What is the maximum point-blank range of the "lowly" .22 Long Rifle Rimfire?

You’re thought process on a 17hmr over a 22lr is flawed. By a 22 mag and be better than both of the others
 
What the hell........

OP, I think you are trying to do too much with a single rifle. A 22 is probably the most common rifle/pistol round in the country and IMO, the best choice for small game inside 50 yards. I shoot for fun out to 100 yards with mine and have grouped fine. FWIW, I have both the CZ and a 10/22, both of which shoot extremely well at my sight in distance of 25 yards. I did shoot a fox last fall at around 70 yards with my 10/22.
I've no experience with any 17 cal but I have read they are more susceptible to wind drift.
Much beyond 50 yards you would be better off with a 22 Mag for prairie dogs or step up to a Hornet, 204, 223, 22-250, etc.
I used to hunt ground hogs here in Pa a lot so I had a 22-250 for long distance and 22 Mag for 150 yards or less.
I like guns of all types but when looking for a particular application, I'll take functionality over looks every time.
 
Hardest part of figuring this out is finding the BC of the bullet your using. I did this a couple years ago with my 22 mag. Found the BC somewhere on the internet for a 40gr bullet. If I remember right it's .094. Ran it MPBR at a 4" target and got 151yds. At 151 yds it's 2.1" low and at 75 yds it's 2" high. Idea was to figure out how to best use it as a calling gun for coyote's. Deal that got me to do this was seeing only the head of a coyote in a tall grass field. Guessed the head would give me a 3" or maybe 4" target. Now that I have it, I've never used it but I have shot the distances on range against what my chronograph told me and it was right on the money! Looked at my 22 mag in a whole new light after doing it.

Now don't know but suspect that the BC of the 40gr 22LR round might also be .094 also. What screwed me up was after I did this I went out to stock up on 22 Mag ammo and about all I could find was the 34gr loads. Right now I have about five hundred rounds of the 40 gr stuff and don't plink a lot with it!

BTW. The velocity according to my chronograph at 151 yds is 1191 fps. MV was 2000 fps.
Often the ammo maker's website will specify BC. Sometimes the online ammo vendor will specify this. They may or may not specify DC. I assume a DC of G1 unless it is specified in writing as G7. I don't have a chronograph and trust published data on ammunition. I love Hornady's online ballistic calculator.
 
What the hell........

OP, I think you are trying to do too much with a single rifle. A 22 is probably the most common rifle/pistol round in the country and IMO, the best choice for small game inside 50 yards. I shoot for fun out to 100 yards with mine and have grouped fine. FWIW, I have both the CZ and a 10/22, both of which shoot extremely well at my sight in distance of 25 yards. I did shoot a fox last fall at around 70 yards with my 10/22.
I've no experience with any 17 cal but I have read they are more susceptible to wind drift.
Much beyond 50 yards you would be better off with a 22 Mag for prairie dogs or step up to a Hornet, 204, 223, 22-250, etc.
I used to hunt ground hogs here in Pa a lot so I had a 22-250 for long distance and 22 Mag for 150 yards or less.
I like guns of all types but when looking for a particular application, I'll take functionality over looks every time.

The CZ 457 American bolt gun is made in .22 LR, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR at the same retail price of $569.00. Pick your rimfire poison!

I found this article on the pros/cons of .17 HMR vs .22 WMR and .22 LR.

"The .22 WMR also has a few downfalls. First off, due to the light point weight, this cartridge can still have difficulties in the wind. Also, due to the increased energy produced by the bullet on impact, it can be a little excessive if dining on cottontails is in your plans."
 
Last edited:
Often the ammo maker's website will specify BC. Sometimes the online ammo vendor will specify this. They may or may not specify DC. I assume a DC of G1 unless it is specified in writing as G7. I don't have a chronograph and trust published data on ammunition. I love Hornady's online ballistic calculator.
Ya know, I've never shot the info in my Hornady book against my reloads. If I can remember I need to try that this spring! Be interesting.
 
Y
Hardest part of figuring this out is finding the BC of the bullet your using. I did this a couple years ago with my 22 mag. Found the BC somewhere on the internet for a 40gr bullet. If I remember right it's .094. Ran it MPBR at a 4" target and got 151yds. At 151 yds it's 2.1" low and at 75 yds it's 2" high. Idea was to figure out how to best use it as a calling gun for coyote's. Deal that got me to do this was seeing only the head of a coyote in a tall grass field. Guessed the head would give me a 3" or maybe 4" target. Now that I have it, I've never used it but I have shot the distances on range against what my chronograph told me and it was right on the money! Looked at my 22 mag in a whole new light after doing it.

Now don't know but suspect that the BC of the 40gr 22LR round might also be .094 also. What screwed me up was after I did this I went out to stock up on 22 Mag ammo and about all I could find was the 34gr loads. Right now I have about five hundred rounds of the 40 gr stuff and don't plink a lot with it!

BTW. The velocity according to my chronograph at 151 yds is 1191 fps. MV was 2000 fps.
i went looking for that the other day and ran across this article…

Their discovery is the 40 gr RN has a BC of 0.145

 
Last edited:
If dining on cotton tails was my plan then the plan would include shooting them in the head! If you wanted a lot of good meat from a deer would you shoot it in the arse?
 
Cousin Basil, I have lived in Arkansas all of my life and have never seen a PD. Where do you go to hunt them. Wayne
 
Ollin Magnetic Digiscoping Systems

Forum statistics

Threads
110,816
Messages
1,935,410
Members
34,888
Latest member
Jack the bear
Back
Top