Aiming with scopes

[lazza]

Hiya All

I've had my .22 rimfire rifle for about six months now.When I got it I did my best to zero it in.I'm having a few problems with not being able to judge how much I need to lift or lower the gun to adjust to different ranges.Does anyone know of any tips to help or is it just going to be down to experience?I don't really want to go and buy a very pricey scope with all the bells & whistles,if I don't need to!The other thing to do with this,is that when you hit the target(be it a crow or a rabbit)the bullet stops.And at least I know it's going to go no further & safety comes before anything else.

[Steve]

Hi Lazza.

 

You are right in that estimating and compensating for bullet drop is down to practice, practice, practice!  I zero my rimfire at 50yds then set targets out at 75 and 100yds.  Continue to aim for the bullseye at 75 and 100yds and then go look at the targets.  The distance of your group of shots below the bullseye is the distance you need to compensate for at each range.  Judging inbetween distances will come with experience.

 

Also, remember that a .22 round can easily pass through a bird or rabbit so always check behind your target to see where it may go.

 

Hope this is of some help.

 

Steve  

[lazza]

Hiya Steve

Thanks for that!Any other information would be gratefully accepted.Us novices need all the help we can get!

[Steve]

Hi Lazza.

 

Stick with one type of ammo until you get used to shooting at different ranges.  Different ammo performs in different ways and can be confusing when learning to judge bullet drop.  

 

If you bought a semi-automatic .22, remember that the first shot will always strike in a slightly different position to the rest of the magazine.  This is because the first shot is manually loaded when the rifle is cocked and the rest are loaded automatically.

 

There's loads to remember when using precision rifle fire.  The best bet is to check www.amazon.co.uk for books on rifle marksmanship, but the above tips will get you started.

 

Steve

[lazza]

Thanks Steve

I have a fifteen shot semi & I didn't know that about the first shot.That explains why I've been having certain problems.I'll have to get out & have a bit of practice!

              Many Thanks

[daystate64]

I use a BSA contender 3 - 16 X 50 scope on my .22  This has range finder on it and it also has BDC, (BULLET DROP COMPENSATOR).  This is a very good system which enable you to have about 8 different Zeros on your scope.  This allows me to take bunnies out at about 120yards wind permitting.  scopes with BDC are usually found on target rifles but i have found it a very useful addition to my armoury.  They usually cost a bit more than conventional scopes but they are worth it.  I picked mine up at teh young farmer show 3 years ago for £75 ex demo.  A new one costs around £100

 

good luck

dave

[lazza]

Thanks for that info Dave, I'll have a word at the gunshop & see if he can sort something out for me.

[Steve]

Hi Dave.  

 

Have you ever used a scope with a mil-dot reticule?  I've heard they are useful for rangefinding - but they are quite expensive too!  I'd like an opinion from someone before I'd spend that sort of money.

[Resolve IT]

There are a lot of good tips from the other guys here, it is important to use a good quality ammo, i use winchesters in my semi-auto as they seem consistent and kill well as they seem to mushroom on impact a good way to check bullet drop is to shoot in to a dry sand bank as you get instant feedback and know where the bullet is going, as for tips i usually find that with a semi you should be able to get 2-3 shots so start high then work down, experience will slowly show you this,  most importantly you gun must be zeroed, try using a black and decker workmate to lock the gun in place, i found this useful when starting out

 

all the best

 

DM

[lazza]

Thanks Guys

Funny you should mention the workmate, when I first got the gun I did just that! And I use Winchester bullets. I had a word with a gamekeeper I know & he's offered to help me out. Hopefully the art of firing a still gun will come to me. I did find my shotgunning suffered quite a bit when I was using both in a short period of time. I'm going to stick with it though, & see if I can improve. You fellas certainly know your stuff, & it's good of you all to share your knowledge with me.

        Many Thanks

[PC Futrett]

Another way to do it if you can not be bothered humping your workmate to your shooting area. Is use it on sand or a large rock. You should be able to zero in about 6 rounds max. After the first strike aim for that point again. After the second strike you will be able to judge how far you need to adjust your scope.