Help me think this out. 22LR vs 5.7

[AK Gun Man 88]

So I have been thinking of getting rid of my 10/22 and what little 22 ammo I have. My 10/22 is unfired due to lack of ammo and I have yet to see a box on the shelf since the panic buying started years ago. I stumbled across the ar57 upper the other day. Looking at the round, I think it would serve well in situations I would have used a 22 (mostly hunting). I know 5.7 costs more but I can reload it. As of right now, the 10/22 just sits with lack of ammo. I rarely have time to just go and shoot for the sake of shooting. I am lucky if I get to pull the trigger once a month.

I would like to hear your thoughts about dumping 22LR all together for the 5.7.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

really? you think the other ammo will be more available.....aint even seen it....

 

[AK Gun Man 88]

Huge amounts of 5.7 in Fairbanks

 

[Panzerschwein]

Huh... it appears you are time-limited for shooting. That being said, I still think .22 LR is going to be easier to find than 5.7x28mm and it's going to be much cheaper. You mentioned hunting, what type of game? Will you be eating it? I don't think 5.7 is the ideal hunting round... too much power for small game like Brother Squirrel and Uncle Rabbit, not enough power for Cousin Bambi or Papa Bear.

.22 LR is the better game getter, will be MUCH cheaper, and it's coming back. Shop around. Do you really want 5.7x28mm? If I were you, I'd keep that 10/22. Great gun, very versatile, do yourself a favor and take/make a moment to hunt down some .22 LR and put that Ruger to work. Contrary to popular belief, .22 LR is FAR from dead, it might be going through some tough times but it's getting better every day. I'll bet in a few years, we might not be able to say the same for 5.7x28mm, at least for civilian use.

 

[eldon519]

5.7 is not an easy round to reload. It is extremely sensitive to variables. I personally don't get the logic of paying more to shoot a 5.7 in an AR15 platform vs just getting a .223/5.56 AR15? You are paying more for a round that does less. Magazines cost more. Brass is harder to find. Bullets are comparatively expensive to all the cheap 55gr FMJs.

If you are just looking for something that isn't so loud, I'd get a 9mm carbine. I've got an 9mm AR and love it. Very easy to reload for. About the cheapest centerfire cartridge you can shoot. Components and ammo readily available. If you wanna hunt with it, it is reasonably versatile. FMJs won't tear up small game too bad and HPs should work well on things like coyotes.

 

[westy39]

I would wait if I were you. The 22LR is making a come back. I was in a sporting goods store in Billings, MT and there was 22LR on the shelf, There was CCI 22LR and Federal 22LR. It was packaged in a 50 round box for $5.98 each box of 50 rounds. Yes I know that is about 12 cents a round but at least 22 LR is coming back or so it seems. Just my thoughts from the Big Sky Country.

 

[Corn-Picker]

So I have been thinking of getting rid of my 10/22 and what little 22 ammo I have. My 10/22 is unfired due to lack of ammo and I have yet to see a box on the shelf since the panic buying started years ago. I stumbled across the ar57 upper the other day. Looking at the round, I think it would serve well in situations I would have used a 22 (mostly hunting). I know 5.7 costs more but I can reload it. As of right now, the 10/22 just sits with lack of ammo. I rarely have time to just go and shoot for the sake of shooting. I am lucky if I get to pull the trigger once a month.

I would like to hear your thoughts about dumping 22LR all together for the 5.7.

The 5.7x28 is considered a tough reload as I understand it (I'm not a reloader). The case shoulder gets bumped really far forward, and there's a lacquer on the case (to adjust the stickiness of the case to control the timing of the blow back cycle) that you have to be careful not to remove.



I'm a huge fan of the 5.7 round, in the PS90 and to a lesser extent the five-seven handgun. In the AR I don't see as much of a benefit. It'll certainly kill a lot harder than a 22 LR, as it'll have 400 ft-lbs+ vs the 22 LRs 150 ft-lbs, but as the poster above me said it'll probably blow up any small game you hit with it, which wouldn't be good if you plan to eat it.

The 5.7 has been around since the 80s and serves it's designed purpose very well, so I suspect it'll be around for awhile.

 

[chris in va]

Good grief, just download 223 and be done with it...unless it's out of a pistol.

 

[barnbwt]

Two fairly different rounds. If reloading and for target use, just get a Hornet and be done with it. Or better yet, just buck up and shell out extra for 22LR like everyone else who's actually buying it. So long as you're paying less per round than 5.7, you're quite a bit ahead on your decision to stick with 22LR.

Now, if you want the opportunity to actually shoot accurately and effectively beyond 100yrds or so, or want a round that's actually respectable in defense or small game hunting the 5.7 or Hornet become better choices.

Corn-picker, I'd love to know what gun that fired case came from (I know it's an old photo). Some folks report massive setback like that in the photo, but my five-seven pistol shows a barely perceptible bump with SS197SR ammo, and the PS90 I recently acquired only a slight bit more than that. I wonder if the one on the right is that hot-rodded Elite Ammo stuff?

TCB

 

[rcmodel]

5.7 is not an easy round to reload. It is extremely sensitive to variables

Pay attention to this.
As well as post #7.

5.7 is best shot once and discarded.

And if you look around, .22 ammo is starting to show up again.
I have picked up several hundred rounds in the last few months.

And I don't get out much.

rc

 

[.338-06]

Hey AK Gun Man, check out Alaskaammogroup.com They're opening a store in the Bently mall soon. They're selling Armscor .22lr $50/brick. Yeah, that's .10/round but that's still cheaper than 5.7.

Funny thing about Alaska, every place you can buy guns & ammo (even the big box stores) has 5.7 ammo, but no 5.7 guns. They ALL sell .22lr guns, but have no .22lr ammo!

 

[MedWheeler]

The BPS in my town carries the 5.7, but I've paid no attention to its price; just noticed it there.

However, lack of availability of .22LR is no longer a valid reason in itself to ditch the caliber. I had 2,500 rounds going into summer of 2013 (post-Sandy Hook.) Putting in probably less than three hours of effort over the next year brought me up to about 7,000. Imagine how much I'd have if I had actually tried the whole year..

 

[Zerodefect]

A PS90 is handy, but for hunting? It's just cheaper and easier to get a 5.56 Ar15.

I love the PS90. But not for this.

http://www.bulkammo.com/rimfire/bulk-.22-lr-ammo?quantity=87

 

[jmorris]

.22 ammunition at the stores I have been to lately, $3.99/50 was the best price I noticed. Not near as good of a deal as all of the bulk boxes I bought years ago at under $8/500.

What is your intended use at what ranges. I have a lot of different stuff and the only reason I have been able to come up with to purchase a 5.7x28 is to have one of everything.
Doesn't really bring anything to the table for me.

 

[Whacked]

You will never see 22lr at 1.6cents/round ever again. Nowdsys seems to average 10cent/round occasionally as low as 6cents.
Still much lower than any centerfire, including reloads.
I haven't seen 22lr on the shelf locally in a few years. Rumor has a small shop occasionally has some, but sells fast.
Get it online. Just ordered another brick from midway.

 

[Whacked]

Razzafraggin tapcrap app.
Added to order so shipping cost is reasonable.
Ammo specialty online stores carry it too

 

[henschman]

5.7 would work for that role... but would be more expensive to shoot than something in 9mm, or .223 using low power hand loads. In .223, a bolt like the CZ-527 would be pretty good for low power stuff (you run into short stroking issues on the AR).

 

[Captcurt]

I'll stay with 22LR.

Never got below 5000 rounds of 22LR during this last Obamascare. Palmetto State Armory, CDNN and Target Sports has 22 ammo right now. It is still a little high but it is not nearly as bad as a year ago. My wholesale distributors are still allocating their hoards, so I have slowed my purchases from them and only use them when all else fails.

 

[.338-06]

You will never see 22lr at 1.6cents/round ever again. Nowdsys seems to average 10cent/round occasionally as low as 6cents.
Still much lower than any centerfire, including reloads.
I haven't seen 22lr on the shelf locally in a few years. Rumor has a small shop occasionally has some, but sells fast.
Get it online. Just ordered another brick from midway.

The OP lives in Fairbanks, AK. Alaska is fantastic, but we don't get UPS ground. So no ammo delivered to our doors.

 

[aubie515]

You are comparing a rimfire to a centerfire and think it's an apples to apples comparison?

There are a lot of people who dislike the 5.7...I'm not one of them. I've owned ever 5.7 firearm available...

If you are not a seasoned reloader, I would not advise trying it. As someone already stated...with the 5.7 case, there is a coating on it...most 5.7 reloaders will clean the brass with LemiShine or Simple Green.

If you do get AR57 upper...it's cool because you can remove spring/follower from any AR15 30rd mag and it will become your brass catcher for 5.7 brass.

 

[2ndAmendmentNut]

If you want a 22cf to replace your 22lr I would take a good look at the various bolt guns offered in 22hornet and 221 fireball.

 

[red-demon652]

Why not both no harm in keeping the 10-22

 

[Fremmer]

I understand the trouble finding .22lr ammo. I've thought about going to the .17 HMR in a bolt action rifle....