New Fun with the .22 LR

[TooTaxed]

I was experimenting with different brands and types of inexpensive .22LR ammo in my Ruger MK II Competition Target pistol. As my old eyes now have difficulty lining up front and rear sights and target clearly, I mounted a Leopold 2X scope on it...I can still handle crosshairs just fine, though there's very little magnification. I zeroed at 50-yds, then just for fun tried a few shots on my 100-yd target...was surprised and overjoyed to find a nice four-inch group from that short pistol barrel! Pay Dirt!

I've zeroed the pistol for 100-yd and now frequently shoot at that distance. Tomorrow when I get access to my notebook I'll report on the ammo I shoot. The point is, you can have a lot of fun shooting inexpensive .22LR at 100-yds...pistol as well as rifle!

 

[10-Ring]

Not only does shooting that pistol at 100 yards sound like fun, but it sounds like you have a good little pistol to boot! Congrats!

 

[Caimlas]

From a bench rest or standing? I see no point in shooting pistol from a supported position, personally. Might as well have a rifle - it's a better pairing.

As for shooting things at range... yeah, it's a blast to shoot things at range with a .22. Where I go shooting there's a large swamp with a dead tree (about the size of a large fat man) sticking out of it (directionally safe) at about 250 yards out into the water. It's very satisfying to hit that with my Walther P22, even though I can only manage to hit it one out of 3 or so shots. Figuring out the windage and ranging took a while, though.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I shoot a Clark Custom Ruger Mark II and a Special Run S&W M22A. Both are fun and like you said, very cheap to keep... Gota love a .22 pistol!!

 

[jmorris]

I was shocked as well when my ruger 51/2" target with a 1.5 power leopold put ten into 3.5" at the same distance. It made me think about the differences between rifle and pistol iron sights.

 

[Geno]

I have to chuckle every time someone tells me that pistols can't compete against rifles. Tell that to T/C. The T/C Contender pistol has held the World Record for many years: 3.5" X 1" at 500 yards using iron sights. My T/C Contender, 10" .22LR MATCH held sub-MOA at 100 yards off the bench-rest, using a bi-pod and sandbags, and firing either Remington Thunder Bolts or Remington Blue Label Target rounds and a 2.5-7X scope set to 4X.

So many people have been inclined to call me a liar when I tell them that my pistol would shoot sub-MOA at 100 yards. In fact, one DNR range officer who shot competition did in the presence of the other range officer. After that insult, DNR Range Officer #2 posted my next target for me. Then, range officers #1 and #2 stood and watched me load and fire 10 rounds. Next range officer #2 walked down range, brought back the target, signed it, dated it and posted it. The next day, the disgruntled range officer took my target down declaring, "That's just unprofessional!"

What was my "lie"?! He declared that I was a "professional shootist". When I responded, "I don't even shoot competitively!" He retorted, "Yeah, and you're a liar...maybe you don't now, but you did! I've shot competition for nearly 10 years, and I can't even come close to groups like that!" The group measured about .5 MOA edge-to-edge, NOT center-to-center. Anyone care to take a stab-guess at who gave me the insights on how to shoot that well? Yeah...range officer #1...Mr. Disgruntled, about 1 month previous to the encounter.

When I told him that, he became flat-out livid! He then accused me of trying to mock him by having him try to teach an expert-shooter how to shoot! What the Hades do you do with a person like this?! If this entire event had not been witnessed Tim, by the other DNR Range Officer, I would never have dared post it. For what it’s worth, I have not returned to the Bald Mt. Shooting Range since that event. It just isn't worth it.

I'm glad you posted this thread! Thanks!

Doc2005

 

[DesertDawg]

Several years ago, I was out with several shooting buddies at a "remote", but "popular" shooting spot in the desert. I had set up my favorite "gong" target, a plate of hardened steel that all of my buddies knew was only for .22's and handguns. NO center-fire rifles! It was placed against the tall hillside, at an approximate distance of 100 yards from our shooting line.

A truck with 3 strangers pulled up, and asked if they could share the spot with us. I was against it, but my buddies told them that it was okay. The "safe" zone for shooting into that hillside was about 200 yards, so there was plenty of room.

I'm going to try to condense this: One of the strangers had a 'scoped .270 rifle, and had zeroed it at 50-yard paper targets. After awhile, however, that .270 shooter started shooting at MY "gong" target! Not only that, one of his friends was "calling" his shots while viewing through some binoculars!

I was fit to be tied! I was about to march over to that .270 shooter and tell him to knock it off, but one of my buddies stopped me. "If he shoots a hole through your steel plate, you can replace it, can't you?", he said. I was still fuming, but calmed down as I heard the "caller" telling the .270 shooter "high 4 inches, left 6 inches", etc. The .270 shooter went through an entire box of 20 rounds with NO hits!

The .270 shooter grounded his rifle and started toward their truck, probably to get more ammo. That was when I loaded up my S & W model 41, and proceeded to make that "gong" target "sing"....10 rounds in a row! Another magazine was inserted, and 10 more "songs"!

Just before reloading the empty magazines, I heard the .270 shooters "caller" yell out, "Hey, what's wrong with your rifle? That guy is hitting that steel plate with a .22 pistol!". I noticed that the .270 shooter had stopped whatever he had been doing, and was now watching me. I loaded one of the mags, then fired the 10 rounds, all making the distinctive "dink" as they hit the steel plate.

The next thing I knew, the .270 shooter retrieved his rifle and put it in the rifle bag. All three of the strangers broke down their target stands, loaded them into the truck, then they yelled to us that they were leaving. GOOD RIDDANCE! The .270 shooter violated the unwritten "range ettiquete" rule, of not shooting at anyone elses targets!

One of my buddies and I marched out to take a look at the "gong" target. Thirty "splatter" marks on the freshly-painted steel plate! No holes THROUGH it! All kinds of churned-up holes in the dirt surrounding it, though!

Yes, a good .22 handgun is VERY accurate, all the way out to 100+ yards! I think that I was shooting some "nothing special" Winchester .22LR ammo that day! That little model 41 has never been very finicky about what I feed it!

 

[M2 Carbine]

New Fun with the .22 LR

The 22LR is fun and cheap to shoot.

I do a good bit of evening laser practice. Shooting my reloaded 38 Special and 45ACP ammo the cost isn't bad but it doesn't hurt to reduce the price more.
So I tried a barrel mount and installed a Streamlight TLR-2 laser/light on my Ruger 22/45.
It's such a good combination for shooting in the dark, or daylight, that I've decided to leave the Streamlight on the Ruger permanently.

 

[Geno]

DesertDawg:

Great read! I call that "poetic justice". Thanks for sharing that.

Doc2005