Australian John Lavaring recently 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 Anchutz 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.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
This week will be a little different. Our First Five Products all come from Bullets.com. The reason is simple — Bullets.com is closing up shop, selling off its inventory. The items we list are all insanely good deals — many below cost. When was the last time you saw a premium Hodgdon powder for under $15 per pound? Or complete Redding die sets for under $50? Some of the product lines will still be carried by Grizzly.com, but bullets, brass, powder, and ammo inventories are being liquidated along with many reloading products and gunsmithing tools. You’ll find huge discounts on many top-tier products.
Here’s your chance to save big bucks on quality tools, shooting gear, and reloading components. Guys — take note: this is a unique opportunity to pick up some great products at truly rock-bottom prices. But remember this is an inventory close-out sale, limited to stock on hand. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
1. Bullets.com — Hodgdon, Alliant, VV Powder — Up to 50% Off
Right now, Bullets.com has the best prices we’ve seen in a decade on some Hodgdon and Alliant powders. Vihtavuori fans will be happy too. NOTE: Over 28 powder types on are liquidation sale now — we just picked three to feature here. But you can see all sale powders on the Bullets.com Powder Page.
2. Bullets.com — Premium Bullets — Up to 50% Off
There are some great deals to be had here. Sierra’s latest High-BC 7mm Matchkings are available at huge discounts. And the superb Lapua Scenar-L bullets are offered too. These are some of the most consistent bullets we have ever tested. NOTE: Hundreds of bullet types from Berry, Lapua, Nosler, Sierra, and Speer on are liquidation sale now — we just picked three to feature here. But you can see all sale bullets on the Bullets.com Bullet Page.
3. Bullets.com — Redding Die Sets — Up to 65% Off
Need high-quality dies for rifle or pistol reloading? Look no further. Bullet.com’s prices on Redding die sets can’t be beat. NOTE: Over 500 die sets or individual die types are on sale at killer prices — get a $40 sizing die for under 15 bucks. See all the die offerings on the Bullets.com Reloading Die Page.
4. Bullets.com — Norma Hunting Ammunition — Up to 65% Off
Bullets.com is liquidating a wide selection of loaded ammunition. You’ll find pistol, rifle, and shotgun ammo from CCI, Federal, Hornady, Lapua, Norma, Nosler, Sellier & Bellot, and Winchester (plus other brands). The Lapua ammo is some of the very best you can buy at any price. Rimfire fans will love the SK and Norma Rimfire ammo on sale. Here we feature three examples of Norma’s superb hunting ammo. You will find 120+ other ammo types on the Bullets.com Ammo Sale Page
5. Bullets.com — Shooting Rests — Up to 62% Off
Along with Ammo, Powder, Bullets, and dies, Bullets.com has many shooting accessories on sale. We’ve always liked the Bald Eagle Slingshot rest (with adjustable windage), and now you can get this for a fraction of the original cost. Equipped with a good front bag (sold separately), this rest is good enough for competition, and it is an excellent front support for load testing. Check out other shooting rest products on the Bullets.com Shooting Rest Page.
6. Whittaker Guns — Howa Mini Action .204 Ruger — $349.99
Oh heck — this is hard for a Varmint hunter to resist. You can get a complete Howa .204 Ruger rifle for $349.99 — about the price of a replacement barrel blank for a Remington. This little gem has a very smooth, short-throw Mini Action with Howa’s excellent two-stage trigger. The .204 Ruger chambering shoots fast and flat, and is a fine choice for prairie dog work. Yes we’d prefer a heavier barrel for extended shooting sessions, but this is still a great price on a fine little rifle.
7. Amazon — Jiallite Scope Bubble Level, $11.99
If you shoot long range, you need a scope level. This nicely designed Jiallite Scope Bubble Level is fully CNC-machined to close tolerances for a good fit. It features a 30mm milled inside diameter, plus an inner insert ring so it will also fit 1″-diameter main tubes — that dual-diameter versatility is a nice feature. We also like the way the unit is nicely radiused, and has a low profile in the middle. User reviews have been very positive. You could easily pay $35.00 or more for a 30mm scope level. Purchasers have praised this product — almost all verified buyers have rated this five stars.
Get a Ruger Precision Rifle in 6mm Creedmoor for $879.00. That price is about $100-$120 less than other vendors, so this is a good deal. If you’ve been thinking of purchasing a Ruger Precision Rifle (RPR) chambered for the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge don’t hesitate. GrabAGun is offering this popular tactical rig for $879.00. The 6mm Creedmoor chambering shoots faster and flatter than the 6.5 Creedmoor — so many PRS guys have switched to it. This Ruger is a good choice for the PRS production class. This is the Gen 2 RPR with upgraded handguards. NOTE: GrabAGun’s price has changed four times in the last 48 hours, ranging from $843.15 to $879.00. It may be lower than $879.00 when you read this.
9. Midsouth — Hornady BTHP Varmint Bullets, $52.29 for 500
Need a boatload of bullets for varmint safaris, or high-volume .223 Rem training sessions? Then check out this deal from Midsouth Shooters Supply. Right now you can get 500 .22-Cal 62gr BTHP bullets for $52.29. That works out to just $10.46 per 100 bullets. You can also get 250 for $28.29. If you have high-volume applications for .224-diameter projectiles, this deal is hard to beat. You could easily pay two times as much (per hundred) for similar bullets elsewhere. Buying in bulk saves big bucks.
We use 1″-diameter Target Spots for sight-in and practice at 100-300 yards. These bright red/orange self-adhesive dots are easy to see. At 100 yards the high-contrast black diamond centers provide precise aiming points. We found this 10-pack of target spots on Amazon at a rock-bottom price. You get 630 total stick-on dots for just $9.65 with FREE Shipping. You can also get 360 Birchwood Casey 1″ dots from Midsouth for just $3.15, but shipping is extra. If you’re already ordering something from Midsouth, you may want to add the dots to your order.
So many options… How do you select the shooting discipline that’s best for you? Of course, “Fun is number one”. But you also need to consider cost — the “bang for the buck”. Or in more scientific parlance, the “Fun to Cost Ratio”. Yes, shooting a .50 BMG is fun, but you could be spending as much as $5.00 per round for factory loads! By contrast, your cost per shot in a rimfire fun match might be well under ten cents, as decent ammo can be easily found for under $5.00 per 50-count box. Five bucks per box (of fifty) sure beats five bucks per round!
We believe in the benefits of rimfire cross-training. With a rimfire rifle that has the same ergonomics and “feel” as your centerfire rig, you can practice more often and more affordably. You can get decent rimfire ammo now for as little as seven cents per round*. Compare that to centerfire factory ammo at $1.40/round or handloads for about $0.70 (bullet, primer, powder, and brass depreciation). So even your handloads could cost TEN times as much as pretty good rimfire ammo. That’s an order of magnitude boys and girls.
For a tactical cross-trainer, you want a rimfire rig that feels like your centerfire rifle. McMillan now offers a stock that fits the bill. McMillan’s new A5-22 stock shares the same look and feel as McMillan’s popular A5 centerfire stock. The A5-22 is able to accommodate 10/22 type actions including KIDD 10-22 models with rear tang attachments. McMillan says: “The A5-22 is dimensionally the same as our standard A5 with some minor changes in the tang and floor plate areas. It is available in a fixed comb configuration or with an adjustable saddle-type cheek piece.”
A used Biathlon trainer works great for rimfire practical matches. This is the Anschutz Model 64-R. Note magazine caddy on forearm. This rifle was a dream to shoot.
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.
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.
Game Theme Commercial Targets — Fun and Colorful
Here are some colorful commercial fun targets, well-suited for rimfire practice. These game-theme targets from Champion should be very popular with kids. You can blast aerial drones, hunt dinosaurs, play a game of “H-O-R-S-E”, or shoot ducks in a Carnival Shooting Gallery. These targets, which cost $5.45-$5.95 per 12-pack, are ideal for younger shooters in your family (and fun for grown-ups too).
* We recently scored 1500 rounds of Norma Match-22 ammo for $99.99 from MidwayUSA. That’s 6.6 cents per round! That deal is gone, but there are other bargains to be found. Use WikiArms.com to find .22LR rimfire ammo bargains.
Here’s a record-setting rimfire benchrest rifle owned by our friend Joe Friedrich.
The experts at ELEY Limited, top rimfire ammo-maker, have posted a helpful guide to cleaning rimfire barrels. We reprint highlights of the article below, but we suggest you read the full article on the Eley website: How to Clean Your Rifle the ELEY Way.
Editor’s Comment: This is not the only way to clean a rimfire barrel. There are other procedures. This is the method recommended by ELEY based on decades of experience with the top smallbore shooters in the world, including many Olympic Gold Medalists. Some shooters have been very successful cleaning less frequently, or using different types of solvents. The ELEY method is a good starting point.
Rimfire Barrel Cleaning
1. Clean the extension tube with a 12 gauge brush and felt or tissue moistened with solvent.
2. Smoothly insert a cleaning rod guide into the receiver.
3. Apply a dry felt to the cleaning rod adapter and push it through the barrel to the muzzle in one slow steady movement. As the felt is dry it may feel stiff.
4. Remove the soiled felt and pull back the cleaning rod.
The .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) round is widely regarded as a relatively weak cartridge with very little penetrating power. Compared to most centerfire ammo that’s certainly true. But the venerable .22 LR actually packs more punch than you might expect. A recent test by rimfire specialist 22Plinkster demonstrated that the little .22 LR has enough power to drive a bullet through multiple walls.
In this video, 22Plinkster tests two types of .22 Long Rifle ammo, seeing how far a .22 LR bullet will pass through sheets of 1/2″-thick drywall. He shoots CCI Velocitor and CCI Stinger ammo types from both a pistol and a rifle. The results may surprise you. Shot from a pistol, the CCI Stinger ammo penetrated Nine (9) drywall sheets. Out of the rifle, the CCI Velocitor Ammo passed through Eleven (11) sheets, while the CCI Stinger stuck in the eleventh board, after passing through Ten (10) sheets.
The rimfire ammo’s penetrating power surprised .22 Plinkster: “I was really surprised that [the ammo] went through as many [dry wall boards] as it did. I was thinking four, maybe five tops …” He points out that the rifle penetration of 11 sheets was “equivalent to five walls, maybe six walls. If you were shooting in your house, and you had 1/2″ drywall, it would go through five walls. Now, that’s pretty scary that a .22 Long Rifle could do that.”
Two-Time National F-TR Champion James Crofts uses this Rem 40X for rimfire cross-training.
Bullets.com is having a huge consolidation clearance sale this month. This company, headed by Shiraz Balolia, a top F-Class shooter, stocks many great products for benchrest, precision, and tactical shooters. We always recommend that centerfire shooters practice regularly with an accurate rimfire rifle to maintain their skill set — practice your breathing, trigger control, and the way you hold the rifle. Weekly sessions with a good rimfire rig will translate directly into more consistent results with your centerfire match rifles.
To get the best results from rimfire cross-training, you need ammo that is accurate, and affordable enough that you train often. Norma Tac-22 and Match-22 ammo fits the bill perfectly. This ammo has shot remarkably well considering the price with Bullets.com’s current liquidation pricing. This Editor plans to purchase 1000 rounds of Tac-22 from Bullets.com. You may want to do the same.
Here are targets actually shot with Norma Tac-22 at FIFTY yards with an Anschutz rifle. Pretty impressive wouldn’t you say? Target photo courtesy Champion Shooters Supply.
Rimfire Cross-Training Drills
1. Keep ‘Em Touching — Five by Five at 15 Yards
For this drill, shoot five-shot groups. The goal is to have all five shots (of each group) touching — that means no flyers or outliers! Put your target at 15 yards. Concentrate on doing the exact same thing every time. With a good rifle, you should be able to have each shot touch the rest of the group. At this distance, if a shot goes out of the group, it’s probably you, not the gun. Analyze each “out” shot. Did you yank the trigger? Did you change your head or shoulder position? Did you flinch? If you are honest about your mistakes, and work to correct them, you should see dramatic improvement in your shooting. For more challenge move the target out farther.
This “in or out” drill provides immediate feedback. You WILL see positive results as you improve hold, breathing, and trigger control. Our centerfire shooting improved significantly after doing this drill each week for a month. You can use a variety of targets for this drill — we often use 1/2″ orange stickers. But we’ve provided a simple grid with five, 1″ red circles. CLICK HERE for Printable PDF Target.
2. Shot the Suit with Playing Cards at 25 yards
Here’s a fun game you can do with a set of playing cards. Put up four or five cards on a cardboard target backer and try hit each one of the suit symbols. Do one suit at a time. For example, start by shooting at all the heart symbols, then move on to the clubs, then the spades, and finally the diamonds. You can start with face cards, then progress to numbered cards for more challenge. For example, put up a ten of diamonds and try to hit all ten diamonds.
This target was designed for prone shooting, but you can also use it from the bench. The game is simple. Start with the largest circle and work your way to the smallest. You can shoot at all the circles including the final 40-point dot for fun. Or compete with a friend under the tougher “know your limits” rules. You still go from big to small, BUT if you miss you score a ZERO. You have to know when to stop — you have to know your limits. Have fun!
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 good rimfire ammunition for just four bucks a box, such as Norma Tac-22. That works out to a mere eight cents a round. At that price, you can afford to shoot every weekend.
Rimfire Biathlon Target — Tons of Fun RimfireSteel.com offers the unique Rimfire Steel Biathlon Target, a scaled-down Biathlon target designed for use at 50 feet for training and recreational shooting. This is one of our favorite rimfire targets. You can increase the level of challenge by moving it to 25 yards! Watch the video — it shows how to reset the five plates remotely with a lanyard.
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 just released a new 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:
Do you (and your shooting buddies) go through a lot of rimfire ammo every season? Looking for quality “major brand” .22 LR ammo that’s still affordable? Here is a new offering that may fill the bill. ELEY, the UK-based rimfire ammo-maker, has teamed up with the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) here in the USA. Now you can purchase quality ELEY-made ammo for just seven cents a round (well $0.07099 to be precise). This new “ELEY CMP Standard” ammunition features an accurate 40-grain bullet with an average velocity of 1090 fps. This particular round has a paraffin wax coating to feed reliebly through all .22 LR firearm platforms.
ELEY CMP standard will be available exclusively through the CMP. Though budget-priced, it “will still be incredibly accurate compared to other ammo at this price point”. The CMP expects this ammo to be very popular, so there is a limit of two (2) cases per individual per year, priced at $354.95 for 5000 rounds. The CMP even offers Free S&H to all contiguous U.S. States.
Mike Corkish of ELEY America states, “ELEY is excited to partner with the CMP to offer an accurate, affordable ammunition for shooters in a true bulk package. With the CMP working to encourage youth shooting, ELEY finds this partnership a perfect fit”. NOTE: To purchase this ammo you must register and provide proof of eligibility.
In addition, says Corkish: “As shooters continue to improve they have the opportunity to purchase other grades of ELEY ammunition through the CMP. This will continue to help the CMP grow competition shooting and encourage safe firearm practices.” ELEY also produces premium rimfire ammo used by benchrest shooters, Biathletes, World Cup competitors, and Olympic marksmen.
2017 USA Smallbore Silhouette Champion | 2017 USA High Power Silhouette Champion
2017 Canada Smallbore Silhouette Champion
We don’t know if there is an official “Lady Rifle Shooter of the Year”, but we would nominate Silhouette shooter Cathy Winstead-Severin, based on her amazing shooting so far this summer. Cathy has delivered some truly dominant performances recently. In mid-July, competing at the Ridgway Rifle Club in PA, Team Lapua’s Cathy Winstead-Severin won the 2017 Hunter Rifle NRA Smallbore Silhouette Championship. Cathy scored 110/120 to win her 20th NRA National Silhouette title. Then Cathy went on to win both the Standard and Hunter High Power Rifle Silhouette National Championships.
With those victories, Cathy completed a clean sweep of Smallbore (Rimfire) AND High Power (Centerfire) awards — a stunning achievement. Cathy was using Lapua cases, VihtaVuori powder, and a combination of Lapua and Berger bullets to win her 21st and 22nd National Silhouette Titles.
More Glory Across the Border — Cathy Wins in Canada Too!
Less than three weeks after her wins at the USA National Silhouette Championships, Team Lapua’s Cathy Winstead-Severin ventured north and won the Canadian NFA National Smallbore Silhouette Championship. After the match she also hosted a very informative clinic for other shooters. Congratulations Cathy Winstead-Severin. You have our vote for Lady Shooter of the Year. We also thank Team Lapua for providing support for major Silhouette Championship events.
Don’t worry — you can get this gun in eight different Cerakote colors: black, bronze, flat dark earth, gunmetal, marine red, NRA blue, green, and tungsten.
PRS and tactical shooters take note — you can now buy what may be the perfect “turn-key” PRS rimfire cross-training rig. The new rimfire MPA 22BA Bolt Action Rifle combines the proven CZ 455 action with a custom Spencer barrel and modern MPA modular chassis. With this chassis you can easily adjust length of pull, butt-pad height/cant, and cheek riser position. Chambered in .22 LR, the MPA 22BA Bolt Action Rifle can change to .22 WMR and 17 HMR through a simple barrel change. So, this gun can do double duty as a .22 LR trainer and a 17 HMR varmint slayer. Basic MSRP is $1599.00.
The MPA 22BA Bolt Action Rifle is available with numerous rugged Cerakote finishes: black, burnt bronze, flat dark earth, gunmetal, marine red, NRA blue, sniper green, and tungsten. Custom Cerakote colors cost $135 extra for the chassis body and/or $65 for the barreled action.
The CNC-machined MPA chassis has some very cool features: enhanced vertical grip, thumb notch, built-in bubble level, MPA trigger shoe, and spigot mount with lower-mounted Picatinny rail. The rig comes with a D.I.P. +25 MOA Picatinny scope base and you can add side Picatinny rails, as well as increase the distance from the spigot-mounted bipod to the rear support. The chassis is also compatible with a barricade stop system, an extra-cost option.
Why rimfire cross-training? Because this stuff is ten cents per round. Premium handloads can run $1.00/round (counting brass depreciation), and the best factory ammo can cost over $2.00/round.
A Rifle is Only As Good As Its Barrel
The key to accuracy for any rimfire rifle is a great barrel. The MPA 22BA Bolt Action Rifle includes a precision drilled, reamed, and honed Spencer / MPA rifle barrel made from 416RQ stainless steel. The hand-lapped barrel is inspected with a video borescope. The chamber is indicated within 0.0001” or less to the bore of the rifle.
Anschutz 54 Benchrest Rig
The experts at 
Here’s a fun game you can do with a set of playing cards. Put up four or five cards on a cardboard target backer and try hit each one of the suit symbols. Do one suit at a time. For example, start by shooting at all the heart symbols, then move on to the clubs, then the spades, and finally the diamonds. You can start with face cards, then progress to numbered cards for more challenge. For example, put up a ten of diamonds and try to hit all ten diamonds.
Mike Corkish of ELEY America states, “ELEY is excited to partner with the CMP to offer an accurate, affordable ammunition for shooters in a true bulk package. With the CMP working to encourage youth shooting, ELEY finds this partnership a perfect fit”. NOTE: To purchase this ammo you must register and provide proof of eligibility.
