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Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire

Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire

Usually, the warmer winters of late have let the rabbits breed continually, with opportunities for shooting in most months and then a harsh winter tempers activity but also has the benefit of reducing parasites and fleas on them and in their burrows. We have had a few ‘beast from the east’ months and hepatic liver disease has tempered the rabbits this year. However, when they are in the wrong place, they are still vermin, just like weeds in the garden.

I shoot rabbits down in Surrey, where the hedgerow and dense foliage and grasses hides them well and often a long wait is needed before they emerge on their runs, track or field. Up in Argyll, Scotland too, despite quite a wet spring, they seem healthy among the woods and loch sides, where the granite is not present. These two differing regions require different tactics but what’s the best zero range?

I simply zero my rifle at 30 yards and then compensate for longer or closer ranges as the norm. However, the height a scope is above the bore and the speed of the 22 rimfire, sub-sonics in this case and bullet style all make a difference in the trajectory down range. I have been playing around with different zero ranges over the years and differing 22 sub-sonic ammunition and here’s what I tend to use now.

Kit

Rabbits do not require any high-tech equipment to shoot and often the best sport is had when using an air rifle, as the ranges are short, less than 30 yards for a head shot and requires good marksmanship and field craft to stalk close. The mainstay has the be the good old .22 rimfire, especially when using sub-sonic ammunition and a good sound moderator, where discreet, well aimed and humane shots can harvest animals to 100 yards on occasions.

A good-bolt action rifle, such as the CZ, Browning, Lithgow, Ruger, Sako or Anschutz, offer reliable and accurate rimfires that last for ages and can take a lot of abuse. Here, I tend to use lighter, smaller scopes, as I tend to walk a lot more with a 22LR and take shots at all manner of weird angles. Of late, I really like the new Hawke Vantage scopes; they are cheap, well made and have superb reticles dedicated for 22 subs or HV, as well as 17HMR ammunition. When you combine these types with the ballistics from your rifle, ammo and barrel length, you can fine-tune a setting that is perfect for vermin at any sensible range.

However, you can have the best kit in the world, but if it is not set up correctly, then you are going to have problems sooner rather than later.

Sighting in

All rifles have their preferences for different makes of ammo and only by testing a small quantity of each from a stable rest can you determine the best accuracy potential. When this is found, stick to it and buy as much of that brand and Lot number that your FAC allows, or you can afford. Then, you can rest assured that aside from accidental knocks, your rifle will shoot to the same zero when you pull the trigger.

More important, is taking the time to shoot that rifle/ammunition combination at differing ranges, to determine the true trajectory drop, so you can compensate in the field for a perfectly placed shot. Because of the low velocity nature of 22 subs, you have a very curved trajectory. The result being that when you zero your scope, at say 30 yards, you have two zero points, as the bullet raises above and drops below the line of sight. Knowing this is critical, and at what initial range to zero your rifle accurately. 30 or 50 yards will determine the best trajectory performance, but what’s the best range?

Getting the best from your rimfire zero.

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Is it best to zero your rifle at 30, 50 or maybe 75 yards? I have always used 30, but the last few years I have changed my mind. I assume that you are using sub-sonic ammo (below the speed of sound) so that a sound moderator is effective. Each brand is different, which is why it is essential you test your rifle and not rely on manufacturer’s data; so, get your load chronographed for an accurate velocity from your barrel length.

I use Eley Subsonic ammunition, as it shoots the most accurately in my Sako Finnfire rifle, although Lapua, Winchester and CCI work very well in other rifles. The Eley uses a 40-grain hollow point lead bullet and from my short, 14.5” barrel, gives a speed of 1055 fps (temperature dependent) on average in typical summer weather and temperature conditions.

It will place 5-shots into one big hole at 30 yards but zeroing at 30 or 50 yards can make a big difference as to where a bullet will impact in relationship to your scope’s cross hairs. I also use the newer Winchester 42-grain Max subs too, as their extra weight and slightly higher velocity, coupled to the large hollow nose, is great for stubborn rats, squirrels and crows, as well as rabbits. These shoot one hole groups too at 30 yards

My Hawke 4-12 x 50mm Vantage scope is exactly 1.65” above the bore axis and knowing this and the actual velocity and bullet weight, I can feed the information into Quick Target ballistic programs that I use for printing out ballistic charts for field use. This is then checked with real targets, shot at each of those ranges; that way, I can check the true Ballistic Coefficient (BC) of each bullet type, as manufacturers can be optimistic (see rimfire results table).

Therefore, effectively by zeroing at 50 yards, you have less compensation for your aiming mark, as the bullet stays within a 1” window, or rabbit head and neck kill area size, from 10 to 60 yards. At this setting, you are also zeroed at 20 yards, so close rabbits need no aiming change, which is handy if you are out lamping and range estimation is hard at the best of times. With the 30 yards zero, past 40 yards the bullet drop compensation increases significantly and thus there is more margin for error if a quick shot is needed. The Winchester 42-grain Max have a slightly higher velocity but a blunter shape, which kind of cancels each other out, so the difference between the Eley and Winchesters was less marked. But, the latter bullet design expands more and hits harder, which is worth having.

In the field

Knowing this data pays dividends and gives you confidence, especially if it’s on ground you are unfamiliar with, or even on well trodden paths. Rabbits can pop up at all manner of ranges and appear from behind cover in an instant and disappear just as fast! Having a rifle zeroed so that you can make the most of its capabilities and effectively increase the chance of a clean kill makes sense. I shoot rabbits in dense Surrey woodland, out on long rides, down hedgerows and lamp fields, as well as using night vision equipment. In Scotland, shots can often be longer; here, trajectory compensation is even more essential, as is knowing your bullet drift in windy conditions.

It’s amazing how many people do not compensate for wind drift when using a .22 sub-sonic. The range is usually short, so why bother, is the normal reply. Well, look at the tables; a 10mph wind from 3 O’clock to your position and that’s not that strong (especially in Scotland!) can push your lumbering, 40-grain, subsonic off zero by 1” at 50 yards. Which is a clean miss on a head shot and even at 30 its just less than 0.5” and enough to make your shot marginal.

Conclusions

I was pleasantly surprised with the results that have been my mainstay over the last few years and I print out a trajectory chart, just to remind me and then annotate for use on the Hawke Vantage scopes stadia. Or, use their excellent ballistics calculator to customise your own rifle/ammo combo.

Rabbit tactics and know-how are also paramount to good shooting and filling the game bag but getting that rifle all set up correctly is the first essential chore for any successful outing. You owe it to your quarry and yourself!

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  • Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire - image {image:count}

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  • Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire - image {image:count}

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  • Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire - image {image:count}

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  • Best Ammo for your 22 rimfire - image {image:count}

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