First .22: Rifle or Pistol

[CB900F]

The New;

I'll buck the trend. I'll suggest you also consider a revolver chambered in .357 magnum with a 4" barrel. For your stated purposes it would seem to better meet your requirements than a .22 rimfire. First, you can shoot the .38 Special cartridge, a low-cost, mild-mannered, and quite accurate round. Compared to today's cost of .22lr ammunition, the difference will be minimal. Second, since you've stated that self defense and concealed carry are strong possibilities, the centerfire revolver fits that scenario far better than the twenty-two. You can learn with the .38 and transition to the .357 for defense. The 125 grain .357 hollow point has an enviable and proven reputation as a very effective man stopper. The .22 rimfire is simply an order of magnitude lower on that scale. When the possibility of small game hunting is entered into the equation, the pistol will allow the game to be a bit larger. You will need to practice to gain the required accuracy level though. But, practice is never a bad thing. Hint, it's perfectly possible to take deer with a .357.

Do you live in an urban, suburban, or rural environment? That may also have a distinct bearing on the better choice for your purposes.

900F

 

[John Joseph]

If your plan is to eventually shoot a center fire handgun, then starting with a .22 handgun makes all kinds of sense.
Besides, an accurate .22 target pistol is a lot of fun for the money!

 

[susieqz]

i must disagree with the cost difference between 22lr n 38 spc being negligable.
i can get cci sv, my hunting round for 8 cents.
my model 15 only shoots good groups with mid range wadcutters. they run 40 cents/round.
even cheap brass cased 38s run 30 cents/round.

 

[JSH1]

i must disagree with the cost difference between 22lr n 38 spc being negligable.
i can get cci sv, my hunting round for 8 cents.
my model 15 only shoots good groups with mid range wadcutters. they run 40 cents/round.
even cheap brass cased 38s run 30 cents/round.

.38 special is going to be about 5 times the cost of 22 LR when buying factory ammo.

I can find cheap Federal Automatch for $20 for a box of 325 ($0.06 per round). Cheap .38 special is $15 for a box of 50 ($0.30 per round)

 

[22-rimfire]

.38 special is going to be about 5 times the cost of 22 LR when buying factory ammo.

I can find cheap Federal Automatch for $20 for a box of 325 ($0.06 per round). Cheap .38 special is $15 for a box of 50 ($0.30 per round)

That is about as good as it gets on the Automatch.

 

[stevekozak]

Nothing new here, but for my money, the Ruger 10/22 is the best value in firearms today. You can get a base model (and I would) for just north of $200 in my area and you can modify the crap out of it later (if you are into that) to make it as accurate, cool, weird, whatever - as you want. Right out of the box, it should be good for punching paper, squirrels, rabbits, groundhogs, etc. or for dinging pop cans and so forth.

Having said all that, the .22lr rifle I use almost exclusively now is a Ruger American Rimfire. It suits my needs better and is not much more expensive than the 10/22. Speaking of - this thread needs more pictures...

Everyone ought to have a .22lr rifle.

I like the looks of that knife! What is it?

 

[JSH1]

That is about as good as it gets on the Automatch.

I've seen it on sale for as low as $18 a box but $20 - $22 seems to be the regular price around here depending on the store. I bought it at Dick's for $20 a box in 2015 and 2016 without any special sale.

 

[tdbmd]

I am looking to get my first gun for personal ownership, seems to be a .22lr. (I did shoot a bit in my youth, but that was almost a decade ago, so essentially essentially everything needs to be relearned).
I don't really have any plans to hunt, will be shooting mainly for sporting/self defense (I plan on getting a CCW). I am looking for something that I can train with pretty inexpensively (I understand 22lr is best for that), but also something that is good quality, that I will keep, and would be useful in a survival scenario/small game. In terms of training, building good habits, becoming a better shooter, is it recommended to get a pistol or rifle/carbine.


FWIW, if this works out, at some point I will be buying a 9mm pistol, then a 5.56 rifle.

Thanks

I would agree with many of the other posters that have recommended a 10/22 for a starting point in a .22 LR weapon.

 

[Craig_AR]

I am looking to get my first gun for personal ownership, seems to be a .22lr. (I did shoot a bit in my youth, but that was almost a decade ago, so essentially essentially everything needs to be relearned).

For someone new to firearms, I am a big fan of starting with .22LR so that recoil or kick are not a factor in learning the basics. Rifle or handgun at that starting point are a matter of personal preference, but for either, I suggest NOT using any semi-automatic. For a handgun, use a single action revolver, like a Ruger Single Six or less expensive competitor. For rifle, use any one of the many fine bolt-action .22LR rifles. The reason to use single shot for early learning is the way the process of loading and firing makes the new shooter slow down a bit and pay attention to the shooting process. Once experienced, I agree that a 10/22 semi-auto is quite fun to use at teh range!

 

[helitack32f1]

I wouldn't recomend the Ruger 10/22 but I am in the minority and hate them. I think they are inaccurate and over rated. I would suggest the M&P 15-22 for the long gun, especially if the .223 you plan on purchasing in the future is of the AR pattern. For the .22 handgun, well, there are so many good choices, it is hard to recommend just one. Any .22 handgun by Ruger, the S&W Victory, etc. tons of choices out there. Kinda depends on if you choose a gun that is designed like modern defensive guns or something of it's own design like the Ruger MKIV. Just find out what you like n both categoriies and research the heck out of it and then make an informed decision.

 

[MEHavey]

I think they are inaccurate and over rated.

Aaahhh.... No.

.

 

[Doc7]

My marlin 60 was a gateway drug...

 

[helitack32f1]

Aaahhh.... No.

.

So, aside from having a quality trigger, innertube inserts, a stock that I have never seen on a 10/22 before that actually provides a quality cheek weld and proper length of pull, your gun is "standard"? Standard basic 10/22's are known for having just so so accuracy, I am not the only one who knows this. Part of that inaccuracy is an astoundingly bad trigger pull which I suspect you helped by replacing the stock trigger. If the 10/22 had such astounding accuracy, there would be no need for the entire industry that exists for accurizing the 10/22.

 

[MEHavey]

Yup, standard.... and the inner tube pressure point doesn't take a lot of brains (Good thing )
The V_trig was a Xmas present - nice but not critical.
Otherwise `bought it off the rack at Loudon Guns. (They had three of this model)

FWIW, I've already offered that the CZ 455 is the best lifetime value very early-on in this very thread
See Post #7 , but I also don't discount that "lowly" 10-22 as a best value.

 

[MEHavey]

-delete-

 

[rugerman]

I probably won't be getting a .22 rifle and pistol (at least not any time soon): I just want one so that I can make use of the cheap ammo and shootability for a good volume of range time (and as a survival option for when we have to live on squirrels). My second gun would probably be a full power one (at least 9mm double stack).

So you recommend getting the 10/22 rifle to learn/practice?

First 22 rifle was and is a Stevens that would fire long rifle ammo semi auto if you left the bolt handle pulled out and long, short and everything else as a single shot if you left the bolt handle pushed in. It was a hand me down from my father. My first 22 hand gun was a Ruger standard semi auto with a 4 inch barrel, I bought it second hand for $30, it came with 2 magazines and a holster. My son has I now. Between those two guns I've killed a bunch of squirrels, rabbits, snakes, and various other stuff, not to mention a whole lot of plinking.

 

[basicblur]

I wouldn't recomend the Ruger 10/22 but I am in the minority and hate them. I think they are inaccurate and over rated.

Which is why I recommended the new heavy barrel model (breakdown model optional).

From what I've seen, the heavy barrel is much better AFA accuracy than the standard 10/22.

Hopefully the weather will hold and I'll be able to drag mine out to the range this week and get is sighted in.

 

[rust collector]

The 10/22 in post #61 is a pretty gun, but it is a Lipsey's special that lists for $445, sports a Kidd aftermarket trigger that runs $235, a Leupold scope at $200+ and bike tube bedding with properly torqued action bolts. Basic 10/22s are a good gun for the money, but like many other products, have suffered from production cost cutting. The worst part for a beginner, however, is that there is always another shot to send downrange without need to reflect upon calling the shot, breath control, position mechanics and pulse.
MEH, that's a beautiful gun and you obviously know what your'e doing!