What range to sight in and practice with 15-22 for rimfire steel challenge?

[wahoowad]

Total steel challenge noob here, go easy. My club has a monthly Rimfire Steel Plate Matches that I want to start to participate in. I've never been but am told targets are set from 10-25 yards away, each stage will have between 5 - 7 targets, max of 11 shots, 4 stages per match that change monthly (2 pistol and 2 rifle).

 

I'll be using my Sig P322 with reflex sight and my M&P 15-22 with a 1-4x scope. I'm an experienced plinker but recently started punching paper to see how well I'm really doing. Apparently I'm not as good as I thought so am doing more practice and working on grip and trigger control. I have a few questions:

 

1. At what range should I zero my P322 and 15-22?
2. What magnification do you recommend I use for my 1-4x scope?

 

Thanks!

[dapribek]

50 feet worked for me. 1x on the scope, but a red dot would probably be faster. Hope this helps. 

[Yeti]

I like 25Y for pistol and 50Y for rifle.  

[wahoowad]

1 minute ago, Yeti said:

I like 25Y for pistol and 50Y for rifle.  

 

Even if the targets are 10y to 25y for the rifle? I don't know how flat the 22lr shoots.

[PaleoMan]

I use 20 yards for both rimfire pistol and rifle for Steel Challenges, and it works fine. I use a red dot on both. LIke dapribek said, it'll be faster.

 

 

[Yeti]

On 9/29/2024 at 9:08 AM, wahoowad said:

 

Even if the targets are 10y to 25y for the rifle? I don't know how flat the 22lr shoots.

With a 50Y rifle zero, you will be no more than ~0.1" low at 20Y with a variety of ammo like CCI standard and others (1080-1200fps).  Negligible difference for steel.  

It IS a rifle after all.     

[GOF]

If your guns are zeroed dead on at 25-yards you will have no problems in Steel Challenge. If you choose to use a scope, 1x would be best. But, a red dot with a 6 or 8 MOA single dot would be preferred.

[Nolan]

For the most part with a 6 moa red dot, if you're zeroed anywhere between 17 and 23 yards, theoretically, the bullet will impact within the red dot at any distance in Steel Challenge.  Height over bore doesn't matter as long as you are sighted between 17 and 23 yards.

 

The smallest target in Steel Challenge is the 10" round plate at 18 yards (Pendulum?)  A 6 moa dot covers 1.5" at 18 yards and point of impact will be within that 1.5", if you do your part and don't jerk the trigger, flinch, etc...

 

The longest shots in Steel Challenge are the 18x24" rectangles at 35 yards on Speed Option and Outer Limits.  At 35 yards, a 6 moa dot covers 2.2 inches, so with most ammo the point of impact will still be within that 2.2".  Again depending on how much you moved the gun while breaking the shot.

 

So I just pick the median and zero at 20 yards.

 

Nolan

[ParrytheWind]

You will have a better time running irons on the 15-22. Dig up a red dot and align it's height to your cheek weld for best experience and speed.