What range for shooting M22

[pmclaine]

What's the typical competition range the M2 would be used at?

Thank you for your replies.

[Herschel]

Most usage was in indoor ranges at 50 feet. These were some of the best .22 cal. target rifles available in the 1920's and early 1930's and would have been used at whatever distance the competition was held. They were widely used by DCM affiliated rifle clubs in high schools, colleges and by military teams.

[JimF]

Although not necessarily limited to the Springfield Model of 1922 family of rifles, I've heard of some competitions "in the old days", being held at the TWO HUNDRED . . . yes, 200 . . . .yard range!! (Hap Rocketto, are you still out there?)

My father once shot a match in the old Winchester factory 200 yd. range (in DOWNTOWN New Haven, Connecticut, no less)!

It was actually a test range at the ammo factory, comprised of three Quonsett huts (laid out end-to-end). Between the ends of the huts, was a gap, wide enough for a fire truck to navigate in case of emergency.

Can you imagine how the wind would play havoc with the little 40 grain bullet 'twixt the buildings?

Some interesting times/matches were held back in the 1950's! --Jim

[pmclaine]

Thanks guys. Just want to know what the typical challenge is.

Thank you for your responses.

[Hap Rocketto]

Jim,
Yes, I am here and still shooting.

The 1922 was also very popular with outdoor smallbore shooters and was often seen in smallbore tournaments, which shoot out to 100 yards, during its pre-war heyday.

As for really long range rim fire, we used to conduct a 200 yard 22 caliber rifle match at Bell City Rifle Club in Southington, CT. The match was in honor of Bill Brophy and the trophy was donated by Art Jackson.

The record is held by Bill Lange who shot a 395X400 with telescopic sights. He dropped his five points in the first ten shots and then ran 30 consecutive tens and Xs. For his last 30 shots he held a group size of four inches.

Back "In the Day" , prior to World War II shooting at 200 yards with 22 caliber rim fire was common. In what was called a Swiss, Miss and Out, Match a shooter would lay down prone and blast away at 200 yards until a shot escaped the black, a five, on a reduced 1,000 yard target. The black bull's-eye was a 7.2 inch five ring with a four inch V ring.

The record may have been set in during the summer of 1940 by Art Jackson at he traveled to Poughkeepsie, New York. The final match of the day was the Swiss Match. Art lay down at 4 PM with half of a box of Western Super Match ammunition. During the course of the afternoon, he would cadge an additional six boxes of Super Match, one by one, from generous bystanders, lose all feeling in his left arm and hand, and approach paralysis.

Four and a half hours after he started, the setting sun made it difficult to see the cross hair reticule of the scope and, finally out of ammunition and light, he was forced to stop with an unofficial count of 325 bulls. However, a careful recount of the scorekeeper's tally marks showed one less and his official score card declared he had fired 324 consecutive fives with 238 Vs, This score beat the previous record on the C5 target, set by Thurman Randle and his rifle 'Bacon Getter, in 1933, by 128 bulls.

Hap

[joem]

I would have liked to have seen that match.

[Jim in Salt Lake]

Our club has a 200yd smallbore match monthly. These are a lot of fun but you need about 26 minutes of elevation from your 50yd zero. The rear sight on my Anschutz is almost at the top of it's travel. Some of our scope shooters don't have the elevation needed and we'll put an aiming bull at the top of the target frame to get around that. It's a lot of fun once you get on paper. To me, it feels like shooting Palma at 800 yards.

[Fred Pillot]

Indoor .22 is 50 feet. Outdoor is 50 yrds., 100yrs., and 50 meter. Our club shoots 200 yards on occasion, my sight adustment from 50 yrds to 200 yrds is 27 MOA. You can go to our website and check event scores to see some of our results. www.zouaves.org

[tom gray]

I have shot mine a few times in NRA sillouette matches, iron sight. It always gets admiring comments
Tom

[pmclaine]

With my 1.75 Unertl 20X at 100 yards my adjustments are almost max'd out and I have the scope tube almost touching the top of the micrometer mount frame.

Do those shooting at longer range shim the rear mount?

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af178/pmclaine/P4086798_zps1u5sozb8.jpg (http://s1005.photobucket.com/user/pmclaine/media/P4086798_zps1u5sozb8.jpg.html)

[JimF]

[QUOTE=pmclaine;454481]With my 1.75 Unertl 20X at 100 yards my adjustments are almost max'd out and I have the scope tube almost touching the top of the micrometer mount frame.

Do those shooting at longer range shim the rear mount?

[QUOTE]

How about installing either a HIGHER rear block . . . or a LOWER front?

[Parashooter]

Judging from the picture, that's a very high front block.

[pmclaine]

Don't know the history f the blocks. They were on the gun when I bought it. I'm assuming they were done at Springfield when rebuilt.

[Parashooter]

http://www.ammoland.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/U.S.-Springfield-Model-1922-M1-Bolt-Action-NRA-Model.jpg?b104ed

Looking around the interweb, it appears such high blocks were normal for the old Winchester scope. Given the elevation problem with the Unertl mount, a smaller front block seems a practical solution unless it results in the bolt handle smacking the tube during operation. Brownell's and others carry blocks in various heights that might have the same hole spacing and could be installed without permanent alteration.

A higher rear mount (or added shim) has the possible disadvantage of raising the line of sight uncomfortably high for good shooting position. Depends on individual physique.