Every so often I hear talk about 22LR being useless as a long range training tool. I'm curious, how many of you here own a 22LR that can hold 1/2" or better at 50yds?
I have a couple, the favorite of which is a 40x. One thing that I've learned after putting a few thousand rounds through this rifle is that 22lr is more sensitive to user input than anything I have ever shot. It is harder to accurately shoot a 22lr at 50yds than it is to shoot any centerfire at 300yds. The reason for this is that the bullet is in the barrel for 3x longer than most centerfires. This means that you have 3x the time to affect the rifle.
Trigger control, finger placement on the trigger shoe, grip on the stock, cheek weld, breathing, follow through, bipod manipulation, etc. The list goes on and on, but the point is that any one of them is enough to throw a shot at 50yds.
The bedding must be perfect, and your rifle driving skills must be perfect each time to throw them in one hole at 50yds. To even hold 1/2" at 50yds is a remarkable feat. I recently attended an ARA match, in which the goal is to hold approximately 1/4" from center of POA. I shot better off a bipod than I did a one piece machine rest, simply because I was more familiar prone with a bipod and rear bag than I was up on a bench. Scoring over 2000 in these matches is considered an impressive feat. This really drove home just how difficult it is to consistently shoot a 22LR accurately.
As a result, I've spent more and more time behind my 40x. It is cheap, live-fire exercise that illustrates absolutely EVERY weakness in your shooting form, and does so at a close range. Virtually everyone can find a 50yd range to shoot at. The close distance also makes it easy to get instant feedback on your shots. A bad wind call at 50yds can result in a 1/2" shift in POI very easily, and you can see it immediately. Often, you can actually watch the bullet go down range and impact the paper. Along its flight path, you can witness the wind's effect as it happens in real time. You would not believe what this can teach you about how wind reacts to terrain.
If you don't own a good accurate 22lr, I highly suggest you get one and spend some time with it. It will let you get away with absolutely nothing, and if you put in the time, will make you a better shooter.
Bookmarks