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What size plates at 300 yards

EddieE

Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Mar 20, 2017
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I hear about people shooting steel plates at 300, 400, or longer with their 22s. If you are shooting at these distances, what size plates? And what is your success rate?

thanks
 
I've shot a 12x12 with a 17hmr and it was easy. Shooting that same 12x12 with a 22 @ 200 was just as easy as the 17 @ 300. However, the 22 @ 300 yards was challenging.

I think 12x12 would be good for 22 @ 300 yards.
 
I've shot a 12x12 with a 17hmr and it was easy. Shooting that same 12x12 with a 22 @ 200 was just as easy as the 17 @ 300. However, the 22 @ 300 yards was challenging.

I think 12x12 would be good for 22 @ 300 yards.
I’ve been shooting a 10” plate at 300 . I wouldn’t say it’s easy but, a good challenge. Sometimes it takes a little bit to get on target due to wind and my targets aren’t at exactly 300 each time but after that you can ding em fairly consistently. So much fun
 
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My practice range (300yd) is set up with a KYL set of 10" 8" 6" 4" plates that I can run through pretty consistently with 22lr The 4" is the interesting one when the wind starts getting involved/
 
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Currently many of the shooters coming to RF matches in my area are running base class rifles and ammo. I have an old 12" table saw blade hung from a rubber strap attached in the center hole. Amazing ring sound from this target, unless you're so good as to hit the center bolt.
 
I was at the 300 yard range last week and after a few attempts, I got dialed in and was hitting the biggest target pretty consistently. I will need to measure it, but my guess would be 7" plate. There is a 4" plate that I can't miss with my 223, with the 22 I couldn't hit it to save my life.
 
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A real good 22lr and Ammo will hold:

dime @ 50
golf ball @ 100
size of hand/index card @ 200
work boot box at @ 300 (solid 10-12" vert spread because of MV)

even if you have dead calm wind the velocity +/- of match stuff is the biggest issue

guys shooting smaller than that "all day"...shoot some 40-50 round groups and post...there wont be many

ammo is the biggest issue, some of the top benchrest guys only buy ammo off certain machines in certain facilities run by certain employees
 
8-12 is what I use at 300 yards.

As long as the wind is low or steady, the 8 is easy. Once the wind gets swtichy, even the 12 can be difficult. I really have to focus on mirage and all that marksmanship junk.
 
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You can really see the ammo factor when shooting at distance. I could see some that were falling a few feet short. Some were going a foot or two high at 300.
 
A real good 22lr and Ammo will hold:

dime @ 50
golf ball @ 100
size of hand/index card @ 200
work boot box at @ 300 (solid 10-12" vert spread because of MV)

even if you have dead calm wind the velocity +/- of match stuff is the biggest issue

guys shooting smaller than that "all day"...shoot some 40-50 round groups and post...there wont be many

ammo is the biggest issue, some of the top benchrest guys only buy ammo off certain machines in certain facilities run by certain employees
Agreed ammo is the limiting factor with 22. I shoot mainly match ammo and my gun will usually hold moa or better out to 200 once you get to 300 in my experience the ammo can’t hold up for many reasons but it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.
 
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300 yards, 22lr, decent ammo, figure 1070 fps mv average, 40 fps ES...
that'd produce about 10 inches of vertical spread...so a 12 inch diameter steel ought to be fairly easy.

Maybe. ;)
 
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40fps spread? Better get some better ammo. lol I agree a 10-12" plate is good for 300.
 
We have multiple KYL setups on our range at 100yds they are 4' 2" 1" and .75", at 150 it's 4" and 2" at 200 it's 8" 6"4" 2" and 300yds 10"8"6"4".
No wind and they're all doable first round with 22LR, as the wind picks up the difficulty level rises!

Once you get to 200 and out, 1-3mph wind gets very interesting, especially when dealing with ammo inconsistency.
I can usually run through each set on a given day at each range with ammo that's not throwing flyers.

Starting on the big plate gives you a little room for error at each of these ranges.
Now that I think about it, I always shoot largest to smallest....perhaps I should start with the little ones to make myself refine my wind calls.
 
Better ammo?

Sadly Rob, over the past 2 years, I've found very few brands of rimfire
that are capable of producing an ES less than 40 fps.
That includes Tenex, R50 and Midas+.

No telling what you'll be shipped from an on line retailer.
Some bricks are decent, many are barely pistol fodder. :(
 
That's odd as I have never had any ammo get near there except cheaper bulk stuff.
 
Better ammo?

Sadly Rob, over the past 2 years, I've found very few brands of rimfire
that are capable of producing an ES less than 40 fps.
That includes Tenex, R50 and Midas+.

No telling what you'll be shipped from an on line retailer.
Some bricks are decent, many are barely pistol fodder. :(

Testing seems to be where it's at. Dialing a rifle in to the velocity it prefers, and then finding an ammo that is consistent at that velocity is the art. The tough part for .22's is many manufacturers don't post individual lot velocities. Eley does this with their higher end ammo, and I've found a few lots of Eley match that perform well, with a sub 30 ES. So, while I really like SK as a bulk ammo, I like using Eley because I can pick from the machine, lot and velocity. Yes, one can send their rifle off to an Eley or Lapua test center but where's the fun in that? I also believe that by lot testing on your own, much can be learned about the rifle and it's preferences.
 
2 years of chronograph numbers, 50 shots at a time.
Every brand of rimfire I can put my hands on.


See for y'erself....

 
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2 years of chronograph numbers, 50 shots at a time.
Every brand of rimfire I can put my hands on.


See for y'erself....


JAIA,

I've seen your body of work. It's impressive and has helped to provide me a starting point when looking at velocities and consistency of ammo. What I'm curious about with your rifle is, at what velocity does your CZ produce the best accuracy? As I've tested, I've seen interesting variations as the velocity changes from lot to lot.

Tom
 
Justin I have seen that too but it's not my game to sit down and collect data. I do chrono 10 rounds of ammo before a match and have done over 50 in certain lots of my match ammo and never been near a 40fps spread for all those. Center X, Fed UM and Eley Match and Edge are all lower than that. Usually in the 20-25fps area with averages within a few fps of each other before matches.
 
I'm with the 8" to 12" crowd.

When I chrono'd some Center X, I was right beyond the 40 FPS spread at 100 tested. Can't seem to find my data. I think I posted it in the Vudoo thread.

I think I'm just gonna go ahead and send it to Lapua and buy 10,000 rounds and be done with it. I was all set up to send it before the SHTF and decided to hold off as $2500 for ammo didn't seem prudent at the start of it.
 
I am using 10" plate out to 300 yds and anything after 200 yds you better have the good rf ammo.
 
Rob, small sample sizes can cause differences in the conclusions derived.
I need at least 100 rounds downrange across a chrony
before I feel like I can offer a useful opinion.

Simple, my rifles have shown no preference for a particular mv range.
All they seem to require is well made cartridges with tight mv's.
Might be due to my preference for barrel block setups.
Barrel harmonics are kept to a minimum.


I set up my chrony every trip to the range.
If I'm punching paper off the bench, rimfire or centerfire,
it let's me know if those high/low strays are me, or the ammunition.
 
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As I said it wasn't just 10 rounds but 10 rounds of same lot at different times adding up to more than 50. But again laying and shooting a ton of ammo just to chrono isn't my gig. I am happy with what I get from my ammo at long range so guess we will just call it.
 
I hear ya' Rob.
If you get the opportunity, try a 50 at 200.
Use that chronograph and see what happens.
Be good to see what someone who knows what they're doing
add their results to the ongoing project.
That goes for the rest of ya' too.
Good way to kill an hour behind the trigger. ;)
 
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not that it's a metal plate but golf balls are fun as all get out to shoot at 300 or so yards watching them get his is also sort of neat seeing them take off like a little rocket or pop way up in the air and having to re figure out what you need to hit them again has been a nice light exercise not to mention they are relatively cheap and easy to spot well the bright orange ones are at least and you can reuse them over and over . good luck on what ever you decide to use .
 
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Love shooting golf balls with rimfire at long range and like you said it gets funny when you hit them.