I wonder...

[9mmfan]

For a while, .22 was mainly used when someone who hadn't shot before asked if I would take them to the range. Start them on that, then as they got comfortable, see if they wanted to move up.

I would shoot it myself sometimes, but a single 525 round box would last me quite a while. On the other hand, it wasn't uncommon for me to go through 2-300 rounds of 9MM in a single range trip. Course that was when 9 could be found. And cost 7-8 bucks/50. And I had time and money for such things.

I did get an LCR .22 when I finally admitted to myself that I couldn't shoot a double action revolver worth a hill o' beans. 525 rounds would still last a while. Dry firing worked as well, but I do want to make SOME noise every once in a while.

Not sure what point I'm trying to make, not that I ever let that stop me, but seems like .22 has always been popular. Some folks only own rimfires, or more of those than centerfires.

 

[Jim in S.A.]

When the president was reelected, I laid in a few extra bricks of .22 and a few extra boxes of centerfire, just in case. As such, I had a little bit extra ammo when the current situation arose.

The only concession I've made was to procure a single-shot bolt action .22, and concentrate on squeezing the fun out of each and every shot. I know a lot of people a little older than myself who grew up that way, and I find I'm really enjoying it.

At this rate, I can withstand the drought of .22 for some time to come. Even when (or if) ammo again becomes plentiful, I'll still enjoy this ancient old Remington.

 

[Agsalaska]

Rimfire guns are the only guns I actually enjoy shooting and really the only guns I ever shoot for recreation.

 

[ms6852]

I got into 22's before OBAMANATION. It was the economical way for me to practice off hand shooting using a Remington 513T. Heavy rifle, several hundred rounds for under $20, this helps me during hunting season, cause it get pretty heavy carrying a bench around. Another reason it that it has always allowed me to practice my weak hand shooting without getting to expensive using 45 acp. At the end of my session of training I shoot a couple of mags of 45 last so that muscle memory is still there.

 

[TennJed]

For 4 decades I have always known people to shoot way more 22 than centerfire ammo.

 

[Bobson]

I used to get bored shooting .22... now i love every second of it. Perhaps its a "don't know what you got til its gone"

It's closer to the opposite for me. I've had two different 22LR rifles as an adult. I still have the second one. Seems like when I didn't have one at all, I always wanted to shoot a 22LR. When I do have one (including currently), the 22 is shot less than everything else - and I have hundreds more rounds of 22LR than anything else.

I think a big part of the reason is when I was growing up, I learned to shoot with my dad's 22. We lived in a really rural area of western Washington, so I was able to shoot at just about anything I wanted to shoot at - birds, an old broken down tractor, plastic army men set up in mountains of loose dirt, glass bottles on top of fence posts, empty beer cans, etc, etc. I was entertained for literally hours and hundreds of rounds at a time.

Now I live in the city and the only thing I can shoot on a regular basis is holes in paper. It doesn't begin to compare - I find myself getting bored after an hour at the range if I'm not doing something purposeful with my EDC or breaking clays with a shotgun. I miss living in the country, and my 22LR is immensely neglected in the meantime. I was raised in the mountains chopping firewood in the Summer, and now I find myself surrounded (and slowly becoming more like) city folk... what have I allowed myself to become?

Well this was a bit depressing.

 

[P5 Guy]

Glenfield 60 and a S&W 17 my first two rimfires and first two bullet firing firearms, but the first gun I had was a shotgun.
I no longer have the Glenfield the S&W 17 will be buried with me if possible. I take my 22s out to the range most every time I hit the range. 10/22, Kimber82G and S&W 17 the most fun for plinking.

 

[justice06rr]

I like 22's, but still prefer the larger centerfire calibers. I don't think the whole Sandy Hook event made people appreciate it more, but those who've owned 22's just bought way more 22lr ammo which severely affected the supply.

 

[Warp]

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT THE AMMO SHORTAGE, Please don't treat it as such.

For some reason or other, I feel as though the amount of rimfire shooters has been greatly exaggerated in the wake of sandy hook. I personally didn't even have a .22 (had a few.. they usually ended up as trade fodder) at the time. Now I have three, and they're not going anywhere... I guess what I' wondering is if the situation has made people more into the .22 because its tough to get. I used to get bored shooting .22... now i love every second of it. Perhaps its a "don't know what you got til its gone" scenario. I wonder if there's others like me who didn't care less before all this happened.

I don't think people are into it because it's hard to get.

I think it's hard to get because people are into it.

And I think people are into it because at a time when ammo is overly expensive, .22lr is the least-expensive ammo out there.

 

[Delford]

Makes sense, Warp. I only got into shooting after getting my CCP. I qualified with a Neos because .22 ammo was so cheap. That was five years ago. I bought a .45 for CC then a year later a Neos. I bought ammo monthly even when I couldn't shoot. I didn't buy as much .22 as I should have but am well supplied with .45. A friend recently bought a couple bricks of .22 with his wife to overcome the limits and he gave some to me for a small donation. We've been shooting golf balls tied to string between trees on the farm with the. 22s-his from a Blackhawk and a Mark II and me from the Neos. Really a lot of fun. I still have to pay attention to my CC shooting so I stay sharp but rimfire is a good inexpensive way to plink and keep my skills tuned.

 

[gamestalker]

I have always loved the 22 RF, and in every version. When I was a kid I remember getting 22 shorts for like .30 or .40 cents a box, maybe even less than that, those days are gone forever my friend. I also remember when you could take your spent 22 brass into the LGS, and we would receive store credit toward ammunition purchases. I have a lot of fond memories that revolve around the 22 RF, many that have vanished along with the availability of such.

GS

 

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

I have a few .22s. my interest in .22s has been greatly increased. Here are two reasons:

1) I always bought CCI mini-mags, because that's what my store carried. I actually had no idea .22 bulk packs were only $20-$25.

2) By stocking up on components for my other guns (.44 mag, .45 ACP, .223 etc) I realized how darn cheap $.04/round really is!

Once I can get my hands on some ammo (I really just want one bulk pack ) I can take my Beretta model 87 out and appreciate it like I never have before!

 

[thriller]

Ive always had em and always will. Last count I had about 10. My Marlin 25 that ive had for 30 years must have 25,000 rounds thru it. I have not shot that in several years, but its always been trouble free and cheap. The list of critters that thing has killed outnumbers everything else I own combined. Easily.
Whenever I take a new shooter out with me, they always shoot a 22 first. And my bearcat is so much fun, and so challenging to shoot well, I cant put it down. Ive owned that for about 3 months, and it prolly has 2000 rounds thru it already.