Indoor - 50 foot -Informal .22LR target shooting

Picher · March 25, 2014, 01:57 PM

I turned 70 last month and though a bit shakier than in the past, still enjoy 50' indoor .22 LR shooting as warm-up to the outdoor varmint season. The attached target pics are some of my better recent offhand attempts. The red dots are 5/8" bulk-mailing dots.

The Rem 581,with thumbhole stock is really fun to shoot. For offhand shooting, the scope was at 8X. At that distance, Winchester HV-HP bulk ammo shoots well.

Practice, practice, practice!

g.willikers · March 25, 2014, 02:40 PM

Nice shootin' old man.
As kids, we start with airguns, and then graduate to .22s.
Then, as we begin the slide down the far side of the hill, we return to airguns and .22s.
Second childhood?

Picher · March 25, 2014, 03:29 PM

No second childhood, just too cold and snowy to shoot outside with CFs here. Still have almost two feet of snow.

Never stopped shooting .22s though. Great practice.

When it's warmer, I'll be going out to hunt coyotes with my .243s and .223s, turkeys with the shotguns, then grouse, then deer with the .270 Win.

I put money down to reserve a .223 Rem, Stainless Fluted Rem 700 CDL, "Gun of the Year". Can't wait for that baby to come in. It will be the perfect down-back walkabout rifle for the spring and summer.

g.willikers · March 25, 2014, 05:28 PM

What size are the coyotes up your way?
Hear they can get kind of large.

Picher · March 25, 2014, 05:32 PM

Some go about 40 lbs...about the size of a good-sized German Shepard. I've gotten quite a few, but don't put bait out like a neighbor does. I don't want to attract them, just kill those that are already in the area.

Unlicensed Dremel · April 7, 2014, 11:57 PM

Looks good to me. I shoot Super Colibris in the house out of a Savage Cub, Heritage Rough Rider, Marlin 39, or other .22s.

I used to shoot those Speer plastic bullets with primer only in the house (9mm and .45), but like the Super Colibris better... don't have to do hand-priming and get better accuracy.

I also used to shoot high-power spring piston airguns in the house but not any more - sold them all. I may get an Edgun Matador some day and do that again.

Around the 4th of July, I can and do sometimes shoot subsonic or full-powered .22lrs in the house and no one thinks twice.

Unfortunately, the longest stretch I can set up is about 11 yards.

These days, if the weather is nice, I'd rather walk out into the yard and shoot my bow.

Sierra280 · April 8, 2014, 12:19 AM

I've always loved my 581 (first gun I ever had) but never found any good aftermarket parts for it (mostly the lack of anything). I bought a marlin 60 for smallbore 50yd shooting, it doesn't shoot nearly as well as my 581. So I have to ask: WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THOSE AWESOME STOCKS!!??

Picher · April 8, 2014, 01:07 PM

I found the semi-inletted blank in a barrel at Kittery Trading Post (Maine). It was made for a single-shot Anschutz, but I don't recall the model number. I finished it and installed a second stock screw. Then, I wanted to use it for a kid's benchrest rifle, so added a plate to the forend, and retained forend shape for offhand shooting.

The balance for offhand shooting with the new barrel is fantastic. It doesn't have that muzzle-heavy feel of the 541T barrel that was on it before. It shoots absolutely fantastic. I do much better than with my Rem 504 (which is a little barrel-light), due to the added weight and light trigger pull.

The stock is a little beat, due to the number of shooters that have used it, especially my grand-kids.

Rifletom · April 8, 2014, 06:52 PM

Picher,
I like your style. You are having tons of fun with your rifles and enjoying life. It doesn't get much better than that! Don't you just love those Marlin 39A's?
I sure do like mine. Have a good one Picher.

Picher · April 9, 2014, 07:55 AM

Rifletom: Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I'm having a lot of fun in my retirement. And yes, I enjoy my Marlin 39A, which presently has a 4X scope on it, but also has a receiver sight base. It's also sported a red-dot sight and other scopes, but I like the lightness of the 4X.

I still enjoy improving guns at little or no cost (parts and supplies) for friends and acquaintances. Some of the guns I've recently worked on include a neighbor's sporterized M1 Carbine clone with a scope that wasn't looking where the barrel was pointing. The flimsy mount had to be tweaked hard to bring the scope into adjustment range. It's a really fun rifle now!

A Ruger Single-Six needed to have a new cylinder-rotating "pawl" fitted, and extensive internal smoothing and polishing, including trigger honing. Now, it's a real gem for a shooting buddy and I was pleased to do the work for a guy who really puts himself out to keep the shooting club building and grounds in good shape.

I used to do a lot of Ruger Single-Action work, especially for IHMSA silhouette revolver shooters, and double-action smoothing for cops and others, when I had my part-time business. (Liability insurance cost made it impossible to continue.)

March 25, 2014, 02:40 PM	#2
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	Nice shootin' old man. As kids, we start with airguns, and then graduate to .22s. Then, as we begin the slide down the far side of the hill, we return to airguns and .22s. Second childhood? __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

March 25, 2014, 05:28 PM	#4
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	What size are the coyotes up your way? Hear they can get kind of large. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

April 9, 2014, 07:55 AM	#10
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	Rifletom: Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I'm having a lot of fun in my retirement. And yes, I enjoy my Marlin 39A, which presently has a 4X scope on it, but also has a receiver sight base. It's also sported a red-dot sight and other scopes, but I like the lightness of the 4X. I still enjoy improving guns at little or no cost (parts and supplies) for friends and acquaintances. Some of the guns I've recently worked on include a neighbor's sporterized M1 Carbine clone with a scope that wasn't looking where the barrel was pointing. The flimsy mount had to be tweaked hard to bring the scope into adjustment range. It's a really fun rifle now! A Ruger Single-Six needed to have a new cylinder-rotating "pawl" fitted, and extensive internal smoothing and polishing, including trigger honing. Now, it's a real gem for a shooting buddy and I was pleased to do the work for a guy who really puts himself out to keep the shooting club building and grounds in good shape. I used to do a lot of Ruger Single-Action work, especially for IHMSA silhouette revolver shooters, and double-action smoothing for cops and others, when I had my part-time business. (Liability insurance cost made it impossible to continue.) Last edited by Picher; April 10, 2014 at 07:43 PM.

March 25, 2014, 03:29 PM	#3
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	No second childhood, just too cold and snowy to shoot outside with CFs here. Still have almost two feet of snow. Never stopped shooting .22s though. Great practice. When it's warmer, I'll be going out to hunt coyotes with my .243s and .223s, turkeys with the shotguns, then grouse, then deer with the .270 Win. I put money down to reserve a .223 Rem, Stainless Fluted Rem 700 CDL, "Gun of the Year". Can't wait for that baby to come in. It will be the perfect down-back walkabout rifle for the spring and summer.

March 25, 2014, 05:32 PM	#5
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	Some go about 40 lbs...about the size of a good-sized German Shepard. I've gotten quite a few, but don't put bait out like a neighbor does. I don't want to attract them, just kill those that are already in the area.

April 7, 2014, 11:57 PM	#6
Unlicensed Dremel Junior member Join Date: February 13, 2014 Location: Flathead Valley, MT Posts: 2,187	Looks good to me. I shoot Super Colibris in the house out of a Savage Cub, Heritage Rough Rider, Marlin 39, or other .22s. I used to shoot those Speer plastic bullets with primer only in the house (9mm and .45), but like the Super Colibris better... don't have to do hand-priming and get better accuracy. I also used to shoot high-power spring piston airguns in the house but not any more - sold them all. I may get an Edgun Matador some day and do that again. Around the 4th of July, I can and do sometimes shoot subsonic or full-powered .22lrs in the house and no one thinks twice. Unfortunately, the longest stretch I can set up is about 11 yards. These days, if the weather is nice, I'd rather walk out into the yard and shoot my bow.

April 8, 2014, 12:19 AM	#7
Sierra280 Junior member Join Date: July 29, 2013 Location: Gardnerville, NV Posts: 569	I've always loved my 581 (first gun I ever had) but never found any good aftermarket parts for it (mostly the lack of anything). I bought a marlin 60 for smallbore 50yd shooting, it doesn't shoot nearly as well as my 581. So I have to ask: WHERE CAN I GET ONE OF THOSE AWESOME STOCKS!!??

April 8, 2014, 01:07 PM	#8
Picher Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2004 Location: Maine Posts: 3,694	I found the semi-inletted blank in a barrel at Kittery Trading Post (Maine). It was made for a single-shot Anschutz, but I don't recall the model number. I finished it and installed a second stock screw. Then, I wanted to use it for a kid's benchrest rifle, so added a plate to the forend, and retained forend shape for offhand shooting. The balance for offhand shooting with the new barrel is fantastic. It doesn't have that muzzle-heavy feel of the 541T barrel that was on it before. It shoots absolutely fantastic. I do much better than with my Rem 504 (which is a little barrel-light), due to the added weight and light trigger pull. The stock is a little beat, due to the number of shooters that have used it, especially my grand-kids.

April 8, 2014, 06:52 PM	#9
Rifletom Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: So-Cal Posts: 789	Picher, I like your style. You are having tons of fun with your rifles and enjoying life. It doesn't get much better than that! Don't you just love those Marlin 39A's? I sure do like mine. Have a good one Picher.