Good cheap plinker that isn't a .22lr

Status
Not open for further replies.
It doesn't go boom, but have you ever considered a quality air rifle?
Click to expand...
A Pre-Charged Pneumatic air rifle does most certainly go BOOM if you don't have a suppressor on it. Try firing a 9mm or .50 caliber air rifle at full power and you will hear the boom ;) ... Heck, I've owned .177, .20, and .22 PCP air rifles which made more noise (without a suppressor) than my .22 rimfires. PCP's are loud.
But yes, a spring-powered or a low-power CO2 air rifle is cheap to shoot, fun, and quiet. I've got a couple dozen of them.
As for firearms....nothing is as anywhere near as inexpensive to shoot as a .22 rimfire. 9mm would be the next up the line, but 10 times the price per shot for even the cheap stuff (Blazer or Russian).
Plinking with 7.62x54? Ouch!! That hurts to think about. Cheap though.
I love plinking with an AK, but it's not what I consider cheap at $7+ per 30-round magazine load. That same $7.00 will put 275 Federal bulk .22's through a Ruger 10/22 with 30-rounders.
Tin cans and paper do not care what size hole is made nor how many foot pounds of energy are there.
 
Has anyone run the numbers for cost per round for a small bore percussion rifle?
Click to expand...
Black powder is a blast, but not as inexpensive per shot as it may seem....even casting your own round balls from scrap lead and knapping your own flints...the powder is getting pricey.
Most inexpensive is flintlock and learning to knap your own flints. It'll save the cost of a percussion cap.
Balls per pound is what bore gauge is based upon, so my .50 flintlock gets about 32 good round balls from a pound of lead after dross and sprues. Figure that's about $.023 per shot. A good plinking load on that rifle is 60 grains of fffg black powder, add another 5 grains for priming...about $ .185 per shot. Add maybe $.005 per shot for patching material and you get about 23 cents total cost per shot. I figure 28 cents on my .69 and .72 muskets, and maybe only 20 cents a shot for my .36 squirrel rifle. About the same as 7.62x39 Russian.
Black powder isn't cheap. But you shoot FAR FAR less money out the end of the bore in two hours of black powder plinking than in two hours of AK plinking, even though cost per shot is about equal....because it takes time to load black powder between each shot. It's very zen-like also.
 
???

im quite surprised that i am the only one who has mentioned the 17 hm2 ?, its cheap its fast and its got the power
 
I don't own one and I don't even know if this could work...
But I wonder if a Marlin 1894 .32 H&R mag might not work out to be a reloadable .22.
You could shoot your lead into a trap and re-cast the bullets so it would only cost you powder and primers.
I find the idea of it interesting anyway.
 
I think this requires a definition of plinking. I also agree that those who say an air rifle is not real shooting have never had a quality air rifle. But then a quality air rifle is far from cheap. All that said, what the heck is wrong with a .22LR? You have the variety od sub sonic stuff, cheap bulk, many grades of match ammo, and all of it less costly than centerfire. .22LR is synonymous with plinking.
 
Goon you are right about the 32 mag. I have one and its a blast to shoot. Full power 85 gr loads go over 1900 fps and 76gr loads with 2.2grs of titegroup go 900fps and are as quiet as CB 22s. The only thing wrong with this gun is that it weighs more than my 357 or 44 mag Marlin because of the octagon barrel.

A 22lr is the king of plinkers and always will be.
 
Why NOT use the .22?
I love the .22.

Long live the .22!
Click to expand...

Maybe a better question would be, "What is the .22 lacking that the original poster wants to rectify in his NEXT plinker?" Longer range? More power? Also, do you mean "cheap" as in ammo costs, or "cheap" as in rifle costs?
Just trying to clarifu things so we can give him a better idea of what he might like...


M
 
Probably for a non reloader, one of the commie rounds or a 9mm carbine.

For a reloader, a Marlin 336 in .35 Remington. You can shoot cast 158 grain bullets over 10 grains of Unique for not a lot of money. A bit of recoil, good groups, brass lands in a little easy to collect pattern. Hard to beat. And it's an awesome short range deer gun with full power loads.
 
No such thing as an inexpensive plinker in a center fire with factory ammunition unless you are pretty darn comfortable financially. But to each his own. That is what makes the world go around. My idea of cheap entertainment is not going to the range or your favorite shooting spot and blowing away a few hundred dollars worh of ammunition. I think about the cost when I shoot match 22 ammunition. That probably explains why I squeek when I walk.
 
What the heck is wrong with .22lr? It is perfect for plinking. Any other time I am plinking with my other firearms it is not cheap. 9mm and 7.62x39 are not cheap in my world. 1000 rounds for $30 vs 1000 rounds for $200. When I bought a box of .22 mag I appreciated the .22lr so much more.
 
If "plinking" means shooting lots of rounds without shoulder pain with a relatively inexpensive rifle and ammo:
- Marlin 1894C (.38Special/.357 Mag)
- M1 Carbine (.30 Carbine)
- Marlin Camp 9 (9mm Luger/Parabellum)

Reload and/or buy bulk ammo. Professionally reloaded ammo is often a good deal (such as Georgia Arms "Canned Heat"). The CMP has lots of .30 Carbine ammo at a good price.
 
9mm is probably the cheapest non-milsurp, non rimfire round there is. (Although I think 9mm milsurp is available, but I'm not sure if it's corrosive.)
 
If you reload a 357 lever action is the way to go. Another good plinker nobody had mentioned is AR you can reload 223 dirt cheap, or an AR with a 9mm upper.
 
Gunmaker--how well does you 10/22 converted to .17 Mach 2 cycle? That's really been my only hesitation. Any problems? How about switching back and forth to the.22 barrel for cheaper shooting at times? Doable?
 
Air gun for cheap fun

I have picked up a pellet rifle for plinking.

It's a 25 caliber break barrel and it makes a nice thump when it hits.

Got this one HERE

But it is too loud to shoot in the backyard and a ricochet sounds like a 223.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
Inexpensive decent .22LR plinking rifle?
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
rangerruck
R
D
  • Locked
Recommend a .22LR for a giant
Replies
23
Views
961
DelayedReaction
D
3
  • Locked
Savage MK2 22lr
Replies
9
Views
520
gvnwst
G
J
  • Locked
Advice on .22lr barrel selection
Replies
5
Views
477
wally
wally
K
  • Locked
Ruger Challenger or Marlin 70PSS? Anyone own these and what do you think?
Replies
21
Views
2K
sigma 40ve
S
Back
Top