22LR @ 300 Yards..

JJ_BPK · 03-09-2012, 06:32

Interesting video of a guy doing a home-grown penetration test with his Ruger 10/22.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAkOz...eature=related

What impressed me was of his accuracy at that distance. 300 yds is a real stretch for a 26 gr slug. The penetration was also not exactly what I was expecting. It does not make the 22 LR a sniper round. It took 7 or 8 shots to hit the roast, but it is a data point for you 18B's..

SLVGW360 · 03-09-2012, 09:09

I have great respect for the .22. The results in performance on that target at 300 yards is even more impressive than I would have thought. The .22 is my weapon of choice for putting down elk, deer and much small critters at close range, especially in town. Further out I switch to the .308.

This however shows that this little round continues to pack a punch out quite a bit further. I wouldn't rely on it for that, but it does add some perspective. I was also involved in a barricade situation a few years ago now. The suspect was armed with a Marlin .22. Our perimeter was between 100 and 120 yards from him. It ended peacefully, but he could have done some damage.

Destrier · 03-09-2012, 09:48

Thanks!

Now I have got to add in my 22 into my kestrel and go test it.

Because I needed an excuse (coughs)

Dusty · 03-09-2012, 09:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLVGW360

I have great respect for the .22. The results in performance on that target at 300 yards is even more impressive than I would have thought. The .22 is my weapon of choice for putting down elk, deer and much small critters at close range, especially in town. Further out I switch to the .308.

This however shows that this little round continues to pack a punch out quite a bit further. I wouldn't rely on it for that, but it does add some perspective. I was also involved in a barricade situation a few years ago now. The suspect was armed with a Marlin .22. Our perimeter was between 100 and 120 yards from him. It ended peacefully, but he could have done some damage.

What town do you live in that allows you to put down elk with a .22?

SLVGW360 · 03-09-2012, 10:47

In my state, statute allows me to do many things that are strictly prohibited for others. Some believe that we have greater power than regular LE. Because we are also regulatory in nature we have some powers that are not granted for crime detection only. We do get help from traditional LE agencies with sick or injured critters and we train them, but they usually call us as it is primarily our responsibility and our area of expertise.

I now live in Monte Vista, CO. I have put down deer just down the street from my house and elsewhere. We also have elk along the river within 1/2 mile of my house. If the wind is still and traffic is quiet you can hear them bugling in the fall. I haven't had to put an elk down in this town, but I did in Boulder. Most elk issues in town occur along the front range, especially in Estes Park. I helped my counter part in Estes Park on several occasions, doing just that. Sometimes just helping him; other times because I was the on-call officer.

My first district was Boulder North. Boulder, CO is the city where I did most of the putting down of deer. I can't recall a day that I didn't put down at least one deer in that district; some days it was up to 5 or 6. The vast majority were in town and between houses. Anticipating that the bullet would come out from one of many angles, you had to set up the shot carefully. If needed you had to move the critter or get it to move on its own so you get a safe shot off. There were many that I had to line up between windows so the brick would be hit instead if an exit occurred. Most of the time the bullet stayed inside. You notified and cleared the houses first of course.

I think you have seen the picture of the elk next to a tractor inside of a shed that I posted in a different thread. That was near Ft. Garland, CO. It had a broken jaw. I put that bull elk down with a borrowed .22 LR handgun (I didn't have my own that day). Because the landowner really didn't want any holes in his shed. I had to keep the tractor between it and myself because he kept charging me. Once I had a good shot lined up it worked like a dream.

Dusty · 03-09-2012, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLVGW360

In my state, statute allows me to do many things that are strictly prohibited for others. Some believe that we have greater power than regular LE. Because we are also regulatory in nature we have some powers that are not granted for crime detection only. We do get help from traditional LE agencies with sick or injured critters and we train them, but they usually call us as it is primarily our responsibility and our area of expertise.

I now live in Monte Vista, CO. I have put down deer just down the street from my house and elsewhere. We also have elk along the river within 1/2 mile of my house. If the wind is still and traffic is quiet you can hear them bugling in the fall. I haven't had to put an elk down in this town, but I did in Boulder. Most elk issues in town occur along the front range, especially in Estes Park. I helped my counter part in Estes Park on several occasions, doing just that. Sometimes just helping him; other times because I was the on-call officer.

My first district was Boulder North. Boulder, CO is the city where I did most of the putting down of deer. I can't recall a day that I didn't put down at least one deer in that district; some days it was up to 5 or 6. The vast majority were in town and between houses. Anticipating that the bullet would come out from one of many angles, you had to set up the shot carefully. If needed you had to move the critter or get it to move on its own so you get a safe shot off. There were many that I had to line up between windows so the brick would be hit instead if an exit occurred. Most of the time the bullet stayed inside. You notified and cleared the houses first of course.

I think you have seen the picture of the elk next to a tractor inside of a shed that I posted in a different thread. That was near Ft. Garland, CO. It had a broken jaw. I put that bull elk down with a borrowed .22 LR handgun (I didn't have my own that day). Because the landowner really didn't want any holes in his shed. I had to keep the tractor between it and myself because he kept charging me. Once I had a good shot lined up it worked like a dream.

That's pretty impressive.
I guess those smallbore silhouette shooters are more dangerous than I thought!

Years ago, I read about a rimfire Olympic shooter who got jacked with his family down south and killed three attackers with his competition pistol.

Head shots, prolly.

SLVGW360 · 03-09-2012, 11:07

I agree, and yes all head shots on the bigger critters.

I know that day at the barricade there were a few officers that were walking around without cover and I even found myself doing the same a time or two when getting updates from the Sheriff. I can't remember for sure, but this one lasted 6-7 hours. When you are familiar with much bigger cartridges, the .22 can seem somewhat impotent. I did sense an air of "...its just a .22...". Nobody said that of course. The whole situation started off with this guy shooting at his parole officer and deputies that accompanied him to the guys abode. He started shooting at them from inside and had them pinned down until the SWAT team arrived with the APC to get them out. Nice day.

I forgot to mention that many critter, especially big bucks are poached using .22s.

Barbarian · 03-09-2012, 11:25

Quote:

I forgot to mention that many critter, especially big bucks are poached using .22s.

Poaching is an especially big problem in my AO, and most often the .22 LR is the caliber of choice for poachers.

mugwump · 03-09-2012, 12:56

I knew an old bush pilot who only used longs, not long rifles, to take game in sizes up to woods caribou. He said long rifles were too powerful and spoiled too much meat if he couln't get a head shot.

Dusty · 03-09-2012, 13:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by mugwump

I knew an old bush pilot who only used longs, not long rifles, to take game in sizes up to woods caribou. He said long rifles were too powerful and spoiled too much meat if he couln't get a head shot.

I can extrapolate that to encompass the fearsome .22 Magnum as the round of choice for wooly mammoth.

SLVGW360 · 03-09-2012, 13:40

Now that's funny!

tonyz · 03-09-2012, 16:05

After that video and this thread...the potential currency of the future...

"I'll gladly pay you on Tuesday for a CCI .22 LR stinger today"...and, subsonic, low noise, shorts may fetch even more under the right circumstances.

Buffalobob · 03-09-2012, 20:17

In the Adventure Challenge I chose a 22WMR because you get a little more penetration and lethal range than with the plain 22 and still have a low weight per round compared to the center fire cartridges.

http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/...=18201&page=14

As far as 300 yard shooting goes, most people recommend the subsonic Aguila to avoid the transition from supersonic to subsonic and preserve accuracy. I have only tried the high velocity stuff and my 10-22 is not very accurate in the first place and the scope is pretty worthless for precision shooting at that distance. I would never have hit the roast with my rifle.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/250...ead-round-nose

mojaveman · 03-09-2012, 23:22

The .22LR is not to be underestimated. One example that comes to mind is John Hinckey's attack on President Reagan and his entourage in '81. I can remember watching that event on television.

Guymullins · 03-10-2012, 03:27

There are two documented cases of adult African elephant being killed with a .22 long rifle. John "Pondoro" Taylor, the great ivory hunter tells of a man who shot a bull elephant just behind the front leg as it was taking a step forwards. The round penetrated the soft flesh behind the foreleg and reached the heart. The elephant walked another hundred yards and fell over stone dead. The small bullet had reached its heart without encountering a rib. The hunters companion, having witnessed the fluke, betted the hunter that he could not do it again and a few weeks later the hunter replicated the shot exactly, again quickly killing the elephant. So the humble .22 can accomplish the seeming impossible. The recommended smallest calibre for elephant is .375 H&H Magnum with a 300g bullet. Monolithic brass solids for head shots and softs for side chest shots and solids if you are going through the shoulder.