Extreme Long Range · Field Report

.22 LR Extreme Long Range World Record Attempt

Equipment performance, environmental conditions, ballistic data, and field observations from a full day of subsonic rimfire fire at a target beyond 1,500 yards.

Summary

Stable overcast conditions and a nearly constant 0–3 mph crosswind produced an unusually clean day for evaluating rimfire ballistics at a target beyond 1,500 yards. No record was set, but the margins were narrow: three impacts on the spotter’s bunker, three on a red jacket near the target, and a positively identified miss one to four inches in front of the target’s right-front corner.

The dominant variable was muzzle velocity. A 57 fps extreme spread across 219 chronographed shots translated into roughly 158 yards of longitudinal dispersion at the target, with the tightest grouping occurring in a narrow velocity band near 1,101–1,104 fps. A secondary finding — that a forward observer could locate impacts by sound far more reliably than a digiscoping system could locate them by dust signature — proved decisive to the day’s productivity.

Objective

Conduct an extreme long-range .22 LR shooting evaluation in preparation for a world-record attempt, while documenting equipment performance, environmental conditions, ballistic data, and field observations.

Initial Setup

Charlie TARAC Calibration

Initial calibration was performed using a high-precision digital level.

Environmental Conditions

After adjusting for Coriolis, a number of wind corrections were minimal enough that holds were made directly on the target.

Ballistics

Ammunition and Chronograph Results

Ammunition for the attempt was Lapua Center-X. Velocity data was captured with a Garmin Xero C1 Pro.

Velocity Observations

The most successful impacts occurred when muzzle velocities fell at approximately 1,101–1,104 fps. As velocities rose above or fell below that range, impacts moved predictably farther or nearer relative to the target. The Garmin velocity data made this trend surprisingly apparent and predictable during live firing.

There were, however, occasional unexplained longitudinal dispersions that did not correspond with muzzle velocity. The current working hypothesis is that these may have resulted from aerodynamic or atmospheric effects — possibly aerodynamic jump or thermal vertical movement — although additional testing will be required before drawing conclusions.

Wind Performance

Despite the extreme distance involved, wind remained remarkably cooperative. Typical holds ranged from directly on target up to approximately 20 MOA left. The relatively stable conditions allowed much greater emphasis to be placed on evaluating vertical dispersion and ballistic consistency.

Notable Impact Observations

Several observations demonstrated just how close numerous shots came to success.

Red Jacket

• Hit three times.
• One recovered bullet was found lodged in the left front pocket.
• The projectile showed remarkably little deformation.
• Projectiles broke the first layer of Cordura on the coat.

Spotter’s Bunker

• Struck three separate times.
• All three impacts exhibited a circular, point-forward signature with no evidence of keyholing, indicating that the bullet most likely remained gyroscopically stable through impact.

Closest Observable Miss

The closest positively identified miss impacted approximately one to four inches in front of the target’s right-front corner. Video documentation exists confirming this impact.

Target

Target dimensions: 24 inches wide by 48 inches high, engaged at a distance of over 1,500 yards.

Equipment

Charlie TARAC

The Charlie TARAC optically shifts the image entering the objective lens, allowing approximately 900 additional minutes of elevation and making otherwise impossible scope adjustments achievable.

Precision Level

The Digi-Pas DWL3500XY-B was used to accurately calibrate the Charlie TARAC to the required 700 MOA elevation before firing.

Digiscoping Performance

Shots were recorded on video and mirrored live to a Smart TV for impact observation. While this system performs exceptionally well with centerfire cartridges, the dust signatures produced by .22 LR projectiles proved too inconsistent for reliable shot calling. A forward spotter was therefore indispensable to the success of the mission.

Bulletproof Spotter’s Bunker

Constructed using ⅞-inch plywood. Although .22 LR bullets remained gyroscopically stable at the target distance, they consistently penetrated approximately ¼ inch into the plywood upon impact.

Auditory Impact Detection

One of the more valuable observations from this attempt was the ability to use sound to assist in locating impacts.

Forward spotter Shepard Humphries noted that he was able to audibly spot about 380 of the 405 shots, and to visually spot approximately 25 impacts. He explained that with these hundreds of rounds of experience, his ability to audibly spot greatly improved, and that he was surprised how accurately one could home in on where a bullet lands — even small, slow bullets like ours.

Lessons Learned

• Stable environmental conditions made this an outstanding day for evaluating extreme rimfire ballistics.
• Approximately 1,100–1,104 fps produced the most consistent results — the sweet spot on this particular day.
• Residual longitudinal dispersion needs to be researched. A small percentage of shots went long or short with no explanation, despite promising velocities. Thermals and aerodynamic jump are the leading candidates.
• Observing dust signature alone is insufficient for consistent ELR .22 LR spotting.
• A forward observer listening for impacts dramatically increases the probability of identifying them and making useful corrections. See his report here.

Appendix: Technical Q&A