What's So Special About .22lr?
- Thread starter Mr.Blue
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Iramo94
Member
This. I always use .22 as a warm up when I go to the range. I don't know if it really works or if it's a well-placed placebo, but it seems my groups get twice as tight, sometimes more, during a ten minute .22 practice section at the beginning of the day.
PX15
Member
22-rimfire:
Thanks for the nice words about our new pup.. Jodie is a mini-Aussie, and she's turning out to be a wonderful addition to our family..
At 40lbs she's the perfect size for taking me for long walks each day, which she needs as a relatively "high energy" Aussie, and which I need for my health..
This is only our 2nd Aussie (and first Mini), but she's a keeper.
Best Wishes,
Jesse
Thanks for the nice words about our new pup.. Jodie is a mini-Aussie, and she's turning out to be a wonderful addition to our family..
At 40lbs she's the perfect size for taking me for long walks each day, which she needs as a relatively "high energy" Aussie, and which I need for my health..
This is only our 2nd Aussie (and first Mini), but she's a keeper.
Best Wishes,
Jesse
mrbro
Member
Mr Blue. Go to the 200yd range with a box of clay pigeons and a brick of .22s. If that doesn't get you hooked nothing will.
BK
Member
It's like a toy, that's not a toy.
I've had a number of landowners refuse to let us hunt prarie dogs with a centerfire of any kind.
Rimfires are usually welcome in this case. So out come the 22's, the 22 Mags and the .17 HMR's.
Rimfires are usually welcome in this case. So out come the 22's, the 22 Mags and the .17 HMR's.
golanglobus
Member
It's all been said already, but I needed to chime in with my praise for the .22, just to add to the heap of love. It really is a fantastic all-purpose round - the duct tape of the shooting sports. I shoot my iron-sighted Marlin 60 almost as well as any scoped centerfire rifle, and I shoot my Buck Mark better than ANY other handgun. Yeah, I like recoil too, but I save that for dessert.
And squirrels ARE delicious! A fricassee of brined squirrel with some garlic, onions, carrots and herbs in a white wine cream sauce...mmmm... And those six squirrels you harvested to feed the family cost you about 20 cents in ammunition - for nut and seed-fed, organic, free-range, lean and nutritious meat. Oh my God yum... I can't wait for small game season.
And squirrels ARE delicious! A fricassee of brined squirrel with some garlic, onions, carrots and herbs in a white wine cream sauce...mmmm... And those six squirrels you harvested to feed the family cost you about 20 cents in ammunition - for nut and seed-fed, organic, free-range, lean and nutritious meat. Oh my God yum... I can't wait for small game season.
Treegunner
Member
Shooting silhouette with a 22lr is just awesome and yes it does improve your shooting skills, it is hard as all get out, and as said about 22lr BR competitions are definitely not for the shooter that is lacking skills....
aka108
Member
Very accurate short range cartridge, for the most part relatively inexpensive but you can get some very pricey ammo if you shoot anal competition and just plain fun. On a range day I start with a 22rf, go to the centerfires and then back to the rf just to really relax before driving home.
Mauser lover
Member
Mr. Blue,
Shooting squirrels is not just fun. I do not know what kind of squirrels you are used to, but in CA we have far too many ground squirrels. These squirrels dig burrows that they live in (much like prairie dogs) underneath trees, or anything that they can find to make themselves as much of a nuisance to you as possible. My family has had an almond orchard for a few generations, we have fought a constant battle against squirrels, because;
1. Squirrels eat all of the almonds that they can find, leaving you none to harvest.
2. Squirrels dig under the trees, weakening the trees hold to the earth, making the trees fall over during windy storms, when we try to harvest them, etc...
3. They carry rabies, the plague, and all sorts of other diseases.
I also would not eat ground squirrel; however I understand that gray squirrels are quite good if you prepare it properly. I have never eaten it personally, but there is a person that attends the same church that I do who used to live in Arkansas and he used to eat gray squirrels often.
I love my .22 LR Marlin bolt gun; very accurate and (as has already been stated) you could probably kill whitetail with it if the need arose.
Shooting squirrels is not just fun. I do not know what kind of squirrels you are used to, but in CA we have far too many ground squirrels. These squirrels dig burrows that they live in (much like prairie dogs) underneath trees, or anything that they can find to make themselves as much of a nuisance to you as possible. My family has had an almond orchard for a few generations, we have fought a constant battle against squirrels, because;
1. Squirrels eat all of the almonds that they can find, leaving you none to harvest.
2. Squirrels dig under the trees, weakening the trees hold to the earth, making the trees fall over during windy storms, when we try to harvest them, etc...
3. They carry rabies, the plague, and all sorts of other diseases.
I also would not eat ground squirrel; however I understand that gray squirrels are quite good if you prepare it properly. I have never eaten it personally, but there is a person that attends the same church that I do who used to live in Arkansas and he used to eat gray squirrels often.
I love my .22 LR Marlin bolt gun; very accurate and (as has already been stated) you could probably kill whitetail with it if the need arose.
Sako Shooter
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When I was a kid (long ago), there was a saying the every hunter owned a
.22 rifle but couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. That was back when squirrels, rabbits and birds (doves/ducks) were taken with shotguns, and kids used pellet guns for the smaller game, and deer were taken with open-sighted "thurty-thurties" or slug/buckshot.
What got me interested in .22s today is NOISE. Shotguns are simply too noisy and neighborhoods and other developments have incroached on shrinking woods. Second, shooting .22 rifles has become a hobby of mine (I now own 5 of them), and I can shoot all afternoon for relatively cheap w/out making a lot of noise or bruising my shoulder. Target shooting also sharpens my shooting skills for squirrel hunting.
.22 rifle but couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. That was back when squirrels, rabbits and birds (doves/ducks) were taken with shotguns, and kids used pellet guns for the smaller game, and deer were taken with open-sighted "thurty-thurties" or slug/buckshot.
What got me interested in .22s today is NOISE. Shotguns are simply too noisy and neighborhoods and other developments have incroached on shrinking woods. Second, shooting .22 rifles has become a hobby of mine (I now own 5 of them), and I can shoot all afternoon for relatively cheap w/out making a lot of noise or bruising my shoulder. Target shooting also sharpens my shooting skills for squirrel hunting.
Hanzo581
Member
I found a local range that holds several .22 competitions a month. It is great fun for the cost. Matter of fact I am looking for a 22/45 for a bowling pin match they have coming up. The one I am looking at is $290 brand new. So when you look at the cost of the guns, and the extremely cheap ammo price, you have a heck of a combination.
killerfiction
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You, sir, are a writer.
Nor just in rifles, either...
I taught my children to shoot with an OLD Smith & Wesson .22LR "Kit Gun". Eldest son has used same "Kit Gun" to teach HIS children to shoot. IIRC, i was the 4th or 5th owner of said S&W...and it STILL puts the lead where you aim.
I now have a Ruger Single Six convertible, and a Ruger MKII and a 10/22 along with an OLD Marlin 99. I love to shoot .22 rimfire...especially when the 'Cheap Galoot' in me shows up
I taught my children to shoot with an OLD Smith & Wesson .22LR "Kit Gun". Eldest son has used same "Kit Gun" to teach HIS children to shoot. IIRC, i was the 4th or 5th owner of said S&W...and it STILL puts the lead where you aim.
I now have a Ruger Single Six convertible, and a Ruger MKII and a 10/22 along with an OLD Marlin 99. I love to shoot .22 rimfire...especially when the 'Cheap Galoot' in me shows up
.22 rifles are great, but cheap? My mossberg tube-fed bolt is getting old. Time for a 10/22. Those rugers start at over 200.00. That is not cheap for a tiny bore rifle. I am told most of the other autos, armscor, marlin, ect, are junk so I guess I have no choice.
travisd
Member
Marlins sure aren't junk. Paid $107 for my 795 and just as nice as any Ruger I've handled and as accurate if not more out of the box. And I love .22 because you can burn through a brick of ammo and it only costs $20 for a whole day of shooting.
There are many benefits. Obviously cost is a big point. Most types of ammo cost 2-5 cents a round. Certainly some are a bit more but there are plenty of options in that price range. .223 is about as cheap as you can get for centerfire rifle rounds. Cheapest stuff out there is about 20 cents a round. You shoot 1000 rounds of each in a day and you've spent $20-$40 for the .22lr and $200-$400+ for blasting ammo and closer to $1000 if it's "match" ammo. 9mm is about as cheap as you can get for a centerfire pistol. Again, ammo here runs about 20 cents a round for the steel cased stuff and a bit more for others.
Ignoring price, it is a very easy round to teach a new shooter with. The low recoil allows good habits to form without the fear of the rifle beating the shooter up. The round is pretty accurate as well. Most rifles built today can hold 1" at 50 yards and many hold half that with the right ammo which again helps new shooters stay interested as they see good results.
It is a quite capable round. While it isn't what I would pick for medium game it certainly can do more than most admit.
For some of us, we can't get out to a 500-1000 yard range all that often. A 200-300 yard range is often something that can be found. Shooting a .22lr at 200-300 yards is a lot of fun and teaches quite a bit. While you may not be seeing sub-moa groups at this range, it again is quite amazing what this round can do and how it reacts in the wind.
Then comes the pure joy of shooting the round. It's a fun round. It's great for plinking, blasting, hunting, target shooting, training, teaching, and on and on. While it doesn't simulate recoil of a centerfire, it does about everything else very well and at a fraction of the price. My centerfire rifles all seem to come and go. Most have been sold off and the rest hardly leave the safe. The rimfire's all see quite a bit of use.
To me, I could give up all non-.22lr rifles and have 90% of the fun that firearms give me.
Ignoring price, it is a very easy round to teach a new shooter with. The low recoil allows good habits to form without the fear of the rifle beating the shooter up. The round is pretty accurate as well. Most rifles built today can hold 1" at 50 yards and many hold half that with the right ammo which again helps new shooters stay interested as they see good results.
It is a quite capable round. While it isn't what I would pick for medium game it certainly can do more than most admit.
For some of us, we can't get out to a 500-1000 yard range all that often. A 200-300 yard range is often something that can be found. Shooting a .22lr at 200-300 yards is a lot of fun and teaches quite a bit. While you may not be seeing sub-moa groups at this range, it again is quite amazing what this round can do and how it reacts in the wind.
Then comes the pure joy of shooting the round. It's a fun round. It's great for plinking, blasting, hunting, target shooting, training, teaching, and on and on. While it doesn't simulate recoil of a centerfire, it does about everything else very well and at a fraction of the price. My centerfire rifles all seem to come and go. Most have been sold off and the rest hardly leave the safe. The rimfire's all see quite a bit of use.
To me, I could give up all non-.22lr rifles and have 90% of the fun that firearms give me.
I love .22LR because:
dirt cheap to shoot
fun to shoot
can shoot and hunt with it without wearing ear plugs(though I usually do for large volume shooting anyway)
great for teaching new shooters(lack of intimidating, mistake hiding recoil)
Seriously I couldn't afford to shoot half as much if it wasn't for .22LR. Sure it doesn't train you for recoil, but that only matters if you are practicing rapid fire. Even so, it's better than no practice. I don't think I'll ever sell my ruger 10/22 and 22/45.
Viva la .22!!
dirt cheap to shoot
fun to shoot
can shoot and hunt with it without wearing ear plugs(though I usually do for large volume shooting anyway)
great for teaching new shooters(lack of intimidating, mistake hiding recoil)
Seriously I couldn't afford to shoot half as much if it wasn't for .22LR. Sure it doesn't train you for recoil, but that only matters if you are practicing rapid fire. Even so, it's better than no practice. I don't think I'll ever sell my ruger 10/22 and 22/45.
Viva la .22!!
I love my .22. I taught my girl friend how to shoot properly with my Savage Mark II .22 and she went from basically hating guns, to firing my .30-06 and not crying (lol) to ready to go thru the process of buying her first pistol and getting her C'n'C. Now she loves them. The .22 cartridge is one of those cartridges that will stand the test of time, can be found anywhere in the world, doing most anything the operator needs it to do, shooting wise.
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