Nv to sit on a .22 for rabbits and rats

The No1 App in Europe for Hunting Area Management - MyHunt
Foxyboy43 said:
I don’t have a rabbit running in this race so would be interested if you would expand please?
Thanks.
🦊🦊
Click to expand...

Shooting rabbits at 200yds is nothing unusal with a 22lr? come on, thats a pretty wild statement, with the quality of most rimfire ammo these days? then take into account how much practice is needed to gauge windage nah i’d say its a lucky punt at best.
 
Pellet Pinger said:
Shooting rabbits at 200yds is nothing unusal with a 22lr? come on, thats a pretty wild statement, with the quality of most rimfire ammo these days? then take into account how much practice is needed to gauge windage nah i’d say its a lucky punt at best.
Click to expand...
No rabbit running in this race but ammunition issues aside, assuming you find the ammo that works in your rifle it can indeed be done with the humble .22lr - see below.

In relation to the Zulus - I have one and with a 100 yards zero the RF/BC functions have enabled me to head shoot rabbits beyond 220 yds and foxes at 300 plus - that of course was with God’s own WMD - the triple deuce, but I see no real obstacle to doing the same with lesser chamberings…
Just my three happence worth based on many years of 22 shooting - often well beyond 150 yards.
🦊🦊
 
Hello, When i had my CZ 455 22 L/R i used the Hawke scope akin to these rifles and found it very good once you zero to 50 yards, I gave up FAC this time and gave the Kit to my friends farmers Grand Son,
 
Foxyboy43 said:
No rabbit running in this race but ammunition issues aside, assuming you find the ammo that works in your rifle it can indeed be done with the humble .22lr - see below.

In relation to the Zulus - I have one and with a 100 yards zero the RF/BC functions have enabled me to head shoot rabbits beyond 220 yds and foxes at 300 plus - that of course was with God’s own WMD - the triple deuce, but I see no real obstacle to doing the same with lesser chamberings…
Just my three happence worth based on many years of 22 shooting - often well beyond 150 yards.
🦊🦊
Click to expand...

I too have shot foxes out to 300yds with the Zulus/.223 and they are different gravy in terms of ballistics and consistency of ammo compared to the 22lr. With the correct load/ammo its possible to cloverleaf rounds with centerfires at 100yds, show me a man that could do it with even the very best 22lr ammo off a bench let alone out in the field.
10mph 90deg crosswind with the .223 needs 1.4” of correction when zeroed at 200yds, irrelevant when foxing.
10mph 90deg crosswind with the 22lr needs over 16” of correction when zeroed at the normal 60yds.
No doubt the ballistic calc of the Zulus works out to beyond 200yds but it cant account for wind and the poor consistency of most hollow nosed hunting 22lr ammo even if you are bench rested off bags.
Im not saying rabbits can’t be shot at those distances but to imply its nothing unusual is fantasy.
 
Last edited:
Lots of compelling comments fore and against ballistic calc.

I think I'll just try and find a cheap second hand NV or maybe an older cheap thermal; might save nettles and other objects obscuring the rabbits.
 
Pellet Pinger said:
I too have shot foxes out to 300yds with the Zulus/.223 and they are different gravy in terms of ballistics and consistency of ammo compared to the 22lr. With the correct load/ammo its possible to cloverleaf rounds with centerfires at 100yds, show me a man that could do it with even the very best 22lr ammo off a bench let alone out in the field.
10mph 90deg crosswind with the .223 needs 1.4” of correction when zeroed at 200yds, irrelevant when foxing.
10mph 90deg crosswind with the 22lr needs over 16” of correction when zeroed at the normal 60yds.
No doubt the ballistic calc of the Zulus works out to beyond 200yds but it cant account for wind and the poor consistency of most hollow nosed hunting 22lr ammo even if you are bench rested off bags.
Im not saying rabbits can’t be shot at those distances but to imply its nothing unusual is fantasy.
Click to expand...
Interesting but surely reading the wind and “aiming off” to accommodate it applies to open sights, glass and digital?
🦊🦊
 
Foxyboy43 said:
Interesting but surely reading the wind and “aiming off” to accommodate it applies to open sights, glass and digital?
🦊🦊
Click to expand...
Absolutely, thats the thing, there are so many variables regardless of what scope is used, bolting a Zulus on a rifle doesn’t turn it into a 200yd rabbit killer as implied. As i said so many variables and the 2 main ones are the limitations of the 22lr round itself and the wind.
If you look at some of the 22lr 200yd comps on Youtube they are shooting on ranges that are invariably protected from the wind to a certain extent, they have wind flags down range, have a few sighting shots with the very best target ammo using the very best target rifles/optics and have the time to study the last shot and make corrections and still struggle to achieve a fist sized group. Doing that in the field at night? Hmmm.
Unless of course your name is Mr Ripley and you can pop them off with 100% kill rate for the camera😉
 
I get all the points regarding technology development and that calibres with more drop at distance fair better from ballistics functions.

My point is that it’s the latest must have, and we managed fine before.

The worry I have is that folk without experience just point and pull without a thought for other factors such as windage. Not great for humane kills. Likely to encourage mistakes and not learning.
 
JockStalk said:
I get all the points regarding technology development and that calibres with more drop at distance fair better from ballistics functions.

My point is that it’s the latest must have, and we managed fine before.

The worry I have is that folk without experience just point and pull without a thought for other factors such as windage. Not great for humane kills. Likely to encourage mistakes and not learning.
Click to expand...
"My point is that it’s the latest must have, and we managed fine before."
That argument equally applies to iron sights preceding glass riflescopes, muskets preceding rifles, bow and arrow preceding muskets, spears preceding bow and arow etc, etc
Just because "we managed fine before" doesn't mean that when other (better) methods come along they should be decried simply because some people don't see a purpose for them

Cheers

Bruce
 
mealiejimmy said:
"My point is that it’s the latest must have, and we managed fine before."
That argument equally applies to iron sights preceding glass riflescopes, muskets preceding rifles, bow and arrow preceding muskets, spears preceding bow and arow etc, etc
Just because "we managed fine before" doesn't mean that when other (better) methods come along they should be decried simply because some people don't see a purpose for them

Cheers

Bruce
Click to expand...
Each of those technology steps has a downside as well as an upside. Like overconfidence and folk on internet forums only increasing that talking about 200yd shots on bunnies. If your wind calls are that good with a 22, your drops are probably not bad either.
But for a novice, not a good idea at all.
Technology is great as long as you know how to use it and understand its limitations.
 
waggy 1 said:
Did or Do ??
Click to expand...
Did and do. A ballistic calc is only as good as the drop curve it’s fed. And if you know your drops and the distance, the outcome is exactly the same.
Windage is another matter entirely and my concern is folk getting beyond their capabilities believing the tech is replacing enough experience pulling the trigger.
Otherwise would we all not just be buying the latest must have scope and then winning all the comps????
 
Last edited:
I use a standard Photon one FAC air rifle for ratting but in an ideal world and if I had lots of rats to cull then cheap thermal scope would be a best buy.
Aa for rabbits use a modified Photon on.22lr. Obviously night time only.
If you can head shoot rabbits at 100yds + with a .22lr you are doing well. Difficulty is getting consistent. 22lr subs.
D
 
OxfordshireNapp said:
Lots of compelling comments fore and against ballistic calc.

I think I'll just try and find a cheap second hand NV or maybe an older cheap thermal; might save nettles and other objects obscuring the rabbits.
Click to expand...
Hello, As posted before, I have these scopes if of interest, Yukon Photon 5 X 42 XT or a Sytong HT 60 , I am in South Oxon, genuine reason for sale as i do very little night shooting now,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

NV Scope choice
Replies
6
Views
297
Scotty123
S
NV scope and hand held thermal advice
2
Replies
22
Views
767
Motard
Motard
Mounted Torch / Lamp for Night Hunting
2 3
Replies
45
Views
2K
Longstrider
Longstrider
Alpex lite as a spotter & range finder?
2 3
Replies
44
Views
1K
Mike1979
M
Which day/night scope?
2 3
Replies
45
Views
4K
danielsun315
danielsun315
R. Macleod & Son - The Best Hunting Companion
Back
Top