Author Topic: Farthest effective shot taken with a rimfire rifle? (Read 3081 times)

His lordship. · « **on:** September 28, 2009, 04:26:32 AM »

What is the farthest distance that you have effectively used a rimfire rifle, this includes all the popular calibers and bullet types? The farthest I ever did was 350 yards using a Marlin 25-N with regular mid-loads of lead .22 RF. I saw the bullet hit the dirt, but had to really aim high to get it out there, not sure if it would have been effective on anything. I tried to go beyond that but did not observe any signs of activity. I am anxious to try my .17 HMR as I have heard of people hitting prairie dogs out to 300 yards.

frankkj · « **Reply #1 on:** September 29, 2009, 02:23:19 PM »

Quote

I am anxious to try my .17 HMR as I have heard of people hitting prairie dogs out to 300 yards.

Hitting, maybe, killing?

? We should be ethical with our shots no matter what the game.

Frank

Casull · « **Reply #2 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:09:08 PM »

I used to shoot the metal plate at the silhouette range at 220 yards. Plate was about 18 inches square, and once I determined the holdover, it was routine. Bang . . . wait a few seconds . . . ting.

notnodak · « **Reply #3 on:** September 30, 2009, 06:40:57 AM »

I used my 10/22 to shoot an adult turtle @ 200yrds.

notnodak · « **Reply #4 on:** September 30, 2009, 06:41:58 AM »

Quote from: frankkj on September 29, 2009, 02:23:19 PM

Quote
I am anxious to try my .17 HMR as I have heard of people hitting prairie dogs out to 300 yards.

Hitting, maybe, killing?? We should be ethical with our shots no matter what the game.

Frank

It would sound more believable if it were a 5mmMag or a 17hornet

Rex in OTZ · « **Reply #5 on:** September 30, 2009, 11:30:46 AM »

In Highschool basketball there is a distance you personnaly will have the greatist chance '%' of makeing a basket, some guy's do lay-ups, some are the 3 point crowd depends the skills you develope.
same applies to your hunting skills, fellas that take long shots should stay on the target range, takeing long shots has the greatist % of somthing going wrong long shots at a inanimate object is one thing a long shot with poor shot placement is somthing un-ethical and stupid because its 100% preventable who ever made a follow-up shot at great distance.
I like a good clean kill, its simple,its not as messy as chaseing wounded game across field & dale most critters arnt gonna stick round for the next long distance installment (please stand by and bleed to death while we lob another round at ya), its a poor reflection of your hunting skill, in kids its forgiveable as they dont have the judgement or skill in adults unforgiveable, I find its a crutch to take a long shot cause yer too lazy to get in close (hunt).

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #6 on:** September 30, 2009, 12:03:15 PM »

With the 22LR we will hit Clay birds out to 200 yards
and with the 17HMR or 22Mag we will shoot Baking potatoes out to 225 yards ( the back of the range)
I think the 22 will hit them but the brown potato is hard to see in the dirt with open sights.

Thebear_78 · « **Reply #7 on:** September 30, 2009, 04:12:19 PM »

a 20 oz pop bottle out to 200 yards is pretty easy to hit with the 17HMR. Iwouln't think twice about shooting at a snowshoe rabbit at that range with it. I limit fox and other bigger critters to less than 150 yards.

kevinsmith5 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 05, 2009, 05:08:03 PM »

22 mag, cat squirrel's head, 125 yards.

CajunBass · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2009, 01:25:43 AM »

I once killed a squirrel at 79 paces, (not yards) out of the top of a big oak tree. Rifle was a Marlin 39a, Winchester "expert" HP ammo IIRC.

pastorp · « **Reply #10 on:** October 09, 2009, 04:03:27 AM »

CB, was that 79yds to where the squirrel was or the base of the tree?

Good shooting either way.

ShooterToo · « **Reply #11 on:** October 09, 2009, 04:22:53 PM »

I shot a gray squirrel at a lasered 152 yards with my Ruger 77/17 VMBBZ. I'd been shooting crows at about the same distance so it wasn't that hard of a shot to make. Round hit front shoulders, about 1/2 inch lower than point of aim which was his head. I only had the lower half to clean and eat.

Dee · « **Reply #12 on:** October 09, 2009, 04:31:17 PM »

I once knocked a buzzard out of a tree at about 300 yards with a Stevens single shot rifle, and a 22 long rifle hollow point. Had to walk down and finish him, but I hit him the first shot.
Pure luck and good Kentucky windage, along with thousands of rounds shot thru that ole hand me down rifle.
And before you tell me buzzards are protected, I will say I was about 13 years old when I shot it, and nothing was protected or safe if I went huntin back then. I was a kid on a mission, and it was about 46 years ago. The evidence is gone and the statute of limitations has run out. I hope.

slim rem 7 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 09, 2009, 04:44:15 PM »

havn t made mine yet but its a matter of time.. it ll be a coyote in the head with velocitor an cz 452 scoped with a bushnell 4-12..
i wouldn t worry a bit about 150- 160 yrds..150 takes about 5 inches or a tad more holdover, if im remembering right.. [which aint a sure thing these days]

.. so im just waitin on the coyote to be that far.. sli

coyotejoe · « **Reply #14 on:** October 11, 2009, 04:44:09 AM »

As a high school kid I was out plinking with a couple of other kids. One spotted something sticking above the surface of a small creek and maybe 150 yards. "That's a snake" he said. "Naw, it's a stick" says I. "Snake" he insists so I said "well, I'll show you". I shouldered the Mossberg .22 auto, held the crosshairs well above the "stick" and squeezed off, thinking I'd just lob a bullet into the water somewhere close and if it were alive it would move. "You got it" he said. We ran down there and he reached into the water and pulled out a three foot long snake with it's head hanging by a it of skin. Accidents do happen.

CajunBass · « **Reply #15 on:** October 14, 2009, 10:42:00 PM »

Quote from: pastorp on October 09, 2009, 04:03:27 AM

CB, was that 79yds to where the squirrel was or the base of the tree?

Good shooting either way.

It was 79 PACES, not yards. My normal pace is shorter than a yard, and it was pretty woody country. It was from where I rested the gun on the side of the tree, to where the squirrel fell. No skill involved really. Just pure dumb luck.

I figured I'd hit clean or miss clean.

S.S. · « **Reply #16 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:21:23 AM »

I have picked off pigeons at over 150 yards with a 22lr.
Crows at even farther.
The 17hm2 and 17hmr are in a whole different class to me.
I literally do not think I have ever missed a target I have shot at
with my hm2 even at distance.

Graybeard · « **Reply #17 on:** October 15, 2009, 10:33:28 AM »

Two shots come to mind, one of which for sure was effective. Once as a boy my friend and I spent a very chilly night on the ground in sleeping bags camping out in the big woods behind my uncle's house. I'd guess we were a mile or so back from the house. I woke the next morning to hear a squirrel chattering away and saw it high in a tree I figured way too far off to hit but what the heck I gave it a try and the squirrel tumbled out dead from a free hand shot. It's been far to long to recall the distance but slightly under 100 yards I'd guess. It was breakfast that day.

Far longer was one with my then brand new 5mm Remington. I bought it and took it to the woods to sight in after mounting the scope. I saw a squirrel at what I'd guess at 200 yards at least. At the shot the squirrel disappeared so I went looking. When I got to the huge old tree it had been in I saw a squirrel run down it and stop on the side and chatter at me. I fired again and it blew that squirrel clean off the tree into a nearby tree in shreads. Yup I found out ya don't body shoot squirrels with a 5mm Rem. that day. When I looked over the mess I noticed a neat little .20 caliber hole thru both ears. From around 200 yards away I had shot a tad high and hit ears only. Had it been an inch or inch and a half lower I'm sure I'd have taken the head off from that long range.

I went on to find out how great that rifle and that round were. It is the only rifle I have litterally driven tacks with. I held my targets on with screen tacks back then. At 100 yards it was no great feat to hit them with it.

PartsMan · « **Reply #18 on:** October 19, 2009, 04:00:39 AM »

Quote from: Chris D. on September 28, 2009, 04:26:32 AM

The farthest I ever did was 350 yards using a Marlin 25-N with regular mid-loads of lead .22 RF. I saw the bullet hit the dirt, but had to really aim high to get it out there, not sure if it would have been effective on anything.

That's exactly like mine only it was a New Heaven 220.
All of the 22 kills I can remomber have been inside 50yd.

Gdbyrd · « **Reply #19 on:** October 24, 2009, 05:18:32 PM »

With my anschutz in 22LR, I can hit a coke can almost every shot at 200 yards. Longest consistent shots on an 8" plate has been at 350 yards. This is with no wind. At the 300ish yard area it prints about the size of a small basketball with very occassional fliers.

It's neat because you can almost shoot, put the gun down, and pull up a spotting scope to see it hit.

At 350 yards, there is not enough energy to go through a soda can, btw. Lol.

I have also shot birds at 200ish yard range with a 17 HMR...consistenly.

It's all in knowing the gun and having the right weather, but you can certainly lob those bad boys a long way.

Cottonwood · « **Reply #20 on:** November 15, 2009, 03:00:57 PM »

With my TOZ 17 Trainer - 22 LR shooting our Richardson Gophers at 169 yards while with my brother in law at the farm, I have 180 confirmed kills at this range. This next season I will be giving them heck with the H&R Sportster .22 WMR

Casull · « **Reply #21 on:** November 15, 2009, 07:53:43 PM »

Quote

With my TOZ 17 Trainer - 22 LR shooting our Richardson Gophers at 169 yards while with my brother in law at the farm, I have 180 confirmed kills at this range. This next season I will be giving them heck with the H&R Sportster .22 WMR

How do you get that many to stand at the same yardage?

Cottonwood · « **Reply #22 on:** November 16, 2009, 01:14:53 AM »

Quote from: Casull on November 15, 2009, 07:53:43 PM

How do you get that many to stand at the same yardage?

We were shooting across from one rise to another.

navylawdog · « **Reply #23 on:** November 19, 2009, 05:09:48 AM »

Quote from: Dee on October 09, 2009, 04:31:17 PM

And before you tell me buzzards are protected, I will say I was about 13 years old when I shot it, and nothing was protected or safe if I went huntin back then. I was a kid on a mission, and it was about 46 years ago. The evidence is gone and the statute of limitations has run out. I hope.

Ah yes weren't those the good 'ol days? It was the same way with me when I was a teen. I think animals especially birds made it a point to go around our house not near it.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #24 on:** November 19, 2009, 05:31:56 AM »

My brother ranged a "big crow" in a distant tree at 130 yards! Probably three years ago. I took my 17 mach ll and took it outa the tree. longest shot i have made with a rim fire

Plainsman · « **Reply #25 on:** November 24, 2009, 03:49:33 PM »

I have a .22lr Marlin 780 that is a tack driver! Back in the day, I had it set up with a Weaver K-4 scope and 9"-12" bipod. I would sit on my pickup tool box and shoot off the roof of the pickup. With this routine, I set up one Memorial Day weekend in a hay field and shot about 175 gophers at ranges from 10-120yards consistently. I used American Eagles back then and had one shot kills at all ranges.

The absolute longest shot was with that rifle at a blackbird sitting on a cattail at 175 yards. That was a witnessed one shot kill.

I can't wait to wring out all the trajectories for my Handi in .22WMR, a week ago I found it was dead on at 200 yds the way I have it zeroed currently!