22 LR Long Range Dispersion, What is the Culprit

Had a couple of hours on the range this morning. Great weather for Virginia at the moment except for the higher wind today. Rifle is a stock CZ 453 that was put into a Boyds stock this year for a better cheek weld (picture from at different day). I could only get out to 100 yards today since the wind was too unpredictable for my amateur wind calling.



Started 9AM and finished at 11:45AM, 81F rose to 87F through the shoot, roughly 29.2 in. pressure, and 10-15 mph switching winds. Really felt like no exploitable pattern to the wind speed and direction; it was switching front to back from the left side mostly, but the right side gusts would come in to mess things up when groups started looking good. There'd be crazy gusts out near the target with the air dead still beside me, and then crazy wind on my face but a flag near the target was still. A fun challenge to try to call right!

Ignore the X'd hits- my foggy morning brain dialed 27 MOA instead of 27 clicks at the start of shooting, and those were hits while I was shooting at different spots trying to figure out what in the world was going on.

2 weeks ago, there was much calmer weather and I was out at 200- these were the groups I had then with Eley Tenex. The target got a bit crowded since I only had one target with me, but I recorded which shots were part of each group immediately after firing to make sure I didn't get holes mixed up.

Past 200 yards, things start getting a lot more unpredictable with my rifle. A twist rate faster than 1:16" might be better for longer range shooting with .22lr (for the improvement to BC to help with wind sensitivity), but I think the biggest reason people notice .22lr "fall off" past 200-300 yards is that the trajectory curve of the bullet at longer ranges serves as a magnifier for the main rimfire problems: wind sensitivity with a low BC round, muzzle velocity spread, and ammo defects. As the horizontal speed decays and the vertical drop speeds up, all that "small" dispersion suddenly becomes much more noticeable when our bullets start acting more like mortar rounds. Here's the angle of impact of 22lr at 1000 yards for reference (taken from Womfat's video):



A custom barrel compared to a factory barrel can reduce several contributors to dispersion. A tighter chamber, better lands engagement, more consistent bore diameter, etc. all help with raw mechanical precision by reducing the severity of principal axis tilt. A factory barrel CAN shoot just as crazy groups as a custom barrel, but I'm willing to bet what your friend is noticing is that the nice groups happen a lot more often with his custom barrel because it has more inherent mechanical precision. A factory barrel is going to have more slop compared to a custom barrel, because better machining tolerance is expensive.

vaguru said:

Sorry no pics, didn't think about pics

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Around here, always live by the rule: "Pictures or it didn't happen."

todd said:

Around here, always live by the rule: "Pictures or it didn't happen."

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yup. I just keep it to myself lately because I've been too lazy to drive back out to the targets and take pictures.

vaguru said:

Way too many skeptics lately.

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True, but there’s a reason for that.

Plus, in case you didn’t catch it, that was and often is said tongue in cheek. Lighten up Francis.

If you do or accomplish something, the only person that matters is you.

ChrisFetter said:

2 weeks ago, there was much calmer weather and I was out at 200- these were the groups I had then with Eley Tenex. The target got a bit crowded since I only had one target with me, but I recorded which shots were part of each group immediately after firing to make sure I didn't get holes mixed up.

View attachment 8472379View attachment 8472380View attachment 8472381View attachment 8472382View attachment 8472383View attachment 8472384

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That’s close to what I expect with Eley Match through an IBI barreled T1X. I decide how many shots/group before I send the first one. I do at least 20/group before I draw any conclusions.

Emerson0311 said:

That’s close to what I expect with Eley Match through an IBI barreled T1X. I decide how many shots/group before I send the first one. I do at least 20/group before I draw any conclusions.

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This, this right here is the type of data that gives credence to your posts. Emerson’s pics back up what I see at matches and my own personal experience. I’d still love to know what brand and grade of 22 ammo produced 1/2” groups consistently at 100 yards.

Couple weeks ago had I a side challenge after the main monthly 35-200 yard steel match:

10 shots to Clear a 8 puck KYL at 50 yards (2” down to 1/4” puck sizes), leaves 2 shots at a 1” target at 200 yards ( if you clean the KYL). Had 4 competitors send 6 shots at the 200 yard 1” target with great , calm wind conditions. These competitors are what I would consider very good as they all have verified DOPE and several of them shoot the longer rimfire monthly match to 421 yards.

One came very close, 1/3” out at 9 o clock. No winners on the 1/2 MOA challenge this month, better luck next month.

Pic of the 1” target set at 200 yards with six impacts on it, plat is 12” x 14”:

vaguru said:

Sorry for coming off too crass, just hit me wrong this morning. I apologize to those I offended. Carry on.

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LOL No one is offended. We don't do that here.

todd said:

LOL No one is offended. We don't do that here.

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No, we do the offending here if you’re so inclined to be offended.

I also run longer distance PRS22 matches here, but only out to 310yards. I may offer a side challenge in my December match out to 400. The reason I haven’t is that it tends to limit those who can dial, or even dial and hold, for that distance with most std. vel. Ammo.

This would not be for points, but for fun and bragging rights. I’ll use a 24”x24” plate to increase impact potential.

lash said:

I also run longer distance PRS22 matches here, but only out to 310yards. I may offer a side challenge in my December match out to 400. The reason I haven’t is that it tends to limit those who can dial, or even dial and hold, for that distance with most std. vel. Ammo.

This would not be for points, but for fun and bragging rights. I’ll use a 24”x24” plate to increase impact potential.

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Sounds like a fun match, Lash.

todd said:

Sounds like a fun match, Lash.

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I’d like to think so. If you’re ever here in Central Florida, plan to attend.

A buddy tested my single shot Anschutz 1907 3p match rifle with scope at 200m with Lapua Long Range.
Out of the box unbedded rifle. 27" barrel with a slight choke.
No wind.

10 shots at 200m:



25 shots at 200m:

TorF said:

A buddy tested my single shot Anschutz 1907 3p match rifle with scope at 200m with Lapua Long Range.
Out of the box unbedded rifle. 27" barrel with a slight choke.
No wind.

10 shots at 200m:

View attachment 8524763

25 shots at 200m:
View attachment 8524764

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Nice. If I read that correctly, about 2.44” Center to Center? That’s about what I see with match ammo and a proper match barrel. Very good.

Looks to me as 79.9mm and 126.4mm respectively. So a bit over 3” and 5”.

I don’t speak German/Norwegian, whatever that is.