Serious riflemen know that Krieger makes outstanding centerfire barrels that hold world records and have won many National Championships. But did you know that Krieger makes great rimfire barrels too? Well, Krieger does make outstanding .22 LR rimfire match barrels that can deliver impressive accuracy.
Sniper’s Hide moderator “Padom” recently tested a variety of rimfire ammo types, employing five different barrels: Krieger, Bartlein, Benchmark, Lilja, and Green Mountain. He tested at both 50 yards and 100 yards. FULL Rimfire TEST REPORT HERE.
Reporting on the 50-yard test, Padom posted: “Had a virtually dead calm day today for 50-yard RimX testing (Keystone Accuracy RimX barreled action with 1:16″ Krieger 20″ barrel). A few infrequent 3 mph gusts but pretty dead [calm] and the target showed. This Krieger just barely edged out the Bartlein by 0.003″ with a 0.177″ 6×5 with SK Rifle Match. The 10×5 was 0.198″. The best lots of Center-X weren’t far behind either. This is the first Krieger rimfire [barrel] I’ve shot and it didn’t disappoint.”
Padom noted: “Winds were much calmer tonight than this morning so the 100-yard Krieger test was a success. Winds were pretty consistent [at] 3-5 mph.”
Test Results at 100 Yards
Padom then tested ammo at 100 yards, again using his Krieger rimfire barrel: “To recap, the Krieger shot the best 50-yard results of the barrels tested so far, just barely beating the Bartlein but it was so close you can call the 50-yard results equal (.005). Well the Krieger beat all the barrels tested to date at 100 yards by a pretty good margin with Center-X. The 10×5 was incredible as well at just barely over 0.6″ showing the results were very consistent. A second lot of Center-X was right there with the previous 100-yard 6×5 best results just barely over 0.6. The third lot of Center-X shot a respectable 0.75″ 6×5. This Krieger sure is shooting very nicely. I’m really looking forward to shooting it at 300 and 400 yards[.]”
Components Tested: 20″ Krieger M24 barrel, .22 LR Match Eachus chamber 0.046 headspace, Zermatt RimX Action, Bix’N Andy TacSport Pro 2-Stage Trigger, RimX 10rd magazine, XLR Envy Pro Folding Chassis, Athlon Cronus BTR 4.5-29x56mm MIL scope.
Shooting Set-up: 100 Yards Prone with Bipod and Rear Bag.
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Top is a CZ 457 MTR; middle Anschutz with BR stock; bottom is Bergara B14R in DPT Chassis.
With the variety of rimfire disciplines, from cowboy action to Olympic three-position smallbore, there are countless different rimfire designs on the market — bolt guns, lever guns, single-shots, toggle-links and more. These may shoot the same ammo, but they certainly vary in looks and ergonomics. This is testimony to human creativity.
In our Shooters’ Forum, you’ll find a long-running thread showcasing rimfire rifles for plinking, hunting, 3P Target Shooting, Silhouette, Rimfire F-Class, NRL22 and more. Here are some of the notable recently-posted rifles in that Forum thread, with brief build/component details.
ARA Benchrest Rifle with Stiller Action, Shilen Ratchet Barrel
Forum member Peebles24 showcased his cool flame-paint-job .22 LR benchrest rifle against a scenic, snowy background (never too cold to shoot right?). “I had a new rifle built this past fall by Mark Penrod at Penrod Precision. Stiller 2500X action, Shilen ratchet barrel, Jewell trigger, McMillan stock, Harrell’s tuner, Sightron SIII 10-50×60mm glass. I’m shooting it off my Arnold Machine one-piece rest made locally by Cliff Arnold. I visited the Lapua Testing Center East and got a case of Midas+.” For ammo testing results, click photo at right.
In late April the gun competed in its first ARA benchrest match in Wabash, Indiana.
Beautiful MasterClass-Stocked Rifle for Rimfire F-Class
Here is a handsome rifle belonging to Forum member Redd. Set up for prone Rimfire F-Class-style competition, this rig features a Shilen Ratchet barrel with Erik Cortina Tuner fitted to a Stiller 2500X action. It boasts a beautiful MasterClass figured Walnut stock and rides on a SEB Joy-Pod bipod up front. The optic is a Nightforce 40x45mm Competition.
CZ 457 .22 Magnum Transformed with KRG Bravo Stock
Forum member JAS-AS purchased a .22 Magnum CZ which he revived as a training rig with a new stock. He posted: “I use a CZ457 in .22 Magnum mainly as a trainer — bipod and rear bag kind of stuff. It has evolved over the last year or so. Next change will be a Lilja barrel. This because it can shoot brilliantly (at times) but not consistently. And accuracy degrades as it gets minimally dirty. Also, it doesn’t like 40gr rounds — the groups open up to 1.5 MOA. It’s at its best with 30 and 35 grain rounds running at up to 2250 fps. I believe that to be a twist-rate issue.”
The “Before” photo shows the rifle “as purchased” with a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42mm mildot scope. The “After” image shows the CZ 457 as modified. JAS-AS notes: “I added a bunch of stuff: KRG Bravo stock, Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56mm FFP scope, new bipod and Precision Underground bag, trigger spring. With this setup I shoot at 100 yards+ exclusively.” Show at right is a 9-shot group with the rifle at 100 yards. Three-shot groups at 100 have been below half-MOA.
Savage Mark II Squirrel/Field Rifle
This Savage Mark II rifle isn’t fancy, but it has brought much satisfaction to its owner, Forum member “Ohio Varmint Shooter”. He posted: “Just a nice field gun. Less than $200 (without scope). Cheap wooden stock, thin pencil barrel. My squirrel/field gun. There is absolutely nothing special about this… except it’s lefthanded. It shoots fine, preferring CCI standard velocity rounds. I did splurge and put a more-than-needed scope on it. Most scopes with fixed parallax (in this category), have it fixed at 50 yards. I wanted variable parallax so I could set it at 35 yards. I don’t know if it really makes any difference, but I do try to go for accurate head shots. The scope is also a little overkill in magnification, but it does help with the head shots and my aging eyes.”
“As a youth in the 70s, I always dreamed of a left-handed bolt. So getting back into shooting/hunting about 8 years ago, I was delighted to discover this gun. Growing up I had a semi-auto 22, but being a lefty … it would spit powder on my face.” — Ohio Varmint Shooter
Tikka T1x Action in Eliseo Competition Machine Chassis
Here is Gary Eliseo’s personal Rimfire Match Target Rifle with Tikka T1x action. The T1x action is carried in Competition Machine Rimfire Chassis. Gary also posted some recent 100-yard groups, using SK rifle match ammo in this rifle. Gary runs Competition Machine LLC and produces the chassis system for this cool rig, along with outstanding Across-the-Course, High Power, and F-Class chassis systems for rimfire and centerfire rifles.
Vudoo Action Benchrest Rifle with Benchmark 3-Groove Barrel
Here is a classy benchrest rig belonging to Forum member FCJIM. It features a Vudoo LBRP action, Benchmark 3-groove barrel, Harrell’s Precision tuner, NightForce Benchrest scope, and McMillan Edge stock. The stock work was done by Doan Trevor, while FCJIM did the metal work himself, using a Nevius reamer. This rig likes to shoot ELEY Black and Lapua Midas+ ammo.
Last but not least, here is a “blast from the past”. This classic lever-action single shot is crafted by CPS Rifles (Paul Shuttleworth), a boutique gun-maker specializing in single-shot rifles, particularly reproductions of the Stevens 44 1/2. Note the richly-figured wood and the lovely color case-hardening on the receiver. There is a dual Set Trigger system. You pull one trigger through a relatively long stroke until it clicks. The the second trigger breaks the shot (and drops the hammer) with just a few ounces of pull weight. This rig, fitted with MPA Vernier-type tang sights, belongs to Forum member “Mills” from Texas.
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Here’s a “must-read” article for .22 LR rimfire shooters. The October 2018 issue of Shooting Sports USA (SSUSA) includes a great article with data on thirty-one (31) different types of popular .22 LR rimfire ammunition. The line-up includes low-speed, standard, and Hi-Velocity types, plus choices for plinking, varminting, and target applications. Brands tested include: Aguila, American Eagle, CCI, Federal, Fiocchi, Lapua, Remington, and Winchester. The slowest ammo, CCI Quiet-22 Lead RN, clocked 727 FPS. The fastest ammo, CCI Short-Range Green Lead-Free HP, ran 1735 FPS, 2.4 times the speed of the Quiet-22.
For each ammo type, SSUSA lists the bullet weight, velocity (FPS), and average of two, 5-shot groups at fifty yards. The most accurate ammo was Lapua Center-X LRN, with a 0.37″ average 50-yard group size. Second best was Lapua X-ACT LRN at 0.42″. Ammo was tested from a bench with a Cooper Model 57-M rifle fitted with 3-9x33mm Leupold VX-2 scope. The ammo offerings were grouped into three categories: (1) Varmints/Small Game; (2) Target; and (3) Plinking. (See ammo tables below.)
Click for larger page-view.
Different types of .22 LR (Long Rifle) rimfire ammo have different applications. Subsonic ammo, typically, is best for 25m to 50m target work with precision rimfire rigs. Hi-Velocity .22 LR ammo provides a flatter trajectory for longer ranges. SSUSA explains: “The array of .22 LR loads… turns a person’s head every which way. Subsonic target loads are the key to decisive accuracy on targets, while hyper-velocity cartridges provide striking bullet expansion on small varmints. In between, standard and high-velocity .22 LRs are loaded with a variety of bullet weights and styles for everything from small-game hunting to plinking[.]” READ Full SSUSA .22 LR Rimfire Ammo Story.
Rimfire Ammo Article tip from EdLongrange.
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AccurateShooter’s Target Page provides over 50 FREE downloadable targets. You’ll find all types of targets — sight-in targets, varmint targets, rimfire targets, bullseye targets, tactical targets, load development targets and more. CLICK HERE for all our free targets, including our popular LOAD DEV target.
On this load development target, all your load data fits neatly in the boxes under each target. The diamonds have 1/2″ sides and you can align your cross-hairs on the horizontal and vertical lines. When we test, we crank in a little elevation, setting the point-of-impact higher. That way our shots fall in the gray circles, leaving the red diamonds intact for precise aiming.
Storm Tactical Targets — Hundreds of FREE, Printable Targets
If you want an even greater selection of targets, specialized for PRS and NRL shooters, Storm Tactical offers a vast collection of tactical targets, available in three different versions: MOA, MIL Yards, and MIL Meters. These target sets were created with input from Sniper’s Hide. Storm Tactical also created a great rimfire target set. This includes side-by-side target blocks for fun, one-on-one competition. If you shoot NRL22 or just enjoy shooting with a buddy, we highly recommend the rimfire target set.
Overall there are 299 Storm Tactical Targets in four sets.
CLICK links to launch each Storm Tactical target collection. Then you can click the download icon to save to your hard drive. OR, you can scroll up and down to select the target(s) you like which you can tell your printer to print. We do recommend downloading the complete archives. File sizes are listed.
Here’s a Tikka T3 in Third Eye Tactical cerakoted chassis.
Rimfire Twin Target, for One-on-One Shooter Challenges
You’ll find this fun target on the third page of the Rimfire Target Pack. Just download the PDF file and instruct your printer to deliver page three. Or print out all six (6) rimfire targets if you like.
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We have used NO-LEAD Cleaner in rimfire benchrest rifles similar to this modified Suhl 150-1. It helped restore accuracy with minimal brushing.
Made by the same smart folks that created Wipe-Out™, and Carb-Out™, NO-LEAD Brushless Lead Remover™ really works. Honest. If you are an active rimfire shooter, or if you shoot cast lead-alloy bullets in centerfire rifles and pistols, you should try this product. We now use NO-LEAD in our rimfire benchrest rifles, and in some centerfire guns that receive a steady diet of soft-alloy cast bullets (90%+ lead). (With rimfire guns, you don’t need to use NO-LEAD very often — maybe every 300-400 rounds unless you have a real fouler of a barrel.)
If you’ve got stubborn lead fouling in a rimfire barrel, or on a pistol’s muzzle brake/compensator, you should definitely give this stuff a try. We don’t know how but it does soften lead deposits. The manufacturer says you don’t need brushes, but we found that a bit of brushing (after NO-LEAD application) can help remove more serious lead build-up.
Yes we were surprised to find a lead remover that really works. We tried a half-dozen other lead “cleaners” that promised to dissolve lead and most of them, we discovered, are nearly useless. There’s a reason for that, as the lead alloys used in bullets don’t react to typical petrochemical-based solvents. It took the Wipe-Out chemists over five years to perfect this water-based solution that really does dissolve lead.
NO-LEAD Cleaning Procedure — Read Carefully NO-LEAD Lead Remover is a clear, red gel that is easy to apply. Just swab it in your bore (or on muzzle brakes) with wet patches or bore mop and let it sit for a few minutes. (The manufacturer says you can leave the NO-LEAD for up to 20 minutes, but that long of a dwell time does not seem necessary with our rimfire barrels.) When it contacts lead it will start to foam and you’ll see that the NO-LEAD solvent turns a pastel pink when it dissolves lead. The pink comes from the formation of lead oxide. After the recommended dwell time, simply patch out the dissolved lead deposits (you can also use a nylon brush for stubborn lead build-up).
NOTE: After cleaning, it is very important that you get all the NO-LEAD out of your barrel, and neutralize it. We recommend following the application of NO-Lead with Wipe-out or Patch-Out to neutralize the NO-LEAD, clear the bore, and remove residual carbon and copper fouling. If you don’t have Wipe-Out or Patch-out, flush the barrel thoroughly with Rubbing Alcohol or even a solution of Dawn dish detergent — then re-oil the bore.
Be Sure to Neutralize NO-LEAD After Use
Remember that N0-LEAD is a strong, slightly acidic chemical that needs to be neutralized after use. If you leave it on a nice, blued barrel for too long, it can harm the bluing. NO-LEAD will remove all the surface oils from the barrel bore. For this reason it is recommended that you neutralize NO-LEAD with Wipe-Out, or Patch-Out, which both contain effective corrosion inhibitors. If you don’t have those products, once you’ve flushed the NO-LEAD with something like rubbing alcohol, then follow with a gun oil. Caution: A petroleum-based gun oil will NOT, by itself, neutralize NO-LEAD. You need to neutralize first, then apply the corrosion inhibitor (or do it all in one step with Wipe-Out or Patch-Out).
Where to Buy NO-LEAD Lead Remover
NO-LEAD Lead Remover costs $18.55 for an 8 oz. squeeze bottle with a flip-top spout. This product is sold directly by Sharp Shoot-R Precision Products through Sharpshootr.com, or you can purchase NO-LEAD through many other online vendors. For more information, send an email via the Sharp Shoot-R Contact Form or or contact SharpShoot-R at (785) 883-4444. You can ask for Terry Paul, Sharp Shoot-R’s owner and the master chemist who developed the NO-LEAD formula.
AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL: At 25 yards, this is a fun rimfire plinking target. At longer distances it can be a great training target for precision centerfire shooters.
NRL22 and PRS rimfire competition is hugely popular. And we’re seeing great interest in .22 LR rimfire tactical cross-training. With a rimfire rig, you can practice regularly for a fraction of the cost of centerfire shooting. That way you can build your skill set without breaking the bank. Decent rimfire ammo can be had for 10 to 20 cents a round. Compare that to $1.00 (or more) for centerfire handloads and as much as $2.00 per round for factory ammo such as Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor.
To help with rimfire cross-training, here are some of our favorite rimfire tactical targets, all in easy-to-print PDF format. Click each target image to download the FREE target. You’ll find more free targets for load development, precision practice, and fun shooting on our AccurateShooter FREE Targets Page.
Modern Rimfire Tactical Rifle with MPA BA Comp Chassis and Vudoo V-22 action.
Targets for Rimfire Training and Fun Matches
Here’s a rimfire training target with “big to small” target circles. Start with the largest circles, then move to the smaller ones in sequence. This systematic drill provides increasing challenge shot-by-shot. Novices often are quite surprised to see their accuracy improve as they move from bigger to smaller aiming points. That provides positive feedback — always a good thing.
Right Click and “Save as” to download printable PDF versions of target.
This Vortex Nation video features an 80-minute interview with Travis Ishida, one of the original founders of the NRL22 and NRL22-X disciplines. Travis told us that the NRL now runs 7-8 times as many rimfire matches as centerfire matches.
Rimfire Practice Targets
SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets
These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.
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The 17 Mach 2 (aka “17 HM2″) is making a come-back. We’re glad. This high-velocity round fits actions and magazines designed for the .22 LR, so it’s an easy barrel-swap upgrade for most rimfire bolt-guns (semi-autos are more complicated). The 17 Mach 2 cartridge doesn’t deliver the velocity of the 17 HMR, but it is still way faster than a .22 LR. Expect 2000-2100 fps with 17 Mach 2 compared to 1250 fps for “High-Velocity” .22 LR ammo. And, importantly, 17 Mach 2 ammo is much less expensive than 17 HMR. If you shop around, you can get 50 rounds of 17 Mach 2 for about $8.50. That’s 43% cheaper than a better-than-average* $14.99 price of 17 HMR — a significant savings at 17 cents/round vs. 30 cents/round!
17 Mach 2 Major Selling Points:
1. 60% more velocity than typical “High-Velocity” .22 LR ammo.
2. 40% less cost than average 17 HMR ammo.
3. 17 Mach 2 OAL is compatible with .22 LR receivers and magazines.
17 Mach 2 — Best High Velocity Rimfire Bang for the Buck?
If you are looking for a capable, squirrel-busting round or a fun plinking round, you should definitely consider the 17 Mach 2, especially since CCI has committed to production of the little cartridge. CCI recently rolled out its “Gen 2″ 17 Mach 2 VNT Ammo with polymer tip (see top of article).
Considering that 17 HMR ammo is typically $15 to $17 per box, the 17 Mach 2 is a good value by comparison. It is available from vendors for about $8.50 per 50ct box. That’s $0.17 per round. When you consider overall “bang for the buck”, for many shooters, it makes sense to use the 17 Mach 2 rather than a 17 HMR. You save money, barrel life is a little longer, and the 17 Mach 2 is still a much more potent cartridge than the .22 LR. Check out this comparison, and note how the 17 Mach 2 has a much flatter trajectory than the .22 LR. For varmint shooting, the 17 Mach 2 is clearly the better choice.
And you can easily adapt a .22 LR Rifle to shoot the 17 Mach 2 just by changing the barrel. The magazine and bolt operation should work as the cartridge length, cartridge body diameter, and rim size is the same as the .22 LR.
Hornady’s 17 Mach 2 has a 2100 FPS muzzle velocity vs. 1255 FPS for “High-Velocity” .22 LR.
17 Mach 2 Rifle Reviews
Gun-makers have taken notice of the availability of 17 Mach 2 ammo, introducing new models chambered for this versatile little rimfire round. For a high-volume, small-species varminting, the 17 Mach 2 is much more effective than the .22 LR, and much less expensive than the larger 17 HMR.
New Savage A17 in 17 Mach 2
There are a number of reviews on new-generation 17 Mach 2 rifles. Recently Varminter.com reviewed the Savage A17 in 17 HM2. Editor Eric Mayer wrote: “This new addition to the A17 line comes at a time when the 17 Mach 2 round is experiencing a resurgence, with ammo now available from CCI and Hornady, including the lead-free NTX round from Hornady. This means … you don’t have to break the bank to buy a current, functioning, semi-auto 17 Mach 2 and you don’t have to … convert your 10/22.”
Eric shot four different types of 17 Mach 2 ammo, putting 1000+ rounds through the Savage. He was impressed: “I am very excited that Savage Arms has chambered their A17 rifle in the 17 Mach 2 / 17 HM2 round. After shooting the prototype, I can confidently say that this new A17 will become my go-to 17 Mach 2 rifle. This new rifle is a great option for varminters everywhere!”
Toggle Bolt Volquartsen Summit in 17 HM2
It’s rare for us to see a new rimfire that we’d really like to own, but the new Summit from Volquartsen fits the bill. This versatile rifle features a cool, straight-pull toggle bolt, similar to those on elite Biathlon rifles. You can see how this gun shoots in this informative 22 Plinkster video:
22 Plinkster Tests Volquartsen Summit Rifle in 17 Mach 2
The 17 Mach 2 (17 HM2) is making a comeback. Now leading manufacturers are offering this efficient little rimfire cartridge in some nice rifles. Both Anschutz and Volquartsen will offer new 17 Mach 2 rifles in 2019. The Volquartsen Summit features a lightweight, carbon fiber-wrapped barrel threaded 1/2-28 for brakes or suppressors. The Summit boasts a nice 1.75-lb trigger pull. The Summit’s CNC-machined receiver features a +20 MOA Rail. NOTE: The video shows a silhouette-style laminated wood stock. However, the Summit comes standard with a composite Magpul stock that actually works better for shooting from a bench.
*Note: The cheapest 17 HMR we found via nationwide search was $12.50/box, but MidwayUSA charges $19.99 for 50 rounds of most 17 HMR types. At most vendors you’ll pay $16-$18 per box for 17 HMR ammo.
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The Applied Ballistics Facebook Page features great, interesting new content posted multiple times each week. This resource features videos, test results, accuracy tips, and samples from Bryan Litz’s excellent books on ballistics and the three volume series on Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting. Here are some highlights from Applied Ballistics’ Facebook posts from the past two weeks. Plus there’s a discount code, READ2024, that can save you 25% on Applied Ballistics books purchased in the month of March.
.22 LR Super Slow Motion Video — Watch the Bullet!
Watch .22 LR Rimfire Projectile Exiting Rifle Muzzle
This video, filmed with an ultra-high-speed camera, shows the milliseconds in time as a .22-caliber bullet travels the first 11 inches after leaving a .22 LR rifle barrel. Applied Ballistics states: “Notice that the bullet is fully obturated to the internal bore dimension — the step/rebate that exists on the unfired bullet where it meets the case gets expanded (obturated) and doesn’t exist on the fired bullet.”
How Important is Case Fill Ratio — You May Be Surprised
Conventional reloading practice is to select a powder that gives you a good case fill, meaning 90%-100% fill ratio for the cartridge and bullet you’re using. But why?
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
Modern Advancements in Long Range Shooting – Vol. 2 contains the results of Applied Ballistics tests of five different cartridge types — .223 Rem to .338 Lapua — loaded with different powders to produce fill ratios of 80%, 90%, and 100%. The testers wanted to see if 100% fill ratios actually gave better results (lower MV SDs) than the lower fill ratios.
Results of testing 3 different loads in 5 different cartridges — The highest MV SD was in fact measured in an 80% fill ratio load. However, the lowest MV SD was also measured for a different 80% load! Seems like the more we learn, the more questions we have. An informative Applied Ballistics podcast covers the Fill Ratio test. Visit Thescienceofaccuracy.com to access this and interesting podcasts.
EDITOR’s NOTE: There were multiple comments from Facebook readers stating that fill ratios 90% and above worked more consistently for them. And the reloading manuals warn against very low fill ratios.
Get 25% Off Applied Ballistics Books in March 2024
Applied Ballistics, through its Science of Accuracy webstore, is currently offering big savings on its popular books — considered to be the best print resources about rifle accuracy/ballistics ever published. This month you can save 25% on all six Applied Ballistics book titles by respected expert (and past national champion) Bryan Litz. Use Code READ2024 to get 25% of one or more of these books.
Get 25% OFF Applied Ballistics Books! Use code: READ2024 at checkout.
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An accurate, self-loading .22 LR rifle, such as this Volquartsen, is our gun of choice for speed shooting with rimfire reactive targets.
Reactive targets offer “instant gratification” — with every hit your target moves, spins, or falls. Shooting reactive targets with a rimfire rifle is fun AND affordable. Times are a-changin’ — rimfire ammo prices have dropped dramatically, so you can now get very decent rimfire ammunition for under $4.25 a box, such as Norma Tac-22 or Aguila Super Extra. Currently priced at $3.49 for 50 rounds, the Aguila is just seven cents a round! At that price, you can afford to shoot every weekend.
Rimfire Know Your Limits Target Rack Challenge Targets offers the popular Know Your Limits (KYL) rimfire target for $139.00. This KYL target has become popular for NRL22 and PRS Rimfire shooters. Start on the left by engaging the 2″ round target and work your way to the right. Each shot gets progressively harder as the target sizes decrease. With each solid hit, the target plate will spin giving providing hit confirmation. The target rack easily breaks down for transport in a couple minutes.
Make Your Own Shooting Gallery with Reactive Rimfire Targets
For .22 LR fans, the folks at Action Target have created a whole series of steel rimfire targets. Much lighter than their centerfire counterparts, these rimfire targets are easier to transport and easier to set up. With this wide selection of reactive targets, you can create your own shooting gallery.
Rimfire Dueling Tree
Rimfire Spinning Jack
Rimfire Plate Rack
Rimfire Buffalo
In this video, Michael Bane reviews Action Target’s line of rimfire targets, which includes plate racks, spinners, dueling trees, and more. As Michael explains: “This line of targets is very well thought out. For example — dueling trees are a lot of fun. But a centerfire dueling tree weighs a lot, it’s hard to cart it around. A rimfire dueling tree is easy to set up, easy to carry around.”
New PT Target “Walks” When Hit
Action Target has a cool reactive target that doesn’t even need a stand or base. The patent-pending PT Twist rests on the ground, and flops over or “walks” when hit. Constructed from a single piece of 3/16″-thick A514B steel, the PT Twist has no welds or bolts to break or ricochet. Watch the PT Twist in action:
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What kind of accuracy do you think is possible from a rimfire benchrest rifle? If we said 0.44 MOA you might not be surprised, thinking this was at 50 yards. But how about 0.44 MOA accuracy at TWO HUNDRED yards. Now that’s impressive. Consider this — at 200 yards, a 10 mph crosswind will push that little 40gr bullet 15.3 inches. Here’s the story, which comes from the Land Down-Under, Australia.
A few seasons back, Australian John Lavaring shot a group at 200 yards that would make most centerfire shooters proud. The five-shot group, with all shots in the center 10-Ring, measured just 0.93 inches. That works out to 0.44 MOA at 200 — mighty impressive for a .22 LR. Recorded at a Rimfire Fly Shoot benchrest event in Canberra, Australia, this 200-yard target set two new Australian SSAA National records! John was using ELEY Tenex ammunition.
Congratulations to John Lavaring for a spectacular demonstration of how well a rimfire rig can shoot — even at 200 yards. We rarely shoot our .22 LR rifles past 50 meters. Maybe it’s time to start a Rimfire ELR series, with targets at 200 or even 300 yards. What do you think of the Rimfire ELR idea? Leave comments below.
Anschutz 54 Benchrest Rig
The rifle was a Anschutz model 54 Match in a custom benchrest stock. John’s record-setting rig features a barrel block, which you can see forward of the action. Scope is a Bausch & Lomb BR model. We don’t have the round count on Lavaring’s barrel, but good rimfire benchrest rifles can often get 10,000 rounds (or more) of accurate life.
Rimfire Ballistics at 200 Yards
Some folks may be wondering about .22 LR ballistics at 200 yards. Well, with a 25-yard zero, the 200-yard drop for John’s 40gr Tenex ammo is 54 inches, assuming 0.145 G1 BC and 1085 fps muzzle velocity per ELEY website. And at 200 yards, a 10 mph crosswind will push that little bullet 15.3 inches! We’re told the winds were pretty tricky when Lavary shot his record group. This makes his achievement all the more impressive — we have to admire John’s wind-reading ability.
This ELEY ammo has proven to be exceptionally accurate. Here is a short video showing TEN rounds of Tenex shot from a machine rest with target at 50 meters.
Ten Rounds ELEY Tenex at 50 meters:
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PRS and NRL tactical matches are now among the most popular competitive rifle disciplines in the USA. And rimfire tactical disciplines are actually growing faster than centerfire PRS/NRL because .22 LR ammo is way cheaper than centerfire ammo, and there are many more ranges where rimfire matches can be held. NRL22 and PRS Rimfire offers the same kind of fun without the high cost of centerfire ammo and the time-consuming burden of hand-loading. You can compete successfully in .22 LR rimfire precision disciplines with affordable rifles, which also offer a whole lot less recoil than centerfire rigs. To learn more, we recommend you read All About Precision Rimfire Competition, by Shooting Sports USA Editor John Parker.
Interview with NRL22 Founder Travis Ishida
This Vortex Nation video features an 80-minute interview with Travis Ishida, one of the original founders of the NRL22 and NRL22-X disciplines. Travis told us that the NRL now runs 7-8 times as many rimfire matches as centerfire matches.
The NRL22 2023 World Championship — Biggest Match of Its Kind
The NRL22 Championship took place in North Carolina in July 2023 and was the biggest match of its kind to date, with over 230 competitors from all over the world. Watch this video to see the latest and greatest equipment, and to see top competitors in action. NOTE: This match also included an AIR RIFLE division. You can see one of these precision air rifles below:
Getting Starting in PRS/NRL Rimfire Competition — The Rifle
Interested in getting started in PRS/NRL Rimfire competition? This MDT video explains the components you’ll need for a top-level .22 LR PRS rig. While you can spend many thousands on a top-tier rig, you can also do very well with a used rifle costing under $800 before optics. Rimfire barrels tend to last a very long time, so an older rig can still be quite competitive with over 4000 rounds through the barrel.
Cleaning Rimfire Barrels — How Often Should This Be Done?
Some say never clean a rimfire, others scrub their bore after every shooting session. So, who’s right? Like so much in life, the answer falls somewhere in between. Michael Shae, author of Rimfire Revolution, explains when to break out the jags/solvent and how to efficiently clean your barrel to restore peak performance. We have found that, with some .22 LR barrels, you may want to clean every 200-300 rounds, with others every 1000. Much depends on the ammo you use and the rate of fire. When cleaning, be careful with the muzzle crown. Damage to the crown can definitely harm accuracy.
How to Get Started in Rimfire Tactical Competition
This video offers plenty of smart tips for folks getting started in NRL22 and PRS rimfire competition. The host explains the rifle, optics, and other essential gear. The video also explains how to mentally prepare yourself for your first match and before each stage. We do recommend you do some target work before the first match to understand the challenge of .22 LR ballistics. This relatively slow, low-BC cartridge has very significant drop at longer ranges (100 yards and beyond).
PRS Rimfire 2023 Finale — Over 200 Competitors
Want to see how a top-tier rimfire tactical match actually runs? Then check our this video from the 2023 PRS Rimfire Series Finale hosted last October by MKM Precision in Kennerdell, Pennsylvania. This PRS Rimfire Finale Match drew over 200 competitors. PRS Rimfire offers similiar shooting challenges to PRS centerfire, but at shorter ranges at a much lower cost per round.
BONUS Rimfire Practice Targets
SPECIAL BONUS–Rimfire Tactical Precision Targets
These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. CLICK HERE to download all six targets as a .ZIP archive.
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This Gun Digest book has become a “go-to” resource for NRL22 and PRS Rimfire shooters. Key topics included in this 2021 Edition full-color Gun Digest book include: rimfire semi-autos and how they work; bolt-action accuracy; match shooting skills; DIY precision gunsmithing; hunting with rimfires; and the future of the rimfire market.
With the growth of rimfire tactical competition, the .22-Caliber rimfire rifle is more popular than ever. Every major gun manufacturer has brought at least one new .22 LR rimfire rifle to the market in the last two years. Gun Digest’s Rimfire Revolution has extensive coverage of new models from major manufacturers.
The .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) is the planet’s most popular ammunition type and firearm chambering. The .22 LR is used in the Olympics by 3P marksmen, but it also serves benchrest competitors, NRL22 shooters, backyard plinkers, small-game hunters, and tactical trainers. With the expansion of NRL22 matches (and the PRS equivalent), the humble .22 LR is undergoing a major resurgence in the USA. And with centerfire reloading components being so costly and difficult to find, many folks are shooting less centerfire, but way more rimfire.
This 272-page book also covers .17-caliber rimfire cartridges: 17 HM2 (Mach 2), 17 HMR, and 17 WSM. These are all excellent varmint rounds, with the 17 WSM effective out to 250 yards. The 17 HM2 will run in a normal .22 LR action and feed from standard .22 LR magazines. So, for most rifles, all you need to do a .22 LR to 17 HM2 conversion is a barrel switch. That gives your rimfire rig twice the versatility. Shoot .22s and .17s with the same gun.
NRL22 — Challenging Practical Competition with .22 LR Rifles
The USA has seen a big growth in rimfire tactical matches over the last five years. Right now there are probably ten times as many rimfire tactical matches as sanctioned PRS and NRL centerfire matches. The reason is simple — rimfire ammo is much less costly, and clubs can run challenging rimfire tactical matches at nearly any outdoor gun range that allows shooting out to 200+ yards.
NRL22 Competition — Tactical Rimfire Matches
The NRL22 match format is a great shooting discipline. NRL22 offers a high fun factor at relatively low cost. You don’t have to reload match ammo. A couple of 50-round boxes of .22 LR ammo will get you through the match. While some people bring lots of gear to matches, that’s by choice and not by necessity. You can keep it simple and still be competitive (and win).
Tips for NRL22 Competitors by Jonathan Ocab
I am a match director at my gun club and run our local NRL22 matches. People often ask me for tips for competing in NRL22. First, I recommend getting the course of fire for the month in advance and practicing those stages at the range. Here are other specific tips that should help NRL22 competitors improve their gun-handling and match results.
1. Dry Fire Practice — If you are not able to do live fire practice at the range, I encourage shooters to practice their shooting positions at home via dry fire. Setup props or barricades with pasters or other faux targets on a wall in the garage or inside the house and run through each stage.
2. Scope Magnification Level — The most common issue I see with newer shooters in NRL22 is the tendency to maximize their scope magnification. The timer will start, and the shooter gets into position on a target, but the scope is set to 15x or higher and the shooter can’t find the target. The shooter lowers the magnification, locates the target, and then increases the magnification again, takes the shot, transitions to another target, and repeats the process of decreasing magnification, locating target, etc. Novice NRL22 shooters should try using the mid-range magnification. Try shooting 7x-12x and learn to balance field of view and target image.
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Test Results at 100 Yards
Forum member JAS-AS purchased a .22 Magnum CZ which he revived as a training rig with a new stock. He posted: “I use a CZ457 in .22 Magnum mainly as a trainer — bipod and rear bag kind of stuff. It has evolved over the last year or so. Next change will be a Lilja barrel. This because it can shoot brilliantly (at times) but not consistently. And accuracy degrades as it gets minimally dirty. Also, it doesn’t like 40gr rounds — the groups open up to 1.5 MOA. It’s at its best with 30 and 35 grain rounds running at up to 2250 fps. I believe that to be a twist-rate issue.”
If you want an even greater selection of targets, specialized for PRS and NRL shooters, 
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Where to Buy NO-LEAD Lead Remover
Some say that a higher fill ratio is good because it prevents the powder from settling differently in the case (which could lead to inconsistent ignition and greater MV SD). This explanation sounds good, and went unchallenged for a long time. However, Applied Ballistics has done some interesting testing that sheds new light on the density issue.
Anschutz 54 Benchrest Rig
