arms.

 

[Wegahe]

This is funny...

Not in a humorous way but n a coincidental sort of way. A few weeks ago I drug out my 1958 Remington model 512 that had not seen the outside of my safe in well over 30 years. Took it to the range and shot it standing off hand 25 yards on a blank 9'' paper plates. This for those who care is a single shot bolt action. The first 10 shots landed a 3.35'' group. It was all UP hill from there. Some shots on the next plate landed completely outside the plate and on the blank white paper I had the plates taped to. By the time I completed the 5th plate of 10 rounds only 3 out of 10 actually hit the plate and one of those just nicked the edge but I counted it as a hit since it did touch it. We wont talk about the spread of the other 2 shots. Since this was an indoor range I am blaming it on the gun since wind and shadows were not available.

So I'm up for it. Maybe we can run over to WWT and pop some .22 together sometime? I have plenty of .22LR ammo, several rifles and one handgun.

 

[Scout706]

It was very windy today

 

[a_springfield]

Indoor range? Did you check the a/c? That's what it was the a/c, that's my story the vent was right above my lane and the fan was pulsating.

OP the wind should be considered on .22 at 100 plus the quality of ammo.

 

[awanatech]

This is funny...

Not in a humorous way but n a coincidental sort of way. A few weeks ago I drug out my 1958 Remington model 512 that had not seen the outside of my safe in well over 30 years. Took it to the range and shot it standing off hand 25 yards on a blank 9'' paper plates. This for those who care is a single shot bolt action. The first 10 shots landed a 3.35'' group. It was all UP hill from there. Some shots on the next plate landed completely outside the plate and on the blank white paper I had the plates taped to. By the time I completed the 5th plate of 10 rounds only 3 out of 10 actually hit the plate and one of those just nicked the edge but I counted it as a hit since it did touch it. We wont talk about the spread of the other 2 shots. Since this was an indoor range I am blaming it on the gun since wind and shadows were not available.

Maybe the HVAC or ventilation system was creating that much of a draft in the range?

 

[Smilodon]

What kind of ammo were you using? The quality of ammo makes a huge difference in .22, and it was windy today too.

 

[gunsmoker]

It was windy, but all except one shot broke at a time when I "thought" my sight picture was good. My arms weren't being moved by the wind.
Maybe the bullets WERE being pushed by the wind, to various degrees, not consistently the same amount and vector.

AMMO was certainly one factor, but there's no way shooting some ammo my gun doesn't like, or even shooting a mixed handful of assorted 40-grain high velocity ammo from two or three different manufacturers, would explain a 14" group at 100 yards. WOuld it? ?

I think my sights were the issue.
I'd love to put a scope on that rifle and try it again, all other conditions being equal, but the old gun has no provisions for mounting any scope. No dovetail grooves; no drilling and tapping.

 

[Smilodon]

Wind is a big factor at 100y with a .22. Combined with ammo selection and open sights 14" groups are very possible. I don't think it is ammo that your gun doesn't like as much as inconsistencies from round to round. Another big factor is the transition to subsonic speeds at longer distances.

 

[Wegahe]

Maybe the HVAC or ventilation system was creating that much of a draft in the range?

That could be it. Except for the first plate where it was located on the backing the ventilation system couldn't get to it.

What kind of ammo were you using? The quality of ammo makes a huge difference in .22, and it was windy today too.

Winchester white box 555.

 

[Milamber]

My favorite 22 is my 1943 510.

Ammunition quality is criticle on a 22. I use Eley Match 40gr. Very reliable and very accurate. At 60yds I can set off shotgun primers using my Marlin XT22 with a 3.9.40 Nikon. So cheating really but if I use bulk it's hit and miss if you pardon the pun.

 

[Smilodon]

That could be it. Except for the first plate where it was located on the backing the ventilation system couldn't get to it.

Winchester white box 555.

I would check for a missing barrel, just make sure it didn't fall off. Those old Remingtons are supposed to be shooters. 3.5" with WWB isn't too bad, but if you can't hit the plate then you might need to give up shooting. Or cut back on the drinking at the range. :drink::runaway:

It isn't one of the old smooth bore rifles is it?

 

[Wegahe]

It isn't one of the old smooth bore rifles is it?

Unfortunately not.

OK... Real reason. I do have Parkinson's. I am not on medication for it yet. Sometimes I am unable to keep it in check. It's worse in my left hand which was supporting the fore end of the rifle. I kept at it in order to attempt to judge when the tremor would put me on target. I did just ok for the second and third plates missing those plates with only a couple of shots each. Which brings us to number 4 and 5. 4 was a 50/50 on hits and 5...it's out there...

Had the shots not been at least on paper I would have quit.

I'm still blaming the rifle though.

 

[Smilodon]

I almost made a Micheal J Fox joke in my last post. I knew something had to be up for to go from good to off the plate. It sounds like you can at least keep the hits on a torso.

 

[Wegahe]

I almost made a Micheal J Fox joke in my last post. I knew something had to be up for to go from good to off the plate. It sounds like you can at least keep the hits on a torso.

I do much better with handguns. I can put 10 for 10 at 25 in the plates because I can use my right hand as sort of a control when my left is acting up. I don't shoot with both having radical tremors.

 

[Rugerer]

Another funny coincidence. We bought a couple of Ruger American Rimfire in anticipation of doing an Appleseed. A few days ago was my first try at 25 yards offhand. I'd like to try learning from a league. We couldn't make the Appleseed that was yesterday. We're definitely watching for the next one.

My group was 3 inches. My problem is that the rear sight is a blurry mess. I'm windowshopping a scope for it.

 

[adams454]

Have you had your eyes checked? You may not be seeing the sights as well as you think. I don't know about other rifles, but I know my 10/22 will hit a golf ball at 100yds all day every day.

 

[Smilodon]

I don't know if I could see a golf ball at 100y.

 

[Wegahe]

Have you had your eyes checked? You may not be seeing the sights as well as you think. I don't know about other rifles, but I know my 10/22 will hit a golf ball at 100yds all day every day.

I've shot golf balls at what I believed was 100 yards with my 512. I don't know the actual distance since it was not at a range and we only paced it off. So the distance was a wild guess at best. Haven't tried with my 10/22.

 

[mrhutch]

I've shot a breath mint at 50 yards with my remington 597 & CCI mini mags. I can shoot all 10 rounds in a dime sized hole from a solid rest. off hand, i can tear up a coke can. Don't judge a rifle until you've tested it from a good solid bag.