22LR Epiphany: Cheaper and More Available Than Primers

[mmc45414]

I really enjoyed shooting 22LR because it so much fun, and when you are doing it you know you are not spending much money, don't need to reload the ammo, (in most places) don't need to pick up the brass, and back in the day you could add $18 to your grocery bill and snag another 500 rounds anytime you wanted to. Then the script got flipped and 22LR became a hoarded apocalyptic currency that was now unavailable and coveted, immediately squashing all of the fun right out of it. Eventually I scored a case of 5k and have needed to budget, rather than joyously converting it into noise. I have some nice guns (617, two Ruger pistols, one 10/22) that really do not get out of the safe much, we do some plinking after dinner on Thanksgiving and I have been volunteering for this annual event, but other than that, they stay parked because I am still nursing that case of ammo.

And when 22LR prices shot up (more pun royalty payments to @blues ...) primer prices really didn't until later, so I could reload 9mm inexpensively and really kinda forgot about shooting much 22LR. Then the other day I reminisced about how fun they are and I went out to look to see how difficult it was to get ammo now, and it looks like on any given day there is some out there to buy. And this is in contrast to primers, that you must constantly stalk, and now the primer reorder point is what used to be a 6mo supply. And even at current prices I just paid eight cents for primers (and was actually sorta happy to get them for that!) and Mini Mags seem available for seven.

So it looks like the script flipped again, and this has caused my interest in 22LRs to re-emerge. I think I am going to upgrade a pistol, probably with the same SRO I just installed on my primary M&P. I am also going to build out a 10/22 on the Midwest Industries chassis. Remind me again that I am saving money.

[BWT]

This, SLG’s post on .22 LR trainers, and wanting to finally square away a .22 suppressor and I’m in the same boat.

I bought 525 rounds of Walmart last week for $42.

I saw 9mm in person at PSA for $15.99.

I had to resist the urge to buy it. I bought a Ruger MKIV 22/45 for that suppressor later on Saturday.

With kids, newer shooters, etc. I figure .22LR is great and keeps everything affordable for folks to learn to shoot and practice.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Shooting 22s is fun. However, now someone will start the USPSA should have 22s in it debate. That causes purists to have total hissy fit breakdowns. Some local matches in IDPA or USPSA will let you go outlaw. I would like to shoot a G44 in a match but can't! However, you can on practice days where it doesn't count for the Gods! Folks still have fits over PCC!

[1Rangemaster]

Shooting 22s is fun. However, now someone will start the USPSA should have 22s in it debate. That causes purists to have total hissy fit breakdowns. Some local matches in IDPA or USPSA will let you go outlaw. I would like to shoot a G44 in a match but can't! However, you can on practice days where it doesn't count for the Gods! Folks still have fits over PCC!

I won't start the USPSA debate, but note that Steel Challenge has several rimfire divisions. @AzShooter has a thing going for him, and it works.
Posted elsewhere on introducing a young lady friend of daughters to steel silhouettes and plates with the rimfire. She was negative about her .38 snub-scared her a bit. Shot the rimfire and moved on to a G19-thumbs up for that.
Just plinking is fun, but occasionally I shoot some drills w/a G44-every little bit helps!
If you decide to shoot the .22 in the frozen hellscape you're in, GEM, suggest you warm the ammo and gun up-less malfunctioning.

Edit to add: my G44 likes the heavier bullets-37 to 40 grains-and higher velocities.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Unfortunately, the frozen hellscape has shut down Steel Challenge which I enjoy. The indoor range won't support classic steel. I asked Clusterfrack if there was a paper analog for steel but if there is, we don't do it. There is indoor 22LR bullseye which I'm going to try after the holiday season. Don't have the time till then.

Folks get so lost in the arcane, gamer stuff. I'd say you could allow the straight forward clones of carry guns, like the G44 and that's it. But that's a hellscape of debate as mentioned before.

Maybe we could have a match just with NAA 22S revolvers as a division (LOL).

[mmc45414]

I bought a Ruger MKIV 22/45 for that suppressor later on Saturday.

However, now someone will start the USPSA should have 22s in it debate.

note that Steel Challenge has several rimfire divisions

I think I am going to buy some kind of MKIV 22/45, not sure if I will buy the Target or the Lite (don't have a can for it). Probably get the Target (cheapest) and maybe get a TacSol upper later. Lots of clean RDO mounts that replace the rear sight. Probably try the Apex trigger. This will be a bit of a mimic of the 5" M&P I shoot most every Sunday.

A club I am a member of does Steel Challenge on Monday nights. I really enjoy it, but am usually not that motivated to pack up and go out to shoot the same pistol I just shot the day before. Maybe getting geared up for rimfire will change my mojo.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I shot steel with a Buckmark with a fiber optic front site. Worked fine for me. Not expensive. Of course, some dudes had super duper guns with the Hubble Space telescope mounted as an optic. Just fun, plink, plink.

[diananike]

My range sessions usually consist of 50 rounds from full caliber handgun and 50 rounds of rimfire (generally a G44).
It’s a good balance of cost and reps.
Recoil control is my main reason for live fire training so I wouldn’t give up the Centerfire component.

[JCN]

I’m really enjoying rimfire steel challenge.

Found a good use for those bulk packs of 22LR that were otherwise sitting unloved.

[SecondsCount]

Automatch shoots pretty well out of my Bergara bolt action and I have been shooting a lot of that lately, ~ 6cpr and I get just under MOA accuracy at 50 yards with it.