Range costs getting expensive

C

Chalupa

New member
I'm finding that range costs are starting to take a
toll on my wallet. I don't reload which I probably
should learn how to do.

I've been shooting a lot of 9mm lately but, have
considered now switching to .22lr for range time.

Do you guys think it would be worth it for me to
put the money into a decent .22lr handgun? I know
it would probably save me some money down the
road or should I just stay with 9mm as my cheap
ammo and not shoot as much?

Btw I'm new here but, it looks like a great forum
so looking forward to being a part here.

Chalupa
 
I would definitely go with the 22LR. Every time I go to the range I shoot 150 to 250 rounds of center fire and 250 to 300 rounds of 22LR. It's also great for developing good shooting habits without dealing with recoil. Not that recoil is a big issue with 9mm.

-Chris
 
Yea, I am for the 22LR also; but get a good one, at least a S & W 41. Mine is a tack driver. The others, of which I have two; one single action, one Ruger 22/45 are just so so.

Good Luck,

Max
 
I almost always take a .22 rifle or handgun along when I go to the range to shoot after I run through 50 to 100 rounds of a larger (and more expensive) centerfire. That way I can shoot as much as I want and at an affordable price. My Walther P22 and S&W 15-22 are probably my favorite .22s for just plain fun.
 
Yea, I am for the 22LR also; but get a good one, at least a S & W 41
Click to expand...

I've shot a 41 side by side with my Ruger MKIII and my S&W 617. The 41 is a great gun and I might buy one someday but it isn't the only tack driver out there. I was shooting in the lane next to the guy shooting the 41 and I consistently grouped better with either of my guns than he did with his. And, I was shooting the 550 round bulk Federal ammo while he was shooting much more expensive ammo.

It was pretty funny when he wanted to shoot my 617 and let me shoot his 41 but even after I told him I shoot my MKIII better than anything I own, he literally looked at the gun and smirked then turned away as if it was beneath him.

Anyway, all that was to say that you do not need a S&W model 41.

-Chris
 
Actually, there is a simple solution to your problem, handloading. At my club most of the shooters load their own ammo. You do not need anything expensive to get started. A Lee Hand Press is sufficient and will produce good results. In addition to economic considerations, it is also a fun hobby. It is a lot more interesting than watching the mindless garbage on TV. As you get more experience you can move up to a "C" type press.
 
A 22 is fine for practicing the basics. However, for practicing rapid fire and hitting multiple targets, I think you should stick to the caliber you will carry. Otherwise, you will feel somewhat out of sync when you go back to your 9mm due to the totally different recoil impulse and between shot recovery times.
 
Get a 22 yesterday.

I'm for the 22 for sure but,....a lot of people like to shoot there "tacdriver 22s" which are much easier to shoot than most other guns they carry.

What's the point of that? These 5" or even 7" barreled 22s are like cheating. So what,... you can get a quarter size group at 7-10 yards, but yet you get 2-6" groups with your carry gun. It might make you shoot better, but I feel a person should get a 22 that's harder to shoot good groups than there carry gun.

I did exactly that, I bought a little tiny Beretta Bobcat 21A 22 with a 2.5" barrel that "was" quite challenging at first, but after I was able to shoot it well, all my other guns were a breeze even my snubby which I carry 90%.

I not only saved a lot of money while at the range shooting 22, but I didn't have to shoot my other guns nearly so much, so it was a double savings.

Luckily my range just has a single day (not hourly) charge of $15 (up from $8-$10), and I can bring everything I need for shooting including my own ammo except steel.
 
Okay, the math is easy for me.
Federal Bulk Pack is still around $15/550 rounds, or to put it another way, 2.7 cents per round.
The cheapest 9mm I've seen Post-Obama (and I've only seen it once) is about $10/50 rounds, or about 20 cents a round. Normal price is more like $15/50, or 30 cents per round.

So, real life, you shoot 10x as much for the same ammo cost.

I added a .22LR (MkII) to my pistol collection about three years ago, before ammo panic set in. I bought it because a far better shooter than I told me that the mechanics of pistol shooting are transferable--sighting, breathing, trigger squeeze. The absence of recoil is not a concern--if you can shoot a .22 well, you can very quickly transfer those skills to a larger centerfire pistol.

He was right. A year of shooting several times per month, starting with 100 or so rounds of .22LR each time, has dramatically improved my shooting. I now reload, but I still start nearly each session out with 50-100 rounds through the Ruger if shooting a semi-auto, or a like number of rounds through my S&W M-18 if shooting revolvers.

I am certain that both my .22s have paid for themselves in ammo cost savings, and have improved my shooting at the same time.

If you can afford to do both (buy a .22 and reload), do both. If you can only afford to do one, I would spend $250-300 on a used .22 and start reaping the rewards.
 
Want even cheaper? Get an air rifle or air pistol. 500 pellets are less than $10.

If you have to have something that goes bang, get a .22
 
I agree

A quality pellet pistol and some room in the basement were all I needed to become a "good shot" amongst all my friends that I shoot with. Triger control, breathing, stance, sight alignment do not change with the caliber.

I still spend time with my airsoft guns, while not the most accurate by any stretch of the imagination, the fundamentals are the same.
 
i don't have fun at the range with a .22


i don't feel like i'm really shooting anything. it's too easy to just sit there shooting bullseye's all day, gets boring. phycological thing i guess lol.


so i just stick to my 9mm's, 40cals, and 45acp's. and shoot when i can afford it :)
 
Get a .22 ASAP. Anyone who says they're not real guns has a problem they need to compensate for.

I shoot at least 1,000 rounds of .40 a month practicing for USPSA matches, but I still shoot my .22's every range trip to insure I have my fundamentals down.

Just because a .22 may not shoot exactly like your carry gun, doesn't mean the skills you learn from the .22 won't transfer to a larger caliber.
 
SavageMOA said:
Get a .22 ASAP. Anyone who says they're not real guns has a problem they need to compensate for.
Click to expand...


and this problem would be?


i have my "fundamentals" down. been shooting for almost 20 years.

for me, shooting a .22 doesn't do anything.

the recoil impulse, trigger pull, and overall weight of a defensive caliber handgun is completely different than shooting a .22. practing with these calibers affords me greater accuracy with these guns than practicing with a .22.

for a new person, practicing with a .22 and working your way up to defensive calibers might be a good idea, though, so they can get the "fundamental" down.

it's all relative, my friend. :)
 
Something else to consider is, is there a cheaper alternative to going to the range? Here, basically, the ranges fall into two different categories. Either they're inexpensive but very restrictive (e.g. pistols and .22 rifles ONLY on a 50-ft indoor range that's open for a couple of hours and only twice a week) or the second choice, they offer a variety of distances, indoor and outdoor, and anything else you'd want, but you pay $35 per person just to get past the main entrance. Then you gotta buy their ammo, targets, pay fees for specific distances or what not and so it becomes basically impossible to justify the costs.

It's why I prefer a nice, safe, wooded piece of public land. I provide my own targets, ammo, go as often as I like. As often as I go, I've probably saved thousands.
 
I carry a .40 and a .380, but my favorite range guns are my Ruger MKII Target 10" and my Finnish M39. They're both CHEAP to shoot, and fun. You should learn to roll your own, though. I'm starting to since my Grandad died and left me his reloading stuff. Have fun shooting!
 
Even .22 prices are up, but I always take my Smith 22a to the range along with whatever SD gun is up for practice and usually a third just for fun ... .22 is a great round for training, and is still relatively cheap, certainly by 9mm or .45 standards. Feeling for Raftman; my range hasn't changed prices -- $20 for lifetime membership, $10 a day and you only have to buy their ammo if you rent their guns ... and it's open every day of the year, with one or two exceptions, from 10a to after dark ...
 
I am a big fan of the .22 for developing good shooting habits. I've got a Mark II Ruger with the bull barrel and It's been a faithful target gun for the past 10 years. It helps you reinforce all the fundimentals and to me good shooting is all about repetition and practice. Go get one and the cost savings will start to add up. I've considered starting to do some reloading myself with the rise in ammo prices and don't see how both reloading and getting some practice with a less expensive round could hurt your keeping your shooting budget in check.
 
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