beyond a 22
- Thread starter hardluk1
- Start date
I own 3 safes full of guns representin g everything from assault rifles to .50 BMG sniper rifles.
My favorites are my .22s. I specifically sought out .22 lookalikes soo that I can practice shooting cheap and with less concern about ricochets and overpenetration.
All the basics of marksmenship and safety can be taught and practiced just as well, if not better, with a .22 as any other type of gun.
My favorites are my .22s. I specifically sought out .22 lookalikes soo that I can practice shooting cheap and with less concern about ricochets and overpenetration.
All the basics of marksmenship and safety can be taught and practiced just as well, if not better, with a .22 as any other type of gun.
g.willikers
New member
Lately, I've been going the other way.
Normally, a day at the range is about 3/4s .22 and the rest centerfire.
Plenty of trigger time without burning up expensive ammo, chasing brass in the weeds, or the need for hours of reloading.
But more and more, we've been substituting airguns for .22s.
Some of the newer airguns are so much like .22s that there's become less and less need to go to the range.
Accurate, realistic recoil, they've become downright amazing.
Our garage has become the range.
With the emphasis on airguns, regular range time has dramatically decreased, along with the driving time and range fees.
Kind of hard not to, when the range is just past the washing machine.
Normally, a day at the range is about 3/4s .22 and the rest centerfire.
Plenty of trigger time without burning up expensive ammo, chasing brass in the weeds, or the need for hours of reloading.
But more and more, we've been substituting airguns for .22s.
Some of the newer airguns are so much like .22s that there's become less and less need to go to the range.
Accurate, realistic recoil, they've become downright amazing.
Our garage has become the range.
With the emphasis on airguns, regular range time has dramatically decreased, along with the driving time and range fees.
Kind of hard not to, when the range is just past the washing machine.
rickyjames
New member
i'll never outgrow a 22. it's the most fun you can have wearing ear protection 
Shooting, or not shooting .22's has nothing to do with "learning too much".
I've been shooting all of my life, and I still have several .22 LR chambered firearms. They're fun, useful, and fairly inexpensive to shoot; what's not to like?
Anyone who looks down on them is only proving that they still have a lot to learn.
That said, I enjoy shooting centerfires, too.
Daryl
I've been shooting all of my life, and I still have several .22 LR chambered firearms. They're fun, useful, and fairly inexpensive to shoot; what's not to like?
Anyone who looks down on them is only proving that they still have a lot to learn.
That said, I enjoy shooting centerfires, too.
Daryl
Legionnaire
New member
Well said. .22s are great trainers and can be extremely accurate, with applications from plinking to hunting to serious competition.ARDogman said:
FreakGasolineFight
New member
.22's are just plain fun. And easy on the wallet, too.
Ridiculous inventory and 11 of them are 22's, 2 of them are still used heavily and I am a large bore rifleman and competitor. I honestly do not believe my large bore shooting or large pistol/revolver shooting would be anywhere near what it was and mostly still is without those hundreds of thousands of 22 LR rounds down range. I still drink milk too, some things you just don't outgrow.
kodiakbeer
Moderator
I don't do much range shooting anymore (I moved out of town and now shoot at a dirt berm in the woods), but when I did there was a definite pattern discernible in the relative skill of handgun shooters (not so much in rifle shooters...). Our small town range is/was as much a social gathering place as a shooting place so people would hob-nob and chat and get advice from each other.
Anyway, as at any pistol range, you'd see some people shooting groups the size of a ten gallon hat and invariably, predictably, consistently, if they asked for advice you'd learn that the 9 or .40 (or whatever centerfire they were shooting) was the only handgun they owned or, if they owned others none of them were .22's. I never went to the range without a .22 and was always quick to offer the use of one and invariably, predictably, consistently, they'd be shooting pretty good groups before emptying the first box of .22 ammo. And just as predictably, that improvement would be there when they picked up their centerfire handgun again.
There's nothing like a .22 to hone your skills. After 35 years of shooting, I still shoot more .22 than all the other calibers combined.
Anyway, as at any pistol range, you'd see some people shooting groups the size of a ten gallon hat and invariably, predictably, consistently, if they asked for advice you'd learn that the 9 or .40 (or whatever centerfire they were shooting) was the only handgun they owned or, if they owned others none of them were .22's. I never went to the range without a .22 and was always quick to offer the use of one and invariably, predictably, consistently, they'd be shooting pretty good groups before emptying the first box of .22 ammo. And just as predictably, that improvement would be there when they picked up their centerfire handgun again.
There's nothing like a .22 to hone your skills. After 35 years of shooting, I still shoot more .22 than all the other calibers combined.
aarondhgraham
New member
Loves my double-deuces,,,
I like shooting all of my guns,,,
but for sheer fun it's the .22's that get the nod.
It's cheap trigger time and fun to boot,,,
I shoot my centerfire revolvers,,,
But I can afford more .22 LR,,,
So they get shot more.
I have matching .22 models for my favorite revolvers,,,
I firmly believe that practicing with my Model 34 in .22 LR,,,
Makes me a better shot when I haul out my Model 36 in .38 Special.
I generally shoot a half a brick of .22 LR,,,
For every 50 round box of .38 Special.
Trigger time is trigger time,,,
In that aspect, more is always better.
Wa-hoo for .22,,,
.
I like shooting all of my guns,,,
but for sheer fun it's the .22's that get the nod.
It's cheap trigger time and fun to boot,,,
I shoot my centerfire revolvers,,,
But I can afford more .22 LR,,,
So they get shot more.
I have matching .22 models for my favorite revolvers,,,
I firmly believe that practicing with my Model 34 in .22 LR,,,
Makes me a better shot when I haul out my Model 36 in .38 Special.
I generally shoot a half a brick of .22 LR,,,
For every 50 round box of .38 Special.
Trigger time is trigger time,,,
In that aspect, more is always better.
Wa-hoo for .22,,,
.
cougar gt-e
New member
I hadn't shot .22's much for the past 8-12 years. Have been doing squirrel and rabbit "training" with a spring cock air rifle out the basement window. (Legal to shoot ANYTHING that way where I live). But, started back up shooting with my 11 year old. Ahhh the fun of plinking.
And the fun of watching mediocre marksmanship bring looks of amazement when I shot the center out of a quarter at 25 yards.
With the stupid high price of both ammo and guns, .22's and air guns are looking better than ever!
And the fun of watching mediocre marksmanship bring looks of amazement when I shot the center out of a quarter at 25 yards.
With the stupid high price of both ammo and guns, .22's and air guns are looking better than ever!
Still love to shoot .22LR! After all, it's even cheaper than my reloads, my S&W M-18 is a delight to shoot AND they're almost universally accurate.
As kraigwy said, if you think you're good, try some of the serious smallbore competitions! In the rifle world, all of the best shooters I know spend their winters shooting .22LR at 50-feet inside. They don't look down on .22s!
Besides, isn't 1/3 of a Bullseye pistol match a rimfire event?
As kraigwy said, if you think you're good, try some of the serious smallbore competitions! In the rifle world, all of the best shooters I know spend their winters shooting .22LR at 50-feet inside. They don't look down on .22s!
Besides, isn't 1/3 of a Bullseye pistol match a rimfire event?Many great reply's ,thanks. I hope this changes a young mans outlook on 22's. I have allways enjoyed 22's but it increased after building my wife a 10/22 with discounted barrel and stock and a home brewed trigger job. I forgot how tight a group can be and shooting one hole groups is a blast. Love to shoot the bigger bored hanguns and rifles but nothing is fun like a 22. Or will teach you how quick you can get on called target.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
Even if you shoot perfectly you still have to train to keep sharp. Not many can afford the amount of shooting they SHOULD do with centerfires.
I shot a few HUNDRED rounds of 22 tonight. My cost, IDK, less than $10 for sure. I don't know of a centerfire out there where I could shoot 100 rounds for less than $15.
I shot a few HUNDRED rounds of 22 tonight. My cost, IDK, less than $10 for sure. I don't know of a centerfire out there where I could shoot 100 rounds for less than $15.
aroundchicago
New member
I have a GSG-5 semi-automatic .22lr rifle and this gun is a blast to shoot....no pun intended.
Misssissippi Dave
New member
Shooting a .22 pistol is plain fun to me. I like to warm up with them before shooting the center fire pistols. It helps to get the trigger control where it should be. It is also nice to have at least one in the range bag to let someone that is having trouble staying on paper with their center fire pistol too. Once they see what they are doing with very little recoil they notice what they should be doing with that center fire pistol too. It is hard to convince some people of their shooting problems but when they see it for themselves things have a way of changing.
Shooting .22 ammo won't put you in the poor house nearly as fast as any center fire round will. I'm referring to factory ammo only. You get plenty of trigger time and your body isn't beat up either. It is hard to compare that to most center fire shooting. I do fire a lot of rounds of 9 mm ammo per week but I would say generally speaking I have shot at least as many rounds of .22 if not more of them in just the past few years. In the past 12 months I went through 4 cases of .22 ammo. The year before was even more then that. My wife does help with shooting the .22 rounds too. Not nearly as many as I have put down range but enough to keep in shape.
.22 pistol shooting is not just for the young. We old folks like them too.
Shooting .22 ammo won't put you in the poor house nearly as fast as any center fire round will. I'm referring to factory ammo only. You get plenty of trigger time and your body isn't beat up either. It is hard to compare that to most center fire shooting. I do fire a lot of rounds of 9 mm ammo per week but I would say generally speaking I have shot at least as many rounds of .22 if not more of them in just the past few years. In the past 12 months I went through 4 cases of .22 ammo. The year before was even more then that. My wife does help with shooting the .22 rounds too. Not nearly as many as I have put down range but enough to keep in shape.
.22 pistol shooting is not just for the young. We old folks like them too.