.22's should get their dues.

T

twoblink

New member
I read so many 30-30,30-06, 308 stories. But I find that I love to shoot my .22! Why? Whisper quiet. And of course the critics out there, "Not enough power". Really, again stand in front of my Ruger 10/22, and let me see if my "I can empty all 10 rounds in your eye in less than 3 seconds" is enough power..

I read that some psycho in Chiapas (sp?) Mexico, climbed up onto a tree, had a .22 scoped and subsonic rounds, and took out most of the mexican army. Eyeball shot, all of them. The death toll was 30+. So I guess it can do quite a bit. I also think statistically (I might be wrong though) the .22 has killed more people than any other rounds? Also, when shot with one, it doesn't have penetration power if it hits a bone (like the ribs) and so it bounces around internally. Trust me, if hit in someplace vital, you will die, and a painful death at that!

I'm just slightly annoyed for 2 reasons:

1) There are those who think "Real men don't shoot .22's" when real men DO shoot .22's so they get their basics down without shoulder separation like a .300Mag. Plus more practice shots = better accuracy, and at $10 for 500 rounds, how can you go wrong? Stock up! You can shoot all day without getting warn down. Try 500 shots with a .300Win Mag if your wallet (and shoulder) can hold up!

2) The "bigger is better" feeding into the minds of gun newbie's. A nice .22 is great. Why? Learn the basics, and shoot a few thousand rounds without going broke. Fun to shoot too!

So while it's ok to discuss larger calibers, and I'm all for it, please try not to convince a newbie shooter he needs a .375H&H or some other shoulder seperator... This will be better for the gun community in the long run. Best time I had was shooting my friend's Marlin Model 60.

I've yet to hear someone outgrow a .22 who starts off on a .22, nor appreciate all it's taught them. But I have quite a few friends who started off on something like a 308, who can't hit water in the pacific with it, and who won't practice on a .22 because they think it's a sissy gun. Flinch city. It's really making me mad, and I blame the "Large Caliber" preaching before the "Learn fundamentals first, good gun habits are a lifetime deal" preaching.

So preach .22's to a newbie people, please! Again, I'm not saying you can't start off with something more than a .22, just saying, please give the .22 it's dues, and have newbies learn to appreciate a .22, they will learn to appreciate larger calibers more later.

Albert
 
I hear that!

I resently pulled my 10/22 out of storage. I didn't know how much I mised this thing. I bought a Ram-line folding stock for it, and 4 25 shot butler creek mags(I'm in Canada). I love this lil' gun. On monday, I'm ordering a Bushnell red-dot for it. Heck of a lot cheaper to shoot then my Ruger P89, or my 870 MM, and just as fun. And with all the different after market parts and accessories, everyone can built one to there own favorite flavour. Or heck, shoot it stock, nothing wrong with it out of the box! A 10/22 should be in everyone's collection.

Good shooting.
 
That's what I'm saying. I have mine tricked out, firesights, 3lbs trigger, bolt buffer. Now how long have you owned your 10/22? Have you "outgrown" it? H*ll no! That's what I'm saying. Just as fun as it was the first day you had it.

.22's, cheap and fun, teaches good shooting skills, you can learn shooting skills without the recoil flinch. What more can you ask for? And caliber availibility? Everywhere!

Albert
 
More people get killed or injured by .22 rimfire simply because of sheer numbers. IIRC, .22lr outsells ALL calibers COMBINED (going by number of total rounds sold).

To get back to your argument, I totally agree. .22lr has so many advantages for shooting economically both in equipment and ammo, practicing until dawn new and old shooting techniques, relatively quite, very low recoil, great for introducing new shooters, etc. Won a couple of informal shoots not to long ago using .22lr where accuracy counted, one shoot against centerfire guns.

I must have missed the topic(s) about new shooters being advised to start off with .3XX calibers.
 
Affordable training and practice.

I've got a Norinco 22 which was made to look like the Mauser 98K. It's a great shooter and the smooth trigger helps. I love that little gun for offhand practice.
 
YEA, i got a ruger k77/22rp(hence the handle) and its great its just as much fun as the day i got it, but i learned to shoot with even less power than that, i started shooting with a .177 caliber bb gun,and i still shoot my bb guns there also great fun. Everyone who wants to buy his/her first gun should definitely get a .22
 
Isn't the .22 LR one of the most efficient cartridges ever developed? Also, I've never seen production stats, but I've heard that literally TRILLIONS of the buggers have been produced, perhaps making the .22 LR one of the single most mass-produced items in the world, period. At $15 for 500 cartridges, you can't go wrong. True, it lacks knock-down power, but if you can get a good bead on the target it won't matter. I've heard of big game being taken with them--totally unethical, of course, but useful in a genuine survival situation.
 
Coincidentally, I was shooting my 10/22 yesterday. Bought it used. It's the target model, with the stainless bull barrel and laminated stock. With a cheapie bushnell scope on it, it will easily shoot 1" groups at 50 yards. Not bad for $300.

M1911
 
I just thought that everyone here knew about the 22 rf. Remington 541-T w Leuopld 3x9 sighted at 20 ft. for bird feeder patrol, then comes the beanfield turtle rifle etc.
There have been some great discussions on the .22 rf here.
It's a wonderful round for young and old and rigs can cost from a few dollars to thousands of dollars. The ballistics of the 22 rf are a little harder to learn than the 7 mm Whby if you are giving it a try at 2-3 hundred yds BTW.
twoblink, I think that you will find that most of us jaded old rifle shooters will confess to having a passion for the 22 rf. I really hate to subject all of you to this but http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1441545&a=10814417&p=48844567&Sequence=0

[Edited by HankL on 05-20-2001 at 07:24 PM]
 
Yeah, Guido and Vinny were by so when this thread came up I got Vinny's cousin Fred to pose for this pic of an old man's 22 rf. :D
 
As an explaination, the thread began because I have a bunch of friends who frustrate me. They laugh at me for wanting a .22, and they feel they ar too mocho for one. No such thing.

Just drove to Vegas to go shooting at Sloan with the boyz. Big calibers there? Yes. But who didn't smile when they see me pull out a 10/22? Ahhh the memories.

Albert
 
I love all of my .22's you cant ask for better accuracy and more fun than shooting the average .22 rifle or pistol.
Ioften run into people who dont own a .22 at the commercial range I used to shoot at. I offer my 10/22 or MarkII pistol for them to try and all are surprised at how much fun to shoot they are.

Last time I ran into a guy and girlfriend who were shooting HK USP's his and hers, they told me that it was silly to have a gun under .40 cal!!!.
This as they stood in the lane with 10 boxes of .45 ACP factory ammo each (1000 rounds) for their typical shooting session.

Thye let me shoot their USP at 7 yards (where they practice)
I then sent the target to 25 yards, and shoot 10 shoots with my old MK II standard fixed sight pistolla, they were impressed by the small group at that distance.

Next I let them try it. Girlfriend (Diane) tells her boyfriend (Jim) "we have to get one of these for my Neice so she can shoot it next time she visits"

As I am leaving I see them at the counter foundling a KMK 512 (MKII with stainless5.5" bull barrel)

How can anyone shoot and not own several .22's??

Before I started reloading the .22 was the reason I could practice all I wanted.
 
HankL:

Funny you should mention birdfeeder patrol. Just this morning I was giving a squirrel some lead aversion therapy ;)

I was using my Remington 540X with iron sights. Would like to use my 10/22, but it won't feed .22 shorts. The 540X with .22 shorts is no louder than my buddies Sheridan air rifle.

M1911
 
22's Rule.

Backyard varminting with CCI CB cartridges. Possums and raccoons and crows, oh my! I've got two 10/22's, and I'm thinking of trading one in for a 10/22 in .22 magnum! Here little critters . . . .

Regards.
 
IMHO, it's got to be a lack of education. I was reading some of the articles in a few gun magazines. When asked which guns were their favorites, on most of these old timer's lists, .22's. I have a friend, doesn't not own a .22 anything, and refuses to. That to me is just plain ignorance. I'm looking to buy another .22.

I'm looking to buy a .22 bolt action, as well as a .22 pistol. I'm thinking about joining a range, and going shooting for at least 1/2 hour every week. It takes me about 30 minutes to run through 100 rounds. I can't imagine doing that in my .40! I'd go broker than broke! But if I do maybe 20 rounds in my .40 and 100 rounds of .22 every range visit, then that's not too bad... I can do that. And, the fact that with my tricked out 10/22, I can do sub 1" groups at 25 yards, and draw happy faces on the paper, etc.. How can you not love it?

Stainless steel bull barrel Ruger 22/45, I hear it calling me...

Albert
 
i always take my mk II with me to the police range when i go shoot my glock. i love betting people that i can shoot 100% with it in the qualification courses. with a standing rest i can hit center mass at 100yds.. and when everybody shoots it they are amazed at the recoil. you wanna talk about seeing some people jerk after shooting theirs 'big' pistols. and of course i love the 10/22 with the 2.5lb trigger. everyone needs one..
 
You know, I suppose that some of us grew up with firearms and started off with "twenty twos" and that is the reason a lot of folks love them. The "Master Sniper" of the birdfeeder is my wife. The little Remington with Remington
SUB22HP fills the bill. This rifle would be an awesome tree rat rifle in the woods but once sighted in from sun room door to feeder with above ammo what else can you do?
twoblink, your friends have never had any fun with a 22. You get one and show them the way. :D
 
It seems somehow that I've managed to accumulate 6 .22's (4 rifles and 2 handguns)---Kind of just sneaked up me--didn't really think about it till this post. I took one of the rifles and one of the pistols out the other day and had a blast for less that $10 and a few gallons of gas.
 
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