Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires .22 sight in distance?

I'm thinking that there might be a more practical sight in distance than the 10 yard one that my newly scoped M61 is set for. Sure the thing is right on at my most often encountered red squirrel distance, but it is 2 1/2" inches high at 45 yards. I guess they call that mid range trajectory because it begins to fall off from there. Does a longer range sight in distance, say 20 yards, flatten out the bullet's trajectory at shorter or longer ranges? Head of red squirrel isn't very large and hold over or under has given me some issues.

More practical would be 25 yard sight in.
I set my piney slayer dead on at 50 yards.

No one knows the exact distance game will appear. I sight in at 50 yards and then shoot at 25 to see where I hit. Distance judgment is an art . Even at close range. I’m not squirrel hunting anymore but I’ve been known to shoot a few blue quail while deer hunting. That is just for supper. Hasbeen

The 22 I use for squirrel hunting in our hardwoods is set at around 35 yards. Never shot it any closer to see where it hits and cannot see much farther than 50 yards so I don't worry too much about excessive drop.

My rimfire shots are generally from a handful of feet to about 100 yds. If I am going to use it on small stuff, 50 yd sight-in works great. Trajectory is never more than an inch and a half from sight line out to about 65 yds. If I am after larger stuff, like jack rabbits or rock chucks, I sight in for 70-80 yds. This allows for a dead hold to or just past 100.

50 yards works for me.

Probably the most practical, sensible distance for the majority of rimfire shots. That said, my .22s are zero-ed at 50 yards, which is what the local range has available.

I DO zero my .17HMR at 100 yards, though, it's worthy of it.

You guys are shooting at stuff lots farther than I am. Those red squirrels have never been shot at until they see me and then it is too late. Those 36 grain hollow points are decisive even for a body shot, but I want to make a good shot on anything that I'm hunting.

Yes, a longer range site in distance will flatten out the trajectory, until you reach a certain point.
That point is determined by the distance of your visual line of site above the barrel bore.

I site in my rim fires different than my center fire rifles. I don,t see a need for my rimfire to cross above my zero'd line of site. My shots are just not that far generally. it hits zero once and then the poi starts to drop back down...

On my center fires I like to have the bullet cross over the first zero'd line of site to about 2.5 inches high before it starts to drop back through the second zero,d line of site farther down range. Where ever distance those zero'd points of impact end up being is secondary to me.

Agreed on a 50 yards as a good all around zero for 22RF Long Rifle HV ammo but the bullet is going to start off approx. 1&1/2" below the line of sight with most scope sighted 22s. I've found it's a good idea to put the crosshairs at the top of the squirrel's head or about an inch high of where you want to hit on any shots under 20 yards.

I even shot at 5 yards to hit 1/2" low with that 10 yard zero and then in 5 yard increments out to 50 and it was all above line of sight to there.

50 yds!!

Another vote for 50 yards for tree rats.

25 yds for me.

The biggest problem with shooting a scoped rifle at close rsnges is the height of the sights over the bore . And tge sad favt us a 22 LR simply dies not shoot flat enough to negate that. Actually, no cartridge really does

Lets say you sight in at 25 yards. At 10 yards you still are about 1" low due to to height of the scope over the bore.

My question is if you are sighting in for your normal shooting dustances 10-15 tards WHY would you give crap about were the bullet impacts at 45 yards if you never shoot that far?

If you need precise zeros for various ranges..my suggestion would be adjust your scope accordingly. Record the short range sight setting for "back door shots" at close range and then record a higher 25-50 yard setting for normal hunting ranges.

Zero at 25 yards with the ammo you hunt with, then shoot targets at 5 to however many yards out you want and note the results. That will be a fun day sighting in and will provide you with the data you will need in the fall.

jk 16 being the analytical cuss that I am, I just wanted to know when the trajectory began to arc back over and 45 yards was it. That and I caught up with the Walmart truck when they were bringing in the .22 ammunition back when it was scarce and bought a bunch, so passing the time shooting something is one of my favorite things to do. Not that this 3x9 is mounted that much higher than the peep sight that it replaced, I've just been kind of surprised about the difference in the poi at close range.

If you want to really have something to agonize over, get an airgun. The trajectory issues with a .22 are minor by comparison.

The first time I took the airgun I'd been shooting in my basement outside, I was shocked at how much I had to crank on the high-mounted scope to get it on target. Later, I removed the scope to use a peep sight and it got simple again.

zero at 25 and know your holds. BDC's are invaluable and make a modern 22LR deadly from 2' to 150yds.

The X-ACT app from Hawke Optics lets you plot the trajectory, either using their pre-set data or your own. The reticle figures are for their scopes, of course, but the tables work for any regular single-point scope. I imagine the other makers have similar tools too.

Best thing would be to do your plotting, of course, but most ranges only allow firing at the set distances.