I don't care if it is a peep sighted, hi-viz fiber optic, factory irons etc. Please post some pictures of how your favorite 22 lr's shoot at 50 yards with open sights (preferably 10 shot groups). I've been working on a sleeper for little comps we have around here. My scoped rifle shoots tiny groups and scores 100-10x, so no need for pics of how your scoped 22's shoot. Thanks, bsa.

Ok, I guess I'll show my arse. Went to the range today and it was snowing and there was a light breeze. I posted in the competitive shooting section 2 hrs ago, but no one has pictures to share. I installed my new rear peep today and here are the results. I also must add, the ammo that I've been using is the cheap federal red box hp's they call the value pack. Didn't have any fancy target ammo, but nonetheless here are the pics. I'd still like to see pics of others targets. I know many here would put mine to shame, but remember my 10-22 is bone stock with a peep installed. Take care, bsa.


Here's the peep I bought off of ebay. It's pretty simple (the way I like it).

All groups fired at 50 yds from target.

Looks like my offhand shooting needs some improving with this thing!!
This was my last offhand group of the day. Let's see some of your pictures. Thanks, bsa.

How do you like that peep sight so far from your eye? Can you acquire a good sight picture quickly? I have never seen one mounted that far up the barrel. How do those groups compare to groups shot before the peep sight was installed?

I installed the peep mainly for targets. It is a 1/16" aperture which seems to be pretty good for sight acquisition. It seems to shoot better groups with the new peep. I'll look for some pics of targets shot with the same boolits a couple of weeks ago. It will be a couple of minutes.

Here's the before picture. This is the best I could do with it with the factory rear sight shooting off the bench. I'm thinking about installing a fiber optic front sight, but don't know if I should. BSA.

They look about the same.

This (shot with new peep):

Looks like this (shot with factory rear sight)?

OK

The groups in the first post had holes spread out fairly widely out to about the 5 ring on some targets and nice and tight on some others. The one "before" target is tighter than some and more spread out than some of the "after" targets. That is why I concluded that they were about the same.

If you look, I wrote which ones were shot offhand. That is the reason for the widespread groups. The last 2 targets shown are representative of what the rifle does off the bench. I'd say the groups shot with the new peep are 1/2 the size as the one shot with the factory rear. Thanks for your coments, bsa.

bsa,

I've installed fiber optic fronts on several of my open and peep sighted rifles.

They work GREAT for me, but I'm also 58 years old.

When I was younger a 1/16" gold sheard bead worked great.

Virgil B.

Virgil, thanks for your positive coments. I've never tried fiber optics on a rifle, but have had them on many shotguns. My left eye (I shoot left handed) has been giving me problems: I recently had an eye infection in it and my vision still hasn't recovered. I'm thinking the f.o front sight would work pretty good too because of the contrast between the black in the target and the color of the sight. When I shoot at this particular target I use a 6 O'clock hold on it (when the black on the front sight touches the black on the target) I squeeze one off. I think I will get one and try it, if it doesn't work I'll just put the original one back on, bsa.

bsa,

They're inexpensive, and cheap to try.
I know they work good for me!

I have them on my favorite brush gun also, a Marlin 1895 45-70. Trapper. (17" barrel)

Good luck! Virgil B.

Thanks my friend and fellow Oregonian. It never hurts to try and it's even better when it doesn't cost much. Take care, bsa.

Does this count? Stevens 418 Walnut Hill from 1932--rear sights are a Lyman 48L receiver sight and Lyman 414 rear tang sight, with Lyman 17A front sight with the "lollipop" insert. Got these groups earlier this year during an ammo test.
Here's pics of the gun, a target and the ammo chart--sadly, the most expensive ammo was the best (Eley Tenex)
Best was (3) ten shot groups with a .734" average, conditions and rest info and location on the chart.
5 shot group in the bottom target was .5475"

Prezactly what I wanted. Very informative also. Looks like your best score was 50-3x with the eley tennex? Very nice shooting. I like the chart also: I have tried some of the ammo you have listed with very similar results. Its weird how you can hear a difference in the report when you get ammo with inconsistancies. I generally shoot big game rifles and haven't shot the good ol 22 for a long time. They're great for practice and a whole lot cheaper. Thanks for the detailed info, I enjoyed it. BSA.

Yes, 50 / 3x on the 5 shot Eley Tenex (black box)group, when I zeroed it for that ammo to see what I could do for score. (the other targets were for group, not score)

Interesting thing is that RWS 50 was VERY and the most consistent from group to group even though just a shade overall larger groups than Tenex. I'll go back and test more RWS 50 this spring when the weather warms up and conditions are better here in NH.

Here's one more pic of the rifle--I actually used all three sights, small aperture on the tang sight and took the aperture out on the reciever sight so the reciever sight became kind of ghost ring in addtion to the outside of the Lyman 17A front sight--it became a very small aperture (off the bags), but easier to focus with my eyes (using progressive glasses). Shooting off hand I'd just use the tang sight for the longer sight radius, unless I had the shakes that day. I'd go the reciever sight (which I grew up with using on the rifle) for training for my Savage 99 with a Redfield 70 reciever sight or had too much coffee before range time!

Thats a classic, thanks for posting. BSA.

I think I'm going to have to try the tennex or RWS. I'm assuming these are the RWS 50:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=278472

They get pretty good reviews from midway. And are quite a bit cheaper.

Yes, I RWS 50 was right up there with Tenex, but your link goes to RWS Rifle Match, Not sure how Rifle Match compares to the other RWS I tested (Target Rifle) which was mid-pack on my findings

Steve, thanks for the clarification. I wasn't exactly sure which one. I would think the match grade is better than the target rifle though.

Marlin 1897 Cowboy
Federal Lightning 40gr LRN

The CB seems to love this stuff and shoots it a little faster (+20 fps avg) than the box says.

bsa, I'll jump in here. Your original question didn't specify the type of .22, so it could be anything from a garden variety factory sporter to an olympic rifle with precision iron sights. The context seems to favor the former.

My sense is that iron sights are underrated in this age of scopes. I shoot BPCR silhouette, both iron and scope classes. As my eyes have aged along with everything else, I prefer scopes. However, with the advent of the scope class, those in the BPCR game found that there really wasn't that much difference in scores. It would seem that scope scores would be higher, after all there's a reason BR shooters use high powered scopes, but there really hasn't been that much difference. Of course those rifles use precision tang sights, and have a long sight radius.

Going back about 40 years to when I shot muzzleloader matches, there was some mighty good shooting done with notch rear and blade front sights. Five shots in about 2 MOA weren't uncommon. Here's a pic from 1976 of my son and a match winning target shot at 100 yards with a .50 cal. Hawken and round balls. He was 8 y/o, and now he's at bifocal age himself. That last shot at 9 o'clock would have been center if it weren't for my missing a wind call. Just shows what can be done with iron sights.

Those were good days.

Steve's pics of that great old Stevens are a pretty good indication of what a good .22 can do at 50 yards with iron sights. Gotta love those vintage single shots.

Paul

Paul, I left the question that way on purpose. That way, many people with different experiences could comment. As all have been great examples of that. Damn, that marlin 1897 cowboy would be one to watch out for (sleeper for sure). Paul, thanks for posting the pic too. Brings back memories of my bud and I shooting Jackrabbits in northern Nevada with a 50 and 54 cal hawkens. Great times for sure. Take care, bsa.

Nice rifle Steve! This isn't 50 yds but I usually shoot at 100.I could cover 7 out of 10 shots with a quarter. Did this when I first got the gun and haven't played with it much since.

CDI--Thanks for the compliments on the rifle--was my Dad's gun so it's in the family forever. Took me 30 yrs and the internet to find out what it really was.

Some old guns still amaze me--I have a Rem 597 with a VQ bbl. and I can get .33" out of it with a 20 power scope, and here's a nearly 80 year old Stevens that can get .56" with iron sights no less, although that was back in the day when Stevens rifles were right up there with any rifle. Also have a Savage 99 lever gun (my second actually)both in 300 Savage from 1953 and 1954, and that thing will put 3 shots in .7" at 100 yds. with factory ammo and a 4X scope. Yet it seems that gun mag. writers still get all worked up over $1000.00 bolt guns that will shoot to under an inch? Go figure!

I see you use SK Jagd Std + too--that and Wolf MT are my favorite mid range 22 ammo's.

Can't quite make out all of your pic--what is that rifle? Seems to earl for a Win. 52?

It's a Winchester 52. I have about 10 Winchester 22's that are all older than me.That is my oldest, a 1927 model, and my "newest" is a 1956 model. They are all very accurate. I know some of the current production 22's are good too,but these older ones appreciate in value instead of depreciate. Can't beat the craftsmanship either.

25 yards......CCI SV. Looks like a scope but is a Redfield Olympic aperture sight w/tube.

By the way everyone, I should say the Rem 597/VQ bbl. will do the .33" with Wolf MT, it takes Eley Tenex to do .5" in the old Stevens (both 5 shot groups at 50 yds)

Nice 52 as I said before---Soon as I get up to speed on my pistols, there'll be a Win 52 and maybe a Rem. 37 or 40X in my future. I like the old ones too, though I do have some new ones.

Win 67, bought used for $6.00 in 1946... only gun that is simpler is a zipgun, crudest open sights around, shot using reading glasses to see the front bead. Yeah, high and left but that has been fixed. Just wonder what it would do with a driver who could see....

I have very few pictures of 50 yard targets I've shot with open iron sights, but I do have this 100 yard target to share. It was shot with my Marlin 925 & open iron sights from the bench with the aid of only a sling. 25 shots total.


This next target was shot prone from 25 yards with the aid of a sling and the Marlin 925 with open iron sights. Again, 25 total shots.


I've got my Marlin 80 DL with aperture sights doing about the same as the picture above of the 25 yard open iron, and I expect it'll tighten up (which it did this morning using the CCI Blazer). Had some nice tight groups.

I may not be as accurate with iron sights, but I never get bored shooting with them. I seldom ever take a scoped rifle to the range anymore - however I keep 'em around in case I get the itch to shoot 'em again.

I guess I'm just one of those folks who has shot open iron most of my life, spending at least 36 years now shooting fixed open iron sighted muzzle loading rifles. It's just hard for me to warm up to scopes, but they have their place as well.

It'd hurt your feelings and then you'd start whining all over again.

Fingers crossed!..................

I won a new CZ 452 Special in a match back in October and here is a pic of the results of our sighting in session on Halloween Day. No ten shot groups as requested in the lead post but several fives. This is a fine rifle and those CZ open sights are the best.

What targets are those? An NRA A-23?

I don't have any pictures, but my best ever 5 shot prone group at 50 yards would fit under my pinky fingernail. I don't have large hands. The sad thing was that it was centered on the edge of the 10 ring. I kept dialing in windage, but couldn't cut the X.

Typically, I was shooting about 192 or so for four bulls on the 50 yd reduced ITU target. This was outdoors in 15 mph wind, prone, not benched. I'm pretty sure the 10 ring is under 10 mm in diameter. The rifle is an Anschutz 1807, ammo is just RWS Match (not R50). I've not used this rifle seriously in almost 20 years now though...

But don't take just my word for how well those Annies shoot - make Stick tell you what he's able to do with his Model 54.

Scott

P.S - Always with irons.