What do people do with nice .22 LR Rifles?
- Thread starter bushmaster1313
- Start date
- Status
JohnBT
Member
Yes to small game. But I don't drag them into briar patches or through thick woods. I stay on the trail, stick to open ground or do something like stump-sitting for squirrels.
I've been thinking I should buy fixed sights for my Remington 541-S. I'm told it uses the standard M-700 sights and it's already drilled and tapped. What a superbly accurate little rifle. So's my Finnfire, but I'd have to adjust the Jewell trigger to use it for hunting because I have it set at 1.49 ounces. Or I could put the original trigger back in a minute or two.
Or I could just take my .22 WMR CZ 452 American. I only have $280 in it including the Brooks trigger kit.
John
I've been thinking I should buy fixed sights for my Remington 541-S. I'm told it uses the standard M-700 sights and it's already drilled and tapped. What a superbly accurate little rifle. So's my Finnfire, but I'd have to adjust the Jewell trigger to use it for hunting because I have it set at 1.49 ounces. Or I could put the original trigger back in a minute or two.
Or I could just take my .22 WMR CZ 452 American. I only have $280 in it including the Brooks trigger kit.
John
JohnBT
Member
I forgot about my father's S&W Model 17-4 with 8 3/8" barrel and 2x Burris scope. It's almost a small game rifle. 
Smith357
Member
Yes, no point in owning it if you don't plan on using it.
ACP
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2002
- Messages
- 1,334
Redneck2 said: "Personally, I'm past the stage of wanting a hundred different guns. I've sold off my cheap stuff, stuff that I'm not using. I see no need to own a gun I haven't shot in five years. I sell off unused stuff and use the money to buy something good, that shoots well, and I like to use."
+1, my friend!
+1, my friend!
Danny Creasy
Member
Here is what you can do with one at my local club:
http://rimfireshooting.com/index.php?showtopic=7252
http://rimfireshooting.com/index.php?showtopic=7252
i have a kimber hunter and a cz 452 american. i hunt squirrels with them and don't give em' a thought once i step into the woods. a scratch or a bump here or there don't matter to me. my son is waiting for me to slow down so he can have em'. for me, it makes no sense to own a hunting rifle and not hunt it. ymmv.
NoirFan
Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2006
- Messages
- 671
Nice shooting, I am not much of a rifleman yet so it'll be a while before I get there. I'll try out those rimfire targets next time I have a chance.
I like to shoot the the 100-yd gong at my range, it's the little white dot in the middle here:
It's satisfying to hear the faint 'ping!' after a long delay
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Here's the "nicest" of my .22s. Remington 541T with Leupold Vari-X III 6.5-20X EFR. I use it indoors at 50 feet and outside to 200 yards (haven't tried farther yet). Yes, it goes into the woods with me, too.
Romeo 33 Delta
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2011
- Messages
- 402
Since I usually have to end my shooting season in October and can't resume until May ... I need to reacquire certain skills ... like not flinching, like being gentle with the trigger. My .22's are just the ticket for those problems. Besides, it gives me an excuse to actually shoot them because they tend to get forgotten once I move on to my centerfire rifles.
I use mine for 25 yard and 50 yard paper punching. R55 Benchmark, it has just gone over the 10,000 round mark:
teetertotter
Member
Join a rifle club and join some fun competition league
My 22 is either a $600 rifle or a $350 upper for a AR15 lower you have already, depending on how you look at it. I put a $170 Burris 2-7x scope on, which I've really like so far. It's very useful as a trainer, saving money on ammo (it's paid for itself several times over with 5.56 prices), plinker, liberty training rifle, introducing new people to shooting, and just plain having fun.
As others have stated above, it makes perfect sense to pay $500 plus for your 22 rifle if you do most of your shooting with it. I'd say 95% plus of the rounds I put downrange while off-duty are 22LR.
As others have stated above, it makes perfect sense to pay $500 plus for your 22 rifle if you do most of your shooting with it. I'd say 95% plus of the rounds I put downrange while off-duty are 22LR.
P-32
Member
Happygeek, which 22 upper did you get for your AR? I have been thinking I might have to save up for a Compass Lake 22 upper in order to get some good traing in.
P-32 said:
It's a CMMG 22LR upper. I've never even seen a Compass Lake upper so I can't compare, but I'd say the CMMG is more accurate than myself at 50m and less. Beyond 50m might be the ammo as much as anything; I'm cheap and shoot mostly Federal Value Packs from Walmart. The best 50 yard group I've ever shot with it was using Aguila and was 5 shots inside a quarter (25 cent coin, not a 1/4 inch).
CMMG started making 18 and 20 inch barreled 22LR uppers after I got mine, I would have gotten the 18 inch one if it had existed at the time. Looking at their site just now (http://cmmginc.secure-mall.com/category/22LR-AR15-Upper-Groups-184) I see their prices have gone up $20 - $30 on all models. Inflation will get you when you least expect it
If you do go the CMMG route I'd highly recommend paying the extra $40 for the stainless bolt, receiver plate, and barrel collar. I opted for the stainless and function has been excellent.
Hmmmm What to do with a .22LR? ? ?
Put many a squirrel & rabbit on the table with one..
Dispatched quite a few scaly creepy-crawly things that buzzed (rattle snakes)
Caused the demise of many a soda can, milk jug, sheet of paper
Deterred one person of felonious intent from crawling in through a window
Put many a squirrel & rabbit on the table with one..
Dispatched quite a few scaly creepy-crawly things that buzzed (rattle snakes)
Caused the demise of many a soda can, milk jug, sheet of paper
Deterred one person of felonious intent from crawling in through a window
22-rimfire
Member
I use one of these for the same things I would use a $150 Marlin Model 60. There is certainly a pride of ownership involved. Certainly not everyone can afford to spend $1000 (or more) on a 22 rifle, but you do get something "extra" for that $1000 just like a good knife. They both cut, but there is something about the high end stuff that certainly appeals to me. I always called the expensive 22 rifles "yuppie guns".
The dominant thing gained is precision.
wanderinwalker
Member
P-32 said:
I don't own the Compass Lake upper, but I did get to put up a few targets with one last winter. It will clean the NRA A-17 target at 50 feet, not sure if it has the raw accuracy for the USA-50 target, but the service sights and trigger will make it a challenge at any rate.
Everybody I've talked to with them likes them, and if you get one and decide you don't want it anymore, they sell quickly. Last I looked, used CLE .22s were going for about $900.
I haven't tripped the trigger on one because it's getting awfully close to the cost of a dedicated smallbore rifle, with much better sights and trigger. YMMV, as always.
Ghost Tracker
Member
I have a factory Volquartsen (Superlite) and I very much enjoy burning bunches of high-grade target ammo without damaging my 401K while hitting (almost) anything I can spot with 16X magnification out to ~200 yards. It's a wonderful combination of pure precision with a hobby that doesn't risk my grand-kids inheritance.
From a competition point of view think of say drag racing. You can buy a mass produced car and run it at the strip. It will make it down just fine. If you want to go faster you start spending more money. Early speed is relatively cheap but the last few tenths get real expensive real quick. If you want to be competitive then you spend the money.
From a non-competition point of view it's like owning anything else that's a luxury. You own it because you can afford it, you want it, and you enjoy it. No justification needed from there. Typically these rifles will shoot better than less expensive models but that's not always the focus and once in a while a less expensive rifle just happens to have the tolerances all fall right and shoot with the best of them. If you had to pick just one it's easy to see the appeal of an expensive rifle.
From a non-competition point of view it's like owning anything else that's a luxury. You own it because you can afford it, you want it, and you enjoy it. No justification needed from there. Typically these rifles will shoot better than less expensive models but that's not always the focus and once in a while a less expensive rifle just happens to have the tolerances all fall right and shoot with the best of them. If you had to pick just one it's easy to see the appeal of an expensive rifle.
22-rimfire
Member
... and now a cigarette lighter is an option.
JohnBT
Member
"most people want to pay for more accuracy even when they can't shoot well enough to get that accuracy from the gun"
I completely disagree.
How can anyone learn and improve their ability to shoot small groups (or first shot head shots on squirrels, etc.) with a rifle that can't do it?
Let's say I have a rifle that shoots 0.01" groups - one hole. I am capable of using it to shoot 3" groups because I'm a lousy shot. Some would say I've wasted my money.
Now let's say I get a rifle that can only shoot 3" groups on its' best day. I'm still adding my woefully poor 3" lack of talent wobble and shakes to the equation and the shots spread out up to 6" - my poor shooting on top of the rifle's poor mechanical accuracy.
So, in conclusion, why would anyone want a gun that makes them a worse shot?
John
I completely disagree.
How can anyone learn and improve their ability to shoot small groups (or first shot head shots on squirrels, etc.) with a rifle that can't do it?
Let's say I have a rifle that shoots 0.01" groups - one hole. I am capable of using it to shoot 3" groups because I'm a lousy shot. Some would say I've wasted my money.
Now let's say I get a rifle that can only shoot 3" groups on its' best day. I'm still adding my woefully poor 3" lack of talent wobble and shakes to the equation and the shots spread out up to 6" - my poor shooting on top of the rifle's poor mechanical accuracy.
So, in conclusion, why would anyone want a gun that makes them a worse shot?
John
redbullitt
Member
Mine is a savage with and upgraded stock... so not exactly a bank breaker. I will say that I enjoy it with some long range 22 lr shooting lol. Usually take it out to just under 500 (all I got here). Great for wind and elevation practice if I do UKD. Works for winning bets too haha.
- Status
Similar threads
