Want to use rimfire short range to practice for bigbore ELR

[gunrunner2019]

Ok so I may be crazy, but I want to use a rimfire rifle setup shooting out to 800 or as far as I can, to simulate ELR shooting with my .50.

I want to get used to environmentals, and ballistics, and my limiting factor here in maine is the distance to safely shoot. There just aren't any ranges that are 1000+ around. I have a place I can shoot 800 safely less than 45 mins from my house. So why not shoot a rimfire caliber as far out as I can to get some practice dealing with all the factors with larger calibers out at further distances.

My big question is, what caliber would be good to use for this? .22lr? Or .17hmr? I am leaning towards .17hmr mainly for the consistency of the ammo.

Am I on the right track?

Thanks for any input

 

[DarinC]

I’ll preface with this: I’ve never shot my 22 past 300, and at that, it was at a big piece of steel with a4x scope.

I’d still go with a 22 for a couple reasons.
Heavier bullets in the 22 will carry better.
With the 17, you’re going to start supersonic and have to deal with that tiny light 17 bullet going through transonic.
I’d stick with the22 and subsonic so you never have to deal with that barrier.

But again, I have absolutely no experience past 300 with one

 

[GetReal]

For me, they are too dissimilar to give significant benefit for centerfire. But I'm still setting up my 22rf to shoot ELR.

 

[BlastersAreCool]

22lr and go! More affordable than 17 HMRC and at the distances you're proposing, I bet 22lr outperforms. IMO

 

[chevy_man]

.22 will be more consistent with good ammo.

.17 is kinda screwy. Not much for ammo, everything comes from the same source so you're really only able to buy from 1 level of quality control.

 

[Rimfireshooter99]

I shoot monthly postal matches, one of which is a 200 yard match. We shoot paper targets, and you learn the same things you will need to manage at longer distances with higher powered rifles/ammo. Wind management is key at 200 yards with .22 caliber ammo and a rifle, but I am able to shoot 5-shot groups at less than 3 inches in diameter on a regular basis. Check the 6x5 thread, first page, scroll down to the "Current" header, and then down to the 200 yard data to see what folks are getting shooting a .22LR at 200 yards. It's a challenging distance for this caliber, but teaches you the principles that will also apply with a high powered rifle at longer distances.

Good luck!

 

[gunrunner2019]

Thanks for the input guys. I feel like I will get a good intro to environmentals with a .22LR. Going to start looking for a rifle soon.

 

[DROWN]

For 800 yards. I suggest rem .223. Better at that distance, same lessons, better recoil management training.

 

[GetReal]

Mike Bush at Vudoo Said he uses 22 rim fire at 300 yd to maximize his wind call practice.

Beyond 300 Rim fire really starts to drop off fast and become unpredictable in wind.

 

[gunrunner2019]

All great points and I really appreciate the info.

One of my concerns is the consistency of the ammo. I know some good .22lr ammo can be had, but I also already make my own .223 for my ar's and m16. It may be worth getting a bolt gun in .223 to run. My main goal is to shorten distances while simulating variables and environmentals of larger calibers at greater distances.

 

[Colorado S14]

.22lr, I have never seen a .17 outshoot a really good .22. Too few ammo options.

 

[alamo5000]

I am considering doing the same thing. I am of the school that practice with a smaller caliber will definitely carry over if done correctly.

For example just shooting far is one thing...but for me I want to start practicing using mils instead of MOA. Fortunately the optics I have in mind to replace all the cheaper stuff I have now will either be the same or have a similar reticle so I can practice those hold overs and dial ups etc.

I routinely shoot my 16" AR out to 800 yards with only a 4x scope. That's not a problem at all. I've also shot my .22 out a little ways but the problem is there is zero continuity in the scopes I've been using (which I plan to remedy as soon as possible). The optics I have now were originally just place holders because they were either already owned/cheap/available (or all three) but then life happened and they ended up just living there.

The biggest benefits as I see it is to get used to quickly using one style/type of system (in my case .mil) and by using similar reticles it amplifies that even more. Also learning to better read the wind is a huge deal. If you use gear to where those things are measurable (and you keep notes) it will definitely help.
For example the optics I am looking at have the christmas tree so when I shoot I can actually see and attach a number to what my wind hold is. Then later on when I get out to bigger stuff I can say "ah! that's what a 5mph 45 degree cross wind looks like!"

If you don't sharpen the stick so to speak on the exact purposes you have (and how to achieve that) you will have fun of course but the carry over will be a bit more limited.

 

[PAYDIRT]

"If" I were you and dead set at doing this I'd book a day at Eley test center and buy ammo that shoots, then I'd back my yardage way off of 800, maybe 300. 22 elr is a crap shoot without the right ammo, rifle, etc.

 

[Boltyboi]

Put the idea of 800 with a .22 firmly out of your mind. Is it possible? In the strictest sense, yes, but it's going to be an extreme crap shoot even if you do everything perfectly. 300 is pushing it for .22, 400 is really out there, and on the extreme edge of is some semblance of repeatable. 500 is nuts.

Just for some perspective, the most I have ever shot is about 420 yards, and that came close to bottoming out my reticle, after eating 19 mils of adjustment in my scope. about 24 mills.

At 800? That's 67 mills of adjustment. Without some serious equipment (read, thousands of dollars worth) you're not even going to be able to aim that far out.

 

[MarkCZ]

All great points and I really appreciate the info.

One of my concerns is the consistency of the ammo. I know some good .22lr ammo can be had, but I also already make my own .223 for my ar's and m16. It may be worth getting a bolt gun in .223 to run. My main goal is to shorten distances while simulating variables and environmentals of larger calibers at greater distances.

Get a 223 in a 8 twist, shoot up to 80gr bullets. I think a 7 tw can shoot the 90 gr. bullets.
Mark