.22LR Accuracy Techniques

[Picher]

Accurate shooting with .22LR rifles requires special techniques for best accuracy, especially group and target shooting. The low muzzle velocity 1,050 to 1,250 fps means that there is greater barrel time than with faster centerfire cartridges.

Longer barrel time means that follow-through in positions and consistent holds on rests affect point of impact to a greater extent. We're not talking about great differences, but when testing ammo/rifles, it's best to remove as many shooter inconsistencies as possible.

Most people who have striven for accuracy with rimfires recognize the need for better ammo, or at least ammo that each individual rifle likes better than others. The best ammo is expensive, but only careful ammo testing of various makes/lots of target/match ammo can determine which to buy for completion, or just for experimenters to find the most accurate for bragging rights, etc. The bottom line on ammo: When you find the most accurate, buy as much of that make/lot number as you can afford.

Setup: Get a vertically-adjustable front rest with a firm bag and a rear rabbit-ear bag, at the very least. Try to set up the same for each shot, including stock pressure against the shoulder. Use the same right hand pressure, cheek pressure (if any), and try to set the front rest so it's not necessary to squeeze the rear bag much, if at all.

For shooting rifles to be used in the field, I often place my hand between the front rest and the forend, to mimic field positions, but with free-floated barrels it's not as critical as when using non-floated ones. There's a big difference in "grouping ability" when in the field, but POI center should be as close as possible to sighting-in zero.

For most field shooting I like sighting-in .22LRs to zero at 50 yards. I find that to be a good situation for shots encountered on small game. Your results may vary, but remember to have a good sight setting for the ammo you're planning to use in the field, since target ammo zero may not be close to HV field ammo zero.

For longer shots, remember that wind deflection beyond 25 yards is greater with regular HV ammo than with standard velocity ammo, due to it passing through the supersonic/subsonic transition zone, often between 25 and 50 yards.

Hyper-velocity LR ammo extends the supersonic range for several yards, but may lose energy more at longer ranges because of lower bullet mass. Hyper-velocity ammo can be very accurate and devastating on small game. Accuracy is a matter of testing, as mentioned.

I hope this helps those who are interested in getting the most out of your particular rifle/ammo. I didn't get into rimfire rifle accurizing techniques, but can do so if people wish.

 

[DaleA]

How about listing what you've found to be the most accurate .22 rifles.

If you do that though please make a separate category for the Olympic class guns or leave them out entirely. I really think they should be in a class by themselves. Maybe in between 'regular' rifles and Olympic rifles there should be a 'custom' class like Kidd or Volquartsen.

My dream commercial shooting range would include a top of the line Anschutz that folks could rent just to see what one felt like.

I did some .22 target shooting in my youth and at the time the really good shooters shot better prone targets using a sling than when they 'cheated' and used a rest under the forearm. Using a rest was much easier but they usually got 97 or 98 out of 100 and with a sling they would get their 99 and 100 scores except when they screwed up, which admittedly was easier with the sling than with the rest.

 

[jdscholer]

Thanks Picher, I've never gotten into the rimfire benchrest thing, but I've got several nice, older .22 bolt guns that I'm always trying to wring the best out of.

I would love to crack the 1" at a hundred yards nut, but that's a tough one, and it seems to be ammo as the limiting factor. If I shoot ten shot groups, I'll frequently have six or seven very nice shots, with the others landing WAAYY out of the group.

Here's one of my project rifles that I built from parts off of E-Bay, after a friend started me with a barrel and stock. It's mostly a Remington 521T.



And here's one of my Rem 511's.



There's a lot of these old vintage bolt guns sitting in closets around the country just waiting for someone to take them for an outing and discover what kind of accuracy they are capable of. jd

 

[Picher]

Most accurate .22 rifles?

That's hard to pin down, since there's a lot of variation among rifles, even from the same manufacturer and model.

Certainly, Anschutz rifles are generally accepted as being very accurate, but the lower-priced models aren't as accurate as those with the 64 action and 1411 and newer heavy actions. My 1411 was quite accurate, but lacked the camming power that my Winchester 52C and Remington 40X had.

Winchester 52 sporters and Browning copies made in Japan are very good shooters. The copies are relatively affordable, but the old ones are priced pretty much out of the shooter market.

(One thing about Anschutz rifles is that replacement barrels are available from Border and other manufacturers and they can be installed with Locktite "Stud and Bearing Mount" liquid instead of using pins that can distort chambers.)

It's hard to beat custom and near-custom rifles like Coopers.

Some people like Savage MK IIs with thumbhole stocks, though I have no direct experience with them.

My Remington 504, after tuning, shoots very well, but they're no longer available. Some had bad barrels, leading to poor sales and cancellation. It's a hit or miss situation with used ones, so buy only with a guarantee by the seller.

I had a Rem 521T that shot well, but I never liked the action.

My Rem 581 is an excellent shooter, but has a (glued-in) Lilja barrel, trigger mods, and a Fajen Thumbhole stock. My son has one that shoots great with the factory barrel. The plastic magazines are not good, however.

For combination plinking and informal target shooting, it's hard to beat a modified or knock-off Ruger 10-22s.
The Volquartsen 10-22 knock-off is a very good-shooting rifle and one well worth the money.

Many people like modifying their 10-22s to be very accurate, but it usually takes more than drop-in parts to make them shoot very well. My 10-22 has only two non-factory parts...a Shilen bull-barrel and a nylon buffer, but has had lots of other modifications to make it shoot great. (It has shot 10 consecutive 5-shot groups on one sheet that averaged 0.37" at 50 yards.)

Another nice shooting rifle is a Winchester 69A. Mine has a Lyman receiver sight and globe front, and is dovetailed for scope use. The trigger pull is just over a pound.

Mossberg made an 880SQ HB that shoots quite accurately and my son used one in benchrest plinker matches with some success.

The CZ 455 and 452 are very good rifles. I have a 455 in .22 WMR that is quite accurate, for a magnum, keeping certain brands under 1" at 100 yards. The 455 can be had in .22LR, .22WMR, and .17HMR. I bought mine used and haven't purchased either of the other barrels.

Winchester 25 is another very good-shooting rifle, but cost has risen dramatically over the past 10 years to where the 52 target rifles used to be.

Remington rifles that shoot well include the 540X and 541S. The 513 target rifle is also pretty good older rifle.

The Ruger American .22 is supposed to be a pretty good shooter, but probably not target quality.

Like someone once said: "Accuracy is expensive. How accurate do you want your rifle to be?"

(This is NOT a complete list of accurate rifles.)

 

[4EVERM-14]

Picher,
Nice informative post. There is a great difference in ammo. Even with the high end versions. Occasionally a lower grade will shoot exceptionally well but the probability of consistent performance is not as reliable. Unless you've been exposed to competitive requirements it may be difficult to justify paying for the higher grade .22's. The 10 ring on an international target is extremely small.
So if that's a goal be prepared to do a lot of testing and spending.
I was surprised to discover that standard velocity .22's were more accurate at 200 yards then high velocity. I shot events at that distance that proved to me the trans sonic theory about .22's.
With all of that said it's a trip to just blast away with the cheap stuff once in a while.

 

[Bart B.]

The most accurate rimfires today shoot inside 1/2 MOA at 50 yards, 3/4 MOA at 100. That's because today's ammo's not as good as the stuff made prior to the early 1980's. Before then, best accuracy was at least a third better; sometimes half that of today.

 

[Picher]

Ammo accuracy is a major problem, but that's why it's important to test ammo often. Today's best ammo in your rifle may not be the best a few weeks or month's away.

If you're in competition, it's important to test ammo often. Although it's true that we may be in a slump with respect to accurate ammo, everyone is in the same boat, so test, test, test, if you wish to be at the top in competition.

Meanwhile, keep your rifle in top form, that means clean and mean. Rimfire ammo is dirty, so it's important to clean the breach and bolt quite often.

Accurate rifles have many things in common. They have excellent bedding, most barrels are free-floated, though the 10-22 and other one-screw stock screw models require either adding a second screw, or barrel pressure points.

They also have quality barrels. Factory barrels have wide variations in accuracy. That is particularly true of 10-22s, though some of the factory heavy barrels tend to produce better accuracy than sporter barrels, but don't count on it.

Headspace is critical on semi-autos. Grinding bolt faces to produce minimal headspace can make a big difference in accuracy. There are many other tricks to improve accuracy on 10-22s, as explained on the Tips and Tricks Forum of Rimfirecentral.com. I have some tips posted there.

 

[geetarman]

I have 3 bolt action 22 rifles. A CZ 452 that has been bedded and had a trigger job, a Ruger 77-22 that has been bedded and pillar bedded along with a trigger job and an Anschutz MPR 64.

It is pretty easy to duplicate the 50 yard test target from Anschutz with all three rifles. The Ruger and the CZ are not picky about ammo but the Annie is.

What I have seen so far, the most consistent performance for all three rifles is Lapua Std followed by Center X, Lapua Rifle Match and Wolf Target.

I was given some Tenex and was not at all happy with that.

None of the Federal Premium or target ammo has really shot good in any of these rifles. That also applies to Winchester and CCI.

I just bought some RWS that I have never shot before and have some Norma target ammo on order ( I have heard it is relabeled RWS ). I have seen some Aguila match ammo and have not tried that.

The guys that I talk to at the range all tell me that Lapua Std is very good in certain lots and will compete heads up with Center X. Some lots are not so good.

I have some of the good lots and am careful to only try a box or two from a different lot to see how it does.

As I said, I did order 10 boxes of RWS from Ammoman and have no clue how well it will shoot.

I did order a bunch of Norma from the folks I bought my Annie from and hope I am not going to be sorry for ordering 5000 rds of something I have never shot before. It comes with some really great reviews and I guess I will find out soon enough whether it is any good or not.

 

[Boncrayon]

I might suggesst that most all name-brand .22lr rifles are accurate. But accuracy is only in the hands of the shooter. Remembering the 6 NRA Fundamentals....1: Position 2: Grip (fit) 3: Sight Alignment 4: Breath Control 5: Trigger Squeeze and 6: Follow Through.

I've worked with Boy Scouts at the range with Savage Mark 1's with aperture sights. One Scout (obviously ADHD) who could not hit a sheet of paper at 50 ft. Working with him on the NRA fundamentals, I had him hitting bull's eye in half an hour. I heard him ask, "Did I do that?" for which I answered, "You tore up a perfectly good bull's eye!" He couldn't wait to show his parents!

Boncrayon
NRA Certified Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun, RSO
LA Wildlife & Fisheries Hunter Education Instructor

P.S. We were using inexpensive .22lr ammo.

 

[Picher]

About any .22 ammo will shoot pretty well at 50 feet. Fifty yards separates the good from the bad and the ugly. Beyond 50 yards, wind can play havoc on groups, so most folks test ammo at 50 yards in good conditions.

Good conditions is when there is little wind, mirage, and water vapor. Sun makes mirage and water vapor is present when the ground is damp and the sun or heat cause evaporation. Unfortunately, water vapor is invisible, but mirage is not, though high-powered rifle scopes or spotting scopes are necessary to evaluate it well.

Wind is the enemy of precision .22LR shooting. It causes subsonic target bullets to not only deflect sideways, but upward or downward, depending on the relationship between wind direction and twist. With a clockwise twist, the bullet will drop with a 9 o'clock wind and rise with a 3 o'clock wind. (Wind charts are available on the internet.) It's about a 1:5 ratio on 90* winds.

Light also affects bullet impact. When the sun comes out, bullets tend to hit higher on the target, due to light refraction. When the sun goes in, bullets tend to hit lower. It's not a big difference, perhaps only noticeable when shooting benchrest or prone with very accurate rifles/ammo.

Rimfire benchrest matches are often decided with x-count or one point differences. It's a difficult, very expensive game. I don't encourage the average shooter to try it unless you are very dedicated, have deep pockets and masochistic tendencies. LOL

 

[Bart B.]

GeetarMan, what's the size on your Annie 64's test target?

Picher, I've never heard of nor observed hot air refracting target images so rimfire bullets strike higher. Nor with center fire bullets behaving the same. How much temperature change is needed to cause a 1 MOA change in elevation at 100'yards?

 

[TahoeDust]

Accurately shooting a 22LR is a great challenge. It takes a combination of all the things listed above. Ammo, environment, weapon, technique, etc...

I set a goal to shoot a 10 round 1 MOA group at 50yds (<.5") off bench with just bipod, no bags, when I bought my Ruger American Rimfire. It took me about a 10 outings and close to a thousand rounds...

Shot outdoors with CCI Green Tag...

 

[geetarman]

Bart,

This is the 50m test target supplied with my rifle. I do not know what ammo was used. I have duplicated this group with the Ruger and CZ with a couple of different ammunitions. Those two rifles are not very picky. The Annie however is touchy. The Lapua Std and Center X work pretty well. I came VERY close to duplicating this group at 100 yards with the Annie. . . .I find myself telling me "'Ya gotta PERFECT one caliber 5 shot group going. Just four more shots. . . .."

 

[Picher]

Bart: I don't know whether there's a definitive temperature to rise formula or table, but when shooting benchrest on a given day/time, I'd be careful to shoot a sighter when there was a change in sun. It didn't change immediately, but after a few minutes, it warmed the earth enough to cause heat waves or water vapor change. We only shot at 50 yards, so I don't have any idea how much it changes at 100. It could be double or more.

It would often make a vertical difference in the range of 1/16" to 1/8" variation in elevation, enough to make a point difference, or the difference between an X or 10 on the benchrest target, considering the grouping ability of rifle, ammo, and shooter on a given day and the relative location of previous shots being close to the next line.

I shot a lot of sighters along each edge of paper, outside the shooting lines. Only one record shot per target is counted, along with misses inside the frame.

I would like to shoot reasonably fast strings when conditions were consistent. An old saying, "If the lead's not flying, you're dying" is a good saying for rimfire benchresters.

 

[Picher]

If you do a Google search on windchart.pdf, you can download a chart that shows how wind from various directions (on the analog clock) affects subsonic (RIMFIRE) bullet flight. There are various other charts available on-line, but they're basically the same.

The drawing is not to scale, nor does it give the amount of deflection by wind velocity, but helps when shooting rimfire benchrest.

It's hard to believe that a 1:00 wind will give a bullet an upward component, along with the left deflection, but it's true. Benchresters hate to have wind at 12:00, since a small variation left or right will make a large difference in vertical deflection. We usually hold off until the wind changes direction a bit.

Three or four wind flags are used by most rimfire BR match shooters. Generally, the one closest to the shooter (5-10 yards downrange) is the most important to watch. That's because deflections nearer the muzzle make the greatest POI change at the target.

 

[cw308]

I shoot benchrest 308 cal. in the warm months LI NY. For trigger time indoors I picked up a CZ 452 varmint 22lr. I bed the action, changed to a adjustable sear, for a lighter trigger, found to be a very accurate little rifle.

 

[Picher]

See the attachment.

This is a picture of the best target I ever shot in a IR 50/50 match. It's a 250-19X, shot with my custom Remington 40X and RWS R50 ammo.
On another occasion, I shot two 250s and a 249, getting a 9 on the last shot. The aggregate would have ranked 7th best aggregate in IR-50/50 Unlimited history. Every BR shooter should have a day like that.

I shot rimfire benchrest for 17 years, getting better equipment with time, but still used home-made wind flags on modified music stands.

I stopped shooting two years ago and sold the pictured rifle this year. It's been fun starting the program at my club's range and shooting matches with friends for so long, but I just got tired of it.

 

[Picher]

Without reproducing information posted on other boards, those interested in improving rimfire accuracy should do a Google Search on: Bill Calfee firing pin shape

Bill is one of the best rimfire gunsmiths in the country and has shared his secrets regarding the need for good ignition of the rimfire priming mixture.

I've seen lots of poor firing pin nose shapes on many .22LR and other rimfire rifles and seen some major improvements after firing pin shape mods. We want it to go bang EVERY TIME, but some of us want even more.

For top accuracy, it's not good enough for a rimfire rifle to just go bang every time, but necessary to create uniform ignition from shot to shot that leads to greater accuracy.

Impact energy and proper headspace are also part of the total ignition package. Strong striker springs and good headspace are also very important.

 

[cw308]

Very good shooting, Also good info. I'm still into benchrest shooting & everything that goes along with it, getting up there in age 68, not as limber as I use to be, it's still fun.

 

[Bart B.]

Here's my 50-yard, 400-40X score I shot in 2005 with my Anshcutz 1911 and Eley Tenex ammo made in the early 1980's:

All shot holes touched the .39" X ring.