Hunting Forum

I just got a marlin XT bolt action int .22LR and put a simmons .22 mag scope on it, and am shooting the mini-mag ammo.  I am usually a shotgunner, so I am just wondering what type of accuracy I should be able to expect from it and at what ranges?  thanks

I shoot 300=400 rounds a week at empty 12guage shotgun shells at 100 yds freehand and can hit 75-80% of the time. 10/22 with tasco scope and any ammo.

Wow, that's a question! For the discussion below, I am talking about from a bench with a solid rest. I am not as lucky as mwilkey1 with respect to "any ammo". I own several .22 LR rifles from a Win Model 52 target rifle to a cheap Remington semi auto something or other (I am Korea so cannot go look at it in the safe). Most of the rifles however are bolt action "squirrel' rifles. The Model 52 target rifle with Winchester Super X, Federal Monarch and Eley target ammo (not sure you can even get those anymore, I have a huge stash) will hold 10 shot groups at 50 yds. that you can cover with a dime (literally). That rifle has a 36-power Redfield scope with a dot for a "cross hair". For my bolt action hunting rifles they I get 20 shot groups at 50 yrd that you can cover with a quarter. They are accurate enough to hit a squirrel in the head at 75 yds. regularly given a solid rest. These rifles generally have fixed 4 power scopes with one that has a 6 power scope (I ran out of 4 power scopes and had the 6 laying around). What is interesting is that I only have one rifle that loves CCI Mini-Mags, an old Remington bolt action with a 4-power weaver on top of it, but the rest of the rifles open up the groups when using the stuff. All my guns hate stinger ammunition. Do not know why, but it looks like you shot a shotgun at the target at 50 yards, with my one Ruger M77/22. Other rifles do better, but the Ruger absolutely hates the stuff (6-inch groups, no lie). As far a shooting 100 plus yards. That requires a very very calm day. With my Model 52 you can actually watch the bullet (ok disturbance trail) go to the target. The least little wind, especially if there is mirage) blows the bullets all over the place. I can hold in a 1.5 inch circle (on the bench) at that range, but that is a long ways for a .22 (in my opinion).

Bottom line, I would guess if you find ammo that that gun likes, you can get 10 shot groups at 50 yards onto a quarter. I hope others will chime in; I too am interested in what others' rifles do from the bench.

jack

Shoot 300-400 rounds a week and you will figure it out.

22's are quite often very picky about ammo. My Savage bolt action will shoot 3-4 inc  'patterns' with cheap Federal American Eagle (red box) ammo, if I switch to the Fedeal blue box stuff (Champion?), it shoots one inch or smaller groups at 50yds. Yet my 10/22 shoots one inch groups with the red box stuff.

I guess the bottom line is if you can't get at least one inch groups at 50 yds, try another ammo.

Dale

Most good sporter type 22's will get 1 1/2" groups at 50 yds with high velocity ammo and break 1" with standard (subsonic/target) velocity ammo. Many will do better - try as many different brands as you can get your hands on. Since you are testing the gun&ammo (and not you) use as solid a rest as you can come up with and shoot slow deliberate 10 shot groups.

Posted By mwilkey1 on 20 Jan 2013 01:59 AM
I shoot 300=400 rounds a week at empty 12guage shotgun shells at 100 yds freehand and can hit 75-80% of the time. 10/22 with tasco scope and any ammo.

That my friend is some damm good shooting !!!

Free hand huh (standing )?

 

Shoot as much as you can, It's a ball.

I have a forty yr old Marlin don't remember model offhand but as a squirrel gun its great. When I hit my fifties found I needed a scope. Put on a 4X Weaver and I was back on my game. I'll hit seven of ten squirrels at 50yds but, that's the max I'll shoot squirrels. Don't want to wound them. Hate it when I can't recover em. Most of my shots are from ten to twenty five yards. When you have a honey hole like mine longer shots are a rarety. I've got a dozen hickory trees and a bunch of black walnut all around the log I sit on.

I was shooting off a lead sled since it is the most solid rest I know have and I used it to sight in the scope yesterday. I sighted in at 50 yards and could get an inch or maybe a bit more out of about 5 shots, and usually an inch with at least two shots touching out of the first 3 rounds. Once in a while, I would get a round or two that would be away from the group by an inch or two. I guess that could be me though it would be hard off the sled but I was blaming myself for those wide shots

I was shooting off a lead sled since it is the most solid rest I know have and I used it to sight in the scope yesterday. I sighted in at 50 yards and could get an inch or maybe a bit more out of about 5 shots, and usually an inch with at least two shots touching out of the first 3 rounds. Once in a while, I would get a round or two that would be away from the group by an inch or two. I guess that could be me though it would be hard off the sled but I was blaming myself for those wide shots

Do not be so quick to blame yourself for a shot that is out once and awhile, especially when shooting from your sled. While modern manufacturing techniques produce pretty consistent rounds, there is a reason that the target grade ammunition costs more. It is a lot better today than it was many years ago, but still not perfect. A flyer once and awhile is not that uncommon with mass-produced "cheap" .22 ammo in my experience.

jack

When I was a kid.  I was shooting Winchester subsonic target ammo in a Winchester target rifle at 5 and 10 bull targets at 50 yards with consistant double x hits on the five bull, and x hits on the ten bull.  Now, at the age of 60.   I too, have started using a 4 power scope on my Marlin bolt action squirrel gun.  I'm still pretty accurate with open sights.  I shoot 500 meter ram silhouettes with my 303 British, and my Russian built SKS off a rest.  I use Federal bulk pack 500 round 36 grain hollowpoints.  I can shoot one hole 5 shot groups at 50 yards with an occasional flyer. That's usually my fault.

Most of us grew up with and from an early age shot the .22. Most seem to be inherently accurate. But many shoot them on a regular basis and they became a part of us. You learned how your gun shot, and usually became very accurate. I and my friends like Wilky shot the primers out old shot gun shells, it was a comp, see who could hit the smallest object at the longest range. So there is a nostalgia and mystic involved in any discusion about .22, as many still have the first .22 they owned and most are still as accurate as was so many years ago.

ckell: Your comment on competing with friends is very true.  We have even taken empty 7.62x39 steel cases and stuck them in the bullet holes already in the cardboard, and stood about 50 feet away with our sks's to see who could take out all of they're's first shooting at the base of the empty.  Lots of fun.

You prity much have to just buy a box of several typs of ammo and see what your gun likes. I have a .22 LR Marlin M-925 that is deadly out to 50 yards with CCI minni mags but hates winchester 22 ammo. probly 1" groups or beter with cci. I also have an older . 22 mag marlin bolt action M-25 that is like that with CCI max mags it is probly the most acurate rife I own . I have had the best luck with CCI .22 Rounds but for something cheeper the remington gold tip bulk rounds seem to do well. I had a Ruger 10/22 that I bought because i heard everyone saying how good they are. I didnt really like mine. It shot prity reliably espeshily if u used the factory mags but the accuracy was horable. I couldnt get better than a 2 inch group at about 30 yards with any ammo. So i sold that and an old Marlin m-60 for the marlin bolt action and have never had a problem and im sure i never will. The nice thing about a bolt gun is you know that when you pull the triger it IS going to go BANG and they are the most accurate IMHO.