.22 or 9mm for beginner

Evil Monkey said:
Why would you practice with 22lr and carry something else?
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Gun handling skills, efficient movement, practicing the execution of good fundamentals, seeing what you need to see when you need to see it, etc. There's a lot to shooting well besides recoil. A lot of top shooters still know the value of a .22.

It's true one has to have trigger time with their primary gun, but many of the necessary skills needed to run it efficiently and well don't have to be done with CF ammo. Heck, for that matter, many of these skills can be worked on with no ammo (i.e. dry fire).

IMO, one can theoretically learn to shoot well starting off with their CF gun, but their chances of attaining good proficiency and avoiding bad habits over the long run are a lot higher if they start off with a .22. Show me a shooter who categorically poo-poos the value of a .22, and I'll very likely be able to show you a mediocre-at-best shooter.
 
I do practice with what I carry. And practice a lot more with numerous other guns in numerous other caliber including 22. I also shoot "just for fun" with everything from 22 short to 44 Magnum. Even 45-70 in a 10" barreled Contender.
A day at the range may include a couple mags of several different of my carry autos, several cylinders full in my carry revolver, or a 50 round box or two of each. But it most often also includes several hundred rounds of 22 through one or more of my rimfire guns.
I reload, and cast my own bullets, which helps with the cost of practice centerline ammo. But I would not be able to come close to the amount of shooting I do if all I shot was my carry ammo for my 380acp, 38 Spcl, 9MM, 40 S&W, 45 Colt, and 45cap SD guns.
Or at least I would have to give up my membership to the "gun a month" club.:D

But now, again for the OP. What is your intended purpose for the gun?
 
jerseyfire- some of what you have been told relates more to the olden days when everyone shot with just one hand. You had to learn a steady hold, train your finger to move straight back, hold your breath, etc. etc. etc. When everyone started using a Weaver, two hand hold- that minimized recoil and changed things quite a bit. I think if you plan on starting with a two hand hold you can go right to the 9mm and then later move to a one hand hold without any trouble.
If you want to get into competitive shooting, I think a lot of that is done with 22 rimfire, 10 rounds so you need a 10 round magazine.
 
I'd say go with the center fire.

.22LR is cheap so you could get more practice in, but it also has virtually no recoil, so IMO, it's mostly only good for teaching you the basics of getting bullets on paper. You should train what you plan to defend yourself with. That'd be a center fire, IMO. Train with the recoil of the center fire, and you'll be a better shooter. If you get too accustomed to shooting .22LR you may develop recoil anticipation problems because you're so used to the uber low recoil .22 which may make center fires recoil appear more stout than it is.

If this is purely a range pistol, then rimfire is adequate. If you hope to extend your pistol use to SD uses, the center fire is the better choice, IMO.
 
Good to know that multiple millions of people all learned on the wrong gun!
ROTFL
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Learned what?
Bad habits?

It's all about quality, not quantity.
sides, what proof do you have that all those millions couldn't have learned just as well and probably quicker using something else?

I thought not....
 
Heck, my first pistol was a 1911 in .45acp, then a 9mm, then a .22.

Start with what you want and learn how to shoot it. It really is that simple.
 
More important than the caliber is the gun wrapped around it. One of those wallet sized small caliber guns is awful to learn on. A long barreled .22 target pistol is a different matter.

Personally, when I train beginners, I use a 6" GP100 with very light .38s. For somebody with no firearms expereince, its a lot easier for them to understand what is going on with a D/A revolver with a swing out cylinder. They can concentrate on learning shooting technique without having to understand the added workings of a semi.
 
Well, the OP hasn't yet answered what the intended purpose of the gun is. But from this quote from another thread it might be assumed to be for recreation. "Trips to the range, etc"
Getting a handgun and a shotgun in a few months, yes, it's Jersey.......looking to get some gear to start out with.

What do you guys recommend taking for trips to the range etc. gear wise
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So why start out with something that is going to possibly be more costly to purchase, undoubtedly more costly to operate, and possibly start them out with enough recoil to cause flinching.

It may be surprising to some, but everybody doesn't own guns just to be prepared to shoot somebody. :eek:

22 is good for nothing.
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It's good to know that all of the millions, maybe billions of rounds of 22 being horded are all useless. Should be plenty around for the real gun enthusiasts who know what a valuable asset they are to the shooting sports. Plinking, target shooting, and hunting. Also, in the case of some who are very recoil sensitive, self defense as well.
Could the "big guns only" fascination be but another symptom of the "little man" syndrome? :D
 
There are many factors... Budget and intended use being high on the list.

And there is wisdom in the statement that not just any 22 will do, a larger target 22 is better than a pocket pistol 22 when it comes to learning.


As far as recoil differences... If a person flinches, and has poor grip and trigger control as well, then how can you isolate the problems and fix them... It's very difficult to fix multiple problems than just one. If the person demonstrate good shooting skills on a 22, but accuracy suffers with centerfire, then it can be reasonably said to be caused by flinch, and that can be trained away.

If you are training for defense, you need to train with your defensive firearm, but that is different than learning the basics.

One should learn the basics before employing a firearm for defense. Those basic skills are very easy to learn on a 22. Just a few range trips of quality practice with a 22 can instil at least a passable proficiency in the basics. A few more trips with your defensive arm can get you to a rudimentary level... So rent or borrow a 22 if you can't afford two pistols.


I said it before... It depends on the individual. Don't make the mistake of equating your own success with learning centerfire with the validity of that approach for all new shooters.


The method for teaching/learning shooting for beginners that leads to the greatest success rate, with fewer problems and stumbling blocks along the way... Is to start with a 22 of good quality and accuracy.
 
Hey. It's New Jersey! OP better get the gun he's going to end up with right from the get go. You never know when Jersey laws are going to get even stupider.
 
For a lot of people, a first pistol is going to be an only pistol for at least a while. For that reason, I usually recommend a 9 mm for a first, and a .22LR for a second pistol. You get a reasonable defensive round that is still fairly economical and easy to shoot.

That is a long way from saying that .22LR is useless. In normal times, it is a great way to practice basic technique at very little cost. A 22LR pistol can be a great practice and teaching tool, but the major center fire calibers are better defensive choices, and a 9 mm makes a good choice that does double duty, IMO.

As for the availability of ammo: I am glad that some folks are seeing .22LR on the shelves, but it ain't happening here. 9 mm is easy to find, but .22LR is like unicorn feathers.
 
For a lot of people, a first pistol is going to be an only pistol for at least a while. For that reason, I usually recommend a 9 mm for a first, and a .22LR for a second pistol. You get a reasonable defensive round that is still fairly economical and easy to shoot.
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Sums up what I would say.
 
Thanks for all responses! Sorry for opening up a can of worms LOL

Here's my answers:

The questions are:
Who is the beginner?

You? ME

What is the beginner planning on doing with the firearm? Learning how to handle a handgun and operate safely. But mainly for use in home defense. I have no plans of have it leave the house, only to hone skills at the range.

Self defense? (9mm or larger caliber) Plinking? (.22) Target/Bullseye shooting? (shooters choice)? Shooting sports? (IDPA, IPSC, USPSA, Cowboy, NRA, etc) Hunting? Mainly home defense, but am intrigued by some of the sports, still need to visit the range to see if any of them interest me. Plinking seems fun, and I know .22 is more recommended for this style of shooting..

What kind of tactics are you refering to? Home defense and home protection.

Bullseye? Concealed carry? Room clearing? SWAT? Defensive pistol? Hunting?
I have no interests in hunting.
 
Good, more to work with. Now, is there a range near you that rents guns, and offers instructional classes. That would be a perfect place to begin. You can get some professional training on basic safety, and gun handling. Then for much less than spending the money on something you might regret, you can rent several types, and calipers to find what you really want.
 
No can of worms, rather an excellent question. In my case, my first two handguns were a Browning HP and an M1911 (long gone, alas), fired an M1911A1 when I was Across the Pond. Then a Colt Trooper .357, several S&Ws, then a High Standard (Hampden) Victor. THAT is the pistol I learned to shoot with. If I had it do over again (same time period) I would have bought a 22 FIRST. Nowadays I recommend either a full size CZ with their Kadet unit or a full size steel frame SIG with their conversion unit, and the Cieners when you can find them. They make the transition to centerfire much smoother.
 
Seems a lot of people think there is not much use for a .22. I read an article several years ago about gun violence inside the US and it stated that before the gangs started with drive by shootings mostly using a 9mm that more people were killed with a .22 than any other caliber, for most of the 20th century. I know publishing something doesn't necessarily mean its fact.....:D

I apologize for straying off topic..:o
 
Just for plinking, 22. If you're interested in defense, the 9mm. If both, 9mm first and 22 later. Necessity over entertainment.
 
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