What would you consider a more challenging long range shot?
By spotter ~ December 30th, 2008. Filed under: Nikon Scopes.
.22LR's shooting 12" black @ 200 yds
or
.308 Winchester shooting 36" black @ 600 yds or 48" black @ 800 yds.
The cost of a nice .308 is about 3x the cost of a nice .22. My local range doesn't go beyond 200 yds. There is only one range with 600 yds within an hour's drive. I have no idea where my closest 800+ yds range is.
It would be much easier to spend $1,500 on this sport than $4,500.
I'm looking for the challenge, not necessarily the outspending.
I have a CZ452 Lux .22LR and shoot 8" black @ 100 yds regularly with open sights and have been occasionally shooting 12" black @ 200 yds. I got a 2mm ghost ring for the rear sight. I also have a 4x32 Nikon ProStaff scope, but use it only occasionally.
http://www.cz452.com/ Not that my CZ is no good, it is excellent, but I'm thinking of getting another gun and trying some long range shooting.
The 200 yds is all over the place. I use a variety of HV 40 grain copper plated rounds, mostly Remington Goldens. I just like open sights. I do about the same at 100 yds with either.
I figure Anschutz 1416 would set me back about $800. Anschutz 1710D more like $1,500.
I'd like to do more than merely "hit the black" I can do that very consistently now. I'd like to be consistently hitting the 9 or 10 rings on TQ-4 targets.
December 31st, 2008 at 6:18 am
The .22lr at 12″ black at 200yds.
A lot of experts say, “If you can’t master the .22lr, then you shouldn’t be shooting anything else until you do.” I personally think that is absolutely true.
Stick with the CZ452. If you sell it, you’ll look back. I did, but I redeemed myself by buying another one. The only thing better than a CZ452/453 is an Anschutz.
January 1st, 2009 at 4:38 pm
i got a dpms panther arms .308 in a AR15 type of gun. and it shoots great at 200 yards..but like you said it hard to find a range that has more yardage…it would be nice. ohh and like you said also .. the ammo costs alot for the .308, i guess the .22’s real cheap.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:18 am
I don’t get your reluctance to use the CZ for long range shooting at 200 yards. And, why the iron sights? I have the CZ452 Silhouette, with a 6-24×44 scope, which regularly shoots 1″ groups at 100 yards. So, the gun will do it. 200 yards is going to be challenging for the .22LR, simply for figuring bullet drop and wind adjustment. The cartridge wasn’t meant for that distance. But, with an accurate rifle, I think it would be a fun challenge.
Also don’t get where you figure to spend $1500 – $4500. Am I missing something? A quality, long range .308 with a good scope can be had for way less tha $1500. Are you going custom guns?
January 2nd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
If you’re unable to shoot beyond 200 yards, then the .22LR chambered rifle makes a lot of sense.
Many rifles can hit the 36″ and 48″ black circles at 600 and 800 yards. If you want to hit the X rings, then a rifle will cost a lot of money. But to just hit somewhere in the black, a number of rifles (including some military surplus rifles in good condition) will help you gain experience without breaking the bank.
January 5th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
It is a tough call, but shooting at 600 yards is a LOT different than shooting at 200, even considering using a slow 22 vs a fast 308. Really, provided you know the ‘dope’ i.e. how high to hold, a MOA at 200 yards is 2 inches, while a MOA at 600 yards is 6 inches, both examples are shooting 6 MOA targets. But in my experience, 600 is so much further that you have a lot more drop, and that seems to be less forgiving of slight variances in your loadings. Plus, you have more air to look through, so you have a better chance of a mirage image, or heat swells causing warping of the light, and wind seems to be a bigger factor, plus, with a longer range, you simply have a better chance of encountering wind, or encountering a few different directions of wind.
Either way I say get involved in an actual shooting club. It is a lot different when you are competing against others, and also for the challenge go for ‘rapid fire’ having a clock ticking not allowing you to take all the time in the world, definately adds to the challenge.
January 6th, 2009 at 9:08 pm
If you have a decent rifle, ammo, and scope and you are a good shooter you should be able to shoot 1 moa all day at msot ranges. That means at 600 yards you can shoto a 6 inch group. the .22LR 200 yard shot will probabaly be more difficult because of finding the right trajectory and .22 LR ammunition not always being very consistent like centerifre catridges.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
You’ve come up against the limit of the accuracy
of that .22, especially with H.V. rounds.
That round passes below the speed of sound about
60 – 70 Yd.s out, and the collapse of the shock wave can
introduce a wobble to the bullets.
(Shoot for group at 50 & 75 Yd.s and you’ll see what I mean).
Try some subsonics, you will have to re-zero, and
the wind will have more effect, but the groups might
tighten just a bit.
At 200 Yd.s with the .22, you’ve had an introduction to ‘doping’
the wind, but going to 600 & 800 with a .308 will be a new and
challanging ,(Frustrating as h*ll), experience.
January 11th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
If you shoot well with open iron sights then congratulations — most people cant…… I love the looks of astonishment other folks at the gun club give me when I consistently hit the center rings of a 15 inch metal plate all day with an AK, a Hi-Point 9MM carbine, and both Ruger Mini 14 and Mini 30 rifles at 125 yards…… Most people can easiliy learn to do this with regular practice — It also helps if you practice with rifles that use cheap ammo….. Thats why I like the above choices so much ———— THE first consideration in my opinion is the cost of the ammuntion before the rifle choice…. Some of that fancy ammunition out there can be quite expensive. Sure I would like to be a marksman with 45/70 or 30/06 but not at $20 a box on up to $70 a box! —– The best choices would be .223, .308, .22, 12 gauge shotgun, and yes the 7.62X39MM…. 7.62X39MM gets a bad rap because the rifles that generaly fire them are inaccurate (AK variants and SKS’s)…… CZ and Remington both make bolt action rifles that shoot the 7.62X39MM. If you decided to use that cartridge you would be able to use the 200 yards range near you and save an absolute fortune on ammunition because its priced so decent…. The recoil of the AK ammo is minimal and packs a decent punch so you at least feel like your shooting a real rifle cartridge… It is similar in balistics to the 30/30……. IF YOU REALLY WANT MORE LONG RANGE THEN THE .308 IS KING….. See the below link concerning the .308 and the .223…. Both are formidable cartridges that can be had at decent prices…….