I shoot a lot out to 200 yds. in the .22 Silhouette side matches held at the Alliance Rifle Club every spring during the Long Range BPCR Buffalo rifle shoots. The game is shot with both open sights and scopes. The shooter is allowed to use crossed sticks as a support from the sitting position. The silhouettes are steel swingers (chicken, pig, turkey, ram) at 50, 100, 150 and 200 yards. They are the same size as used in standard .22 silhouette matches shot at half these distances. In my opinion the wind and mirage with either scope or irons separates the men from the boys. The drop and wind drift at 200 yards is very hard to read and adjust for. Past that and it only gets worse. Some very good scores are shot so its not the rifles or rounds but the conditions that make long range .22 a challenge. I shoot a Winchester low wall single shot with 30" full octagon barrel and long range tang sights. The gun does its job when I can do mine. Interestingly enough the scope class scores are no better than the ones shot with iron sights. Like I stated before the real test is being able to read the conditions and adjust quickly enough to keep on the target. At 200 yards plus its hard to believe just how little a change in wind or light can move your bullet far enough to miss.
