.22 good training for larger calibers?

[Chrispy]

I've been thinking about buying a rifle. I don't have much experience with guns in general, and rifles specifically. I do own a shotgun I bought for home defense, and I enjoy shooting slugs for target practice and occasionally clay pigeons as well. As fun as the shotgun is, I'd also like to try shooting something different, especially at longer ranges (probably mostly at 100 yards, and not more than 200).

I had originally planned on something in .308, but realistically, I'll probably never need the extended range compared to .223, and the ammo cost is a consideration too. A local gun shop mentioned that a .22LR might be a good way to go, as it's cheap to shoot plus there's an indoor range nearby that allows .22 rifles but nothing centerfire. The idea is that I could practice on the .22 and eventually graduate to something bigger when I have a better idea of what I want. But my concern is that the ballistics/recoil/handling/etc of the .22 are just too different to be of much use in training for a larger round. Would practicing on a .22 help me get better at shooting a .223 or .308? I plan on using iron sights to start with, and maybe eventually try a red dot or low-powered scope. Thanks for your advice!

 

[The Sarge]

Most start out with a .22. It is probably the most common caliber of rifle out there.

 

[gondorian]

If it isn't windy a .22 will shoot pretty well at 100yds also. It is not uncommon for my marlin 795 to group less then 2 inches, especially when I am trying and not just plinking.

 

[chevyforlife21]

.22s are most folks first gun. everyone should have one.

 

[tactikel]

+1 on the .22 lr. Use it to develope good shooting habits; trigger pull, sight picture, gun mounting etc. You will always have use for a good .22. A .223 is not that big a jump from .22 lr (the .308 is a huge leap). The more you practice (with either rim or centerfire) the better you will get!

 

[toxicity]

All of the same points apply for iron sights on any rifle as a base line, 1. target aquisition or sight picture 2. sight allignment 3. trigger squeeze. Work these out before you even begin shooting a 22 and your transition will be very easy.
Long range shooting is an art added science and since you seem to be focused on close in stuff you would do well to perfect these 3 basics, they wont let you down.

 

[toxicity]

I reccomend a 10/22. I have one from 1976 that still performs as well as my newer (1990) rifle. Parts everywhere, upgrades, mags all easy to come by. Tuff, accurate, light weight. Great rifle.

 

[blitzen]

If you are truely just staring out I highly recommend getting a .22 rifle and shooting the bbl off it. There is no better training than shooting a half million rounds though a .22. Not really kidding. Make every shot count for something be it a dime size target or better yet go squirrel hunting. Nothing will teach you to be a better woodsman or rife shot. No sand bags or benches in the woods.

 

[ArmedBear]

Most start out with a .22. It is probably the most common caliber of rifle out there.

There are plenty of people who start out with a .22, and go to the Olympics with a .22.

.22 is the rifle to own, for fun, practice, and even competition. Sure, you need something bigger for something like deer hunting, but when you have a reason to get something else, you'll know.

It's hard to say enough good things about the .22LR. That's why it's the most popular round, all around the world.

 

[firstater]

If you don't start out with a .22lr you'll end up getting one later, for ammo cost alone. This is a great post on the Liberty Training Rile which is a .22lr. The appleseed project has more on the LTR here.

 

[twofifty]

Most definitely.

Sometimes our high power shooting seems to fall apart, for any number of reasons two of which are 'flinching' and the other loss of 'follow-through'. The quickest, cheapest cure is to put the big rifle away and shoulder the .22 for a couple hours of purposeful precision shooting.

The idea is to practice the fundamentals at low cost and with little recoil. Once you are back in the saddle, resume training with the boomer.

 

[bigalexe]

For a new shooter learning fundamentals and practicing then buying a .22LR is a great plan. Personally I got a bolt-action Savage just so I could practice fundamentals without tearing my shoulders (and wallet) to pieces with 12-gauge slugs.

 

[d2wing]

+22. All of the above. We used to start new shooters on air pistols to learm sight alignment and trigger control. Then air rifle indoor before .22lr at the range.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // .22lr is the way to start

Marlin 795 on sale at Dicks Sports with rebate for $99.00 this week.
I am trying not to buy another one.

 

[PzGren]

.22 good training for larger calibers?

Absolutely yes! That is true for handgun as well as rifle. I would even go further and say that quality airguns are excellent training tools, as well.

 

[digisol]

In all honesty, not completely, a 22 is a very different beast and as such likely harder to shoot accurately, while the fundamentals are similar at the end of the day you will need to re-learn all you have just practised with a .22.

That said a 22 is good fun, cheap for ammo, easy on the body, quiet, and in the right combination of ammo / rifle can be a very effective small varmint rifle, and like most will say head shooting rabbits is good challenging fun.

Sure most shooters started off with a 22LR bolt action rifle or an air rifle and then after the addiction grabs you upgrade to C/F, incidentally my first C/F was as school in army cadets age 13 with a well worn ex military Enfield 303 British and a fair shock to the shoulder after having only shot an air rifle.

And sure while some might say that as it's harder your learning more than you might with a small c/f like a 223 but they are still very different firearms, and going straight to a 308 might be a choice best to avoid, and everyone will say the same about making a choice that is easy to find ammo for, and a 223 might be a more practical long lasting option, one which you can learn on and then use for long after you have the fundamentals figured.

And a good 22 will cost you much the same as a 223 anyway, so while I would not say don't get a 22, perhaps go to your local club and shoot a few different calibre rifles before making your choice, I shoot rimfire BR and they are an addictive part of shooting sport, but with match ammo a 22 is more expensive to shoot that a large C/F rifle and +/-$1 per shot where a reloaded 308 or 223 might cost 50-60c.

Certainly with handguns the slower the gun the harder it is to shoot, same thing with black powder and a thing called (lock time) that meaning an air pistol is probably the most annoying of all to master, with a 22 pistol/rifle the next in line, even if the firearm is of match grade, try some others first.

 

[Chrispy]

Wow, thanks for all the responses. I'm a little surprised that there seems to be unanimous agreement, but I'm sold. Time to go shopping...

 

[PzGren]

Most of the fundamentals do not change from rimfire to centerfire and vice versa. We are looking here at a .22 l.r. as a training tool and if we want to learn shooting from different practical positions, getting extra trigger time and practice, then a rimfire is a valuable addition to the training platform.

Most all competitive shooters do a lot of dryfire practice and as boring as it is, does yield great results.

 

[natman]

Absolutely start with a 22. There are a lot of skills to learn in order to shoot well: trigger control, breath control, aiming, etc. You might as well learn them with a gun that uses cheap ammo and has no recoil. Once you've mastered a 22, then you can start with a centerfire.

 

[Sav .250]

A great cal (22) to learn the mechanics of rifle firing. As there is no recoil to speak of, the comfort level is excellent. At least you won`t start out with any bad habits. Plus, as othere have noted, 22 ammo is cheap! It`s a win,win situation.

 

[ArmedBear]

Most of the fundamentals do not change from rimfire to centerfire and vice versa.

They really don't change at all. You have a bullet that has a trajectory. That trajectory changes from round to round, depending on velocity, but fundamentally, it's the same.

WRT having to "re-learn", that could be said about going from .223 to .30-06, as well, or from .308 to .257 Roberts. Different velocities, bullet weights, and trajectories. Nothing fundamental to re-learn, just different distances, drops and wind drift for every round.

 

[XxWINxX94]

.22 would be a good choice for a first rifle, lots of people grew up plinking with .22's and they are still fun to shoot and not so loud. If you do get sick of the .22, something like an AR15 in .223 would be a great step up. There is recoil but it is minimal compared to a .308. I wouldn't go any higher than a .223 until you master your .22 and maybe .223, with a round like a .308, your in for a lot more recoil and possibly shoulder pain, unless you know how to properly shoot. Theres where your expirence with little calibers will help you out.

In short, Go for the .22!

 

[paducahrider]

Howdy,
There really isn't much of an argument here.
Nothing comes close to the .22 caliber when it comes to cost versus accuracy.
Frankly, only those with money to burn(and a hidden bank account, to hide the cost from the wife), should even consider to start shooting centerfire ammunition before a few thousand rounds of practice with a .22LR.
The only way to make centerfires less expensive is to reload, which will incurr so much expense in setting up that you could shoot all year with .22 before getting even, and even if they can afford it, the new centerfire shooter will be so confused as to why he(or she) isn't getting the accuracy they desire, that they will either give up or spend a fortune on un-needed stuff.
The .22s lack of recoil and inherent accuracy remove those variables from the problem list, and thus prevents confusing the shooter into blaming the wrong part of the system(Shooter, Rifle, Ammunition, Conditions).
The variables within each sub-group will perplex the neophyte enough, even if they have mastered the art of actually shooting a firearm.
If you can't shoot the .22, you'll probably not be able to shoot the big bores.
If more folks started out taking the .22 seriously, there would be more, and better marksmen around, rather than those who blindly follow the BIGGER GUN WITH A BIGGER SCOPE route.
There are times when that is the right path, but NOT while one is at square one on the learning curve.
Thanks for your time.

 

[jbech123]

In all honesty, not completely, a 22 is a very different beast and as such likely harder to shoot accurately, while the fundamentals are similar at the end of the day you will need to re-learn all you have just practised with a .22.

We are all entitled to our opinions, but this is just flat out incorrect. 22's - esp. shooting high quality ammo are mechanically capable of well under submoa accuracy. Sure the trajectory is different, but that is actually one of the advantages. You don't need nearly as long a range to really get good practice at trajectory and wind reading. It's not exactly the same as shooting a 300winmag at 1000, but shooting an accurate 22 at 200-250 yards, esp. with any wind, will most certainly make you a way better rifleman for shooting bigger rounds at any range. And you will be much better off doing that every weekend because your local range may not have a 1000 yard range and your wallet(or shoulder) may not allow you to shoot a couple hundred rounds a weekend with your big boomer. I love shooting centerfires at looonnngg ranges, but logistically and financially it is not something I really get to do more than once a month. However I can get a hundred rounds of quality 22 practice at 100 & 200 yards pretty much whenever.

 

[d2wing]

If you start with a larger caliber most likely you will learn to anticipate the shot and flinch. With a .22, you not only learn the basics, but you form better shooting habits. Especially after sveral hundred shots. I also recommend snap caps and spending 20 minutes a day dry firing your high power for many days so that your mind does not associate flinching and pulling the trigger.