.22 Rimfire Ammunition  (Handy Information)

      The popular .22 rimfire is an easy caliber to shoot well.   However, have you ever wondered how much better you could shoot one, if you knew the bullet trajectory and the exact effect that wind has on your shooting?   Most of us can shoot a .22 rimfire pretty well, but knowing this information will improve your shooting to a much higher level.

      After learning this information, the next step is to adjust your sights accordingly.   You'll always be able to shoot better if you adjust your sights, instead of estimating the holdover for elevation.

      This table shows the bullet drop of Standard .22 rimfire ammunition compared to High Velocity ammo.   This information is pretty accurate, but it can vary slightly.   It depends on the particular brand of ammo that you're using.   Most .22 rimfire bullets "appear" to be almost identical.   However, some ammunition manufacturers use bullets with a very slight difference in shape.   Even at the exact same speed, their ballistic coefficient gives them a slightly different trajectory.

      The chart below shows how much effect that a 10 MPH wind has on different .22 rimfire bullets.   You would think that the High Speed ammo would be affected less by the wind, but that is not correct.   Most brands of standard velocity .22 rimfire ammo will do a much better job at bucking the wind.  

      If you're searching for accuracy, this is an important item to remember.   If you tilt your scope when shooting, your shot will land to one side of where your scope is pointed.   For example . . . . if your scope is tilted to the right by a few degrees (this is easy if you don't have a horizontal or vertical reference), your bullet will cross the line of sight (at about 30 yards), and go about 1/4" to the right at 50 yards.