Ranges/Clubs that fire .22

bullets

A lot of the time when reading I read that ranges are restricted to
.22LR and sometimes only subsonic rounds.

Does this mean for rifle the range will allow you to fire "up to" .22
or .22 only.

For the likes of myself that prefers to start out with the .17HMR which
has a growing reputation for being less prone to Ricochet and has a flatter
trajectory surely it would make sense that that calibre would be allowed
too. Would it not been seen as safer and also smaller ?

If .17's are not allowed be fired on the .22 ranges
Is it just the Noise aspect that may not allow these ranges to
fire them or is it something else ?

~B

Sparks

It varies from range to range bullets. Some places, it's noise (hence no supersonics), some places it's backstop limitations (so limits on the kind of round and the muzzle energy is more what they're thinking of). Some places, it's just a Garda-imposed limit, so there's no clear technical reasoning available.

rrpc

A lot of the time when reading I read that ranges are restricted to .22LR and sometimes only subsonic rounds.

Does this mean for rifle the range will allow you to fire "up to" .22
or .22 only.

It's usually up to .22LR, but it also depends on the velocity of the ammunition. Rathdrum is authorised up to .22LR, but subsonic only. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. Subsonic rounds will have less effect on backplates (bullet stops). If you want to use HV ammo, then the bckplate has to be beefed up. It doesn't take long for HV ammo to eat through a 5mm steel plate, so there goes your backstop. Heavier steel costs more, so that's why ranges limit the ammo.

2. Obviously the same situation exists for higher calibres,

3. In our case, we also limit to subsonic because (a) HV is no more accurate than subsonic over 25 yards and (b) makes a hell of a lot more noise.

So basically, it comes down to money and accuracy. HV ammo is designed to go longer distances, so in a short range, there's absolutely no point. In fact there are some that will tell you that HV ammo is actually less accurate (esp. in wind). I'm one of them

Trojan911

rrpc wrote:

HV ammo is designed to go longer distances, so in a short range, there's absolutely no point. In fact there are some that will tell you that HV ammo is actually less accurate (esp. in wind). I'm one of them

I've stopped using HV .22 for quite a while now because I prefer using my suppressor, I have my .22lr zeroed for 80yds, using subsonic HP rounds, and find it perfect for rabbits at this range.

In your opinion, question open to all, have I maximised the use of the subsonic round or has anyone zeroed over the 100yd mark without any problems?

Cheers.

TJ911...

Sparks

Trojan911 wrote:

In your opinion, question open to all, have I maximised the use of the subsonic round or has anyone zeroed over the 100yd mark without any problems?

At 100 yards, iron sights, 20-year-old rifle that had seen a fair chunk of abuse, .22lr subsonics (Eley club ammo if I recall):







The last photo is awful, but out of 20 shots, not one was more than an inch from the centre of the bull at 100 yards.

I'd say you have a bit more you could squeeze out of the round

Trojan911

Sparks wrote:

I'd say you have a bit more you could squeeze out of the round

So there is a bit more life left in the little fellas then.... Cheers.

Nice range by the way......


TJ911...

rrpc

At 100 yards, iron sights, 20-year-old rifle that had seen a fair chunk of abuse, .22lr subsonics (Eley club ammo if I recall):

There might be an empty box of eley match, but the other boxes look like Lapua Midas and Master Sparks; memory a bit faulty?

.22LR subsonic is a lot more accurate than people give it credit for. It seems that because it doesn't make a big bang, it can't be good.

Sparks

rrpc wrote:

There might be an empty box of eley match, but the other boxes look like Lapua Midas and Master Sparks; memory a bit faulty?

Might be, I'm not as young as I was when I took that photo - but I do remember being stuck shooting T22 in a match in Comber because we didn't have anything else in the club armory at the time, so I think John was actually shooting one half of his match with eley and the other with lapua for that competition

.22LR subsonic is a lot more accurate than people give it credit for. It seems that because it doesn't make a big bang, it can't be good.

Yup, couldn't agree more.

Mind you, same's true of airgun