[Jeff Higgins]

Interesting you would mention the .22 LR's at 200 yards. I have a .22 LR insert set-up for my .45 caliber single shot match rifles. I got it from Lee Shaver years ago, for the purpose of shooting at 200 yards to emulate the big .45's at 1,000. It's darn tough to get squared away for practice days at 1,000 yards, so most "practice" was just shooting the matches. The .22 LR insert allows me to shoot at my local range, ten minutes from home, all by myself, at 200 yards and get in some meaningful practice in doping the wind and all of that. Plus, it gets me out from under the whole chore of producing practice ammo and cleaning up the black powder mess afterwards.

We used to shoot formal 200 yard rimfire matches. That is just about one of the toughest rifle games there is to play. What the wind does to those poor little .22's at 200 yards would have to be seen to be believed by most shooters. It's an awful lot of fun, and way cheaper than unlimbering the big guns for long range. It always seemed more relaxed than the big bore matches, too. I think because it's almost laughably frustrating (after shooting centerfires at 200 yards) and no one really expects much. The slightest unoticed puff of wind, and you're screwed... I've never seen so many bewildered, laughing, grown men at a shooting range. I wish we would pick it up again.