by Kelly Reeves, Todd Baker and Todd Harvey
I, like many of the readers, grew up shooting .22 rimfire cartridges. There is no way to guess the number of rounds we shot as kids. Tin cans, bottles, turtles, paper targets, and small game were all in danger of being shot, or at least shot at. I cut my teeth on a Marlin Model 60 that I still have today.
It is zeroed at 25 yards, and has taken its fair share of squirrels and rabbits without fail. The .22 is not just a kids gun. I’ve upgraded guns and optics many times over the years, shot a gajillion bullets, and thought I pretty well had mastered the .22 rimfire. Then, I met the two Todds, Todd Baker and Todd Hervey. These two guys have forgotten more about a .22 rimfires than I ever knew.
These two fellows introduced me to a whole new world of .22 rimfires. Extended Long Range .22s. There was no way I could turn down a day at the range, so I met the guys at the Texarkana Gun Club for some one-on-one training and fun. The first thing I noticed is that these guns are not the average .22 rifle. They are custom built rifles designed specifically to shoot extreme long range. The optics are definitely not what you’d normally find atop of a .22, and the targets, well, I couldn’t see them with the naked eye. Bull barrels, bipods, ballistic calculator apps and other gadgets necessary to calculate wind speeds, and direction, bullet drop, and more are put to use before sending a round down range. If you are a gadget guy, this may be your game. Did I mention the spotter? Well, a spotter to watch your target through a high powered spotting scope is almost a necessity. His job is to determine a hit or miss, and in case of a miss, determine where the bullet impacted so a correction can be made, and secure a hit on the following shot.
We got set up and shot some of my .22 rifles at paper targets at 50 yards and slightly further. Then we moved to the big boy guns. The targets were swinging 12 inch steel plates. 100 yards was easy. 200 yards, a little more tricky, but easy enough with Todd Baker doing my bullet drop calculations. It took a couple of shots for me to hit the target at 300 yards and further, but I was able to do it with instruction and tips from the guys. It’s hard to imagine being able to consistantly put that tiny bullet onto a 12 inch target at 500 yards away but these guys do it every week.
ELR .22 competitions are growing in popularity and it’s easy to see why. This could easily become an addiction. In the following article, the two Todd’s will share more about extreme long range .22 shooting and show you how you can get involved.
ELR 22 Association takes 22 Long Rifle to the next level into the Extended Long Range world of competition. The ELR 22 Association is making it possible for everyone to get involved. We are a family oriented organization promoting ELR in a Christian based environment.
Why Is ELR 22 So FUN?
Plain and simple it is fun, economical, and easy to get started with a competition rifle as cheap as $1,500, including an optic that is capable of hitting 12 inch plates out to 500 yards! ELR (Extended Long Range) is an explosive shooting discipline that challenges every shooter to come up with firing solutions against impossible odds of wind, environment, BC, and velocity with a G1 profile 40g (oversized BB). ELR 22 does not not require a huge parcel of land. If you have 600 yards with a safe back stop you are set up to hold competitions.
How Do You Get STARTED?
1. ERL 22 Build — Get help to put together a bolt action ELR 22LR with a 30-34m tube (34 preferred) with adjustable windage and elevation turrets. Burris signature series rings (or compatible) are a great place to start. This will allow you to get the full elevation travel on the internal adjustment on the scope. Purchase a stable bipod, download a ballistic app and start shooting out to 100, 200, 300 yards etc.
2. Look for ELR 22 matches in your area of the country.
3. Join the ELR 22 Association on Facebook
4. Get involved in sanctioning an ELR 22 match or fun day in your area.
ELR 22 is a great way to advance any novice shooter, hunter, or competitive shooter to go to the next level in a cheap and economical way.
Todd Baker’s STORY!
Competitive ELR shooter Todd Baker, was a mentor of mine in beginning to shoot ELR. I was motivated by watching Paul Phillips and others shooting at the Ko2M on Youtube. Todd and I became traveling partners and quickly began to move up in the ELR world standings. After meeting his goals of 2 impacts in competition at 3,520 yards, Todd retired partially because of the expense of travel, time and money to build these crazy ELR rifles.
It didn’t take long for Todd Baker to get the itch to shoot ELR again so he built an ELR 22 and began to push it to extreme limits. Todd began to talk to me regarding hosting ELR 22 matches locally. We began to work out what that would look like combining the traditional sport of ELR and NLR 22 into one shooting discipline that was focused on a grass roots development that any one could start having fun with, while introducing shooters to the sport of ELR in their own back yards.
After a few local matches, the ELR 22 Association rules were formed, and the first ELR 22 Association Series was born. The excitement was explosive and contagious to everyone that watched. Soon people were building ELR 22s and scope and gun manufactures were getting excited because sales were ramping up quickly!
After the FIRST YEAR!
After the first series we had a prize table that was valued at $14,000! We also set a new world record at 522 yards (shooter Lorenzo Laronzo, Spotter Todd Baker). 22 long rifle builds ramped up like crazy during the off season. People started introducing family members and friends to the sport of ELR, allowing them to shoot their personal rifles and helping them get ready for the new season. Our goals were to introduce people to the sport of ELR, so our mission was an overwhelming success!
What Is Next?
This year we are beginning to expand the ELR 22 Association throughout the United States. We have developed a sanctioning package including rules and even an automated spreadsheet to help match directors keep up with scores easily. There is a board that represents all decisions made in the ELR 22 Association. As people begin to host sanctioned ELR 22 Association matches, their match directors will be added to the board as needed. So it is possible to soon host regional or even national ELR 22 Association Finales!
How To Get Involved?
To get involved and begin hosting ELR 22 Association matches in your area, just email the ELR 22 Association elr22association@gmail.com and request a Sanctioning Package to begin the process. A member of the ELR 22 Association Board will contact you and discuss details and help you get prepared to host a match. Once the match is completed, all match directors will be responsible for turning in scores to the national ELR 22 Association office for verification and to track standings throughout the year.
We would love to give a great big shout our to all of our sponsors that helped sponsor TEAM 3:16 ELR and are also supporting the ELR 22 Association Finale: #athlonoptics, #mannersstocks, #accutac, #accuracysolutions, #Ceedmoorsports, #longshotcamera, #jymscustomguns, #sterlingprecision, #MDT, #StillerActions, #OnTargetAmmoCaddie, #CuttingEdgeBullets, #PetersonCartridge, #3:16ELR.
All in all the ELR 22 Association exists to help individuals and families grow to love the sport of ELR, and to honor God in the process. God, guns, prayer, and our National Anthem all go hand and hand. If you can not support this, the ELR 22 Association is not for you. If you can, let’s go have some fun and make a difference in this world!
